Christian Stadler (1974, Passau, Germany) grew up in the Bavarian Forest, where he spent a happy childhood close to nature. A self-taught photographer, he discovered the freestyle scene during his training as a nurse in the mid-1990s. What began as photographing friends in the snowboard scene quickly turned into a passion — being in the right place at the right time as freestyle snowboarding was rapidly evolving. Since 1995 he has remained deeply connected to snowboard, skate and BMX culture and continues to document international competitions and events such as the LAAX Open, world championships, O Marisquiño in Spain and other global contests.
For many years he served as Senior Photographer for the influential snowboard magazine MBM, shaping visual storytelling within the international snowboard scene. His work spans action sports, documentary and commercial photography and has led to collaborations with brands including Audi, BMW Group, MINI, Red Bull, K2 and O’Neill, among others.
Stadler’s photographs have been published internationally in leading magazines and media outlets, capturing the energy and spirit of freestyle culture across snow, urban environments and large-scale events. In 2026 he worked as a photographer at the Olympic Winter Games in Italy, focusing on the snowboard freestyle and freeski competitions.
Today his work centers on documentary, PR and commercial photography, always driven by a search for authenticity, movement and genuine human moments. The photograph submitted to the awards was captured during the O Marisquiño festival in Spain.