Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Maverick on November 30, 2007, 04:25:16 PM

Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Maverick on November 30, 2007, 04:25:16 PM
He made it to 69, pretty good considering all the crashes he had. An icon from the past is gone.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obit_knievel
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Jackal1 on November 30, 2007, 04:37:27 PM
Whether you liked or despised Evel, one thing had to be said. He was indeed an icon and an entertainer of the top rank.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Flint on November 30, 2007, 04:37:39 PM
Knievel's wind up bike and ramp is one standout memory of my childhood.

This is the kind of news i wouldn't get over here - childhood hero deceased.

Thanks for the heads up.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: GtoRA2 on November 30, 2007, 05:02:13 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Flint
Knievel's wind up bike and ramp is one standout memory of my childhood.

This is the kind of news i wouldn't get over here - childhood hero deceased.

Thanks for the heads up.


Yep was my favorite toy as a kid for years.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: soda72 on November 30, 2007, 05:10:52 PM
:(
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Curval on November 30, 2007, 05:18:29 PM
How can you despise Evel  Knievel?

He was my IDOL when I was a kid.  

I can honestly say that I, nore any of my friends, broke any bones emulating him.  TONNES AND TONNES of other injuries...but nothing too serious.  A few stiches here and there was all.

A friend of mine tried to jump a high retaining wall in my backyard once.  Everything would have been fine, except we forgot about crab holes.  The crabs tend to dig right against the highside.

So, when his front wheel approached the wall the grass just gave way just enough to lower the wheel until it was unable to negotiate the wall.  The end result was that the wheel stopped dead and my friend did a header...followed by the bike which was whirling end over end in the air.  The stand smacked his head as the bike crashed down on top of him and opened his scalp like peeling an orange.

He ran home crying (only a few houses down) trailing blood.  When I saw him at school the next day he had a big bald patch on his head where they shaved to stich him up.

lol

I see him all the time to this day.  We coach TBall for our kids, and he is the architect (sp?) I use if needed, which we have for all our rennovations.

:)

RIP Evel.  We always wanted to be you man.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Rolex on November 30, 2007, 05:34:55 PM
I knew Evel during his heyday. He was a compulsive gambler. I played golf and gin with him in Tamarac, Florida and saw him lose probably $200,000 back when that was a lot of money. When you jump over canyons for a living, it takes some heavy action to get the adrenalin going. I never knew anyone who was a friend of his because he wasn't a very nice guy away from the cameras. I suspect he died without a friend in the world.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: ChickenHawk on November 30, 2007, 05:37:17 PM
He was an icon when I was a kid.  I wanted that wind up bike so bad but never got one. :cry

Saw several interviews with him in later years and found what a bitter, angry old man he had become and it shattered my illusions of him as a hero.

May he finally rest in peace.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on November 30, 2007, 05:55:11 PM
The good thing about him was that he said what he had to say, and took responsability for his actions ... which is kind of rare those days.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: RifleLance on November 30, 2007, 06:07:43 PM
It is Terrible that Evel had to suffer such a painful and protracted death.

Why good people have to suffer such horrible deaths, I do not know.   It does not make any sense to me.

He did have all of the risk factors to get Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, though.   One needs to be:

1) Male

2) Over 50

3) A Smoker

All of the many injuries he suffered played a role too, I think.   For that was how he got Hepatitis, though one of the many blood transfusions he received.   And I'm sure that must have weakened his immune system some too.

I know that he admitted to many sinful acts during his life.   But overall, I don't think that one can say that he was really "evil".

SIG 220
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: john9001 on November 30, 2007, 06:10:43 PM
i wonder how many kids ended up in wheelchairs because of him.

if god wanted motorcycles to fly he would have put wings on them and called them airplanes.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Tigeress on November 30, 2007, 06:11:14 PM
Hate to see him go... he was a free spirit.

Good Luck Evil, where ever you are. You were a trip!

TIGERESS

Edit:From a movie in which he played himself: he had been arrested for something and the deputies were teasing him calling him Awful Kanawful... funny how things stick in your mind.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: WMLute on November 30, 2007, 06:28:48 PM
(http://www.iamspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/eviltoys.jpg)

That was my fav. toy as a kid.

Durn, this sucks.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: eskimo2 on November 30, 2007, 07:59:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by WMLute
(http://www.iamspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/eviltoys.jpg)

That was my fav. toy as a kid.

Durn, this sucks.


Mine too.

Here's a mint one going for $560 now on ebay:
(http://i22.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/c7/e2/4922_1_sbl.JPG)

link (http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Evel-Knievel-Stunt-Cycle-1975-Ideal-SEALED-MINT_W0QQitemZ370000144968QQihZ024QQcategoryZ723QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: WMLute on November 30, 2007, 08:37:23 PM
The motorcycle and the base thingy that powered it died within' months of getting it, but I bet I had that Evel action figure (with chewed off nose goodness) for years.

Man i'm bummed.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: FrodeMk3 on November 30, 2007, 08:42:02 PM
Let it be said, that if ever a man clanked when he walked, It was Evel Knievel. RIP.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Captain Virgil Hilts on November 30, 2007, 11:29:10 PM
When I was young, Evel was just IT, plain and simple. Every kid wanted to be Evel. And we all tried. Who needs drugs when you have that adrenaline rush from trying to be Evel on your bicycle or your dirt bike?
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: rpm on November 30, 2007, 11:50:41 PM
Evil was a huge hero to me. Back in his early days Evil did a live jump on Wide World of Sports from Green Valley Raceway in North Richland Hills, Texas. I lived 40 miles away and begged my Dad to take me to see it. Needless to say I had to watch it on TV.:cry

It was a very windy day and Evil took an hour and a half before he finally attemped the jump. I'm pretty sure it was 13 Mack trucks and he landed hard trying to compensate for the wind. He broke his back on the landing. Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meredith did the commentary.

Sad to see him pass, but I know he's made his biggest jump.



 (http://www.geocities.com/Pipeline/Ramp/2716/0802m.jpg)
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: DREDIOCK on November 30, 2007, 11:51:17 PM
You kidd'n.

We used to build ramps and jump a car with our bicycles.
I remember one time I went back p the road a little too far. And got too much of a running start.
I hit the ramp wrong on the way down. I remember leavingf the bike.
Next thing I remember is rolling around on the ground my shoulder and back feeling like it was on fire.

Roadrash sucks LOL
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Sixpence on November 30, 2007, 11:53:56 PM
Quote
Originally posted by WMLute
(http://www.iamspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/eviltoys.jpg)

That was my fav. toy as a kid.


We used to crank that thing like a sob, launch it off of a porch, into a pool, you name it. I always think of that toy now and then, one of the best I ever had.

We used to set plywood on blocks and launch ourselves on our bikes. Much damage, to bikes and bodies. Friend of ours got a new ten speed, he decided to launch it of the ramp(kid was nuts). We were like 'a ten speed? never thought of that...do it!!'.

He had us set it as steep as we could. He comes flying down the street and launches. Now I don't know how high he got, but it was the highest I ever saw at the time. When he landed the rims just crumbled and he and the bike flipped a few times. The ramp lanched into our yard, so he landed in grass, no broken bones but a bloody nose and bruises. The rims were mangled. I remember it to this day

Knievel had nothin on Al
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: LePaul on December 01, 2007, 12:09:42 AM
Sad to see him go, saw the bio on him last summer.  The guy had an ego the size of a truck, but he could sure walk the walk.

I read he and his kids arent close anymore, wonder what happened?

I had the wind up toy too.  It was fun to rev that thing up to high heck then let the thing fly!
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: SunKing on December 01, 2007, 12:18:14 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Flint
Knievel's wind up bike and ramp is one standout memory of my childhood.

This is the kind of news i wouldn't get over here - childhood hero deceased.

Thanks for the heads up.



WOW I remember that toy too.

We must all be in our 30s?


I remember jumping him over my infant sister. My mother was livid.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: SIG220 on December 01, 2007, 02:00:48 AM
Quote
Originally posted by WMLute
(http://www.iamspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/eviltoys.jpg)

That was my fav. toy as a kid.

Durn, this sucks.


My favorite was my Roy Rodgers revolver.  I sure wish I still had it.  Would probably be worth something today.  Here is a photo of the gun and holster.

(http://jackalopegifts.com/Merchant2/graphics/products/kids/gnstRoyRogers_lg.jpg)

I guess this sort of dates me, though.

Modern day toy pistols just can't compare.  Would you rather have these cheap, iimitation guns below???


 (http://blog.joehuffman.org/content/binary/Cowgirls.jpg)
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Roscoroo on December 01, 2007, 03:37:34 AM
Thanks Evel for all the exciting Jumps ,

May your landings always be soft  . R.I.P.
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Xargos on December 01, 2007, 09:03:31 AM
(http://www.dasmuppets.com/public_images/posters/snoopy_salute.gif)
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Slash27 on December 01, 2007, 09:35:01 AM
Quote
Originally posted by WMLute
(http://www.iamspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/eviltoys.jpg)

That was my fav. toy as a kid.

Durn, this sucks.




I spent hours playing with that.   <> Evel:(
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: FiLtH on December 01, 2007, 10:53:34 AM
I had the wind up bike too. One day on an old shuffle board pad I set up a long jump. It came down on the front forks stapping off the front wheel. I pretended it was a fatal accident. I took Evel up behind the house, dug a grave with a Tonka tractor and buried him there. To my knowledge its still there today.  

  Ya I was a morbid lil  &*$#
Title: Evel Knievel takes his last ride
Post by: Eagler on December 01, 2007, 01:46:46 PM
thanks for some exciting childhood tv EK