“Behind the Jumps: The Shocking Secrets of Evel Knievel’s Reckless Pursuit of Fame”
He Did Over 75 Ramp-To-Ramp Jumps In His Lifetime
Ramp-to-ramp jumps were Knievel’s specialty. It basically meant that he jumped off one ramp, flew over a bunch of dangerous or large objects, and landed on another ramp. He got his start jumping primarily over cars as a promotional stunt and would jump over cars for 80% of his stunts.
His record is jumping over 22 side-by-side cars but some say he only cleared 21 of them. But what’s one car in the grand scheme of things?
Evel Knievel Toys Were All The Rage
At the peak of his popularity, there were even Evel Knievel action figures and toys sold in stores. From 1972-1977 you could go to your local department store and find collectible figures with a working bike and accessories.
If you’re still an Evel Knievel fan and want a figurine as a collectible, you can still find a handful of them on the Internet. You just have to pay a pretty penny for it.
He Spent A Whopping Three Years In The Hospital
When your career is all about putting your life on the line, there’s a good chance you’ll spend most of the time recovering. We know Knievel broke either 35, 45, or 433 bones, and he spent about 3 years in the hospital recovering from those issues.
Basically, he was either performing stunts or recovering from them. Even after he retired he spent time in the hospital after a stroke, lung disease, spinal-fusion surgery, and a liver transplant.
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