Viva Knievel:R.I.P.

[Sefton]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obit_knievel​

Made his final jump.Hope he makes it. R.I.P Evel.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

wow...I had just heard

His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel's trademarked image in a popular West music video.

on the news the other day....

 

[Sefton]

He was such an icon when I was young. I vividly remember watching his jumps on TV and the feeling of anxiety when he was racing to the ramp and how you'd hold your breath when he was airborne. What a way to earn a buck!

 

[FedoraGent]

RIP ol' boy. No need to impress anyone up there, we already all love ya.

FG

 

[RBH]

I'm with ya Sefton!
I 'jumped' my bicycle over many a 'canyon' when I was a kid.
Thanks for the ride Mr Knievel. :eusa_clap

 

[deanglen]

That footage of the Ceasar"s Palace fountain jump "landing" in slow motion still chills me when I remember the first time I saw it. He skirted eternity so many times, I pray his landing went better there.






dean

 

[Lincsong]

I remember getting the Evil Kneivel wind up motorcycle and doll for Christmas in 1975. Every boy in the 1st grade wanted that.

One afternoon in 1996 I was at the Orlando Ale House on Kirkman Rd. across the street from Universal Studios. The bartenders were saying that Evil Kneivel was there the night before, and the guys were saying; "aw too bad we missed him" and one of the waitresses, she was 22, asked; "who's that?" All the guy's in the bar chuckled and got a big kick out of that.lol

 

[panamag8or]

I remember getting the Evil Kneivel wind up motorcycle and doll for Christmas in 1975. Every boy in the 1st grade wanted that.

I so had one of those. The best thing was sending it off the top of the stairs.

I loved the fact that after you made it jump something, it would wobble and crash... just like the real thing!lol

 

[nobodyspecial]

The toy motorcycle was a LOT of fun to play with. I have fond memories of mine.

 

[carter]

Now he can fly forever. R.I.P.

 

[John in Covina]

Motorcycle jumps

He was a madman and a dreamer that is for sure. I remember seeing the Biographical movie a long time ago. These days the Moto-x crowd does jumps that seem like flying compared to Knievel's early days.

He had them Elvis type jump suits with the big collars too!

 

[Lincsong]

Yeah, in 1976 moto-x was what all the boys were into, who had the best v-bars, free wheel, handle bar pads, Schwinn was out and Mongoose and Diamondback were in etc. Of course I had to get an orange Screamin' Eagle with a banana seat.lol for Christmas 1976. The current fad in bicycles went right past me.

 

[Twitch]

I can only imagine how his bones hurt in cool, damp weather.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I also had just read on Yahoo! about his meeting and new-found respect and affection for Kanye West and was impressed, and I've never even heard West's music. Evel Knievel was a lot of fun for us who grew up in the 70s. Anyone else besides John in Covina remember the TV movie? All the children talked about it at school for days afterward.

 

[Senator Jack]

I wanted the Knievel Motorcyle Set so badly that my mother ended up buying it on the black market. Seems the Mafia actually hijacked a truck to get their hands on them.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

When I was in high school, I remember reading about his planned jump over the Grand Canyon. (Eventually changed to Snake River Canyon due to legal restrictions!). I thought Evel was a real American hero with that 'can do' spirit, like Lindbergh or Houdini - a great showman who inspired others to live their dreams.

I was saddened by his later tangles with the law, but you have to admire the man's courage.

When I heard of his passing on the radio, it was one of those moments that give one pause and a reflection about one's own life over the past decades - time marches on!

R.I.P. Mr. Knievel. You can take off your helmet and cape and gloves, this last jump promises a soft landing.

-dixon cannon

 

[Lincsong]

I wanted the Knievel Motorcyle Set so badly that my mother ended up buying it on the black market. Seems the Mafia actually hijacked a truck to get their hands on them.

You're kidding right???lol That's only in the movies. lol

 

[Senator Jack]

No joke. I think the Kneivel motorcycle was the first toy craze where there were none to be found and shoppers were desperate to get them. From what I recall, some of the 'boys' found out where there was a shipment going through and took possession of it.

 

[Lincsong]

Toy truck hijackings! Football weddings! Jack you and Elaina kill me.lol

 

[Senator Jack]

fftopic: Till the 80s, the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, where I grew up, was mob central. You know the scene in Goodfellas where the bodies start turning up? Well, in the wake of the Lufthansa heist, one of them really did turn up in trunk near my school. Why do you think I left Canarsie?