Nate Hills // An Unfiltered Lens
As I round the bend toward the trailhead, a small square of light comes into view. The glow from a van window marks basecamp for the next two days in the desert surrounding Moab, UT. The side door slides open, and there's Nate, laptop in hand, finishing up some admin work before we get started.
Nate is based in Summit County, CO, but for much of the year, he’s on the road in his van chasing good dirt, which is currently desert country. It’s not fair to say Nate only follows hero dirt; his first love was skiing.
“I don’t keep super good track anymore, but I have a rough idea of my days. One year, I skied something like 150 days in a row, which totaled 278 days.”- Nate Hills
Originally from Walpole, MA, Nate discovered his love for bikes through BMX—spending his days riding all over town, having fun, and just being a kid.
“It was really organic. My friends and I would go out and build jumps. We’d jump over tires, jump over each other, and have high-jump contests. Stuff like that. That was my motivation to ride bikes when I was younger.”- Nate Hills
It wasn’t until he took a year off college in Vermont and headed to Colorado that he borrowed a hardtail and got his first taste of MTB, attempting to keep up with his friends who were all on DH bikes.
“I met some of my best friends who were super into riding and racing. They motivated me to go out and ride down stupid shit on my hardtail. And then I was fully hooked. Crashing everywhere, learning super fast, and just being a total newb.”- Nate Hills
Flash forward to now: Nate, now 12 years with Yeti, is out in the desert on his bike, waiting for me to dial in this shot so we can grab lunch. It would seem like he knew this was the plan the whole time, but this wasn’t mapped out as you think it might be. It was an exercise in trial and error, learning what worked and following what felt right.
Nate has shaped his career as a professional mountain biker on his terms. It’s easy to feel like you’re part of Nate’s journey, especially given how consistently he shares with his Follow-Cam Friday followers. But one thing he doesn’t do often is shine the spotlight on himself, or how he became the Follow-Cam Friday legend he is today.
Nate began racing with his Summit County crew and quickly found success on the domestic circuit, working his way up from the expert class to semi-pro and eventually earning his pro card in 2004.
“I started racing downhill full-time after that and traveled with the same people who introduced me to the sport. I was going to a new bike park every weekend and shredding trails with my friends. It was the best thing ever, you know?”- Nate Hills
Nate balanced racing DH and working full-time while dedicating time to mentoring the younger generation for the next half-decade. But after riding the same tracks year after year, he felt a push to explore beyond DH and began to get into XC (cross-country) racing. Enduro was rising in popularity around the same time and seemed the perfect fit — combining both DH and XC disciplines.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is exactly what I want to do.’ I wanted some fitness, tech, and a really long day on the bike.”- Nate Hills
He quickly began stacking podiums, leading to a long-term partnership with Yeti Cycles, now over 12 years strong. During this time, Nate has raced at select Enduro World Series stops, the Big Mountain Enduro, and iconic trans-stage races like Andes Pacifico and Trans NZ.
Around the same time, he had been getting "sandbagged" into massive bike-pack missions with fellow Yeti Ambassador Joey Schusler, the first of which was in the Cordillera Real of Bolivia.
“Yeah, that’s Joey Schusler, he can sandbag you into anything, man. That was gnarly. And it opened my eyes to what’s possible. I lost about a pound a day due to food carrying capacity –we were entirely self-supported. I came back 10 pounds lighter and was in a momentarily weakened state… but it was so worth it.”- Nate Hills
Soon after, Nate began filming and trying new ideas with his GoPro. It is common practice in Enduro to film practice runs since riders usually only get one or two looks at a course before race day. Nate often found himself following friends during those runs, which led to the organic birth of his now-famous Follow-Cam series.
When he started posting, he was one of the first to produce clean, stabilized follow-cam videos where viewers could clearly see the front rider and how they moved, picked lines, and flowed down the trail. It didn’t take long for Nate to recognize this idea's value. He leaned into it, and began capturing his travels, daily rides, and the in-between moments that show who Nate is.
His goal was simple: He wanted to share mountain biking and his experiences with the world. Through it all, Nate has maintained the same idea and passion, which is why his love for follow-cam Friday has remained the same.
“I can shift the focus to my friends, the trails, the experience, or the gear I’m using without the need to focus on myself. Ten years later, I still don’t feel weird about it. I think it’s highlighting something cool and bringing value to the MTB space. That’s why I’ve been able to stick with it. It feels authentic, you know?”- Nate Hills
It’s safe to say that if you’ve spent time sifting through mountain bike media over the years, you’ve likely come across a Nate Hills Follow-Cam Friday. through it all, Nate remains a humble guy who wants to spend the day on his bike.
Which brings us back to today. Out in the desert, in a zone Nate knows all too well. It’s always been about big days on the bike and time spent outside. And now, it’s time to ride again. Nate’s immaculately organized van is packed away, his SB160 out and ready to roll, and we’re pedaling into the desert.
Recent rain means the sand is perfectly packed, the weather is mild, and the desert flora is in full bloom. It’s the ideal time of year to be out here. Just another day out for Nate.
“I’m trying to use my riding for good — to contribute to trail funds when possible and shed light on new trail systems. I’m trying to evolve, do what I can to give back through my platform, and find ways to spread the love of mountain biking. I’m trying to make a positive impact with the opportunities I’ve been given.”- Nate Hills
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