Jumping For Dollars

Jumping for Dollars

ROUNDUP

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, don’t bother with that “try, try again’’ nonsense; just get your son to do it for you.

At least, that seems to be the tactic adopted by retired motorcycle-jumper Evel Knievel. See, 21 years ago, Knievel failed—miserably and painfully—in his attempt to jump over the tall fountains outside of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The rear wheel of his Triumph 650 fell just a few inches short of the landing ramp, catapulting Knievel over the handlebar and sending his limp, broken body flopping sickeningly across Caesars parking lot for what seemed like forever. The film of that horrendous crash— which was shot, incidentally, by actress Linda Evans before becoming a movie and TV star—got so much television air time that Knievel became an international celebrity overnight. But although he went on to attempt quite a few other equally ambitious jumps—many of which met with an equally gruesome lack of successbefore retiring in 1980, Knievel never again dared to try that particular one. Until now. This coming April, the 50-year-old Knievel will return to Caesars Palace to challenge those daunting fountains once again. But this time, not as a rider. This time, he’ll watch with great interest from the ground as his 26-year-old son, Robbie, attempts the very same jump that launched his own storied career back in 1967—while simultaneously almost ending it.

Actually, Robbie Knievel is an accomplished jumper in his own right. He began performing at age 1 1, doing wheelie exhibitions as part of Evel’s jump attempts. After his father retired, he embarked on his own career as a jumper, eventually shattering all of Evel’s records—but without shattering nearly so many bones. During eight years of jumping, Evel Knievel II, as Robbie is often called, has suffered just one broken bone—a fractured wrist— whereas his father managed to pulverize dozens in a 12-year career. What makes this record even more remarkable is that Robbie throws a little added showbiz into his act by taking his hands off the handlebar as he flies through the air—a tactic he intends to employ in the Caesars jump.

Despite that, the most interesting aspect of this jump is that it is being co-produced by Sports Television Inc. and Showtime cable network. It will be telecast live as a 90-minute primetime special on Friday, April 14, and will be the first sports event in Showtime’s new pay-per-view operation.

One can only hope, then, that Robbie doesn’t go too far in attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps. What motorcycling really doesn’t need, thank you, is for viewers all across the country to watch a rider splatter himself all over the parking lot of a gambling casino; we have the nightly news for that sort of blood and gore.

There is much optimism, however, that all will go well. For one thing, Knievel will ride an Openclass motocrosser (he was undecided as to which one at presstime), which is light-years better for jumping than anything Evel ever rode. And he is also a much more skilled motorcycle rider than his father. One can only hope that he is as seemingly immortal.