Evel Knievel, RIP
Iconic Daredevil Evel Knievel Dies at 69 (NYT)
I dressed up as Evel Knievel one halloween in the late ’70s, and he was certainly one of the reasons we used to build plywood ramps to jump our bikes. It seems odd today, but i distinctly remember gathering around the tv to watch him jump the Snake River Canyon or 14 busses at King’s Island. I wouldn’t say he was a hero of mine or anything, but i probably owe him some credit for making me want to learn how to jump a bike and walk off a bad landing, sorta like Mad Dog Vashon taught me wrestling moves to practice on my brothers.