Evel Knievel

Evel Knievel – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the daring life of Evel Knievel — his rise from Montana roots to international daredevil fame, unforgettable stunts, broken bones, lasting influence, and memorable quotes that still inspire risk-takers around the world.

Introduction

Evel Knievel remains one of the most legendary figures in the world of stunt performance and extreme entertainment. Born Robert Craig Knievel on October 17, 1938, and passing away November 30, 2007, he became an icon for pushing human limits, spectacular motorcycle jumps, and a willingness to court danger. Today, his name evokes images of red-white-blue jumpsuits, airborne motorcycles, and the spirit of daring boldness. His life and career continue to fascinate, inspire, and provoke questions about risk, showmanship, and the boundary between courage and recklessness.

Early Life and Family

Robert Craig Knievel was born in Butte, Montana, to Robert E. Knievel and Ann Marie Keough Knievel.

From an early age, Knievel was drawn to spectacle and danger. At eight, he attended a Joie Chitwood auto daredevil show and later credited that experience as formative in shaping his dreams of performing death-defying acts.

The name “Evel” originated somewhat serendipitously. While serving time in jail for reckless driving in 1956, he reportedly earned the nickname “Evil Knievel” from a fellow inmate named “Awful Knofel.” Knievel altered it to “Evel” and adopted it as his show name.

Youth and Education

Knievel’s formal education ended when he left high school, but his life after that was marked by self-driven experiences, risk-taking, and experimentation. He tried various athletic endeavors — rodeo events, ski jumping, and even had a stint in the U.S. Army, where he competed athletically including in pole vault.

Back in his hometown after military service, he married Linda Joan Bork and started a semi-professional hockey team called the Butte Bombers.

While he had no formal schooling in stunts or entertainment, he learned on the job: building his own shows, negotiating contracts, promoting his stunts, and relentlessly experimenting with what was possible — often at great personal cost.

Career and Achievements

Early stunt work & beginnings

Knievel’s career as a stunt performer began in small venues. He first promoted shows under his own name, mounting performances of wheelies and small jumps and gradually expanding.

He changed his show’s name to “Evil Knievel & His Motorcycle Daredevils,” which later morphed into his iconic “Evel Knievel” brand.

Rise to fame & record attempts

Knievel first gained national exposure in 1968, when he appeared on The Joey Bishop Show.

Over time, he negotiated endorsement and marketing deals (for instance, with American Eagle Motorcycles).

One of his most well-known but ill-fated stunts was the Snake River Canyon jump in 1974, using a steam-powered rocket cycle (Skycycle). The jump was broadcast on closed-circuit TV but ended in failure when a parachute deployed prematurely.

He also jumped at Wembley Stadium (London) before 90,000 spectators, attempting to clear 13 London buses. He crashed and broke his pelvis, but famously walked off the field saying, “I came in walking, I went out walking.”

His preferred machine in later years was the Harley-Davidson XR-750 (from December 1970 onward).

Injuries, reputation, and resilience

Throughout his career, Knievel endured a staggering number of injuries. Some sources claim he suffered more than 433 broken bones, earning him a Guinness World Record for “most bones broken in a lifetime.”

Despite the pain and repeated physical trauma, he was relentless. His core philosophy centered on keeping his word — even when odds were grim. He felt bound by the promise he made to fans and promoters, no matter the cost.

He also became an advocate for motorcycle helmet safety. After his infamous Caesars crash, the helmet he wore was credited with saving his life, and in later years he supported helmet legislation.

Later years, controversies, and comeback

By the late 1970s, he faced legal and financial troubles. In 1977, he pleaded guilty to battery in an assault against author Shelly Saltman. He lost many endorsements and eventually declared bankruptcy.

In the 1980s, he faded from public view somewhat, traveling in a recreational vehicle and selling purported artwork. But in the 1990s, he made a marketing resurgence, partnering with brands such as Harley-Davidson, Little Caesars, and Maxim Casino.

In 1999, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy in the industry.

After his death, the Evel Knievel Museum was established in Topeka, Kansas. This 13,000 ft² facility houses artifacts, memorabilia, costumes, and his jumpsuit-and-helmet ensemble.

Historical Milestones & Context

• 1967–1968: Leap to prominence with high-profile jumps (e.g. Caesars Palace).

• 1971: Biopic Evel Knievel released starring George Hamilton.

• 1974: Attempted Snake River Canyon jump in Skycycle X-1.

• 1975: Wembley Stadium jump (crash and bloody exit).

• Late 1970s: Legal issues, loss of endorsements, bankruptcy.

• 1999: Inducted into Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

• 2007: Death on November 30 in Clearwater, Florida; buried in Butte, Montana.

His life spanned the heights of 1970s pop culture, as television and mass media embraced spectacles and daredevil showmanship. Followers saw him as a blue-collar hero, defying limits in the face of danger — a reflection of an era enamored with risk, the counterculture, and the celebration of “larger-than-life” individuals.

Legacy and Influence

Evel Knievel’s impact extends beyond his spectacular crashes:

• Cultural legend & iconography: His red-white-blue jumpsuit, helmet, and brand become enduring symbols in pop culture.

• Motorsport & extreme stunts: He set the template for modern stunt performers and inspired generations of daredevils and extreme-sports athletes.

• Museums and exhibitions: His artifacts, bikes, helmets and X-rays are displayed in transportation and motorcycle museums, including the Smithsonian.

• Media presence: He has inspired films, documentaries, memorabilia lines, toys, and continues to be referenced in music and popular culture.

• Philosophical resonance: His life raises questions about the limits of human ambition, the cost of spectacle, and the interplay between promise, performance, and personal risk.

His legend is also kept alive in the Evel Knievel Museum and by collectors, historians such as Lathan McKay (co-founder of the museum), who curate his history and artifacts.

Personality and Talents

Evel Knievel was a mix of showman, risk-taker, self-promoter, and pragmatist. His personality was bold, often blunt, and wrapped in bravado—but often underlined by genuine determination. He valued loyalty, kept his word (even at great personal cost), and presented a simple ethos: when you say you’ll do something, you do it.

He understood marketing and branding before many in his field. From promoting his own shows to selling toys and licensing his image, he sought to monetize the spectacle.

Knievel was also acutely aware of his mortality. Despite years of injury, he did not shy from discussing pain, failure, and risk. In interviews he acknowledged fear, but refused to be defined by it.

Famous Quotes of Evel Knievel

Here are some of his most memorable sayings — bold, provocative, sometimes raw — that reflect his attitude to life, risk, pain, and perseverance:

“Bones heal, pain is temporary, and chicks dig scars.” “A man can fall many times in life, but he's never a failure until he refuses to get back up.” “Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it.” “If you don’t know about pain and trouble, you’re in sad shape. They make you appreciate life.” “You come to a point in your life when you really don’t care what people think about you, you just care what you think about yourself.” “Where there is little risk, there is little reward.” “I decided to fly through the air and live in the sunlight and enjoy life as much as I could.” “If it is possible, it is done. If it is impossible … it will be done.” “I’m not a stunt man. I’m not a dare devil … I’m an explorer.” “The finest compliment you can pay a man is that his word was as good as gold.”

These lines encapsulate his philosophy of confronting fear, living by one’s own creed, and transforming pain into purpose.

Lessons from Evel Knievel

1. Risk as a path to meaning
   Evel’s life suggests that going beyond comfort zones — even dangerously — can create identity, legend, and purpose. He accepted that failures and crashes were part of the deal.

2. Commitment and promise matter
   He firmly believed in honoring his word — even when jumping a canyon or facing ridicule. This commitment built trust in his fans and persona.

3. Resilience in failure
   Surviving repeated bone-shattering crashes required physical and mental resilience. He rebounded, adapted, and kept performing despite setbacks.

4. Branding and self-promotion
   Evel understood the importance of packaging spectacle. His image, toys, and marketing deals extended his reach beyond the jumps themselves.

5. Balance between showmanship and danger
   His life invites us to question where spectacle ends and recklessness begins — and how we’d draw that line in our own pursuits.

Conclusion

Evel Knievel was more than a motorcycle stuntman — he was a symbol of fearless ambition, of spectacle as identity, and of the high cost of pushing human limits. From Butte, Montana, to global stages, he lived dangerously, spoke boldly, and broke both bones and boundaries.

His legacy continues in museums, in imitators, in iconic imagery, and in the words he left behind. Whether you view him as a hero, a showman, or a cautionary figure, there is no denying his impact on how we conceive of risk, performance, and the art of daring greatly.