Erik Rintamaki was looking for a new way to find agates when he picked up a UV flashlight one night and set out to scan a lonely Lake Superior shore in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. What he found that night changed his life. Three rocks, nestled in a circle on the sand, began to shimmer a bright yellow hue beneath the beam of his flashlight. Erik named the rocks “Yooperlites” and since that night, he has discovered hundreds more of these shimmering, glistening rocks along the shores of Lake Superior. The world took notice. A video of one of the rocks on Erik’s facebook page has gone viral and Erik and his Yooperlites have been seen across the globe. Local geologists and mineralogists have chimed in on the worldwide discussion. They say these rocks are something that has never been seen in Michigan before.

In “Light Up the North” I meet Erik and hear the story of how he discovered these stones. I find out exactly what he does with them, and then head out to the beach to see where these stones come from and what makes them special.

Air Dates: 11/09/18 UpNorthTv; 01/03/19 PBS WCMU; 08/18/19 – 08/21/2019 PBS WNMU

    Cited in: Rock&Gem Magazine 09/15/19;   Detroit Free Press 07/01/19