Mark Jensen, founder and engineer of Off-Road Innovations is on Episode 229. Without a background in off-road, Mark got launched into off-road accidentally. It’s been a heck of a ride. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.
4:32 – I lived in the mountains with redwood trees, coming to Toelle was like being dropped in the middle of the desert, left for dead
11:56– I built, an outside the box sandrail that was four-wheel drive – essentially the first side-by-side
20:29 – “you know this would be more suited for the rock crawling world.” I said, “the what? What’s rockcrawling?”
26:45 – every time this rock crawling thing would evolve into something more violent, it meant more failures for me
38:00 – Those two words, perfect perseverance and dedication to what you are doing, you will overcome!
51:33 – We’re learning a lot from the car, it adds credibility to actually finish races and be successful
Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:39.530] – Big Rich Klein
On this episode of Conversations with Big Rich, I’ll be speaking with Mark Jensen. Mark is the owner of Off-Road Innovations. That’s right, the designer and creator of ORI Shocks. Hello, Mark Jensen. It’s really good to have you here today on the podcast, and I’m looking forward to this one.
[00:01:59.240] – Mark Jensen
Hello, Rich. Yes, I think this is going to be interesting.
[00:02:03.350] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, have you ever done a podcast before?
[00:02:06.550] – Mark Jensen
No. No, I have listened to a few, but I have not participated in a podcast.
[00:02:11.430] – Big Rich Klein
Well, here you go. So first question, the easiest question for most people to answer, where were you born and raised?
[00:02:19.620] – Mark Jensen
I was born in Eastern Utah, Roosevelt.
[00:02:23.480] – Big Rich Klein
Okay, up there by Vernal and Deschutes, or however you say it? Yeah.
[00:02:29.780] – Mark Jensen
Actually, my father had a 40 acre cattle ranch in Diola, which is north of Roosevelt, up by Vernal. Okay. Sold the cattle ranch when I was an infant, nine months old, I believe. And the family moved to a little town in California, Cottonwood, where we started raising sheep. That didn’t work out, so my father got a job at the lumber mill. This is in Northern California, up by Redding. I was raised in Anderson, California, close to Redding. Lived there until I was 12. At that time, my father was looking for work again and came back to Utah. He moved a few years ahead of the family. Actually jumping rail cars to get here. Wow. Itchhike to jump rail cars to get to Utah looking for work, and found work in Toelle, Utah.
[00:03:28.410] – Big Rich Klein
Okay.
[00:03:29.310] – Mark Jensen
In In ’66, the rest of us joined with my father in Toeele, Utah, moved here, and lived here for about 30 years until, well, I managed to get a job in machining. I was doing some motorcycle mechanics right out of high school, and that migrated into doing machining work for a company in Salt Lake City, at which time, I don’t know, it was for a few years. We spent a total of 30 years in Utah after moving from California.
[00:04:07.740] – Big Rich Klein
Okay. I was recruited.
[00:04:10.840] – Mark Jensen
I’m sorry, go ahead.
[00:04:11.800] – Big Rich Klein
I see. Those early years, you were approximately Was it maybe, what, six or seven when you left Norcal for back to Toelle? I was twelve. Twelve. Okay.
[00:04:22.250] – Mark Jensen
What was that? I was twelve when we left.
[00:04:24.040] – Big Rich Klein
Was there a culture shock going from Anderson, California, to Tooele? I would imagine at that time, they were probably about the same size.
[00:04:32.690] – Mark Jensen
I lived in the mountains with redwood trees and foliage everywhere. Coming to Toelle, Utah, it was like being dropped off in the middle of the desert.
[00:04:43.470] – Big Rich Klein
That’s true.
[00:04:44.960] – Mark Jensen
Left for dead. READ MORE
