View Full Version : RIP- Evel Knievel
rubberneck
11-30-2007, 15:44
Hard living finally caught up to one of my childhood hero's. He wasn't the best of men and did a lot wrong in his life, but his exploits thrilled me as a child and I will always remember him for that.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8T880VO0&show_article=1
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Evel Knievel, the hard-living motorcycle daredevil whose exploits made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.
Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.
Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.
The Reaper
11-30-2007, 16:53
Hard living finally caught up to one of my childhood hero's. He wasn't the best of men and did a lot wrong in his life, but his exploits thrilled me as a child and I will always remember him for that.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8T880VO0&show_article=1
He just settled arbitration with Kanye West earlier this week over unauthorized use of his image.
I agree about his personality, but he had some pretty big stones, especially to ride again after some of his crashes. Caesar's Palace was terrible, but he kept trying till he made it.
Adios, Evel. Ride on, Robbie.
TR
RIP Big Daddy...you're one of a kind
The man was definitely an American original. As a kid in the 70's, I loved watching his jumps on ABC's Wide World of Sports. He was one of the reasons I got into motorcycles. I regret that I never got the chance to meet him.
RIP, Evel.
I met him a few times back in the early ‘70s when I was a television director in Tucson. He’d show up at the studio alone. He walked with the help of two canes. The first time I met him he tossed us the keys to his new Cadillac…not to drive, but to check out his new down stuffed leather seats. He said that they weren’t a luxury they were a necessity.
Rest in painless peace, RCK.
Pat
82ndtrooper
11-30-2007, 22:53
I was young boy with my father at his Kings Island jump. I lived to watch EK jump every time he was on World Wide of Sports. I remember Jim Mcay alway's being the announcer for his jumps.
No doubt, he was an outlaw of his own kind. I liked that about him. This would later lead to my love of motorcycles. My father bought me my first mini bike, then my first Suzuki 150 motorcross bike. EK's influence would take me all the way to the latest Harley Davidson that I own, a 97 Bad Boy. I'm missing warm weather already.
RIP EK.
R.I.P. EK
I think every kid I knew had one of these:
Pain is temporary, glory lasts forever, and chicks dig scars.
RIP, Evel.
alright4u
12-01-2007, 05:58
We all liked to watch his daredevil attempts/feats, but; I can think of many quiet pros, who never sought any award, never wanted any recognition, and; they paid the biggest price of all. They are my true heroes. No Hollywood type or any PT Barnum type can touch them.
I was humbled to serve with such men, was honored to be called friend, and; I shall never forget them.
Those men did what they did for something bigger then anything money, fame, or glory could ever replace or buy- they lived and died for Duty, Honor, Country.
monsterhunter
12-01-2007, 08:24
I grew up watching this guy on Wide World of Sports. His jumps were always a big deal to us kids. This man had a pair. RIP.
CPTAUSRET
12-01-2007, 08:43
A good friend of mine "Roger Reiman" was the only one who was allowed to tune his bikes, Roger had one of the bikes in storage in his Kewanee, Il. shop. It was given to him as a memento of their friendship.
Do a search for Roger, he was quite a guy, died several years ago at the "Battle of the Legends race at Daytona. We went to bike week together, if my bike was out of commission Roger would lend me his flattracker to ride, it was semi legal, lights, brakes, welded up rear shocks, and fun to ride. Didn't walk very well afterward, though. I was bitching about it "missing" a bit one day, and Roger said there was nothing wrong with the the bike, I just needed to "Ride the Piss out of it", ie open it up...I did, he was right.
Rest In Peace!
R.I.P. EK
I think every kid I knew had one of these:
That thing rocked. IIRC I got more than one beating for jumping that thing off the top of the stairs or what have you and purposely having it ram into walls or furniture. I brought it back out for my kids to use (minus the EK action figure that got ate by our springer spaniel sometime in the early '80). Still worked.... and got my kids an ass-chewing from my wife for tearing up the house with it. Yep, worked just like it did when it was new. Made me happy to see it.
Just had to love EK. That guy did things his own way and had balls the size of basketballs. His WW of Sports and network televised events were a "must see" for millions and were a fixture of that era.
Goggles Pizano
12-01-2007, 11:07
In pace requiescat EK. Stones...nah, he had boulders!
Monsoon65
12-01-2007, 22:45
That thing rocked. IIRC I got more than one beating for jumping that thing off the top of the stairs or what have you and purposely having it ram into walls or furniture. I brought it back out for my kids to use (minus the EK action figure that got ate by our springer spaniel sometime in the early '80). Still worked.... and got my kids an ass-chewing from my wife for tearing up the house with it. Yep, worked just like it did when it was new. Made me happy to see it.
Glad to see my brother and I weren't the only ones to get their asses beat for doing what you did. The "off the top of the stairs" jump was always the best.
My bro and dad and I would watch him on TV whenever he did a jump. The guy had balls, that's for sure.
RIP.