On The Pegs August - 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 8 | Page 28

On The Pegs
28
The Death of Marland Whaley
Last week US 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 dominant trials rider in the Golden Age of US trials the
1970’s. A factory rider for both Montesa and Honda he won 5 AMA National
Championships: 1975,76,77, 79 and 1980. A native of Santee, California, Mar-
land quickly rose through the highly competitive ranks of Southern Califor-
nia trials. At a time when 8 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 Champion Schreiber “ Marland
could have been World Champion if he had stayed in Europe.”
In the early 1990’s Marland moved to Montana where he pursued his pas-
sion for the outdoors becoming an avid bow hunter, snowboarder and