High-Flying Facts About Evel Knievel, The Daredevil Who Fell From Grace
He Was A Hero
Daredevil Evel Knievel was an irresistible cocktail of bravery, masculinity, and audacity. He certainly had his share of young men as fans, and they looked up to him in a way that went beyond sports—he was truly a hero. All that came tumbling down when Knievel went looking for revenge from a writer threatening to ruin his career.
1. They Left Him
Evel Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel on October 17, 1938, in Butte, Montana. A year later, his brother Nicholas was born and the year after that, their parents divorced. After the divorce, Knievel’s mom and dad went their separate ways,leaving Knievel and his brother in the lurch.
2. He Had An Epiphany
Knievel and his brother were lucky enough to have grandparents living in Butte, so they went to live with them. When he was eight, Knievel’s grandparents took him to a daredevil show featuring Joie Chitwood. Knievel had a glimpse of the glory of his future self.
3. He Worked The Mines
School wasn’t really Knievel’s thing, so he dropped out and started working at a mine where he drove one of those huge earth movers. Being a born daredevil, Knievel did a wheelie and drove the machine into a major power supply, plunging the city into darkness.
They fired him, but now Knievel had tasted the thrill of danger and he wanted more.
4. He Hit The Ice
In order to satisfy his need for speed, Knievel started his own hockey team. He was looking for a clever way to promote his team. Since the Winter Olympics were coming to California that year, Knievel invited the Czechoslovakian Olympic team to a friendly warm-up game.
Well, it didn’t end up very friendly.
