1980 Off-Road Enthusiasts Jeff & Joyce Bergemann and family fall in love with Maui!
1982 Wailuku Maui
In 1980 Jeff & Joyce Bergemann visited Maui and fell in love with the place. Jeff Sr. had been an off-road enthusiast, racer, and worked in the business for decades by then.
The original Maui Off Road Center opened in a tiny corner rented from another repair shop next to the old Dairy Queen just off Hana Highway across from O’Oka’s supermarket. No one even knew it was there.
Jeff Jr. at 14 started learning to install suspension by reading the instructions that came with the kits. He is THAT smart. Back then the directions were TERRIBLE. But Jeff Jr. Also took Aljebra 1 & Geometry over the Summer studying himself at home and testing out when his Sophomore year began so he could get into Karin’s Jr. Grade Level Trigonometry class. So, he has always been very smart. And yes, it worked. I ended up married to him!
Jeff Sr. had been running Off Road Centers in Arizona and running tire shops across the country for decades and brought his expertise and connections to ordering products to bear. He had also been in Dessert Off-Road Racing. So, he knew a thing or two that he figured he was ready to share with the people of Hawaii.
Wife & mom, Joyce was doing the books, Jeff Sr. ordering and selling, Jeff Jr. installing, and sisters Steph and Holly helped out too. It was a big risk for the family, but they knew, together following Jesus they could do anything so they decided to risk it all for the dream and gave it their best shot! Today we are all grateful!
That was it. Maui Off Road was born. Jeff Jr.’s famous Maui Monster 1 (the first Toyota Monster truck in the world), was originally his daily street and weekend offroad truck.
Joyce Bergemann
Jeff Bergemann Sr.
True Story
Jeff Jr. took his wife of 36 years now, Karin, on their first date in his brand new off-road rebuilt Toyota BEFORE it later became a Monster Truck. He was just 15 years old. They went offroading in Haiku, Hana and Ma’alaea and Makena too. Then they’d take it on-road to the Chart House and to see Star Wars at the theatre. Jeff Jr., Karin, and the Maui Monster 1 were a match made in off road heaven as teen agers long before it became the famous Maui Monster that took on the Tokyo Dome, severeal Aloha Stadium Monster Truck events and Dare Day Events all over the islands in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Flashback Photos
Jeff Jr. & his wife, Karin at Aloha Stadium Monster Truck show BC (before children). Mr. Monster (as Jeff was dubbed by the children from Kindergarten at Waimalu Elementary who came to see the Monster Truck at the shop on Oahu when it was right across from their school on a school field trip in the early 90s, was signing autographs.
Since a picture paints a thousand words. We figured we would share some photos and let you imagine the rest for yourselves. Yes, it was as much fun as it looks like it was. And no, we don’t even have all the details on half the photos because there were no phones to keep track of all that for us back then. But we will add some details here and there when we have them or believe it is relevant.
And then there were 3 of us! Kaleo came along and changed everything. Family business is just that - family and business. Today Kaleo helps lead the Maui Off Road crew on Oahu.
Jake wasn’t far behind Kaleo. Today he too leads Maui Off Road Oahu Crew!
Have become today’s Oahu Maui Off Road Dynamic Duo! Running the Oahu shop, anytime you come in you can find one or both of these two, Jeff Jr.’s sons Kaleo & Jacob, running the shop.
More photos coming soon. This website is a work in progress.
Yesteryear’s SuperMan Twins
Cousin Zech spent Spring break with us the year this photo was taken. Now he too is Oahu Maui Off Road Ohana Crew! The same Zech who is on our MORC Oahu Today page! (MORC is an acronym for Maui Off Road used by the family often. He was also an awesome character played by Robin Williams in the 1980’s)
This section is in progress. We are still locating photos so check back for more info. in a few months.
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