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COVER STORY

FREDRIK RYDLUN, IP5
NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

Phyllis Harmon, DTM

Meet Fredrik Rydlun, who refers to himself as Bend’s

oldest working stand-up comic. But that is just one
facet of this multi-dimensional Toastmaster. In a recent
interview, Fredrik shared other facets of his life. Read
on . . .

Who is Fredrik Rydlun?

I’m not an Oregon native, but my first wife was so
we had an Oregon connection. My youngest daughter

went to the University of Oregon when she graduated
from high school in Boulder, Colorado where we
were living at the time. We commuted from Boulder
through Bend to Eugene. Also, I had a cousin in Bend

who we threatened to visit periodically.
And lo and behold, my oldest daughter and her
husband chose to move to Bend in 2004, and I moved
here to be close to my grand kids.

My second wife and I have debated about moving
to Portugal. But COVID definitely slowed us down.
And I get to watch my grand kids graduate from high
school at least.

Educational background

My mother was a fifth grade teacher for all her
working life. My dad was a contractor and a builder

and my great grandfather, who invented the name
Rydlun, was an infield builder in Minneapolis during

VOICES! | NOVEMBER 2021 7