On August 9, we posted a gallery showcasing the 20 skiing images that were among the Red Bull Illume top 250 for 2013. Twenty days later, in Hong Kong, China—after a great deal of anticipation—the top 50 Red Bull Illume images were unveiled, including one overall winner, in addition to winners for each of the 10 submission categories. Among them, only one skiing photograph [enter sad trombone audio here]. The lone image is a sequence of Sammy Carlson, shot by Dan Carr, hitting three hefty jumps in a row, out in the Whistler backcountry. While we would have loved to see a few more ski snaps breach the top 50 list, we extend congratulations to all the photographers and athletes who were selected as finalists. An extra congratulations goes out to photographer Lorenz Holder, of Germany, whose image of snowboarder Xaver Hoffmann jibbing a satellite dish in Raisting, Germany, took the overall win. The top 50 are posted above for your viewing pleasure—you’re in for a treat.
Press Release, August 29, Red Bull:
The wait is finally over. The 2013 Red Bull Illume Overall Winner, Top 10 category winners and Top 50 finalists were unveiled at a spectacular ceremony held in Hong Kong on August 29th. German photographer Lorenz Holder was crowned Overall Winner for his remarkable shot of a snowboarder next to a giant satellite dish. As Overall Winner, Holder received a Leica S camera, a broncolor Move Outdoor kit and Sun-Sniper gear—a prize worth over €30,000 in total. He also won the Experimental category.
“The quality of the images in the Top 50 was amazing, so for me it is a great honour to be voted number one. It’s so unreal. It will take a few days for the news to sink in,” said Lorenz Holder, the Overall Winner of the 2013 Red Bull Illume.
“There are talented photographers and then there are gifted photographers,” said Jym Wilson, senior photo editor at USA Today and one of 50 Red Bull Illume judges. “I saw a lot of talent but also saw some truly gifted photographers. These are not just action photographers but people with great technical and artistic skills.”
Other category winners included Scott Serfas (Illumination), Daniel Vojtěch (New Creativity), Romina Amato (Energy), Chris Burkard (Spirit), Morgan Maassen (Lifestyle by Leica), Jeroen Nieuwhuis (Close Up), Zakary Noyle (Sequence) and Samo Vidic(Wings). All category winners walked away with a Leica X2, a broncolor Para 88 P Kit and an assortment of Sun-Sniper gear. The Athletes’ choice, as voted by Red Bull athletes, went to Morgan Maassen for his underwater shot of surfers chatting in-between sets of waves.
The Winner Award Ceremony was a true celebration of action and adventure sports photography with hundreds of leading photographers and editors attending. Highlights from the evening included performances by BMX flatland athletes Viki Gomez and Matthias Dandois and an illuminated dragon dance.
Afterwards the 50 images were unveiled on 2m x 2m life-size lightboxes along Hong Kong’s famous Avenue of Stars, where they will remain for the next three weeks as a free public exhibtion. Appropriately for a city known for its awesome noctunal lights, the illuminated exhibition will open at night time only, from 8pm to 11pm from August 30th to September 15th. Red Bull Illume will then go to the US before traveling around the world’s capitals and cultural hubs for the next two years as a unique night-time exhibition.
The Top 50 Red Bull Illume Winners:
Overall Winner: Lorenz Holder (GER), Playground
Athletes’ Choice: Morgan Maassen (USA), Lifestyle by Leica
Category winners are in bold below.
Close Up:
(AUS) Stuart Gibson
(IRE) George Karbus
(NED) Jeroen Nieuwhuis
(SUI) Claudio Casanova
(USA) Morgan Maassen
New Creativity:
(ARG) Juan Cruz Rabaglia
(CAN) Jussi Grznar
(CZE) Daniel Vojtěch
(EST) Jaanus Ree
(GER) Lorenz Holder
Energy:
(CAN) Sterling Lorence
(FIN) Rami Hanafi
(SUI) Romina Amato
(SUI) David Carlier
(USA) Christian Pondella
Lifestyle by Leica:
(CAN) Jussi Grznar
(ESP) Ismael Ibañez Ruiz
(USA) Morgan Maassen
(USA) Theodore Van Orman
(USA) Jimmy Wilson
Illumination:
(CAN) Scott Serfas
(CAN) Jody MacDonald
(SUI) Nicolas Jutzi
(USA) Clark Fyans
(USA) Ryan Taylor
Spirit:
(AUS) Stuart Gibson
(IRE) George Karbus
(POL) Rafal Meszka
(USA) Dave Lehl
(USA) Chris Burkard
Playground:
(AUS) Martin Lugger
(CAN) Paul Bride
(GER) Lorenz Holder
(ITA) Olaf Pignataro
(USA) Scott Dickerson
Experimental:
(AUT) Rainer Eder
(CAN) Ray Demski
(GER) Florian Breitenberger
(GER) Lorenz Holder
(SWE) Elias Kunosson
Sequence:
(CAN) Scott Serfas
(FRA) Vince Perraud
(GBR) Dan Carr
(USA) Blotto Gray
(USA) Zakary Noyle
Wings:
(AUS) Krystle Wright
(GRE) Dimitrios Kontizas
(SLO) Samo Vidic
(USA) Lucas Gilman
(USA) Benjamin Ginsberg
