Pinkbike Photo of the Year - Vote Now

Nov 25, 2011
by Karl Burkat  

Round two is over for the Pinkbike Photo of the Year contest and we're sitting at 223,000+ votes! See who remains and won themselves a set of Race Face cranks. Now go to voting page to pick your favorites to move on.





Matchup #1

41.9%

Winner 58.1%







Matchup #2

Winner 62.6%

37.4%







Matchup #3

Winner 58.9%

41.1%







Matchup #4

Winner 67%

33%







Matchup #5

45.7%

Winner 54.3%







Matchup #6

37.8%

Winner 62.2%







Matchup #7

42.1%

Winner 57.9%







Matchup #8

32.9%

Winner 67.1%






Vote Round 3 Here



What's at stake? $20,000+ in prizes!
Round of 32 - All 32 receive a pair of SPY Sunglasses (MSRP $120 each)
Round of 16 - All 16 receive two pairs of Tioga Psycho Genius tires (MSRP $200 for two pairs)
Round of 8 - All 8 receive a set of Black Race Face Atlas cranks (MSRP $339.99 each)
Round of 4 - All 4 receive a Marzocchi 66RC3 Evo Ti (MSRP $1199.00 each) and an F-stop Guru bag with ICU (MSRP $245 each)
Winner - Receives a Complete 2012 Specialized Demo (MSRP $6600) and ANY F-stop bag plus 2 ICU's plus a Dakota accessory kit (MSRP $500)

Thanks to Specialized, Marzocchi, Race Face, Tioga, F-Stop Gear and Spy

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Member since Jan 1, 2000
600 articles

168 Comments
  • 267 31
 Some people just don't know what a good photo is. This is really starting to disappoint me
  • 52 7
 totaly agree! shocked with the results!
  • 27 4
 flabergasted
  • 52 4
 Well... maybe it's not about - objectively - how GOOD a photo is, but about how much does one like this photo? I don't have to be an expert of photografy to know which photo appeals to me more Wink What pics are you actually talking about? I personally agree with most of the choices Wink
  • 27 1
 I was really thinking this. Most people are voting for how rad the rider is, rather than how good and clever the composition is. The tunnel one was a fav of mine! Frown
  • 13 0
 match up #7 is a really difficult choice as they are both insane photos
  • 4 0
 definitely four there that deserved to go through but i agree with MiloXC3 i think people have been voting by how amazing the riding is rather then the content. though no. 4 went through so who knows.
  • 22 1
 The objective of a photograph isn't to impress other photographers and at the end of the day it isn't the most technically impressive photo that should win but the one that can impress the most people regardless of their knowledge of photography. I agree that on the technical side some of the winning photos were lacking but public voting is really the only way to judge how good a picture is. If it's all based on technicalities it ends up being photographer hipster-fest that ignores the end goal of photography - to drop as many jaws as possible!
  • 13 2
 1,3, and 4 should have went the other way in my opinion. the photo of markus pekoll in match up 1 is one of my favorite photos
  • 9 1
 Not only experts vote for the pictures... I prefer shots more about the riding itself than technical composition stuff which I know nothing about. I think it's just like music, play a super technical solo guitar nobody else can play if you want but an AC/DC song sounds much better.
  • 2 1
 Matchup 3 and 4 show that it is on how good the photo is and not necessarily the riding. And to win I think a photo should be great overall. It can't be based solely on technique and skill of photography or how sick the riding is. It has to be a combination and that's the way it should be. I agreed with all of the winners except the first matchup.
  • 6 5
 tstep3 translation:

The photos I preferred didn't go through, and I have a hard time distinguishing between my own personal opinion and fact.
  • 4 2
 democracy might be a really good idea for politically for governments, but it also limits things like the arts to mediocrity
  • 5 0
 for me, these dont represent the best off photography on pinkbike...
  • 9 5
 Matchup 1 and 6! Wtf!
  • 2 1
 Tstep3, meant to give you positive props. Stupid iPhones. I was shocked aswell.
  • 4 1
 like what LTmtb said, a photo should be good in all aspects and a photo with mud or water flying at the camera doesn't show anything but a distraction to the actual photo
  • 2 0
 say what? i totally agree, not a single pic i voted for, managed to get through :O
  • 6 0
 This is a bike site, not a photography site. Folks will vote for their particular discipline of biking 100% of the time. Personally I agree with most of these results (but I'm a +40 DH rider not a -14 DJ rider)
  • 2 0
 I agree with all of them but #3....The water splash...That pipe is a pretty cool location, nice light.
  • 7 7
 totally disagree with 4, 5, and 8! i dont even think that the shot of the chairlift should be in the contest and i find it ridiculous that it is beating such awesome photos.
  • 5 2
 the water one is just to bright!!! way too vivid!!!!!!!! the tunnel one was cooler, just not my favorite discipline. Even though this is a bike site, if its a photography contest, decisions should be based on the quality of the photo.
  • 3 0
 I dont agree with all the results Frown But iam stoked on the win of mach up #6!!
  • 2 1
 number five and six were disappointing results for me but all of these photos are close matches.
  • 3 1
 making a photo of the year contest is just begging to be ridiculed. the winner is going to be so far from what people would care to agree on
  • 4 0
 Thing to remember is that most of these are so close, within 10% or so. That means 1000s voted for one and 1000s for the other and the winner just won by a small amount of votes. Essentially a lot of people like each photo of the match up, but a winner is based on a small percentage one way or the other.
  • 4 1
 but seriously, how does the pipe one lose to a water photo!?!
  • 23 1
 Just to clarify, when Sterl, Harookz, Margus, Colin, Fraser and myself decided on the initial 32 images technical difficulty was not a consideration. We didn't care about what camera the photographer used, or how hard he worked to take the photo. We simply judged on what images appealed to us as photographers, what we liked, and we all have different styles and tastes. It's been very interesting to see which photos have moved ahead and which have been eliminated, I think it shows what the majority of Pinkbike users that are voting like. And just because you don't necessarily agree doesn't make anything right or wrong, everyone has different opinions and that's all they are...
  • 1 1
 honestly match up #4 was really hard to pick
  • 1 0
 Hey duck slap, maybe it's because it's not hard to go into a tube and do a trick half-ass trick. It's a sick photo for sure but comparing it to how insanely more difficult it is to take the water photo... which makes it more rare of a photo than of someone riding in a tube... which skating has done for quite a while already. But why are you even complaining? Did you honestly think that it'd be photo of the year? It doesn't matter at the end of it all, really.
  • 3 1
 Match up four was the easiest to pick! The loser photo is way better and actually has someone riding in it.
  • 3 1
 match up 4 was the easiest for me too.
and i went for the pic that won.
that photo just speaks mountain biking, with the early morning light and the low fog, it just makes you crave the lift
whereas the other is just another pic of a no-handed backflip, great lighting on it, but it doesnt give the same feel. ( maybe its cuz i cant bust no handed backflips )
  • 3 5
 I don't know if anyone else agrees with me but number one is completely outrageous, the other picture is crap, literally it looks like he's shitting in your face. I'm just really pissed
  • 2 0
 Interesting choices to say the least... The community has spoken and I do not agree
  • 1 0
 all i can say is WTF!?
whats with match up 5?
  • 1 0
 dont think i could vote if they match up the 2nd one in #8 with the 2nd one in #6
  • 1 0
 matchup seven dissapointed me: both AMAZING shots, but bright light just makes for a nicer photo than a sillouette. better composition, too
  • 2 0
 2, 7 and 8 are the only ones i actually agree with
  • 3 1
 Ok, I'm sure the majority think "Wow, that's a gnarly run, get's my vote" but I just hoped the winner and runners up would have clever composure, it's more about the photographer rather than the rider or location. The photographer deserves more credit for his work. Know what I mean?

And I can't believe the results on the 6th one, the shot with sun flare should've won hands down.
  • 1 0
 Matchup #5 is wrong!
  • 2 0
 Matchup #5 was an easy choice, the shot that won hands down for me. The other shot is beautiful and is added to my favorites as well, but the photo its self that won was better in my book.
  • 1 0
 It would have been really cool and fair if the location/photog/rider were not known.
Right now it feels like a Euro vs Canada vs US contest more than photo contest...
  • 1 0
 this shit proofs again how much more important it is to have a name then a good photo....
  • 1 0
 I totally agree with the first comment... stupid!
  • 3 1
 Once again, I understand that everyone has a right to an opinion, and everyone's opinion may not agree with the public consensus. But honestly this is a majority rule thing, and with the exception of #5 most of these match ups were won by close to a 60/40 split or greater. That's a reasonably significant margin, and that's not anything to do with the judges, that's the Pinkbike majority. If you disagree you're in at least the 40% minority of those that voted...
  • 2 0
 I agree with you, I just don't want a photographer to miss out on such a prize when he/she's put so much effort in and composed the photo perfectly, because some big trick looked better to the majority on Pinkbike users. Maybe next year, the contestants could in a little bio to show what went on behind the lens? I personally think it would help me make a choice. I'd vote for effort of shot rather than a fluke of timing + sick riding. But, as you say, it is up to the majority of Pinkbike users so I guess what goes, goes.
  • 1 0
 I think #1 and #2 souldve been switched around, anyone can take a pic of dirt flying up in the air, and the flow of the creek and all the colors in #2 shouldve won
  • 1 0
 matchup #4 is by far the best, i bet it will be the winning shot, and for all you who think that it shouldnt have beat out the photos that it did, you dont understand what a good photo is.
  • 1 0
 4,5,7, and 8 are all really good photos but the photo that wins should have some good riding also.
  • 1 0
 Please remember it's not about how rad the rider is getting in the photo it's about how rad the photo it. And the most important thing to remember. If your photos you voted for didn't get picked don't bitch about it because nobody really cares.
  • 26 0
 Jesus people....a few of the photos I picked didn't move on either but I gotta say, with all of us doing the voting, it really doesn't get a whole lot more democratic than pinkbike's setup here. Kinda hard to bitch about the system they have going for this contest. Someone's gotta go down in order to get to the winner.
  • 3 2
 By the way, I'm pulling for matchup #6 winner to take it all. All are great photo's but that photo makes me want to go ride most. POV for the win!!!
  • 3 0
 I'll agree the A-Line Whistler pick probably has it won
  • 2 0
 i think it will be that and dan on matchup 8 in the final but wouldn't want to call the winner.
  • 26 11
 Hahahahahaha matchup 4 are you having an absolute dirty giraffe. Oh my god I defended this contest last round but this is a joke.
  • 10 1
 I actually was expecting the losing photo in matchup 4 to get picture of the year.
  • 2 0
 Sam Davies 4 lyfe.
  • 8 11
 I couldn't agree more. The winner of match up 4 is the most boring photo here. Ooooh wow, a chair lift in the fog and it's so arty!
  • 11 6
 Neg prop me all you want but I think it takes a lot more skill to get the chair lift shot in number four than to just take the other one. Its not necessarily about content, but actual photography skill.
  • 7 3
 Yeah Gordon bud you are fundamentally wrong. The Chairlift shot only had to deal with the exposure of the general image, the alternative had to not only freeze a fast rider, but also balance the exposure between the foreground, the trees in the back, keeping the sky reasonably decent, and also correctly exposed the riders watching from the side.
  • 5 5
 The dirt jump photo is too easy for the photographer. The rider is doing the trick and the natural light is awesome. The chairlift one is super original, had way worse light to work with, and it just has miles of felling behind it.
  • 5 4
 haha. Uwrong.
  • 3 0
 Shocked by #5. Appauling outcome.
  • 1 0
 I would like that photo better if the people weren't hanging out in the left side.
  • 5 0
 This is hilarious. People spouting off about how it's all wrong when they are proven to have the minority opinion. It's like saying "this sucks because less than half the people reading this agree with me". All the while, some of the minority jump in to feel all warm and connected and there you have a stupid comment thread. We the people don't agree. How will you suffer the loss?
  • 2 1
 Muttley, you bring up good points and I am no where near a professional so my comments dont any weight, but other than freezing the rider, I feel the rest can be done by simply cropping.
  • 1 0
 Well said gordon.
@Muttley, the dirt jump shot is by no means bad, and it does require a certain amount of skill, it is just by no means photo of the year worthy. The style of it is very common here on Pinkbike, especially the silhouetted rider against colorful trees aspect of it.
  • 2 0
 just realised how many arguments there are gonna be at the final... :/
  • 1 0
 Some of you guys are just repeating yourselves now and everyone is entitled to their own opinion so I'm done arguing. Chairlift shot won that matchup and there's nothing anybody can do about that now.
  • 2 1
 i hope that the 4# winner will win the competition, the best photo out there
  • 9 0
 5, 6, & 7 Surprise Me.
  • 2 0
 i agree with these results but im no photographer
  • 1 0
 Voting for round 3 is pretty hard......some great photos going to be dropped in round 3 :/
  • 1 0
 I completely agree. Matchups 1, 6, and 7 disappoint me. Especially 6.
  • 2 0
 No way, the winner of #6 is the best photo in this comp, IMO. very creative, original, and a banger trick on the best jump in Whistler!
  • 1 0
 1, 3, and 6 surprise me...

People have poor taste.

"ZOMG GUY RIDING THROUGH WATER- POYPOYPOY"
  • 7 0
 PB sure do have some sweet prizes lined up for the winners!
  • 9 3
 Im surprised about #6, both very good pics and sad to see the other one go.
  • 6 1
 Yeah but with #6, the photographer actually strapped a Canon 5D to the riders chest.
  • 7 2
 Thats great but its really not that amazing allowing for the fact the other choice was a far superior photo.
  • 6 3
 How Does that make it good? Risking gear doesnt make a shot spectacular, thats like saying taking any shot on film is good because it was shot on film. There was a few surprises here in my oppinion
  • 4 1
 Me and Jon risk our cameras against hordes of drunken kids, does that mean that all our photos win?
  • 3 0
 Yeah but it does show that the photographer is risking a lot to get a good photo. I appreciate it, and i think it is a wicked photo.
  • 1 2
 the photographer is not actually taking the photo in this case. i know risking equipment is tough, but this shot was based on luck of timing and not actually the photographer's skill.
  • 2 0
 Yeah he actually did take it with a remote. Think he got lucky and got it first try? doubt it.
  • 1 0
 when i do stuff like that it takes like 50 times and only 1 comes out good.
  • 2 0
 Nothing better than running a train with some homies on epic jump line. Im not a photographer and this isn't a photo site, I come to PB to get stoked on riding and photo 6 makes me want to go ride. If you want to give artsy fartsy photo critiques go somewhere else.
  • 1 0
 same i hate all the desisions maybe if they looked more closly at the way the picture has being took and the colors pluss positions of the bike instead of wherre the rider is maybe id agree but it looks likke theyved judged him /pics for where the rider is Frown
  • 1 0
 now it gets hard... only my favs left and no more boring dj pics to make the choice easier. and blowfish i totally disagree with you, t macs whip is sick but i think the frame is too full and messy, i think the winner of round 5 shows what mountain biking is really about, shredding down a mountain. i reccon bearclaw's gobi desert banger has to take the cake. absolutely epic
  • 1 0
 Disapointed ... Most of the real arstic pictures disapeared. Here are pictures of gnarly moves but not with a great photograph quality. Matchup 6 clearly illustrates it. Hope it's one of the last creative shots which will win !
  • 1 0
 matchup 5: i actually dislike the winning picture. Its actually boring to look at. Gives me absolutely nothing. i cant possibly understand how people keep voting it through. " man on bike, dropping off a cliff, blue sky as a backdrop, mountains in the background". Where is the landing, its cut out of the picture. cutting out the landing just makes this pointless. He could be dropping 2 metres or 10, is he dropping on to a smooth path or gnarly roots and rocks? Seen this so many times before. vote this picture out of the comp. please. Any one picture that has been voted out already is better than this one that somehow keeps on getting through.
  • 1 0
 the landing is right below Rene's front wheel - you can see it in the shot. Here the drop live: www.pinkbike.com/video/205156
  • 1 0
 I think this just goes to show that pinkbike's amazing photo archive can't be distilled to just a few shots (let alone a single winner). What makes the archive great is the sheer number of amazing photos from riders around the world. While these 16 shots are representative of the photographic quality we enjoy here on pinkbike, the contest can only become more contentious as it goes on. That said, I'm stoked for the hard working photographers who will get to enjoy the prizes.
  • 5 0
 humm i can almost certainly say that #4 is going for final...
  • 1 0
 Hmmm..? OK. Thought a few pics where a sure thing. Looks like there not.. Hmm... Over all would like to see something else. Seems a bit conservative...

Grateful Im here and have a chance to participate.

#3 I do not agree with. I think that is a unique shot, and should have status at some point in the game. Its to interesting a shot not be in the group. May have picked that as photo of the year, as it represents so much of biking in a single shot... Hmmmm....


7,5,or 3 will win this year....


#4 is suspect. I think the chairlift picture has deeper meaning for a select group. However, I think the air picture on the right is a better picture.
  • 1 0
 every single one of my choices made it through the first round, even with the really hard decisions. This time I didn't do so good Frown I really thought all the matchups were fairly easy to choose, but it seems a lot of people got confused... >Frown
  • 1 0
 give it to Ryan Howard's table already. Following a buddy and getting stoked on his sick moves on A-Line in Whistler - what's more mountain biking than that? Plus the fact it's not just another gopro image and it's technically perfect. Definitely my personal photo of the year, but great contest so far and I am more or less agreeing with all the voting results so far.
  • 1 0
 I'm not a photographer or some kinda judgmental guru but this is how i based my vote on:
Technical difficulty - rider and photography included.
Level of difficulty - 90% on the rider and 10% photography.
Dedication to the sport - Preparation, Mindset, heart and soul, sacrifice ( if rider failed his/her goal of stunt) of rider and photography.
That's how i feel from my own point of view. Most of the winners are excellent and some are just simply awesome!!!!!
  • 1 0
 matchup 3 was a big surprise for me. The photo in the tunnel is incredibly original and well-executed; I really though it could win it all. Granted, the puddle-slashing shot is good, but the composition doesn't do much for me and it's not exactly original.
  • 4 0
 Winner of #7 will win it all
  • 4 0
 IMO the winner of #4 is the sickest photo of all time
  • 4 0
 im going with number 4 all the way
  • 1 0
 Matchup 7 photos are both easily in the top 4... It's a crime they have to knock one out this early. Far less impressive (riding and photographically) photos have gotten through than either of these.
  • 2 0
 pretty much all of my favorite photos got voted out. Damn, thats a bad one. Next year keep the judging to the people who got some Idea of it.
  • 1 0
 people have their prefences. this has been done as a democracy meaning the people decide. pointless bitching about it. these are the results!!
  • 2 0
 not gunna lie but i agree with all of these ........ winner of number 7 will win the whole thing!!!!!
  • 2 0
 damn bad taste people... some photo`s are gone while they are beautifull... Frown Frown Frown
  • 1 0
 Not too sure on other people opinions but I Really Think 2nd Picture in Match up # 7 will end up winning 1st Prize anyway. The best MTB picture I have ever seen!
  • 3 0
 matchup number 1? what??? Brook MacDonald FTW
  • 1 0
 pretty sure thats markus pekoll. brook wears a red bull d3
  • 2 0
 Looking up at the comments, 10 minutes in and every single one of the matches has been contested.
  • 1 0
 im gonna get some negatives for this....but like 2 pics actually show skilled riding. i hate how the photo of the year will come down to light and shade
  • 2 0
 4, 5 & 6 are the wrong way round personally :/ ahh well. congrats to getting through guys.
  • 3 0
 IMO #4 and #7 are amazing photos!
  • 3 0
 Pretty sure the winner of Matchup #6 will go all the way. tup
  • 1 0
 Some of us are taking it way too seriously guys... Chill out... I just look at them and think- Wow, I like it- and off it goes with a click... Just chill lads and gals...
  • 2 0
 That's what I'm talking about! All my pics went through and thank god for photo #1...
  • 1 0
 i disagree with a lot of these selections. Personally i think a few from round 1 should still be up there. I think this contest needs a restructure.
  • 1 0
 All I see are two amazing shots from Whistler slowly making there way to the final...one of them is going to be at least second!
  • 3 0
 if that fucking puddle splash pic wins i will cry
  • 1 0
 ya it comes down to what appeals to our eyes more, not what most of us know about shot composition
  • 2 0
 I see winners #4 and #7 battling in final. Hot vs. Cold vision...
  • 2 0
 I think, every picture here is the best. Smile
  • 1 0
 One. One out of the 8 I voted for made it through to the next round and that was the shot of Rene Wildhaber (sp?).
  • 3 1
 Oh my Oh me, i do not agree with number 3.
  • 3 2
 I dont see why the winning pic on matchup 4 is winning nobodys even riding a bike wtf?
  • 2 1
 photo of the year not photo of somebody riding a bike contest. it's so moody and atmospheric which is why its winning. shame that backflip no hander is gone but i think it deserved the win
  • 1 0
 The chairlift photo is cool but in the dirt jump photo the guy is completely inverted with his hands out - that is a hard photo to get. It's a shame two of the best photos have to square off so soon. I think the guy doing the flip in #4 should have won as well as the guy in the tube #3 but I guess majority rules.
  • 2 0
 i voted for all the losers -.-
  • 2 0
 soooo happy! thanks guys!
  • 2 0
 Damn, This just keeps getting harder and harder to vote lol.
  • 1 0
 Haha only one of my choices went through! Devastated for sure, but the majority got there way so can't argue with that.
  • 1 0
 matchup #2 hmm...... oh well.
  • 1 1
 yeah thought a few went out that didn't deserve to really
  • 1 0
 Got votes cause its from the loops
  • 2 4
 #4 dissapoints me..... its a great photo but its not a riding pic.
  • 2 0
 Dunno, the lift gives you a lot to imagine, "silence before the storm", maybe the first ride in the morning, and the nice contrast between the dark forest and the fog. The back flip is just another back flip (to me) that few people can actually relate to (other than being able to do it in your dreams maybe). Great to see that so many people vote !
  • 1 0
 Matchup number 2 is fair i think, the losing photo is good but it's barely even a riding photo. The rider is pretty much entirely lost. I personally don't think it should have made it through the first round. I'm not a huge fan of the number 5 winner though. It's a cool photo and I can see why people chose it but something about the proportions of the bike to the rider looks odd. The guy looks a bit small relative to the bike, especially his head.
  • 1 0
 Besides 1 and 2 that went great!
  • 1 0
 Totally disagree with matchups #1, #5, #6
  • 1 0
 Frown the one in fernie did not win Frown
  • 1 0
 That chest-cam needs to stop winning...unimpressive completely.
  • 2 1
 Agreed w 7 out of 8. T macs pic should go on!!
  • 1 0
 The majority of the ones i picked didnt go through, shows how much i know!
  • 1 0
 Matchup #7 was a hard one.
  • 1 0
 I'm very disappointed with the first two and the third couple
  • 1 0
 yeah i think the first option should have won for the first matchup
  • 2 2
 I think we got rid of the dirt jumping pictures - sure it's fun, but it's not photogenic and makes for boring video...
  • 1 0
 Winner of match up 6 for POY!
  • 1 1
 Haha, it's all DH or FR riding. No BMX, no DJ, no street, no road, no fixie. Kinda shows what community this is.
  • 1 0
 Gutted about matchup 3 :/
  • 1 0
 #5 Should win it. Good luck to him i dont have a taste for the others
  • 1 0
 Heck yeah!
  • 1 3
 spooky chairlift photo FTW! or the bro cam turndown-tailwhip-whatever shot taken in whistler. those inspire. well, more then the others.
  • 2 2
 The picture of T mac is way sicker, what were people thinking...
  • 1 1
 Match up 5 is where it's at.
  • 3 3
 Bullshit, Sam's photo killed that chairlift photo.
  • 1 1
 I'm done with this. Not voting anymore, this has become too disappointing.
  • 3 4
 i always vote for the non-canadian pictures.
  • 2 2
 #1 is JANK
  • 3 5
 very dissapointed by those results Frown
  • 3 5
 4, 5 and 6 are bullshit descisions, especially 5
  • 2 4
 woah. pb has some people with some baaaad taste.
  • 2 4
 MCCAUL TOTALLY SHOULD HAVE WON MATCHUP 5
  • 2 4
 The no hand back flip should have won match up #4!!!!! Really Mad
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