La Jolla High Student Wins Art Contest

While spending time doodling is usually a habit that gets high school students into trouble, student Christian Gimber is actually getting praise for putting pencil to paper. Christian was recently chosen as the winner of the La Jolla Shores Surfing Association’s 2011 Menehune logo contest. His designs graced the t-shirts of this year’s contest, which took place April 16.

Name: Christian Gimber
Age: 17
School: La Jolla High School
Accomplishment: Winner of the La Jolla Shores Surfing Associations 200 Menehune Logo Design Contest
Key to Awesomeness: Designing logos is nothing new for Christian, who has spent the past four years doing freelance work for friends and family, including t-shirt designs, logos, and other artwork. Christian started his own skateboard brand in seventh grade, designing, printing and marketing products. His work was even featured in a local surf shop for a short time.

“I'm always on the look-out for opportunities to hone my graphic design skills and have fun doing so,” he said. “This allowed me to combine my two passions: surfing and graphic design, and help design an awesome t-shirt.”

Christian, who is an avid surfer, but did not compete in the contest, worked hard to portray his own experience when designing the logo.

“I really wanted to convey that an actual surfer designed it,” he said. “You could be a gifted artist and try to draw a surfer in a perfect tube … but a lot of the time I think meaning is lost when an artist tries to depict something they’ve never experienced themselves.”

The judges of the contest connected with his work and awarded him first prize. In addition to having his logo featured on t-shirts for the event, Christian received a $100 cash prize, which he says he is putting away for college savings. The logo will be on display at the throughout April.

In the past, Christian has been named the winner of the 2009 LJHS sophomore class t-shirt design contest, and the 2009 San Diego Junior Lifeguards T-shirt contest, with over 500 shirts sold to commemorate the SDJG Ocean Beach Pier Jump.

When he isn’t studying, drawing or surfing, Christian serves as president of the LJHS Casa de los Pobres Club. The club was founded in response to the need for additional resources for the urban relief center CASA de los Pobres in Tijuana, Mexico. Christian and his peers have successfully orchestrated several fundraisers this year to provide for those in need.