The Photo Wham Bam Thank You Jam Sets A New Standard For Mountain Bike Lifestyle Events

The Wham Bam Photo Scavenger Hunt went down this past Saturday in Bend, Oregon. Riders arrived in Bend and raced through the city snapping photos in order to get their hands on thousands of dollars in money and prizes.The contest required teams of two riders to hit spots all over the city of Bend. At the riders meeting, teams were given maps and a list of ten photos to capture by the four o'clock cut-off. The photos were mostly riding spots, but there were a few additional photo requirements, like pretend you are the underage lurker outside of 7-11, begging people to buy you beer.


The Wham Bam Photo Scavenger Hunt required riders to use their creativity at each spot to come up with original photos. Prizes were given for creativity, good riding and great photography.

The last spot of the scavenger hunt was an eight-foot tall booter into the Deschutes River. Diamondback Reactor Pro BMX bikes with floaters were waiting at the spot for everyone to ride. The best trick of the river booter was Target rider Alex Pro's double backflip, followed by Emily Johnston's flip (on her second jump off the kicker).


At four o'clock, the teams had to turn in their best photos from the day. The photos were judged and at 8pm the awards ceremony got rolling outside Parilla bar and grill. As the competitors feasted on amazing wraps and cooled down with PBR's, the DJ blazed away to the massive download of creative, crazy, and mind blowing photos.

Every team that entered the Wham Bam Photo Scavenger Hunt went home with armfuls of prizes. Each team came back with creative, amazing, and in some cases hilarious photos, so the organizers sorted out the prizing to reward everyone for their efforts.

Team Gravity - Carl Buchanan and Phil Sundbaum, won the overall best portfolio prize. Their portfolio was a mix of great photography, creative lines, and a surprise postcard shot from Drake Park.

Emily Johnston and her teammate Lisa Myklak drove from Colorado to attend the Wham Bam event and they did not go home empty handed. Emily was the only girl to successfully flip the river jump, which earned her the brand new (slightly waterlogged) Diamondback Reactor Pro BMX bike, which she performed the flip with.

Some other awards that were handed out on Saturday night are as follows:
Best photo: Hacksaw/Nick Brandeth
Most outfit changes in a single portfolio: JD Swanguen and Andrew Taylor
Nike 6.0 Youngest Ripper: Little Austin from Team Republik
Best trick: John Jesme (360 bridge drop)
Best 7-11 lurker: Kai and Woody Starr
First drop at C.O.D.: Kyle Norbraten and Kyle Jameson

The COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance) trail builders were also graced with new gear from FSA/Gravity and a check, courtesy of the event organizers, TAOW Productions. The COTA team not only competed in the Wham Bam, but also built new stunts for the event.

After Saturday's photo jam wrapped up, the majority of competitors made their way over to Mt Bachelor Village Resort for a much needed rest. Sunday brought about the Target Group Ride. The ride consisted of a 4x4 van ride up to an elevation of 7600 ft. Two 4x4 vans carried 20 invited pros to the edge of the Broken Top Mountain Wilderness Area. With the backcountry guiding from Cog Wild and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, the group descended 4,000 vertical feet over 30 miles of pure uncrowded backcountry single track. It was freeride lifestyle perfection!


A big thank you goes out to all of the Wham Bam Photo Scavenger Hunt sponsors: Target, Nike 6.0, FSA/Gravity, Yakima, Dakine, Diamondback, Atomlab, EVS, RST, Deity Components, Cog Wild and Republik Clothing.

The Wham Bam Photo Scavenger Hunt is a TAOW Productions event. TAOW is a modern marketing agency that connects consumer brands with their core user groups. Through the team's access and creativity, TAOW provides high-value experiential programs that are unlike traditional marketing solutions.