Evel Knievel Leaves Lasting Legacy

Whether or not you liked him or hated him, Evel Knievel did things that few on this Earth have done. Born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Mont., the daredevil grew up in the hardscrabble mining town with a reputation as a bit of a troublemaker.

So much so that as a young adult Knievel was forced with a choice: go to prison or enlist in the Army. He chose the latter, which served as a stepping stone, as the military does for many young men, to his career.

Knievel, 69, died Friday after a long battle with multiple illnesses, including diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis.

Knievel's athletic prowess, which he displayed often as a youth in cold Montana, was the primary reason for his interest in sports.

Among the sports Knievel excelled in were ski jumping and pole vaulting, the former earning him a regional title in 1959.

Always a person with a deep entrepreneurial spirit, Knievel returned from a stint in professional hockey to Butte and formed his own semi-pro team there made up of players from his home state. The highlight of his brief time with the team, called the Butte Bombers, was when they hosted the Czechoslovakia Olympic Team in front of 5,000 fans in 1960.

Not too long after that Knievel, in his entrepreneurial spirit, started an outfitting service for elk hunters where his actions actually found him on Capitol Hill, thick in the middle of a longstanding debate between the National Parks Service and other hunters and outfitters.

Not one to shy away from conflict, Knievel continued his thirst for adventure in the 1960's, becoming an icon to millions. Ready to carry the American flag every time he put on a red, white, blue and sometimes star-adorned jump suit, Knievel defied reason and defined a generation.

His daredevil days seemed to go all through his life, yet an auto dealership on the verge of crumbling in Moses Lake, Wash. led to his beginning as a motorcycle daredevil. Knievel jumped a row of vehicles and the rest was history. In the next 15 years Knievel would jump in approximately 75 different locations around the world.

His Snake River Canyon jump in Idaho was as legendary as it was ridiculous. Led from a crane to a hoist before he was lowered into a rocket-propelled vehicle, the rocket went into the air, alright. However, what goes up must also come back down and that's exactly what the rocket did, landing in the river and not even coming close to the other side of the canyon, Knievel's destination on that jump.

But Knievel was never to be denied of adventure, as later he attempted to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, only to miss his landing and so was seriously injured.

And for these feats--and many others that the world did not see on TV--Knievel received the ultimate sports nod to his greatness: a spot in Sports Illustrated's "50 Greatest Sports Figures," representing his home state of Montana. The Snake River Canyon jump ranked No. 14 out of all sporting moments.

Where Knievel came from, the term "Big Sky Country" wasn't just the state motto, it was a credo that the daredevil lived by. It is a credo which his son, Robbie, will attempt to continue and possibly better, though it's certain the world will never see another Evel Knievel.

And so I thank you, Evel Knievel, for the many years of daredevil stunts I enjoyed watching during my childhood. Although my mother didn't always appreciate me trying to jump my bike over fences that were probably too high, the dreams you gave me and other kids will always keep your memory alive.