British Columbia·Photos

Team Canada heads to World Balloon Convention

Two British Columbians are headed to the World Balloon Convention next week in New Orleans as part of Team Canada.

'It's an incredible medium to work with,' says Vancouverite Kristal Yee

Team Canada will have 12 hours to create large sculpture made entirely out of balloons at the World Balloon Covention. Here's an ogre piece made by one of the teammates. (Glen LaValley of Glen the Balloon Guy)

Move over animal shapes — these are not the balloon sculptures you may remember from birthdays past.

The World Balloon Convention in New Orleans in early April will draw competitors from around the world to create big, complicated sculptures entirely out of balloons.

Kristal Yee, one of two competitors from B.C who owns her own balloon business in Surrey, says it's an amazing medium to work with, and the competition is fierce:

"We've been working on this for the past year," she said. "We had to have [the] sketch and registration done ahead of time, so it's not something you can just throw together at the last minute."

Yee says the group will have 12 hours to create the sculptures.

She says the group shares a loves creativity that is part of balloon art.

"You can manipulate these balloons and create amazing pieces out of them," says Kristal Yee. (Kristal Yee)

"You can manipulate these balloons and create amazing pieces out of them. They can tell stories, invoke joy. There's no limit to what you can do."

With files from Kiran Dhillon