McKenna Peterson is one of my favorite skiers for a few reasons but namely, it’s because she allows her work to do all the talking. Whether that’s producing ski content on big Alaskan faces or running a commercial fishing boat in the waters below those same mountains, Peterson approaches life with a certain type of grit and tenacity few are lucky to ever possess.

Introduced to the worlds of skiing and commercial fishing by her father, McKenna has grown up knowing that if she works hard in the summers, the winters are hers for the taking. Not even the sudden, tragic loss of her dad could stop this Idaho native from pursuing her destiny: becoming the captain of her father’s boat, F/V Atlantis, and a professional skier. Life can be really tough, but McKenna Peterson has proven that she’ll always be tougher.