He went first at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival’s Pro Photographer Showdown last Thursday, April 22, but the judges didn’t forget about him. When the time came to award the Best of Show, it was Aussie Jason Childs’ lush surf shots and striking portrayals of life among the locals in Indonesia, the "surfer’s paradise" he currently calls home, that was deemed the most impressive display.
Childs had come to the Telus Conference Centre from the farthest away to show his work to an illustrious panel of judges that included J. Grant Brittain, Paul Morrison, Leslie Anthony, Warren Bolster, Eric Berger, Jon Foster, Micah Abrams and last year’s Pro Photographer Search winner Sterling Lorence.
Joining Childs in presenting at the seventh annual invitational event were California snowboard photographer Embry Rucker, Colorado-based mountaineer Melissa McManus and Canadian prairie boy/mountain bike shooter Derek Frankowski, the evening’s wildcard entry after winning the Pro Photographer Search two days earlier.
"It’s awesome to come here and show your work," Childs enthused after his presentation was given the de rigeur winner’s encore show.
"There’s nothing else like this in the world. I’m blown away. The whole community here in Whistler, how tight it is. That’s why an event like this is able to happen here."
Originally a sports photojournalist for The Age newspaper in Melbourne, Childs followed his true passion to the beaches of Bali. Since 1985 his work has appeared in every major surf publication including Surfer Magazine, where he currently holds the title of Senior Photographer.
He can now add the prestigious honour of World Ski and Snowboard Festival Pro Photographer Showdown Best of Show to his impressive resume.
