Table Of Content110 // surfinglife.com.au
122_flickOff-2.indd 110 4/03/11 5:00 PM
words: Mark rosenberg outgoing \\ flick off
photo: pete taras
TIMMY TURNER
Same as it ever was
timmy turner is surfing’s Alby Mangel. A nomadic Californian surf rat who’s sacrificed skin and sanity
in pursuit of faraway waves. At the start of the new millennium, alongside travis potter and a band of
fellow intrepid searchers, turner ventured to Indonesia’s outer isles for months on end in search of
new stomping grounds. after showing surfers what the cash poor and time rich can achieve the accolades
flowed. Here was a contemporary answer to peter troy, an old school surf explorer in modern times. almost
a decade on from his first movie, turner is still, constantly, in transit. Flesh-eating parasites have seen the
destinations change, but the motivation remains the same.
timmy turner is not at his home in They took away what was left of my skull, Chile, Canada, Ireland and scotland,
huntington. destination unknown. expecting to see my brain, but there was nothing and the routine is the same as it was
the lensman commissioned to but pus. My frontal lobes had been eaten away. when he was a grom. save money
capture his portrait says he’s in A few hours longer and i would’ve died. at home, hit the road, money, road,
Mexico. his wife is adamant he’s in money, road and repeat. sponsor
Chile. he has no Facebook page and school term had started, but I wasn’t the border. then things just got more dollars are minimal; he’s doing it ’cos
doesn’t reply to email, text or calls. interested. I just wanted to surf.” the intense; I started shouting at my wife. he loves it.
oh timmy, where art thou? travel bug was lodged. My eyes were popping out of my head “I just want to show people that
Days later, on the umpteenth attempt “Yeah, I’ve been to a lot of places, and I was in agony, just getting crazier there are new waves out there. people
to contact Mr. t, success. but there’s plenty more. everyone and crazier.” the temper was sign of need to stop complaining about
“I literally just walked in the door,” knows when you start travelling you worse things on the horizon. crowds and start expanding their
says turner. “I’ve been in scotland can’t stop. It’s my everything.” “eventually they took me to hospital horizons,” explains timmy. I think
for the past month, surfing amazing For his nouveau project, Cold and the doctor concluded I needed Who Is J.o.b. was the best movie I’ve
waves, drinking whiskey, camping out thoughts, turner’s been navigating brain surgery. they took away what seen recently, but that was because of
and eating rice.” the globe’s frigid seas in search of was left of my skull, expecting to the surfing. We’ve all seen nias, pipe
In the background kids vie for negative Celsius perfection, and see my brain, but there was nothing and Chopes before. I want to find new
daddy’s attention. it’s associated solitude. In timmy’s but pus. My frontal lobes had been waves. there’s so much more out
“It’s so funny,” he laughs. “I’ve been previous documented outings, the eaten away. a few hours longer and there. It blows my mind when I think
travelling for 40 hours, I have a gnarly ombak, second thoughts, Just I would’ve died.” about the options.
beard and I absolutely stink, but the Dreaming and the tsunami Diaries, Medical staff advised turner he “I love Indo and I’d love to still be
kids don’t care, they just want to show exploration and the unknown served shouldn’t surf again for years. Months exploring there, but with my new cold-
me the drawings they’ve done while as inspiration. Cold thoughts picks later he was back in the water at water focus I’ve uncovered more than
I’ve been away.” up where he left off, only this time he’s Huntington, and riding skateboards I ever expected to. You never have
Home for the next few months to packing 5mm rubber. again. His recovery earned him to deal with crowds, and just like
help run his family’s business, the “If it was up to me I’d still be the name Miracle Man, but some Indo you still meet great people. In
soCal surfing landmark sugar shack exploring Indo,” says timmy. “I think professional warnings couldn’t be scotland we were camped out by the
cafe, turner will save his tips while it’s the best destination in the world, ignored. tropical waters are hotbeds sea, 100 mile an hour winds nearly
researching his next destination. but after getting sick I’ve had to for diseases and specialists were firm blowing over our tent. a local surfer,
timmy earns his turns. reassess where I go.” in their assessment that if timmy got Chris noble, insisted we come stay at
being captain of the Huntington “getting sick” means 2006, when a infected again the chances of survival his house and we ended sitting around
beach High school surf team seems golden staph infection chewed away at were slim. For a surfer who called drinking with a bunch of crazy scots
a fitting precursor to a successful turner’s skull and began melting his Indonesia his second home this was all night. they’re such good people,
competitive surfing career, but for a brain. Unbeknown to timmy the flesh- painful news. “It was heartbreaking,” and the waves were amazing.”
young turner the wanderlust was too eating parasite had become lodged in says timmy, “but at the same time With an appetite for adventure and
much. “I remember when I was about his cranium after surfing the pollution- it’s opened up so many new doors, a thirst for discovery, turner won’t
15, (former Wt surfer) timmy reyes riddled Huntington pier through a and I’m seeing things I wouldn’t have stop travelling in the foreseeable
came back from g-Land and had this series of rainstorms. Weeks later seen otherwise.” future. “I can’t stop travelling, no way,”
crazy look in his eyes. He told me about turner was in a strip bar in Mexico, on Cold thoughts came to light a few says timmy. “getting away is like a
the waves and the whole experience yet another trip, when police started years back, after turner heard about reset button for me. It totally clears
and I couldn’t believe it. I worked and hassling him. Uncharacteristically, perfect set-ups in Iceland. “I’m on a my head and I’m ready to go again.
saved until I could go. after I broke the timmy became abusive, the first whole different path now,” he explains, that, and the fact I lose 20 pounds
seal, that was it, I couldn’t stop. It got sign something was wrong. “I started “but it’s still just about travelling and every time I go away. at home I fatten
to a point when I was over in Indo and freaking out and acting like a weirdo,” getting out in the unknown with your up on burger king, then just head off
my parents had to send my brother explains timmy. “My bro had to tie me mates.” so far in his search for icy and shed it all. Who needs ab-rollers
to make me come home. the new down and then drive me back over perfection turner’s been to Iceland, or a gym? Just hit the road.”
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