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Culture
Snake River Is Site of Evel Knievel's Famous Jump
A monument on the south rim recognizes Robert “Evel” Knievel’s attempt to “skycycle” jump over the Snake River Canyon.
In his risk-taking heyday‚ nothing seemed to intimidate the notorious motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel – not even the 500-foot-deep‚ quarter-mile-wide Snake River Canyon‚ which he famously attempted to jump on a steam-powered “skycycle” in September 1974.
But as the fearless Knievel thinks back on that jump that made news headlines‚ the now 69-year-old legend reveals a secret.
“I was nervous‚” Knievel admits. “I only said one prayer‚ and it was ‘God‚ take care of me. Here I go.’ ”
Today‚ the ramp where Knievel made the leap is still visible from the canyon’s south rim‚ and a monument at the Visitor’s Center immortalizes the day. Though Knievel crashed on the jump because of a parachute malfunction‚ he survived with only a broken nose – barely a scrape for a man who has broken nearly 40 bones‚ including his back seven times.
“I was strapped and tied onto that steam-powered rocket. If I’d have landed in the river‚ I would have drowned‚” Knievel says. “God’s been looking out for me for a long time.”
Though Knievel lives on and off in Florida and Montana and suffers from a breathing disorder‚ he still tries to visit Twin Falls and the Snake River Canyon at least once a year. “I go there to see old friends‚ to see the canyon and to look at the jump site‚” he says.
Thirty-four years after the jump watched ’round the world‚ Knievel looks back on the day with pride.
“I don’t know anyone else who would jump that canyon‚ number one because of fear‚” he says. “Number two‚ because of that big hole in the middle.”
But for him‚ it wasn’t just about cheating death – it was also about keeping his word.
“People like to ask me what’s the most important thing I’ve done in my life‚ and it’s that I’ve kept my word‚” Knievel says. “I gave thousands of fans my word I’d jump that canyon. That was important to me. And I kept it.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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