Isak Heartstone will live to see another day.
Breckenridge town crews deconstructed the 15-foot-tall troll sculpture, made of reclaimed wood, Thursday morning. Town council voted earlier in the week for the artwork to be removed from Wellington Trail, though they left the the door open for a relocation in the future.
The troll saga continued Friday when Danish artist Thomas Dambo, the trail troll’s creator, posted on Facebook: “Isak Heartsone has been saved!”
“After massive protests, thousands of mails and messages, the city council finally heard us,” he wrote.
Dambo said he would return to Breckenridge, once the snow melts, to rebuild Isak, adding that the town had offered some contenders for a future site “close to Isak’s original home in Breckenridge where they think a stone loving troll will thrive and enjoy life.”
Some of the suggestions he listed included behind the town’s ice arena and along another trail near the recreation center. Commenters had their own ideas: “I don't think Breck should get to keep him,” one wrote. “I have a better idea for sure. How about anywhere in Colorado other than Breckenridge? They don’t deserve him after this fiasco,” another commenter said.
“We are in communication with the artist about rebuilding Isak at one of some locations we had talked about in previous meetings,” said Breckenridge spokesperson Haley Littleton told the Summit Daily, confirming talks of rebuilding the troll.
The sculpture has been a frequent topic of conversation for Breckenridge residents the last few months. The artwork went up in August for the 2018 Breckenridge International Festival of Arts. Breckenridge Creative Arts commissioned Dambo to create the $40,000 woodland creature.
As Isak’s popularity surged, nearby residents complained of noise, traffic and trash. Town council tried mitigation efforts, such as additional trash cans, signage, fencing and police presence, as well as a concerted push to get visitors to take a free shuttle bus. But council members voted for the artwork’s removal after revisiting the issue this week. They felt the wintery conditions were making it unsafe for large amounts of people to be making the trek to see Isak.
