$100 to play blackjack.

New Years Eve 52 years ago Evel Knievel attempted to jump the fountain at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas. On the morning of the jump, all suited up, he stopped in the casino and placed his last $100 on the blackjack table (he lost), stopped by the bar, had a shot of Wild Turkey, and headed out to do it.

 

It was to be his longest attempted motorcycle jump to that date (141 feet).

The motorcycle unexpectedly started to decelerate and history recorded perhaps the most horrific one man disasters of the 1960s.

He crashed. He broke his femur and pelvis, both ankles, and had a concussion that kept him a rumored 29 days in the hospital. But, after his crash and recovery Evel Knievel became more famous than ever, seeking greater venues to show off his motorcycle jumping bravery.

He wanted to jump the Grand Canyon in 1968. But being on public land he relocated it to a place in Idaho: the Snake River. On September 8 1974 his rocket-powered Evel Knievel X-2 launched, pulled its chute prematurely, and drifted down to the river below (but his machine did technically cross the distance before being driven backward).

Today, fans of Star Wars may have Luke Skywalker or The Mandalorians as heroes they emulate, but for kids in the early 1970s it was real-life daredevils like Knievel, who really did fly through the air that got remembered.

"You can't ask a guy like me why I performed. I really wanted to fly through the air. I was a daredevil...
Sure, I was scared. You gotta be an ass not to be scared. But I beat the hell out of death."

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Mayfield Eight, a gritty, 1970s fueled motorcycle grind-house biker tale can be purchased on my new online site! Get it today!

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