Ross Turner owns four kayaks and exercises several times a week. For his birthday, he asked a couple of friends to join him sea kayak surfing off Vancouver Island. None of this would be noteworthy except for the fact it was Turner’s 85th birthday.
Silver surfer: Ross Turner challenges waves and stereotypes at 85
Yves Aquin and Patti Stevens first met Turner seven years ago while teaching him a sea kayak surfing course through their company, Go Kayak. “It’s our most challenging course,” said Stevens. “It’s for paddlers to learn launching and landing through surf to prepare for multiday paddling expedition trips.”
They were taken aback when Turner showed up for his first surf lesson at age 77, but his prowess playing in the waves allowed them to exhale.
“He’s doing things much younger people haven’t mastered,” said Aquin. “Most of us want to be like Ross when we get older.”
The octogenarian has been called a rock star of kayaking by his paddling peers, but Turner thinks the moniker is “frankly a bit embarrassing.” He’s happy anyone is inspired by his skill level and the way he lives his life.
Stevens is most impressed by his work ethic: “At the end of every paddle, he practices his roll, and he does it in dynamic water, which is even more challenging. But he just wants to play.”
Turner has acquired several watercraft over the years but favors his NDK Romany Surf. Although he calls the 16-foot fiberglass boat “a bit slow,” he says it turns well and surfs well.
“Yves and Patti taught me side surfing, surfing straight down a wave… how not to get turned over,” said Turner. “It’s exciting like skiing, and I love to ski. I like hills and a little action, and that’s what you get when you kayak surf.”
Turner’s routine for surfing success
Turner first favored canoeing, but after he retired to Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, he picked up kayaking at age 65. He went through several levels of Paddle Canada certifications and took private lessons to master his roll before the surf course.
To balance adventure and safety, Turner won’t go out when the wind blows more than 20 knots. He always wears a drysuit and helmet and carries a VHF radio. A fall off his step stool while unloading his kayak prompted Turner to invest in a hydraulic assist to get his kayak easily and safely onto his vehicle, but he hasn’t had to modify much due to his age otherwise.
In addition to kayaking, he keeps fit with a home exercise routine, including resistance exercises, squats, pull-ups and push-ups, as well as walks around his neighborhood. “Loss of muscle mass is the big worry at my age,” said Turner, “but with everything I’m doing, I might even be gaining some muscle, but I’m definitely not losing it.”
Turner underwent a prostate removal in 2013, which he deems a success. “Everyone has arthritis, but right now, I’m lucky, I don’t have any serious health problems,” he said. “I probably have a life expectancy of five years… and I’m going to make the most of it.”
A few more kayak trips on the west coast of Vancouver Island are still on his bucket list.
This article was first published in the Summer 2024 issue of Paddling Magazine. Ross Turner, center, with instructors Yves Aquin and Patti Stevens. | Feature photo: Courtesy Ross Turner
