Pure Evel

While I was on my “Big Sky Country” trip a couple of weeks ago (see this recent post for more), I simply had to make a pilgrimage to the site of Evel Knievel’s ill-fated Snake River Canyon “Sky Cycle” jump. Or attempted jump, more accurately.

Evel’s name probably doesn’t mean much to this generation, raised on “Dude Perfect” videos. But to men of a certain age — Boomers and Gen X fellas — his name and exploits are etched into our memory banks. He was a daredevil hero to us wee lads. Jumping the fountain at Caesar’s Palace. Jumping cars. Jumping trucks. Jumping buses. Eventually jumping the shark. (Literally – he was supposed to jump 13 sharks in Chicago, but crashed during his practice jump. That wound up being his final stunt attempt.)

He was on ABC’s Wide World of Sports all the time. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat all rolled up into one star-spangled jumpsuit.

You probably can’t read it on the sign in the photo above, but it list “70 stunts and a world record 433 broken bones…” Watch this clip and you’ll understand the latter part of that equation.

He broke a lot of bones, but he sold a ton of toys sold too!

Even Marvel Comics got in on the action.

Evel’s most successful stunt (133 feet) happened just up the road from me, at Kings Island amusement park, in October of ’75.

But his most famous attempt was more than a year earlier, jumping the Snake River Canyon. 1600 feet. And he originally planned to try it in a motorcycle! His engineer, Bob Truax, talked him out of that. Thus the “Sky Cycle” was born. But the parachute deployed early (some suspect Evel pulled it himself), and Evel crashed into the rocks below.

There’s not much left at the launch site now – just the dirt pile and a couple of concrete footers that once held the ramp.

But it was weirdly moving… maybe even semi-spiritual… when I got to see it. Maybe because every kid wants to fly. Every kid likes to test the limits. And Evel showed us the way.

This YouTube comment sums it up for guys like me:

This song is pure 70s soft rock schmaltz, but somehow it works.

He can climb a mountain

Jump across a winding river

Once he’s made his mind up, there’s nothing he won’t try

There’s something deep inside him

Lusting for the thrills that drive him

Yet he knows someday, he’s gonna have to face, that canyon in the sky…

Right on! And ride on!