Robbie Knievel
Encyclopedia
Robert Edward "Robbie" Knievel (born May 7, 1962 in Butte, Montana
) is an American daredevil
and son of stunt performer
Evel Knievel
.
and his first wife, Linda. The third of four children (two boys and two girls), Robbie is named after his paternal grandfather. Robbie has two daughters, Krysten and Karmen. He also has a granddaughter and grandson, Analise and Kane.
bikes that have been designed for jumping up until 2009. Evel Knievel
made most of his record breaking jumps using a Harley-Davidson XR-750
motorcycle. The XR-750 is a significantly heavier and less agile motorcycle than the CR500 because the Honda is a motocross bike whereas the Harley is a flat-track racing motorcycle.
Robbie has made and often replicated Evel Knievel
's jumps (including Evel's 1967 Caesars Palace
crash) with the exception of two of his father's major accomplishments: a Harley-Davidson XR-750 jump and the Snake River Canyon
jump using the X-2 Skycycle. Although never attempted, Robbie stated that he would use a XR-750 to clear a record-breaking 16 buses, three more buses than his father attempted at Webley Stadium in 1975 (the current record for jumping a Harley-Davidson XR-750 is 15 buses, currently held by Bubba Blackwell
). Additionally, Robbie stated that he would attempt to re-create his father's 1974 failed rocket jump over the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho
.
jump.
trucks.http://www.cyclebiker.com/media/1750/2003-Robbie-Knievel-Pepsi-Jump-at-Chinook-Winds-Casino-/ In late March 2006, Robbie Knievel jumped from one barge to another in Jacksonville, Florida
and in late July 2006, he made a triple tribute jump to his father Evel Knievel
at Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana
by jumping the Batmobile
, four huge flame throwers and a 1959 era Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
On March 18, 2007, Robbie jumped an assortment of military vehicles at the North Carolina Auto Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina
. Soon afterwards, he appeared in a nationally broadcast commercial
for Holiday Inn
Express. On June 9, 2007, he appeared in Wilmington, Delaware
and successfully jump=ed $4.8 billion in bogus money representing the amount of interest paid to the customers of ING
Direct. In August 2007, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Sturgis, South Dakota
and made a jump at the Buffalo Chip campground.
Robbie successfully jumped over 24 Coca-Cola Zero
truck cabs at The Kings Island
Amusement Park outside Cincinnati, Ohio
on May 24, 2008. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/ENT/304250109/1025/LIFE The jump took place 33 years after his father, Evel Knievel
, made daredevil history by jumping over 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island. At age 46, Robbie landed a few feet short on his safety deck over the 23rd truck. The jump mirrored his father's 1975 record-breaking whereas Evel successfully jumped 14 buses on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 and also landed on the safety deck.
Robbie successfully jumped on June 7, 2008 at the Texas Motor Speedway
in Ft. Worth, Texas. He cleared 21 Hummer
s on the front stretch of the speedway. He originally was going to jump 25 Hummers. However, there was a strong sustained headwind the evening of the jump.
While performing pre-jump wheelies at the LCO Casino near Hayward, Wisconsin
on August 16, 2008, Robbie fell off the bike and slid into some hay bales, dislocating his shoulder. Despite his injury, he performed the jump clearing four small airplanes and a small helicopter.
On October 31, 2008, Robbie successfully performed two back-to-back jumps in Nashville, Tennessee
to promote a glow-in-the-dark paint.
Robbie ended 2008 with a New Year's Eve jump at the newly renovated volcano at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
. The stunt was advertised as jumping over the top of the Mirage's volcano, however, Knievel limited the stunt to an approximately 200 foot ramp to ramp jump in front of the volcano. Knievel claimed the false promotion of a jump over the volcano was decided by the Mirage Hotel, who did not want to tear down some palm trees or have their valet parking affected. The live Fox television special marked the 8th live special in Robbie's career.
called Knievel's Wild Ride. Robbie also was to co-star with Lee Majors
in a US pilot series called "Hollywood Stunts" that featured greats like, Spanky Spangler
, Matthew Phillips, George Nelson and Ron Nix. In 2006, Robbie opened a new business called Knievel's Custom Cycles, based in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. Business ventures were conducted through the company, Knievel Motorcycle Manufacturing Inc., which sold different custom motorcycles and various Knievel clothing items.
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
) is an American daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
and son of stunt performer
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
.
Family
Robbie Knievel is the son of the late famous stuntman Robert KnievelEvel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
and his first wife, Linda. The third of four children (two boys and two girls), Robbie is named after his paternal grandfather. Robbie has two daughters, Krysten and Karmen. He also has a granddaughter and grandson, Analise and Kane.
Early life
Robbie Knievel began jumping his bicycle at age 4 and rode motorcycles at age 7. At age 8, he performed his first show with his father at Madison Square Garden. At age 12 he was on tour with his father where he would perform in the pre-jump shows. Robbie attended South Central Catholic Jr. High School in Butte, Montana between 1975–76, but never graduated. He wanted to lengthen his jumps, but his father disapproved. Robbie then went solo after his dad's approval.Comparisons with Evel Knievel
Robbie Knievel's jumping career is markedly different from his father's, in that Robbie used high-performance Honda CR500 motocrossMotocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
bikes that have been designed for jumping up until 2009. Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
made most of his record breaking jumps using a Harley-Davidson XR-750
Harley-Davidson XR-750
The XR-750 is a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle made since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant...
motorcycle. The XR-750 is a significantly heavier and less agile motorcycle than the CR500 because the Honda is a motocross bike whereas the Harley is a flat-track racing motorcycle.
Robbie has made and often replicated Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
's jumps (including Evel's 1967 Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
crash) with the exception of two of his father's major accomplishments: a Harley-Davidson XR-750 jump and the Snake River Canyon
Snake River Canyon
Snake River Canyon may refer to the following geographical areas on the Snake River in the western United States:*Snake River Canyon , near Twin Falls*Snake River Canyon , near Jackson...
jump using the X-2 Skycycle. Although never attempted, Robbie stated that he would use a XR-750 to clear a record-breaking 16 buses, three more buses than his father attempted at Webley Stadium in 1975 (the current record for jumping a Harley-Davidson XR-750 is 15 buses, currently held by Bubba Blackwell
Bubba Blackwell
Bubba Blackwell is a stunt performer and motorcycle jumping world record holder who was sponsored by and promoted Buell Motorcycle Company...
). Additionally, Robbie stated that he would attempt to re-create his father's 1974 failed rocket jump over the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
.
Televised jumps
Robbie has appeared has had several jumps televised live, including the Caesars Palace jump, the building-to-building jump in Las Vegas, a jump over a moving train, a jump in front of the volcano at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, and the Grand CanyonGrand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
jump.
| Televised jump | Air date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Caesars Palace jump | April 14, 1989 | To pay homage to his father, Robbie jumped the Caesars Palace Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.... fountains in 1989. The jump took place 22 years after Evel Knievel failed to clear the fountains in 1967. Although Robbie landed on the safety deck and crashed after landing, the jump was considered a success. Following the jump, Robbie stated, "that was for you, Dad". |
| Daredevil Duel jump | July 10, 1993 | In 1993, Robbie Knievel challenged British motorcycle stuntman Eddie Kidd to a world title 'jump off' competition in St. Louis. Knievel had deemed Kidd to be the only jump rider in the world worthy of challenging him. The event was televised as a $19.95 pay per view event titled The Daredevil Duel, Knievel vs. Kidd. The competition required each rider to make three motorbike jumps, with the accumulative distance covered by each rider calculated to determine the winner of the contest. Kidd took the winner's belt by out-jumping Knievel by 6 feet. Knievel said he had hoped for a 'rematch' with Kidd, but three years later, Kidd retired after sustaining serious injuries in a motorbike accident, so the opportunity for Knievel to win the title belt back from Kidd was never to be realized. |
| 30 Limousines jump | February 24, 1998 | On February 24, 1998, Knievel attempted a record-breaking jump of 231 feet over 30 limousines. The jump took place at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Similar to the Caesars Palace jump, Evel Knievel was also present to support the jump. |
| Building-to-Building jump | February 4, 1999 | On February 4, 1999, Robbie jumped the 130-foot gap between the two 13-story Jockey Club Towers in Las Vegas. To avoid falling off the second tower, Robbie intentionally crashed his motorcycle into hay bales. |
| The Grand Canyon jump | May 20, 1999 | The Grand Canyon Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States... jump was one of Robbie Knievel's most famous jumps on May 20, 1999.. The jump was partially based on Robbie's father's desire to jump perform a Grand Canyon jump, yet would end up doing the rocket-propelled Snake River Canyon jump. On May 20, 1999, Robbie jumped his motorcycle for a personal record of 228 feet. However, Knievel lost control of the bike on landing and broke his leg in the ensuing crash. While this particular jump by Knievel covered a distance of 228 feet with a canyon depth of 2500 feet, it could still be perceived to be more considered than his father's attempt in 1974 of jumping almost a mile over a canyon in a makeshift rocket. |
| The Train jump | February 23, 2000 | On February 23, 2000, Robbie jumped over a moving locomotive at the Palestine Park Depot in Texas Palestine, Texas Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas... . Knievel approached an oncoming Texas State Railway train travelling at 30mph at n. Knievel reached the ramp at a speed of 80 mph. While in midair, the locomotive destroyed Knievel's launch ramp. |
| The USS Intrepid USS Intrepid USS Intrepid may refer to:, an armed ketch captured as a prize by the US Navy on 23 December 1803 and later exploded in the harbor of Tripoli 4 September 1804, an experimental steam torpedo ram commissioned 31 July 1874 and sold 9 May 1892, a training and receiving ship launched 8 October 1904 and... jump |
July 30, 2004 | On July 30, 2004, Robbie jumped over five military airplanes on the Deck of the USS Intrepid USS Intrepid USS Intrepid may refer to:, an armed ketch captured as a prize by the US Navy on 23 December 1803 and later exploded in the harbor of Tripoli 4 September 1804, an experimental steam torpedo ram commissioned 31 July 1874 and sold 9 May 1892, a training and receiving ship launched 8 October 1904 and... in New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... . The jump was to promote the TNT movie original movie, Evel Knievel. |
| The Mirage Hotel jump | December 31, 2008 | On New Year's Eve of 2008, Knievel was scheduled to jump the volcano at the Mirage Hotel. At the actual 200-foot jump, Knievel gave the appearance of jumping the volcano, but limited the stunt to a ramp-to-ramp jump in front of the volcano with fireworks behind him. |
Performance jumps
In 2003, Robbie had a spectacular jump at the Chinook Winds Casino where Robbie jumped 15 Diet PepsiDiet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi is a no-calorie carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-branded as Diet Pepsi the following year, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a...
trucks.http://www.cyclebiker.com/media/1750/2003-Robbie-Knievel-Pepsi-Jump-at-Chinook-Winds-Casino-/ In late March 2006, Robbie Knievel jumped from one barge to another in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and in late July 2006, he made a triple tribute jump to his father Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
at Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
by jumping the Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
, four huge flame throwers and a 1959 era Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
On March 18, 2007, Robbie jumped an assortment of military vehicles at the North Carolina Auto Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. Soon afterwards, he appeared in a nationally broadcast commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
Express. On June 9, 2007, he appeared in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
and successfully jump=ed $4.8 billion in bogus money representing the amount of interest paid to the customers of ING
ING Group
The ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
Direct. In August 2007, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis, South Dakota
Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,627 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Meade County. Sturgis is famous for being the location of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world, which is held annually on the first full week...
and made a jump at the Buffalo Chip campground.
Robbie successfully jumped over 24 Coca-Cola Zero
Coca-Cola Zero
Coca-Cola Zero or Coke Zero is a product of the Coca-Cola Company. It is a low-calorie variation of Coca-Cola specifically marketed to males, who were shown to associate 'diet' drinks with women....
truck cabs at The Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
Amusement Park outside Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
on May 24, 2008. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/ENT/304250109/1025/LIFE The jump took place 33 years after his father, Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
, made daredevil history by jumping over 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island. At age 46, Robbie landed a few feet short on his safety deck over the 23rd truck. The jump mirrored his father's 1975 record-breaking whereas Evel successfully jumped 14 buses on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 and also landed on the safety deck.
Robbie successfully jumped on June 7, 2008 at the Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
in Ft. Worth, Texas. He cleared 21 Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...
s on the front stretch of the speedway. He originally was going to jump 25 Hummers. However, there was a strong sustained headwind the evening of the jump.
While performing pre-jump wheelies at the LCO Casino near Hayward, Wisconsin
Hayward, Wisconsin
Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.-Transportation:U.S...
on August 16, 2008, Robbie fell off the bike and slid into some hay bales, dislocating his shoulder. Despite his injury, he performed the jump clearing four small airplanes and a small helicopter.
On October 31, 2008, Robbie successfully performed two back-to-back jumps in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to promote a glow-in-the-dark paint.
Robbie ended 2008 with a New Year's Eve jump at the newly renovated volcano at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The stunt was advertised as jumping over the top of the Mirage's volcano, however, Knievel limited the stunt to an approximately 200 foot ramp to ramp jump in front of the volcano. Knievel claimed the false promotion of a jump over the volcano was decided by the Mirage Hotel, who did not want to tear down some palm trees or have their valet parking affected. The live Fox television special marked the 8th live special in Robbie's career.
Business ventures
During the summer of 2005, Robbie had his own TV show on A&EA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
called Knievel's Wild Ride. Robbie also was to co-star with Lee Majors
Lee Majors
Lee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy ....
in a US pilot series called "Hollywood Stunts" that featured greats like, Spanky Spangler
Spanky Spangler
Spanky Spangler is a daredevil and theatrical stunt man who currently claims to hold the world record distance for a jump performed in an automobile at 328 feet . The most common stunt that he performs is jumping off a platform or hot air balloon over 150 feet in the air into an air bag on the ground...
, Matthew Phillips, George Nelson and Ron Nix. In 2006, Robbie opened a new business called Knievel's Custom Cycles, based in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. Business ventures were conducted through the company, Knievel Motorcycle Manufacturing Inc., which sold different custom motorcycles and various Knievel clothing items.