“You know, I had a couple hundred jumps in my career, and I made most of them, but the ones they show over and over are the ones when I crashed,” reflected Evel Knievel. Born in 1938, Knievel’s potent blend of charisma, fearlessness, and showmanship aided him in accomplishing his mission of becoming the greatest daredevil the world had ever seen.
Knievel’s infamous jump over the Caesars Palace fountain in Las Vegas in 1967 reshaped the landscape of motorsport stunts. Crowds packed the strip and buzzed with disbelief as Knievel—in his trademark white leather jumpsuit with red and blue stars plastered across his chest—revved his Harley-Davidson, and launched into the air. The jump measured 141 feet, and spectators held their breath, only to witness Knievel clear the fountain but crash-land on the other side. Although he sustained a crushed pelvis and a concussion, the stunt transformed him into an instant American icon.
With his custom-built steam-powered rocket—the “Skycycle X-2”—Knievel topped himself with a 1600-foot leap across the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. In front of a captivated audience the rocket soared across the river before falling short of the ramp on the opposite side and landing in the canyon. Despite not accomplishing his goal, the attempt brought him global fame and admiration for his courage.
But perhaps Knievel’s most celebrated feat was his motorcycle jump over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in London in 1975. In front of a roaring crowd of 90,000 he soared 130 feet in the air over the buses. His crash landing was televised by ABC’s Wide World of Sports, and secured his place as the greatest daredevil of all time.
Through his audacity and larger-than-life persona, Knievel redefined the parameters of what was possible in the world of daredevilry. His legacy lies not merely in his stunning feats—or in his Guinness Book of World Records entry for most broken bones at 433—but in his relentless pursuit of greatness through his meticulous planning as he undertook numerous calculated risks. Emphasizing the essence of his journey he famously said, “I’m not a lucky person, but I can say I’ve had a very fulfilling life.”
