World of X Games presents the Zoom Photography contest

The X Games ZOOM contest is a bi-annual online fan-vote contest celebrating the best in action sports photography. Each month, XGames.com selects ten of the best photos submitted by photographers in the BMX, skateboard, freeski, snowboard, surf, moto and mountain bike worlds to display in a curated online gallery, called Zoom.

Before each U.S.-based X Games event, starting with X Games Aspen 2017, X Games Minneapolis 2017, X Games Aspen 2018 and now at X Games Minneapolis 2018 the XGames.com content team selects the six best season-specific images from the 12 preceding ZOOM galleries to be included in an online "best of" fan vote contest. The photographer whose image receives the most votes receives an X Games gold medal and a prize purse of $10,000. (Runners-up receive $1,000 each.) All six finalist photos are also displayed onsite at the X Games events and featured in the event broadcast, while the winning image is celebrated after the contest in ESPN The Magazine.

How are finalists selected?
The X Games content team, comprised of photo editors and knowledgeable sport-specific editors, select six season-specific finalist photos from the pool of previously published Zoom galleries in the 12 months prior to each contest period, which coincide with the bi-annual U.S.-based X Games competitions, currently X Games Minneapolis in July and X Games Aspen in late January.

What sports are featured in Zoom Best of Action Sports?
Submissions are limited to X Games core demographics of BMX, FMX, motocross, skateboarding, freeskiing, snowboarding and surf photography. Occasional freeride mountain bike photos, focused on freestyle, are included. Other sports are rarely-to-never considered.

What is the timing of the contest?
For the next contest, slated to coincide with X Games Minneapolis 2018, finalists will be selected and notified mid-June. Images will be re-published in the public voting contest web gallery approximately 10 days in advance of the voting deadline. Winning images will also be published in ESPN The Magazine. Images will be displayed onsite at X Games Minneapolis. The public fan vote period will be a ten day period ending on the final Sunday of X Games Minneapolis.

Are there other limitations for Zoom submissions?
Monthly Zoom submissions are limited to images captured in the previous 12-month period. Images should not have been previously published digitally or in print within the action sports market. Previous social media or contest publication is okay. Due to the limitations of the online gallery presentation, horizontal images are heavily preferred over vertical.

How can I contribute to Zoom?
A monthly Zoom call for entries is managed by the XGames.com photo edit team, distributed to a large group of known professional photographers approximately two weeks in advance of each galleries' scheduled publication day. If you would like to submit to Zoom, please send your name, email, phone number and a link to your work to xgameszoom@espn.com. Our photo team will review your work and respond with further submission guidelines.

Additional Official "World of X Games Presents Zoom" Rules and Regulations:

• The contest is invitation only, open only to images that have been published in the monthly XGames.com Zoom gallery during the six months prior to each contest.
• There is no entry fee.
• Professional or amateur photographers who wish to be considered for Zoom inclusion must be approved for monthly submissions by the editors of XGames.com
• Photographs should be taken within the previous 12 months of the corresponding monthly submission period.
• Photographers must be 18 years of age or older to participate.