Evel Knievel died yesterday at the age of 69. And somehow a small part of my childhood will go with him.
Evel Knievel was a famous daredevil who jumped his motorcycle over everything he could think of. Busses, flaming lakes of fire, and parts of the Grand Canyon. Wow!
I grew up with Evel on the TV, and always considered him to be one of the good guys. I begged my mom to drive me to the cinema so me and my buddies could watch Evel on the big screen in Viva Knievel (1977). We spent the rest of the day building ramps and measuring the distance we could jump our bicycles. We even dared jump over each other. Those were the days.
I remember, too, watching his failed Snake River jump on pins and needles. As a young boy in Florida I didn’t comprehend the size of the Snake River until I saw it on TV. ‘Is he really going to do that?’ I asked in disbelief. ‘I don’t think so’, answered my father. And then we watched in amazement.
I am not sure what the actual total was, but I grew up hearing that Evel Knievel had broken every bone in his body, twice. For this reason I am sure yesterday’s news was met with more than a few people questioning ‘He’s still alive?!’.
I am not sure the world will miss him, necessarily. He was one of the largest characters in the public eye, but most people regarded him as more crazy than super hero. But we sure enjoyed him while he was here.
He was Arrogant, but not really a Jerk. Here’s to you, Evel. May you Rest in Peace.
