As a kid, there are a few American icons you wanted to be just like or at least their best friend: John Wayne, Amelia Earhart, Elvis, Muhammad Ali, Evel Knievel, wait...what Evel Knievel, you bet! The other icons were either first at something or best in their field. Evel was first, foremost and last.
I. too, wanted to see if my bike could fly. Bent frames, cracked pedals and a few broken bones later I learned, it could!
The Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka will soon be on the Vegas Strip or in a theme park, it’s that good. Movies, TV shows, pinball machines, action figures, board games, on and on were all generating money using his name, and the museum has it all. He got away with wearing a cape—a cape for God's sake! Evel was part B.T. Barnum and part Walt Disney, “always give the people what they want.”
Born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana, in 1938, Evel was a handful at the get go. Butte was a mining town full of tough men and women; Evel fit right in. As a boy, Evel went to a Joie Chitwood Auto Thrill Show where he got his first taste of what would become his passion and career.
Evel was employed in the mining industry driving heavy equipment. One night he had a few too many and decided to drive his bulldozer into Butte for fun. He knocked over a couple utility poles, leaving the city in the dark; most residents didn’t get the joke.
He saw his fair share of local jail cells where he received his famous nickname. He liked to ride, drink and chase other men’s women. None of those things will get you in trouble, right?
On the other side (there's always another side), Evel was a multifaceted man with a conscience. Once he hiked from Butte to Washington, D.C. to protest culling, the selective slaughter of local elk. He was a man of his word, and that steadfast characteristic would help and hurt him the rest of his life.
After a short stint in the army Evel would purchase, you guessed it, his first bike. From that time, to him becoming the world's best known daredevil is a long leap, but it happened.
All in all, Evel and his motorcycle made 168 jumps crashing 19 times, “people don’t buy tickets to see me crash, but they don’t want to miss it if I did.” Crashes were a publicity windfall. It’s an adrenaline rush to watch people put themselves at risk, fighting, NASCAR, or football just waiting for that devastating hit or spectacular crash.
Evel is in the Guiness Book of World Records with breaking 433 bones, the most in any one person's life. One of the really cool interactive displays in Topeka is a screen of Evel. If you touch say, his arm, an X-ray appears and explains the injury, then when and where it happened. You can touch pretty much any part of his body and get a good story.
Mike Patterson put this museum together. Mike is a third generation Harley-Davidson dealership owner who specializes in restoring old bikes and has great stories about famous people, Evel and unique restorations. He and I sat down for a podcast that can be heard for free at bobfordshistory.com
Kings Island, Caesars Palace Fountains, Wembley Stadium and the debacle in his steam-driven rocket cycle over the Snake River Canyon, are just a few of his more famous life risking jumps. After each attempt, whether he landed safely or not, being the ultimate promoter, he would limp or ride back up to the top of his take-off ramp and thank the crowd for coming.
After crashing in front of 80,000 in Wembley Stadium, trying to jump over 14 of London’s famed double decker buses, he suffered several broken bones including his pelvis. Evel, still the man, in agony climbed to the top of his approach ramp and announced to the faithful his retirement. But six months later, he was back at it, attempting to jump over 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island explaining that he really didn’t retire, it was the pain talking that day in London.
You can see all the jumps, bikes, interviews, outfits, X-rays, rocket and yes, the capes, by taking a drive to Topeka. Tell Mike and Amanda hello. They will be glad to see you.
Evel Knievel was an original. I love people who come from tough ordinary backgrounds and propel themselves into the fabric of our nation. Evel’s life truly exemplifies the line, “only in America!’
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You can find more of Bob’s work including his Bob Ford’s History, Mystery and Lore podcast, on his website, bobfordshistory.com and check out Bob Ford’s History on YouTube. They’re good! Bob can be reached at Robertmford@aol.com
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