NEWPORT BEACH : Sea and Ski Are Fixtures at the Pier

On pretty much any sunny day in the plaza at the foot of Newport Pier a man who says he’s “the world’s oldest living teen-ager” can be seen with his red bike and his big, beautiful birds.

Ski, Birdman ) of Newport, is the name on his business card, and he won’t give another name or his age, but he will offer a touching display as he shows off his birds and their tricks to willing passersby.

With little coaxing, he’ll start his routine. He’ll put the big, beautiful Prince, a blue and gold macaw, in a viewer’s cradled arms. Or, he’ll tell Rojo, a scarlet macaw and the largest of his birds, to show off his multicolored wingspan in all its splendor.

The Birdman’s tanned skin, unruly shoulder-length hair, grayish-white beard and mirrored glasses have made him something of a legend in this beachside community, where he has spent most of the past 15 years.

“This is just my way of enjoying life,” Ski said. “It’s like standing in one spot and the whole world comes toward me. It’s a gratifying experience to be out here every day.”

On historic McFadden Square where he works, he’s positioned in a tourist walkway among the city’s beautiful old hotels, the historic dory fishermen’s fleet and the pier promenade. On any given day, a fair share of the city’s tourist trade passes his modest setup.

The Birdman prides himself on using affection, not food rewards, to entice his pets to do their tricks. He cuddles, strokes and kisses the birds, and they in turn lick his nose and nuzzle his shoulders.

He has six birds in all, some of which he’s had for more than a decade.

“He’s almost a fixture at the pier. A historical feature,” said City Manager Robert L. Wynn, who points out that in his 20 years as city manager he’s received no complaints about the Birdman. “It does provide a great deal of interest just to watch him handle the birds. I think anyone who’s been to the pier surely remembers him.”

He says he learned his trade from others in his family who appreciated nature. He also says he was raised on an Indiana farm, always near animals.

“For me, the beauty of life is nature,” he said one recent afternoon. “I’ve been close to nature my whole life. I have an affinity toward it.”

His birds are also a main source of income. He will shoot pictures of people holding the animals and then put the snapshot in a greeting card for $5. Likewise, he sometimes takes the birds and his act on the road and will perform at parties or other shows in homes and elsewhere.

Though he doesn’t earn much more than a pensioner would, he says he earns enough to get by. His birds are paid for, he rents an apartment in Newport and he keeps up a motor home that houses the birds while on tour.

“I have a philosophy that if you don’t need much to live on then you don’t need to earn much,” he said.

Though his routine changes a little bit each time, everywhere he goes he does one trick that still makes him giggle.

The trick is this: He gives the watcher his most expensive bird, a Patagonian worth more than $3,000, to hold and then subtly motions for the bird to fly away. Of course, though unknown to the participant, the bird is trained to return.

“It’s a little joke I play,” says Ski, chuckling as he tells the story. “Some of them start running after the bird, and I’m laughing so hard I can’t tell them to stop.”