In a 2008 interview, Frese told the Chicago Tribune that his "first boat was a canvas kayak he bought for $15 when he was 14 years old. From then on, he spent time paddling Chicago-area rivers and extolling the virtues of riverbank wilderness."http://www.chicagonow.com/booth-reviews/2011/10/at-85-life-is-still-but-a-dream-for-mr-canoe-ralph-frese/ At 85, Life is Still But a Dream for Mr. Canoe, Ralph Frese by Seth Saith October 14th, 2011 Retrieved January 13, 2013
