Spotlight Michigan - Aaron Peterson

Salsa – Michigan often features prominently in your work. Has it always been home?

Aaron – I grew up and went to college in Wisconsin, but that whole time Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was this wild and weird place up north that had that call of the wild appeal. After college I talked my way into a job as a photographer at a newspaper in Marquette and never looked back. That was almost 20 years ago. It’s been a wild ride.








Salsa – Your filmmaking often revolves around outdoor sports or outdoor experiences. Is that a reflection of you and what you love to do?

Aaron – Totally. I’ve always been interested in the outdoors, I was raised in a rural environment and it was just part of who we were. I was the kid with long hair and hiking boots in high school. Which wasn’t cool. We hunted, we fished, we rode cheap steel bikes wide open down deer trails. I’ve always believed everything comes from the land, and feel really lucky to have carved out a career sharing the stories of those connections, and now can employ a small crew chasing the same dreams.








Salsa – Your film, Cold Rolled, did an amazing job of showcasing fat bikes as full-on ripping mountain bikes for snow. What was the response to that piece?

Aaron – Thanks, yeah the response was overwhelming and humbling. That was the first video project for me, and to have it travel so far and fast into the world was mind blowing. It introduced me to film festivals like MountainFilm in Telluride. Those experiences inspired me to launch the Fresh Coast Film Festival back home in Marquette, as a place for growing the Midwest outdoor film community.


Salsa – Do you have a favorite season for shooting? Or a least favorite?

Aaron – I’ve always loved winter and snow culture, it’s just in my DNA. After Cold Rolled I did a feature-length ice climbing documentary. I just love to suffer I guess.







Salsa – As with many sports, the level of difficulty and the skill levels of athletes is constantly progressing. What have you noticed over the last decade or so looking through the camera lens?

Aaron – I’ve been happy to see the number of female riders grow. My daughter will ride in a completely different community and industry than just a few years ago. Also the explosive growth of high quality trails in the Midwest and the real-world jobs that trail building and the outdoors industry in general are creating in the region. Most states in the region are creating offices of outdoor recreation and finally taking what I and others have been doing for two decades seriously as a key element of economic growth now.


Salsa – How about the progression of trails in Michigan? The rock wall ride in the Horsethief short really captured a lot of people’s interest!

Aaron – That slab of rock is so beautiful and it never feels like a photo or video does it justice. The rider in that shot, Jeremiah, is actually the co-creator of that trail. You want to talk progression--it’s now being ridden on fat bikes in winter. Overall, you can’t say enough about the growth of trails in the Midwest right now. The variety and quality is incredible and it’s been an honor to film and photograph it.








Salsa – You’ve got a weekend to play. What season are you choosing and what are you doing?

Aaron – My absolute favorite thing about living here is the variety it offers so questions like this are hard. But I’m going to have to say it’s fall, it’s canoeing and it’s with my kids. Autumn and childhood are both so fleeting. A canoe is a great way to make the most of both. I know this is supposed to be about bikes, but there are so many lessons in water.








Salsa – What would you tell a mountain biker that’s never visited or considered visiting Michigan?

Aaron - It’s terrible, just flat, nothing to see here. Move along, haha. But seriously, Michigan and the Midwest in general are home to creative, progressive and fun trails with a mellow and welcoming riding community. If you’ve heard of Bentonville you’ve heard of Michigan. The crews building in Arkansas are many of the same people that built in places like Copper Harbor and Marquette first.