He’s still kicking up mud at 71
Ed Bendall isn’t interested in slowing down in his retirement. At 71 years old, he’s still shifting into high gear — tackling steep hills, carving out trails, and chasing an adrenaline rush in a tricked-out Jeep he calls Blue Bird.
“I started out on fourwheelers when I was a lot younger — like most kids,” Bendall said of his off-road sport obsession. “As you get older, those ATVs get kind of rough on your body. So, I got into riding Jeeps and fourwheel- drive trucks. I’ve got a little S10 I like to take out too. I’ve been doing that now for 20 years, give or take.”
Ed Bendall uses his Jeep Scrambler to scale a tree at Northwest Alabama Mountain Ride in Russellville.
CONTRIBUTED/IVY ROSE BALL
While the Colbert County native may be trading in the four-wheeler for his Jeep these days, it doesn’t mean he isn’t still taking his favorite pastime to the extreme. The retired mechanic’s skills often come in handy on days he’s pushed his vehicle to its limits.
Now living in Hatton, Bendall and his fluffy canine passenger, Maile Duval — a Pomeranian named for the character in “Blue Hawaii,” starring Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman — leave home three or four times a week looking to scale a rocky hillside that has yet to be conquered by other offroad enthusiasts.
“I stay within 100 or 150 miles from home, but from my house, there are four or five parks you can go to,” he said, listing favorite off-road parks in the area like Hawk Pride Mountain Offroad in TuscumbiaandNorthwest Alabama Mountain Ride in Russellville.
When he’s not behind the wheel, Bendall is often helping clear trails with a machete or a chainsaw. Cutting rugged trails for thrill seekers like himself is another hobby of Bendall’s that stems from his childhood.
“We’d usually have a group of guys — you know, three or four of us. We’d be riding and then spot a big hill we’d want to climb, but you’d have to cut a few small trees out of the way,” he said.
Though he isn’t in the business of running an offroad park, Bendall has developed a name for himself in the Tennessee Valley as something of an expert in cutting challenging trails. He’s been asked to step in and help build ATV routes at many of his favorite parks, which is how he developed a close friendship with Northwest Alabama Mountain Ride owner Jason Parker.
Parker has come to realize Bendall likes riding the toughest trails as much as he enjoys cutting them.
“Ed is crazy. He doesn’t have a low gear,” Parker said with a laugh. “He’s fun to ride with, but I like to stay close and watch him. I’m new to Jeeping — about six months at that. We’ve pulled up to a trail, I thought, ‘There’s no way.’ I just watch where Ed puts his tires and how he maneuvers, and then I follow right behind him. I’ve climbed some pretty wicked trails staying in behind Ed.”
The word “fearless” applies to Maile as much as it does to Bendall, Parker adds.
“She is always sitting up there with him, just along for the ride,” Parker said, watching Bendall navigate a slippery slope at the offroad park recently. “She’s never bailed out once — not until this week. Ed laid his Jeep on its side, and she jumped out the windshield.”
Bendall admits he loves chasing the adrenaline, but he also acknowledges it may be time to start opting for smoother, safer trails.
“I do more than I should,” he said with a smile. “I’ve got to kind of take it easy these days. Sometimes I get a little more extreme than I should, and I know one day I might not be able to do this at all anymore.”
Still, Bendall feels riding and cutting trails keep him fit and moving.
“I know it keeps me young,” he said. “Most people my age can’t do anything. They go home and sit on the couch, and they don’t have a hobby. When you go home and sit, your body just kind of gives up, and that’s no good.”
Unwilling to give up the adventure altogether, Bendall said he isn’t hanging up the keys anytime soon.
“My wife says I do too much,” he said. “It’s just fun. I keep going, doing what I can and doing what I want. I’ll do it as long as I can.”
CONTRIBUTED/IVY ROSE BALL
