GREENLAND'S ICEBERGS

THROUGH THE EYES OF LENSMAN AND ALPINIST JIMMY CHIN

- Eric Kallen

When he was a child, Jimmy Chin longed for adventure and experiences beyond those near his home in rural Mankato, Minnesota. One of his early influences was “The Hobbit,” a book that gave him wanderlust. His parents—librarians who immigrated from China—pressured him to follow a traditional career path.

“I always thought there were only three things I could be when I grew up,” said Chin. “A doctor, a lawyer or a businessman.”

After he graduated from Carleton College, Chin asked his father for a reprieve from finding a job. He wanted one year to ski and climb so he could “get them out of his system.” His father was skeptical and wanted his son to find a standard profession.

“That didn’t work for me,” Chin said. “I felt that I needed to find something that gave my life meaning and purpose. Climbing played that role for me.”

One year led to seven years, during which Chin lived out of the back of his 1989 Subaru Loyale. He was a “dirtbag” climber and ski bum who embraced both passions around the country. His parents did not approve; they spent their savings paying for private boarding school and a pricey liberal arts college.

“As far as they were concerned, I was a homeless person.”

Chin’s fortunes changed for the better when he sold an image he had taken with his climbing partner’s camera for $500. The transaction ultimately launched his career as a professional lensman.

“Photography was a way to facilitate the lifestyle that I wanted.”