CLEARWATER, FLORIDA (AP) - Robert Craig 'Evel' Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho’s Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69. CLICK HERE for the complete story from msnbc.com including video, and a slide show of Knievel's life and career. And, CLICK HERE to visit his official website.In July of 1971, my mom drove a bunch of us up to Pocono Downs, a harness racing track outside of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. That night, we watched Knievel successfully jump over thirteen beer (Stegmaier, maybe?) trucks. My buddies and I yelled ourselves hoarse in the stands, then beat it back to his trailer in time to cheer, and pat him on the back as he turned his bike over to his crew and headed inside.
We saw the movie about him, and thought it was good - though most critics disagreed with us. Some of the more adventurous among us tried aerials of our own, tackling home-made ramps with our Stingray bicycles. Sure, his life and career had their ups and downs, both on and off the track ..... but we thought he was pretty neat ..... some of us still do.
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