Knievel to recreate Snake River jump

Added on Monday, May 10th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Robbie Knievel, the son of world famous daredevil Evel Knievel, has announced that he wants to recreate yet another of his father’s jumps, this time by jumping over the Snake River Canyon in southern Idaho.

A spokesperson for Knievel claimed that a meeting was scheduled with local officials, with the Fourth of July weekend 2011, almost four decades after his father’s attempt, pencilled in as a potential date.

Evel, real name Robert Craig Knievel, failed to jump the canyon in 1974 in a rocket-powered “Skycycle” when the parachute malfunctioned and deployed after takeoff. Strong winds blew the cycle into the canyon, landing him close to the swirling river below.

Shawn Barigar, president of the Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, told The Times-News in Idaho that local government officials and business leaders have been invited to attend the private meeting with Knievel.

Julie Pence, spokeswoman for the city of Twin Falls, said officials are waiting to hear Knievel’s proposal before commenting.

Robbie, who has also planned an attempt to recreate his father’s famous Wembley jump in 1975, has reportedly been considering the jump for several decades, visiting the region in the 1990s to seek permission. But in 1993, he told the newspaper he wanted to “make sure everybody is happy about it first.”

Local officials and businesses have been trying to use the site of Evel Knievel’s jump to draw in tourists.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.