Press Release: 

The OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF) in Whistler, BC is the world’s preeminent action sports photography event and an unparalleled celebration of still imagery. Arguably the most popular event at WSSF, the OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown invites five of the top action sports photographers in the world to compete for the title of “Best in Show” and a grand prize of $10,000 cash.

The OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown is a celebration of the commitment it takes to build a portfolio of images. As such, each photographer will submit a nine minute slideshow compiled of their favourite photos selected from their entire body of work. Anything goes at the OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown, from ski and snowboard photography to surfing, biking, skateboarding, climbing and lifestyle. The slideshows will be presented in front of a sold out audience of 1,500 people on Thursday, April 18 at the Whistler Conference Centre.

2013 Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown finalists include:

Andy Wright

Andy, who has been snowboarding since the mid-80s, has been a Senior Staff Photographer for TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine for over 10 years. After a short career as a professional snowboarder in the 1990s, Andy has spent the better part of the last 15 years behind the lens where he has documented some of the sport’s most era-defining movements, and shot with nearly every influential rider that has come and gone during that time. Andy is now a resident of Portland, Oregon and keeps a winter home in Utah which he returns to whenever there is time off from the global chase for snow.

Bryan Ralph

Bryan is a 35-year-old Ontario native who moved West in 1998 to attend Ski Resort Operations and Management at Selkirk College. During his time in Nelson, BC he borrowed a camera from his parents and started taking pictures for fun with his classmates. In 2006 Bryan’s professional career as a photographer began to take off as his work started getting published more and more. He now shoots as much as possible while working fulltime with Freeride Entertainment.

Chris Burkard

Chris is from the coastal town of Pismo Beach in central California and is currently a Senior Staff Photographer for Surfer Magazine. At 26, he has already worked with over 40 national & international publications as well as a broad range of advertisers including Patagonia, Quiksilver, Volcom, and American Airlines. Chris has served as a Senior Staff Photographer for Water Magazine and Surfline.com, and has been a photo editor for West Coast Surf Magazine. He most recently published a coffee table book with Chronicle Books titled, “The California Surf Project,” which documents his 50 day journey down the California Coast in a VW bus.

Darcy Bacha

Darcy is a 25-year-old action sports and lifestyle photographer hailing from Rhododendron, Oregon at the base of Mt.Hood. Darcy believes “creating something that didn’t exist a moment before is the most rewarding aspect of photography,” and he cites that as the main reason he picks up his camera every day. Darcy enjoys “influencing the form of an object with the use of controlled lighting,” and believes this is the most important part of his photography. When not taking photos, Darcy can be found on the river flyfishing for steelhead.

Oskar Enander

Oskar grew up in Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden, but for the last 11 years he has been based in Switzerland and Engelberg. He cites his big push into ski photography as the moment when he won the Powder Magazine Photo of the Year in 2003 with his first photo submission ever to any magazine. Today Oskar submits to numerous publications worldwide and works with clients such as The North Face, Patagonia and Peak Performance.

The winner of the 2013 OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown will take home the grand prize of $10,000 for Best in Show and for the first time ever will have the opportunity to showcase and sell their images in State of the ART. All runner-up photographers will receive $1,500 cash as an appearance fee.

Tickets to the OLYMPUS Pro Photographer Showdown have already sold out but for more information about the event, visit: https://www.wssf.com/event/2013-olympus-pro-photographer-showdown-finalists