The 2020 Pinkbike Photo of the Year Winner is...
Jan Cadosch's Winning Image for 2020 Photo of the Year...
We gave you the top 32 images from 2020 and after more than 345,000 votes were cast you, our readers, have voted for the winner and ultimately chosen the 2020 Photo of the Year presented by Jenson USA. The winner will be divvying up the $10,000 in CASH with the top four.
Check out the voting page for all the results from each bracket.
The 10th annual Pinkbike Photo of the Year Contest is a wrap and Jan Cadosch will be joining the ranks of Sean Lee, John Wellburn, Toby Cowley, Sterling Lorence, Christoph Laue, Steve Shannon, Robb Thompson, Richard Baybutt, and JB Liautard in the Pinkbike Photo of the Year Hall of Fame.
How Did Photo Of The Year Work?
From thousands of nominated photos, 32 were selected to pit against each other in a college basketball bracket-like showdown. At that point it was up to you, the users, to vote on the match-ups. The photos with the most votes moved on to the next round. So 32 photos narrowed down to 16, then 8, 4, 2 until there was a single photo deemed the 2020 Photo of the Year Presented by Jenson USA.
What was at stake? $10,000 Cash
• Jan Cadosch will receive a check for $5,000
• Mason Mashon will receive a check for $3,000
• Ross Bell and Trevor Lyden will each receive a check for $1,000
There were also Voter Prizes this year. We are reaching out to the five winners of the $200 Jenson USA gift cards and will update this article when they confirm. Thanks to everyone for voting!
Thanks to Jenson USA.
We've reached out to Jan Cadosch for an interview.
Author Info:
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A scenery shot of the Matterhorn, and a biker crossing accidentally... MTB photo of the year???
Reminds me of the cute cats at YouTube.
1. Is it good photography? Yes.
2. Is is aesthetically pleasing? Yes, its beautiful.
3. Does it inspire me to ride my bike? Yes.
I like the winner but wish Aggy got some cash.
"congratulations to the winner, lovely picture, just not my personal favourite."
Pinkbike:
static.wikia.nocookie.net/star-wars-memes/images/1/10/6C8F4484-9D35-4219-B9C0-7A830BB1E353.jpeg/revision/latest?cb=20200415193930
I didn't Ike the result.
Therefore let's change the rules to create a result I like.
Or, maybe just accept a democratic result? Nothing is going to be more fair.
and even Primary skullduggery for how some photos who where in the top ten for nominations didn't even get selected by PB to be in the final 32
When I see a picture of a scene, regardless of the presence of a biker(s), I envision my self in that scene.
So yeah, people are voting for the best scene.
If I want to watch mountain bikers getting "rad", then I'll go riding or I'll watch a video.
My #1 pic from the start.
Magnificent photo.
Some people fail to see the forest for the trees. Step a few feet away from the screen and look at the picture again!
I'm not sure why you think you and I, or all of us, have the same thoughts on what is to love about mountain biking, and by extension, why we ride. And I don't care to explain to you why this photo appeals to me because you don't need it...you've clearly stated your omnipotent opinion that "this just doesn't "capture" the experience that I would hope brings most of us to bikes." That doesn't sound like you're that interested in what anyone else thinks.
Looking forward to seeing your winning photo next year...
I'm not entirely sure if you can cycle the whole way up. But nearest civilisation is Zermatt about 5000ft below this photo so 99% of folk take the vernicular railway up . Hence his lack of mud, hes just stepped off the train ready to hit a brutal 5000ft descent . This is normal in Europe
For me in scotland, this doesn't represent my mountainbiking world. But I bet this is exactly represents the experiences and aspirations of tens of thousands of European mtbers.
I started riding in area where shuttle riding was huge and I was lucky to live through that era! This photo exhibits the thrill before "dropping in"! Way cool.
To those who lament that it's not enough about some trick:
The vast majority of mountain biking isn't about tricks. I'd bet that 95+% of all mountain biking is just getting out into nature on a bike and riding. Representing mountain biking as a whole isn't about what a relatively small percentage of people do.
Personally when I saw the photo I was really impressed; it represented an amazing mtb ride. The mega shred photos didn't do it for me.
like you say doing a backlfip or whatever off a machine built jump or whatever does not relate to 99% of riders. rad style off of a jump is cool for sure but just not something most of us can relate to........but maybe bunnyhopping that wee rocky bit to the right would have been cool and something we could all relate to lol.
i reckon this won its because of the way things were seeded at the start. this photo had some weak competition so it went further, and other really strong photos like my favourite... the dusty roost photo in yellow and black was up against loads of other really strong photos.
POY winner doesn't mean you have to stop liking the photo you really liked. I'm also sure that the photographers here have other work and portfolios and their lives aren't crashing down because a bunch of pylons like us allegedly don't know how to vote in an allegedly shitty bracket contest.
Like I said before, the loudest voices here get upvotes but the majority voted this way. Make your peace and quit being a*sholes to the winner.
While each photo is a well-crafted artwork, it's notable in the comments that we all have pretty strong ideas about what mountain biking means to us, and we're so drawn to images that fit those ideas (and sometimes react in disgust to those that don't!). It's a shame to see so many negative comments, especially when the whole process is simple democratic voting. But there you go...
I really do hope we see a different format to the voting in next year’s competition though!
Neither my Favorit but still an eyepleasing Picture of the beautiful Landscape above Zermatt. Totally understandable why thousands of Tourists pay a little Fortune to ride the Train up there and enjoy the View.
Congrats!
Tip #1: Look at the photos on as big a screen as possible like they're meant to!
Tip #2: Stop whining, learn how to take photos and enter yourself!
The riding in the fest photo was 10/10, the lighting was 10/10, the centering, editing, and overall execution of the photo was 10/10. And the blue flow dad army has yet again picked a photo of an unskilled rider on an easy trail with a decent view.
Maybe in the future they should leave it down to professional riders or photographers who don't photograph mountain biking. That way it would maybe come out based on mountain biking and not scenery?
All in all I still think that picture looks insane, but I do see how some viewers would rather the winner be a picture where the riders skill level, and the photographers skill level is really being advertised to the voters.
Ross Bell failed to conjure any of those inner feelings in people...
Ya'll gotta checkout Bike Mountain Bike Adventures footage of their Switzerland/Cloudraker trip @ ridebig.com That's not a highway and the trails are ridiculous from atop the gornergrat bahn... I think that's the name of the train that provides access to the top... better than any chairlift
Not sure what you need a backpack for when it's pretty damn obvious they parked on that paved road just before sunrise and ran up to get the shot. I guess the backpack makes it seem like it's some big "adventure that captures the spirit of mountain biking."
Also I hope at least a part of the winnings goes to coaching the rider in your shot how to corner. Where is he going?
www.mtb-news.de/forum/t/hochtouren-fotos.302729/page-100#post-7502892
www.mtb-news.de/forum/t/die-besten-single-trail-freeride-pic-s-teil-1.434931/page-318#post-12188814
But who cares. In the end it is all about riding bikes and presenting people who ride their bikes and the photo is absolutely stunning in my opinion. The contest was not about photos of singletracks. So peace and love ...
Good composition though.
At least looking at the comments people are now seeing some sense, shame it's so late. I got some flak before for saying this is turning into a National Geographic contest.
The winning pic, oh boy...
- ass shot: check
- unnecessary biker in an otherwise nice nature shot: check
- weird rider position (you can tell he's not actually riding but almost doing a trackstand to be where the photog wants him): check
- Fire road instead of trail: check
- Taken 100m from the road which they drove just to take the shot and back home right after: check
- Railroad close in the background of this "wilderness" shot: check
- spotless bike and kit on a wet, muddy fire road because it wasn't an actual ride: check
- pointless huge backpack to pretend he's on an "epic mountain adventure": check
- Just nothing remotely interesting from a mountain biking perspective; no good riding, no good trail, no reason for anyone to look at it and want to be in that rider's shoes except for the nice sunrise over Matterhorn that you don't need a bike to appreciate: check
I guess I shouldn't complain though because at least it's not one of those pics where we have to believe a dot at the bottom of the frame is a person on a bike. I'm happy to admit this is slightly better. I wouldn't even mind this type of pic if it was from an actual trip report, like something Matt Hunter or Hans Rey would bring from one of their exotic bikepacking rides. Those "adventure" photos have to be authentic to work and this is so obviously not.
And inb4 "iT iS a BiKe AnD iT's In ThE mOuNtAiNs So It'S tHe EsSeNcE oF mOuNtAiN bIkInG". No it's not. When you ride your road bike up Stelvio you're on your bike and you're in the mountains too. That doesn't magically make it mtb.
When has PB audience become allergic to photos of better riders than ourselves displaying their skill? How did we go from hanging posters with Bearclaw's 360 drop sequence shot on our garage walls to voting some dude posing on a fire road as PoY?
It's not like some other contenders didn't have beautiful backgrounds, fantastic composition, lighting and general photography technique/creativity. Let's be real, they got voted out because a bunch of IMBA rad dads couldn't stand seeing anything above mediocre riding, let alone wheels in the air. Ffs. Quo vadis Pinkbike?
He's in pants, I ride in shorts, totally lame and unrelatable.
It's a banger. Was in my top 3.
Most extreme object on this photo is the mountain.
Matterhorn wins!!
Will there be regrets now?