Evel Knievel - Spectacular Jumps

Evel Knievel brought the spirit of P.T. Barnum to daredevil motorcycle jumps in the 1970s. His usual approach was to choose an improbably difficult obstacle (such as the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in 1968, or a row of 13 double-decker buses at London's Wembley Stadium in 1975). Then, dressed in his red, white and blue jumpsuit, Knievel would race his motorcyle up a specially-constructed ramp and leap over the obstacle. Often he crash-landed, thrilling viewers while breaking dozens of bones. In 1974 he arranged his most famous stunt, an attempted jump over Idaho's Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered "Sky-Cycle". The attempt failed when the craft's parachute opened prematurely, but Knievel survived.

Unlike today's stuntmen, there was little or no math involved in Knievel's daring feats. He would size up the distance, make a few estimates, and-think positive. He crashed very many times. In fact, some believe his popularity grew more from his failures than from his successes. In deed, his two most famous stunts, the jumps over the fountain at Caesars Palace and Snake River Canyon - were both disasters. Knievel very nearly killed himself on numerous occasions. In the course of his career he broke over 30 bones and underwent fourteen open-reduction surgeries.

Jan. I, 1968 - Crashed in an attempt to clear the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Los Vegas
Sept. 20, 1970 - Successfully cleared 13 cars in Seattle, WA
Jan. 8, 1971 - Again clearing 13 cars he drew a then record crowd to the Houston Astrodome
Feb. 28, 1971 - Set World record at Ontario, CA by jumping 19 Dodge cars.
May 10, 1971 - Crashed in an attempt to clear 13 Pepsi Cola trucks in Yakima, WA
March 3, 1972 - Suffered serious injury in San Francisco's Cow Palace when his motorcycle crashed in a very difficult landing area.
Feb. 18, 1973 - Taking off from the highest ski-style jump ramp ever used he thrilled the crowd of 35,000 by flying over 50 cars stacked in the center of the Los Angeles Colliseum
August 20, 1974 - In his last jump before the famous do-or-die Snake River Canyon attempt, he soared 135 feet over 13 eight foot wide Mack Trucks at the Canadian National Exposition.
Sept. 8, 1974 - After two unsuccessful unmanned test flights Evel decided to keep his word to his fans and risked his life in a specially constructed rocket powered "Skycycle" in an attempt to clear the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Even though he made it across the quarter mile wide chasm, strong winds blew the malfunctioning parachute back into the canyon, landing just a few feet from the swirling river in which he would have surely drowned.
May 31, 1975 - A record crowd of over 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in London, England watched as Evel crashed upon landing, breaking his pelvis after clearing 13 double-tiered buses.
October 25, 1975 - Defiant after the Wembley crash, Evel successfully jumped 14 Greyhound buses at King's Island in Ohio.

In the winter of 1976 Evel was seriously injured during a nationally televised performance of an attempt to motorcycle jump a tank full of live sharks in the Chicago Ampitheater. For the first time a bystander was also injured when a cameraman was struck, eventually losing an eye. Knievel, who suffered a brain concussion and two broken arms, decided to retire from major performances but continued to do smaller exhibitions around the country with his son Robbie, establishing him as his successor.

In the course of his career Evel Knievel attempted more than 300 jumps, of which 276 were sucessful.


	*"I'm a jumping son-of-a-bitch. I'll jump anything."* -- Evel Knievel Evel Knievel brought the spirit of P.T. Barnum to daredevil motorcycle jumps in the 1970s. His usual approach was to choose an improbably difficult obstacle (such as the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in 1968, or a row of 13 double-decker buses at London's Wembley Stadium in 1975). Then, dressed in his red, white and blue jumpsuit, Knievel would race his motorcyle up a specially-constructed ramp and leap over the obstacle. Often he crash-landed, thrilling viewers while breaking dozens of bones. In 1974 he arranged his most famous stunt, an attempted jump over Idaho's Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered "Sky-Cycle". The attempt failed when the craft's parachute opened prematurely, but Knievel survived. Unlike today's stuntmen, there was little or no math involved in Knievel's daring feats. He would size up the distance, make a few estimates, and-think positive. He crashed very many times. In fact, some believe his popularity grew more from his failures than from his successes. In deed, his two most famous stunts, the jumps over the fountain at Caesars Palace and Snake River Canyon - were both disasters. Knievel very nearly killed himself on numerous occasions. In the course of his career he broke over 30 bones and underwent fourteen open-reduction surgeries. Jan. I, 1968 - Crashed in an attempt to clear the fountains at Caesar's Palace in Los Vegas Sept. 20, 1970 - Successfully cleared 13 cars in Seattle, WA Jan. 8, 1971 - Again clearing 13 cars he drew a then record crowd to the Houston Astrodome Feb. 28, 1971 - Set World record at Ontario, CA by jumping 19 Dodge cars. May 10, 1971 - Crashed in an attempt to clear 13 Pepsi Cola trucks in Yakima, WA March 3, 1972 - Suffered serious injury in San Francisco's Cow Palace when his motorcycle crashed in a very difficult landing area. Feb. 18, 1973 - Taking off from the highest ski-style jump ramp ever used he thrilled the crowd of 35,000 by flying over 50 cars stacked in the center of the Los Angeles Colliseum August 20, 1974 - In his last jump before the famous do-or-die Snake River Canyon attempt, he soared 135 feet over 13 eight foot wide Mack Trucks at the Canadian National Exposition. Sept. 8, 1974 - After two unsuccessful unmanned test flights Evel decided to keep his word to his fans and risked his life in a specially constructed rocket powered "Skycycle" in an attempt to clear the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Even though he made it across the quarter mile wide chasm, strong winds blew the malfunctioning parachute back into the canyon, landing just a few feet from the swirling river in which he would have surely drowned. May 31, 1975 - A record crowd of over 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in London, England watched as Evel crashed upon landing, breaking his pelvis after clearing 13 double-tiered buses. October 25, 1975 - Defiant after the Wembley crash, Evel successfully jumped 14 Greyhound buses at King's Island in Ohio. In the winter of 1976 Evel was seriously injured during a nationally televised performance of an attempt to motorcycle jump a tank full of live sharks in the Chicago Ampitheater. For the first time a bystander was also injured when a cameraman was struck, eventually losing an eye. Knievel, who suffered a brain concussion and two broken arms, decided to retire from major performances but continued to do smaller exhibitions around the country with his son Robbie, establishing him as his successor. In the course of his career Evel Knievel attempted more than 300 jumps, of which 276 were sucessful.