In 11 days, an Evel Knievel fan will straps himself into a rocket to jump a canyon

[link to magicvalley.com]


The rocket? The Evel Spirit: a replica of Knievel’s steam-powered X-2 Skycycle that famously failed a similar jump 42 years ago.

Knievel’s Skycycle was not the only thing launched that day in September 1974; then-12-year-old Eddie Braun’s future as a stuntman also started to take shape.

Braun met Knievel at a time when the daredevil — who survived motorcycle crash after crash while attempting seemingly impossible jumps — commanded a world-wide audience.

“Evel Knievel was the ultimate showman — a superhero, cape and all,” said the 54-year-old Braun, a 30-year veteran of film and television. “Knievel inspired a generation. I wanted to be him.”

But there’s a difference between being a daredevil and being a professional stuntman, he continued.

Daredevils defy death while leaning heavily on luck; stuntmen use all the science available to reduce risk, and details are meticulously combed.

“Very few things are determined in 3.9 seconds,” Braun said. These 3.9 seconds “will determine the rest of my life.”