Original American Daredevil Evel Knievel Is Dead At 69
When I was a kid, before cable existed, before ESPN, when all we had was 3 channels plus “the Sesame Street” channel, when all we had ABC’s Wide World of Sports with “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” (cue massive ski jump wipe out ragdoll style)…we had the annual stunt by Evel Knievel.
I even had the little motorcycle and the little Evel Knievel doll with the Evel Knievel jumpsuit that you would wind up with the hand crank and perform “Your very own death defying stunts!”
R.I.P. to an original American daredevil.
It seemes his website has crashed, you can keep trying that link, meanwhile you can go here.
Rest in Peace madman - here’s to a soft landing
November 30th, 2007 at 1:52 pmRIP Evel. I got hurt many times growing up trying to be like you cheers to the good times
November 30th, 2007 at 1:53 pmEvel Knievel Was The Man!
I had that action figure and bike too. I begged for it for Christmas and when I got it I was totally stoked! I hope they have fast bikes, lots of stuff to jump over and good hospitals in Heaven.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:05 pmMy cousin(s) worked on Knievel’s yacht in Florida in the 1970s. Took a “quick” tour of it when down there once.
RIP, Evel … Ya got “wings” now. Go for it.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:09 pmRight after I heard this on the news, I came across an article on him in Maxim. The title? Evel Never Dies.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:10 pmway back in ‘68 i was in the MARINES with a guy fm butte,,he told me of this nut that would ride his bike fm one end o main street to the other on one wheel,, and his name was evil,,i thought the guy was goofy,,, no one names their kid “evil” then the stories grew and so did the legend,,RIP
November 30th, 2007 at 2:18 pmYeah, today’s “Jackass” got nuttin’ on Knievel.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:33 pmBash-
Your recollections are very similar to my own. Only it was my brother who had the Evel crank bike and “action figure” -dudes don’t play with dolls!!
Evel was such a man’s man. May all his landings in the hereafter be perfect.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:20 pmI grew up jumping my Schwinn off 2×10 planks over all kinds of stuff, including my brother laying down on his belly. We would chop down our bikes to be like Evel. Those were the days. Thanks Evel… God must have needed a stuntman.
November 30th, 2007 at 7:41 pmA true American icon, RIP.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:31 pmI had his bubble gum cards back then and some healthy knocks when I missed my bicycle landings.
Remember the legend of him breaking every bone in his body on the Ceasers Fountains crash
December 1st, 2007 at 6:45 am