Otto Ross celebrated his 97th birthday on the slopes at the Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort in Wenatchee on Jan. 27. On this particular birthday, he took a ride along the Ottobahn Magic Carpet, a conveyor belt ski lift named in his honor, after teaching a beginner ski lesson.
While the obvious appearance of his advanced years hides behind ski goggles, neck buffs and a thick jacket, an observer watching his lessons would never guess that Ross is 97 years old.
“Your focus would likely be drawn to the success and fun his guests are having rather than how he is enabling that,” said Keith Carpenter, instructor at Mission Ridge who looks to Ross as a mentor.
Ross not only still skis, but also works as a ski instructor at Mission Ridge. Now in his 72nd year working as a ski instructor, he teaches beginner skiers, who range in age from young children to octogenarians, the ropes of the sport he loves.
Born on Jan. 27, 1926, Ross grew up in Orondo, Douglas County, a small town on the Columbia River, about 25 miles north of Wenatchee.
Ross was 8 years old when his father purchased a set of wooden skis. He was hooked from the start. He learned the ropes at Badger Mountain in Waterville, the closest ski area to his family’s home. In high school, Ross and three of his friends would go to Stevens Pass whenever they could scrape together enough gas money for the trip.
“We’d watch people and follow the best skier we could find to get better,” he said.
Ross taught his first ski class in 1950 at KPQ Ski School at Squilchuck State Park in Wenatchee where he learned the fundamentals of ski instruction. He earned a teaching certification from the Northwest Ski Association at Mount Hood the following year.
Over the course of his career as a ski instructor, Ross taught at Stevens Pass, Whitefish in Montana, Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, as well as in small local areas throughout Central Washington, such as Ardenvoir, Echo Valley, and Badger Mountain, before ending up at Mission Ridge when it opened in 1966.
In 1968, Ross was invited to attend the French National Ski School in Chamonix to become an instructor and teach in Megève.
“I didn’t speak much French, but during the six-week school in Chamonix, I learned all of the terms and knew how to demonstrate, so I got by pretty well,” he said.
Ross delighted in the levity of proving his small town ski skills could measure up to those who learned to ski and taught at big resorts.
“I wanted to prove that a little local ski instructor could stand up to and that we were as qualified as the ‘pro’ instructors,” he said, in reference to the three years he spent teaching at Alpine Meadows.
Within two years, Ross claimed the second highest number of private lessons among the ski instructors.
In 1959, Ross was invited to Squaw Valley to demonstrate to the National Ski Patrol that volunteer ski patrols could handle all of the first aid and avalanche work demanded by the upcoming 1960 Olympics.
He has a knack for identifying those who could use a hand. Recently, he saw a woman on the beginner slope whom he knew was recovering from a serious injury and nervous about getting back on skis.
“She had not signed up for a lesson, but Otto saw her moving tentatively her first day back …[and] jumped in and just helped her get comfortable and reacquainted with moving on skis again,” said Mark Music, Mission Ridge ski school director and member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America divisional education staff. “It made her day, and his as well.”
Skiing awarded Ross the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, including ABC News Radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and actress Goldie Hawn. While teaching in France, Ross met Robert Redford who was working on the film “Downhill Racer” and was hired to help work with some of the less confident skiers on set.
Perhaps his most unforgettable client, however, was Pat West Turner.
In the winter of 1965, a near-fatal car accident in Wenatchee resulted in the amputation of her right leg. At Turner’s parents’ request, Ross helped the 17-year-old get back on the slopes using an adaptive outrigger, an assistive device that aids with balance, speed controls and turning. Ross previously worked with Turner as a child at Ardenvoir.
“Otto was really my life saver at that point,” said Turner, now 75. “He was my saving grace and emotional angel.”
Together, Ross and Turner learned how to use the adaptive skis, which were relatively new technology at the time.
Turner recalls her first time back at the top of the resort at Mission Ridge. As soon as she dismounted from the chair, she realized that she wasn’t ready for the narrow runs.
“I wasn’t strong enough yet. It took us four hours to get down,” she said. “But, by the end of the season, I got from the top to midway in five minutes. That tells you what kind of instructor he is.”
Turner went on to compete both nationally and internationally, earning a silver medal at a recreational race in New Zealand in 1978. She later became a ski instructor herself and in November 2022, published “Skiing Uphill,” a memoir about the accident.
When he wasn’t teaching ski lessons, Ross managed various fruit orchards in Orondo and Quincy. At one point, he was managing 500 acres, raising apples, peaches and pears.
His secret to skiing well into his 90s?
“I just look forward to doing it every year,” he said.
He stays in shape by running his small family orchard where he lives in Sun Cove, just north of Wenatchee, and by taking daily walks to see his daughter, who lives on a ranch a half mile away.
“When I stand around, I don’t stand,” he said. “I’m constantly moving around.”
Mission Ridge education director Music believes Ross’ love of the sport has kept him going over the years.
“Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anyone here on the mountain who’s happier to be here than Otto,” said Music. “‘Humble master’ is how I think of him and the experience and skill sets he brings to the job.”