IN
THE
WIND
P46
Trials Legend Marland Whaley Passes
L
ast week, U.S. Trials legend
Marland Whaley passed away
suddenly from what appears
to have been a heart attack.
Marland was 60 years old and
in peak physical condition. The
news has left the trials world in
Europe and America stunned.
Whaley was the most domi-
nant trials rider in the Golden
Age of U.S. trials in the 1970s.
A factory rider for both Montesa
and Honda, he won five AMA
National Championships in 1975,
'76, '77, '79, and 1980. A native
of Santee, California, Whaley
quickly rose through the highly
competitive ranks of Southern
California trials. At a time when
eight of the top 10 in the nation
were from California, Marland
and rival Bernie Schreiber
battled every weekend and
pushed each other to the top.
According to 1979 World Cham-
pion Schreiber, "Marland could
have been World Champion if he
had stayed in Europe."
In the early 1990s, Whaley
moved to Montana where he
pursued his passion for the
outdoors becoming an avid
bow hunter, snowboarder, and
mountain-biker. It was mountain
biking where we saw his bril-
liance shine again. He became
the Masters (55+) Champion
of the National Ultra Endurance
Mountain Bike Championship.
These races required ultimate
fitness. Nine hours long and 100-
mile distances, with elevation
changes of 10 to 16,000 feet.
Supremely talented, focused,
and driven were what made him
great, but he was also the best
and most fun teammate any one
could hope for. In an era where
long loops and tight time limits
were the norm, he was wickedly
fast; no one was faster on single-
track than Marland.
I am so glad that were re-
connected about five years ago.
We would spend hours on the
phone reliving the glory days,
talking about our families and
how lucky we were to have had
the opportunities we had. It was
like we were 18 again. For those
of us that knew and loved him,
we will be telling "Marland sto-
ries" for the rest of our lives.
Marland is survived by his wife
Dawn, daughters Kendra and
Kiah, and four grandchildren.
Martin Belair
Marland Whaley, a legend in
U.S. trials riding, passed away
at the age of 60.
