Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/20/3d-animation-of-evel-knievel.html
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Not that it inspired me for a life of danger, but the Skycycle was one of my very earliest memories of watching something cool on TV, when I was just a bit more than four. Although, one of the great things about early memories like that is that other random stuff gets folded into it, so instead of him being picked up by rescue workers, I vividly (but wrongly) remember him emerging from the canyon on a raft surrounded by Hawaiian girls.
[I also confused a 1972 SF Chronicle article about the opening of BART where President Nixon rode the train with his 1974 resignation. For a long, long time – until I was 8 – I thought Nixon resigned and went home on BART. And that’s still the way I really remember it]
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It never occurred to me when I was kid, but going from jumping over buses on a motorcycle to jumping over a canyon in a rocket makes little sense.
There is reasonable doubt whether you can make it over several buses on a motorcycle, but astronauts rode rockets to the moon so there’s not much doubt you could jump over a canyon in a rocket (despite that fact that Evel flubbed that one.)
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I love the fact that the SkyCycle was sponsored by Chuckles candy. Just an FYI, if you want to see the original SkyCycle, it is on display at the newly opened Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, KS.
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“Accidentally opened” too soon, LOL.
Why didn’t he just try it a second time?
so there’s not much doubt you could jump over a canyon in a rocket
Yeah, it’s kind of the landing part. But, wait, how did the astronauts land?
In the water.
for all his flaws - Evel Knievel inspired a generation of kids to TRY to do something bigger, better, and not just sit on the damn couch.
He was a poor kid from nowhere Butte, MT - who worked his way to a good living, blew it , and re earned it over and over
flaws - yes, but… inspired many
Howard Cosell once was quoted He did not become famous for making all those jumps - he was famous for crashing
Linda Evans captures the crash footage - -
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From the US, yes.
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Didn’t realize we were discussing cosmonauts, and not just plain ol’ astronauts.
That Eddie Braun video is wild. I hope his head was gaffered to the back of the seat - the acceleration as it took off was whiplash-inducing just to watch.
Solid fuel rockets are the bomb. Or rather, almost the bomb.
EDIT: read more closely - not a solid fuel rocket. Steam-powered. That’s even more nuts.
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