Who failed the Canyon Jump?

Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel (October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps.

Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, in 2007, aged 69.

Who failed the Canyon Jump?

Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel failed the Canyon Jump. But every test jump, each of them sans Knievel, plunged straight into the raging Snake River at over 350 mph. Despite the stunt being doomed from the start, on September 8, 1974, Evel Knievel was lowered into his SkyCycle by crane and strapped in for the ride.

The scenic canyon slices through the outskirts of Twin Falls, and without going around the region, there’s only one way to get across the canyon: the Perrine Bridge. When it was built in 1927, the Perrine Bridge over the canyon–which stands at an impressive 486 feet–was the tallest in the world.

You might have heard the story of how a famous daredevil, one Evel Knievel himself, decided that there was another way to get across the gorge: a steam-powered rocket. What you might not know is that the Snake River Canyon wasn’t his first choice for his now-famous stunt – or that just last year, the terrifying stunt was recreated.