Aaron Colton made a name for himself in stunting early on. Early on in both the evolution of our sport and also of his life, picking up a Championship title at a mere fifteen years of age. Now he's been rippin' up other motorsports with all the skill and confidence that you would expect from this Red Bull athlete. He took a moment in between racing motorbikes and ripping open all those cans of Red Bull that are waiting for him under the Christmas tree to fill us in on his life currently. We also heard a rumor of what Aaron wants for Christmas - all his freinds to follow him on his Facebook page and Twitter. This guy is always on the go with exciting projects, races and riding, so stay in the know and head over to FB and Twitter and give a holiday "Like" and "Follow."
Why do you stunt, in one sentence: To make a short story long it is pretty much because it is cooler than everything else.
StuntBums: Brief bio and riding history.
Aaron Colton: To keep this short is sure going to be a tough one, but I will give it a shot. The saga started about 18 years ago, but feels like it wasn't more than a few years ago. I started riding when I was three, but then ventured into other athletics. It wasn’t until I was 12 that I started riding again, when my Dad was getting into StreetBike Freestyle. I started posting pictures and filming a lot while I was riding my TTR-125. After I turned 13 I started to ride my Dad’s F4i and I was able to scrape the tail the second day of riding. The guys down at HAI Bike Shop in Orlando had been following me on Stuntlife and invited me to come out to Ohio for StarBoyz Stuntfest, then down to FL for October’s Stuntwars. After that the rest is history, great people stepped up to support my program from there and have enabled me to be in the position where I am now.
StuntBums: Three highlights of your stunt riding career thus far?
Aaron Colton: There are so many to list. This is actually a very hard question to answer to pick just three, but I will give it a shot.
- Winning the national championship at 15
- First Pro Win at the Alamo Dome
- Getting Sponsored by Red Bull and being mentored by Christian Pfeiffer
StuntBums: When and why did you start exploring other motorsports?
Aaron Colton: A lot of people hate on me for doing so, but the main reason that I do is because I can. I turned 20 not more than 15 days ago and have won national stunt riding events, national road racing events and earned my AMA Pro Racing card in both road racing and flat track. For me it really bums me out when people get down on me for exploring other sports. When it comes down to it I am still over five years younger than most of my other competitors, so I have more than enough time to reach my prime. I am a motorcycle enthusiast through and through. I get very upset when I ride less than five days a week.
StuntBums: In terms of cross training, do any of your stunting skills assist while racing (or vice-versa):
Aaron Colton: I would say that every single bit of cross training I do makes a huge difference in my career. I will say that RIGHT NOW I may not be the best rider in freestyle, but I am the best motorcycle rider that participates in freestyle. This is not to brag but this is to invite all other riders to expand to more than just parking lot freestyle. Guys like Dan Jackson, Bill Dixon, Chris McNeil and in the highest regards Christian Pfeiffer are all good examples of this. Personally I ride motocross, dirt track, road race, supermoto, skydive, snowboard, play hockey and target shoot. You don't have to do all of these, but at least get into one because I firmly believe that cross training is the key to the overall win.
StuntBums: What is a big goal for you in 2012?
Aaron Colton: A big goal of mine since I can remember is to grow my sport as a whole through the other things that I do. Road racing has been a part of it, flat track has been a part of it and so have all the other ventures that I have taken on board. I have found that in most activities that I do in motorsports that StreetBike Freestyle is thought to be a joke. One of my biggest goals for 2012 is to change that perception. I have already made tons of headway with many people and organizations by showing that I am a good motorcycle athlete and not just a "Wheelie Popper".
StuntBums: What is your advice for young riders looking to start stunting?
Aaron Colton: Do anything you can to get your hands on a non-Chinese four stroke 50, 70 or 80!!!! I can’t stress how important it is to start small. A lot of kids are super eager to hop on the big bikes so fast. You could spend a whole entire year on a CRF50 and still not be able to shred it to its full potential. Big bikes hurt; big bikes are expensive, so start small and rock out. If you can go from a CFR50, DRZ-70,TTR-50 and then to a XR-100,TTR125,KLX140 or DRZ125, I think that will be your best bet. Rock a lid and go shred!
I also would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. Without a great group of people helping and pushing me I don’t think I could have made it this far. So here goes, thanks to Red Bull, Tucker Rocky, Speed and Strength, Shark Helmets, EBC Brakes, Bridgestone Tires, LeoVince Exhaust, My Mom and Dad, The Wood Family and anyone and everyone who has helped me set a bike up, sleep on their couch and push me as a rider!
awesome!! Flattrack OWNS!!!
I just gotta get out there to film the next video lol My brother isn't the steadyist cameraman!
Isn't it funny that I read this article while wearing an Aaron Colton shirt made by Stuntragz? lol
Colton rocks, super nice guy with lots of skills!
Rep'n MN yo!
lol, not a chance buddy ;)
remember Carnegie? I'll never forget!
Keep shredding!