The Winter Carnival king and queen have been crowned.
Christopher Schneeman was declared this year’s King Boreas on Thursday evening at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Sarah Schweich, of Minneapolis, was named Aurora, Queen of Snows.
The royal couple was announced amid a coronation ceremony of storytelling, pyrotechnics and ballerinas.
Schneeman, 53, will lead the royal family in Winter Carnival festivities this year and represent St. Paul at events throughout the country.
Here’s what he had to say about the role:
How he became king: A group of past kings is responsible for recruiting the new Boreas. They approached Schneeman and asked if he would be willing to take on the demanding role. He agreed.
Carnival lineage: Schneeman’s father, Daniel Schneeman, was Grand Duke Fertilious on the 1969 Vulcan Krewe, and his uncle Howie Schletz was the South Wind Prince in 1967. “I always thought it was a ton of fun,” he said of growing up around the Winter Carnival.
On his last name: “Der Schneemann” means “the snowman” in German. “So, growing up, I’ve always had this affinity for winter,” he said. “The winter events and celebrations were things I kind of gravitated to.”
What he does for a living: Schneeman owns Seven Hills Benefit Partners in downtown St. Paul. The business helps employers buy and manage their employee benefit programs. He named the business after the seven hills of St. Paul.
His family: He lives in Mendota Heights with his wife, Cathy. They have four sons and a daughter.
How he enjoys his winters: Schneeman likes to cross county ski with his daughter at area golf courses. Oddly, his other favorite winter activity is one most Minnesotans barely tolerate.
“I actually like shoveling snow,” he said. “I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t bother me. When that snow comes down, I just love to get out there and move it around. There’s just something refreshing and crisp about the whole thing.”
What he considers King Boreas’ theme this year: “I’ve been involved in community centers as a volunteer and board member over the years, particularly the one up on the East Side called Merrick Community Center, and I’ve been so remarkably impressed with the volunteers who worked out of those types of organizations,” he said. He wants to acknowledge the volunteers of nonprofits who selflessly donate their time.
“They just don’t get a lot of recognition,” he said. “Let’s make sure we reach back and recognize that these are the types of people who’ve really made St. Paul the great community it’s turned out to be.”
What he looks forward to as king: “I’ve talked to a lot of the kings from the past, and what they tell me, really across the board, is that some of the most meaningful things they could do were some of the one-on-ones they could do with people,” Schneeman said. “Because of the role, you have a chance to lift them up a little bit.”
Andy Rathbun can be reached at 651-228-2121.
Copyright 2009 Pioneer Press.