Evel Freakin' Knievel
If you'd have asked me when I was ten years old who should be on Mt. Rushmore, I would have said, without hesitation: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Lee Majors and, most importantly, Evel Knievel. I'm serious, those guys were gods. In fact, it's weird mentioning Col. Steve Austin or Mr. Knievel to young 'uns these days. Most of 'em give you a quizzical look and ask, "wasn't he bionic?" or "didn't he try to jump a river or something?" Are you fucking serious?
Now, if you're curious where I'm going with this. Maybe wondering if I've gone all maudlin on you-- think again. I bring this up only because these feelings are in the past. Sure I still enjoy listening to KISS once in a while and it's a tad sentimental/humorous to see Steve Austin battle Sasquatch. But they are not ethereal beings to be worshipped anymore, they do not move me. Not even the great Evel Knievel.
And so I present to you Evel Knievel, my childhood idol, at his worst: crashing into the asphalt, tumbling, femurs shattering in slo-motion. At long last human.
May 31, 1975 at Wembley Stadium, London
Now, if you're curious where I'm going with this. Maybe wondering if I've gone all maudlin on you-- think again. I bring this up only because these feelings are in the past. Sure I still enjoy listening to KISS once in a while and it's a tad sentimental/humorous to see Steve Austin battle Sasquatch. But they are not ethereal beings to be worshipped anymore, they do not move me. Not even the great Evel Knievel.
And so I present to you Evel Knievel, my childhood idol, at his worst: crashing into the asphalt, tumbling, femurs shattering in slo-motion. At long last human.
Jan. 1 1968, at Caeser's Palace, Las Vegas
May 31, 1975 at Wembley Stadium, London
posted by Ryan A at 3:13 AM
3 Comments:
Yeah! Evel! Remember that wind-up "Jumping Evel" action figure we used to play with down the long hallway? Although he had to take a break between October & December when we dried walnuts on his landing strip.
Mine had wires for hands! The little flesh-colored rubber hands busted off at the wrists so I had to tie the wires around the bike handles to hold on.
Meanwhile: GO, JOHN DEREK! Much better film work than "Tarzan, the Ape Man" or "Bolero".
The embedding has been disabled but here's the link to a commercial for "Jumping Evel":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQtOd3OoDw
Strange how the toy nails every landing.
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