Breckenridge Establishes A Troll Task Force To Find A Home For Isak

<p>Stephanie Wolf/CPR News</p>
<p>Breckenridge&#039;s “Isak Heartstone,” a public art installation by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, as seen Oct. 23, 2018.</p>
Photo: Breck Troll 6 | Isak Right Hand Side - SWolf
Breckenridge's “Isak Heartstone,” a public art installation by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, as seen Oct. 23, 2018.

Breckenridge has set up a task force to find a new home for trail troll Isak Heartstone.

The huge wooden troll sculpture was dismantled last week after it attracted crowds of people to a hiking trail in a residential neighborhood.

The town said Tuesday on Twitter that the task force will work hard to find the best place to put the work in collaboration with its creator, Danish artist Thomas Dambo. It promised to keep the community updated on the process.

Dambo is famous for his troll sculptures and celebrated on Facebook when it was announced that Isak was going to rise again.

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 mythical creature.

It was intended to remain as long it could withstand the elements and wasn't vandalized. However, throngs of troll-seekers were blamed for causing problems including illegal parking and littering.

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. In the end, council voted to remove Isak after they felt the wintery conditions were making it unsafe for large amounts of people to be making the trek.