In October 2009, Red Bull announced the submission phase of its Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2010, global action and adventure sports photography contest, and almost a year later, on August 31, it named the recipients of the respected award.

Image Courtesy: www.redbullillume.com

Fifty-three industry experts from around the globe voted over three rounds to determine top 50 images, ten category winners as well as the Overall Winner from the 22,764 photos submitted to 10 categories (Culture, Playground, Energy, Spirit, Close up, Wings, Sequence, New creativity, Experimental, and Illumination) by nearly 5,000 photographers. Red Bull also invited elite athletes from every free sport discipline vote for one picture from the finalists’ works and determine the recipient of the Athletes’ Choice Award, and asked visitors of the website to vote for their favorite images from the top-50 in order to select the Peoples’ Choice Award holder.

Chris Burkard from the USA was selected as the Overall Winner for his amazing photo of surfer Peter Mendria, who was riding the high waves in golden sunlight on Chile’s West Coast. Burkard was awarded with a Leica S2 camera worth €30.000 and lenses for it. “I would never have imagined owning a camera like this. It’s worth more than the house I live in!” said Burkard on receiving the trophy.The ten category winners received SanDisk flash memory cards and a Lowpro camera bag.

Image Courtesy: www.redbullillume.com

The Image Quest’s top 50 images—the five best from ten categories—were revealed for the first time ever and illuminated on 2m high lightboxes. The energetic ceremony, which focused on putting the photographers in the spotlight, was held in the magnificent and historic Trinity College Dublin dining hall used in the Harry Potter movies.

The top 50 images will continue to be displayed on the lightboxes after sunset free to the public at Trinity College Dublin until September 11, 2010 before embarking on a world tour. They also can be viewed here.