Robbie Knievel | |
|---|---|
 Knievel performing awheelie atTexas Motor Speedway in 2008 | |
| Born | Robert Edward Knievel II (1962-05-07)May 7, 1962 Butte, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 2023(2023-01-13) (aged 60) Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mountainview Cemetery, Butte, Montana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Stunt performer |
| Known for | Motorcycle jumping |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Evel Knievel |
| Website | www |
Robert Edward Knievel II (May 7, 1962 – January 13, 2023) was an Americanmotorcycle jumping stunt performer.[1] He had also used the stage nameKaptain Robbie Knievel.[2]
His last daredevil jump was in 2011, and he died in 2023 at age 60 (ofpancreatic cancer).
Robbie Knievel was born on May 7, 1962, the son of stuntmanRobert "Evel" Knievel and his first wife, Linda. He was the second of four children.[3] Knievel began jumping his bicycle when he was four years old and learned how to ride motorcycles by the age of seven. He performed his first show with his father atMadison Square Garden when he was eight. On tour with his father when he was twelve, he would perform in the pre-jump shows. Knievel attended Central Catholic High School inButte, Montana between 1975 and 1976, but never graduated. He wanted to lengthen his jumps, but his father disapproved. Knievel then went solo after his father's approval.[4]
Knievel's jumping career was markedly different from his father's. Most notably, Knievel usedHonda CR500motocross bikes, whereas his father made most of his record-breaking jumps using aHarley-Davidson XR-750 motorcycle. The XR-750 is 90 pounds heavier and the Honda is a motocross bike whereas the Harley is a flat-track racing motorcycle.[5] Robbie often replicated Evel's jumps, including Evel's 1967Caesars Palace crash, except for two of his father's major accomplishments – a Harley-Davidson XR-750 jump and theSnake River Canyon jump using theSkycycle X-2. Although never attempted, Robbie stated that he wanted to use a Harley to clear a record-breaking 16 buses,[6][7] three more buses than his father attempted atWembley Stadium in 1975.[8] Additionally, Robbie stated that he would attempt to re-create his father's 1974 failed rocket jump over the Snake River Canyon nearTwin Falls, Idaho.[9]
Knievel used red-white-and-blue V-shaped jumpsuits, similar to his father's famouswhite leather jumpsuit. Throughout his career, Robbie Knievel had three notable jumpsuit styles:[10]
A second black jumpsuit with a white V lined with red stars was used in promotional photographs in 2010 and 2011 but not used in a jump.
Robbie completed over 340 jumps, setting 20 world records.[11]
Several of Knievel's jumps were televised live, including the Caesars Palace jump, the building-to-building jump in Las Vegas, a jump over a moving train, a jump in front of thevolcano atThe Mirage hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and theGrand Canyon jump.
| Televised jump | Air date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Caesars Palace jump | April 14, 1989 | To pay homage to his father, Knievel jumped the Caesars Palace fountains in 1989. The jump took place 22 years after Evel Knievel failed to land safely in 1967.[12] Knievel landed safely and became the first to successfully jump the fountains. Following the jump, Knievel stated, "that was for you, Dad".[13] |
| Daredevil Duel jump | July 10, 1993 | In 1993, Knievel challenged British motorcycle stuntmanEddie Kidd to a world title 'jump off' competition inBay St. Louis, Mississippi. Knievel had deemed Kidd to be the only jump rider in the world worthy of challenging him. The event was televised as a $19.95pay-per-view event titledThe Daredevil Duel, Knievel vs. Kidd.[14] The competition required each rider to make three motorbike jumps, with the cumulative distance covered by each rider calculated to determine the winner of the contest.[15] Kidd took the winner's belt with a cumulative distance of 630 feet (190 m) jumped. With one jump of 223 feet (68 m), Knievel broke the American Motorcycle Association record for a single jump.[16][17] |
| 30 Limousines jump | February 24, 1998 | On February 24, 1998, Knievel attempted a record-breaking jump of 231 feet (70 m) over 30 limousines. The jump took place at theTropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Similar to the Caesars Palace jump, Evel Knievel was also present to support the jump.[18] |
| Building-to-Building jump | February 4, 1999 | On February 4, 1999, Knievel jumped the 130-foot (40 m) gap between the two 13-storyJockey Club towers in Las Vegas.[19] To avoid falling off the second tower, Knievel intentionally crashed his motorcycle into bales of hay.[20] |
| Grand Canyon jump | May 20, 1999 | TheGrand Canyon jump on May 20, 1999, was one of Knievel's most famous jumps.[21] On May 20, 1999, Robbie jumped his motorcycle for a personal record of 228 feet (69 m).[22][23] Knievel broke his leg in the ensuing crash.[24] He was originally scheduled to make this jump on April 29, but bad weather forced him to postpone it for three weeks.[25] |
| Train jump | February 23, 2000 | On February 23, 2000, Knievel jumped over a moving locomotive at thePalestine Park Depot in Texas. Knievel approached an oncomingTexas State Railroad locomotiveNo. 400 traveling at 30 mph.[26] Knievel reached the ramp at a speed of 80 mph. Knievel successfully made the jump with a safe landing.[27] |
| USSIntrepid jump | July 30, 2004 | On July 30, 2004, Knievel jumped over five military airplanes on the Deck of the USSIntrepid in New York City.[28] The jump was to promote theTNT TV movieEvel Knievel.[29] |
| Mirage Hotel jump | December 31, 2008 | On New Year's Eve of 2008, Knievel was scheduled to jump the volcano at the Mirage Hotel.[30] At the actual 200-foot (60 m) jump, Knievel gave the appearance of jumping the volcano but limited the stunt to a ramp-to-ramp jump in front of the volcano with fireworks behind him.[11] |
In 1996, Knievel jumped over ten limousines on theLas Vegas Strip, achieving a 230-foot motorbike leap record.[31]
In 2003, Knievel jumped 15 trucks at theChinook Winds Casino.[32] In late March 2006, Knievel jumped 180 feet over theSt. Johns River from one barge to another inJacksonville, Florida.[33] In late July 2006, he made a tribute jump to his father Evel at Evel Knievel Day in Butte, Montana by jumping over a pyrotechnic show.[34][35]
On March 18, 2007, Knievel jumped an assortment of military vehicles at the North Carolina Auto Expo inRaleigh, North Carolina. Soon afterward, he appeared in a nationally-broadcast commercial forHoliday Inn Express. On June 9, 2007, he appeared inWilmington, Delaware, and successfully made a 150-foot jump over fake money representing the amount of interest paid to the customers ofING Direct.[36][37] In August 2007, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame inSturgis, South Dakota, and made a jump at the Buffalo Chip campground.[38]
Knievel successfully jumped over 24 truck cabs at theKings Island Amusement Park outsideCincinnati, Ohio, on May 24, 2008. The jump took place 33 years after his father made daredevil history by jumping over 14 Greyhound buses on a Harley-Davidson XR-750[39] at Kings Island.[40][41]
Knievel successfully jumped on June 7, 2008, at theTexas Motor Speedway inFort Worth, Texas. He cleared 21Hummers on the front stretch of the speedway. He originally was going to jump 25 Hummers, but there was a strong sustainedheadwind that evening.[42]
While performing pre-jumpwheelies at the LCO Casino nearHayward, Wisconsin, on August 16, 2008, Knievel fell off the bike and slid into somehay bales, dislocating his shoulder. Despite his injury, he performed the jump, clearing four small airplanes and a small helicopter.[43]
On October 31, 2008, Knievel successfully performed two back-to-back jumps inNashville, Tennessee, to promote aglow-in-the-dark paint. Knievel ended 2008 with a New Year's Eve jump at the newly-renovated volcano at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The stunt was advertised as a jump over the top of the Mirage's volcano; however, Knievel limited the stunt to an approximately 200-foot (60-meter) ramp-to-ramp jump in front of the volcano.[44] He said the false promotion of a jump over the volcano was decided by the Mirage Hotel, which did not want to tear down somepalm trees or have its valet parking affected.[45] The liveFox television special marked the eighth live special in Knievel's career.
Knievel's last jump was held on October 29, 2011, inCoachella, California, at theSpotlight 29 Casino. Knievel jumped 150 feet (46 m) oversemi-trailer trucks.[46]
In mid-2005, Knievel starred in theA&E TV seriesKnievel's Wild Ride. Knievel also made appearances onCHiPs andHawaii Five-O[47] and co-starred withLee Majors in a pilot for a series to be calledHollywood Stunts.[48] He was the subject of a 2017 documentary,Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story.[47]
In 2006, Knievel opened a new business called Knievel's Custom Cycles based inLake Hopatcong, New Jersey.[49]
Knievel had three daughters, Krysten, Karmen and Maria. He also had two grandchildren, Analise and Kane. He died on January 13, 2023 frompancreatic cancer inReno, Nevada, at age 60.[50]
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