On. Sept. 8, 1974, Evel Knievel, the famed daredevil from Butte, attempted to jump the same canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho in a steam-powered rocket.
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Piloting a rocket he dubbed “Evel Spirit”, Braun accelerated to 430 miles per hour in just 3.9 seconds, reaching a height of 2,000 feet above the canyon before his parachute successfully deployed. “We scored and won”.
Mr Traux followed his father’s blueprints exactly, apart from an updated parachute system.
“I don’t care if people think I’m insane or not”, Braun said.
Braun says he is attempting the jump not to prove he can, but to fulfill the dream of his hero.
The 56-year-old stuntman struggled to attract corporate sponsors, so had to spend £1.15million ($1.5m) of his own money in one of his final stunts before he retires after 35 years as a stuntman. He failed to reach the other side.
He looked at the stunt as a way to pay homage to Knievel, who inspired him to become a stuntman.
“Evel” Knievel soars over 13 autos in a demonstration at Lewis County Fairgrounds near Centralia, Wash. “How many people get to finish the dream of their hero?” Many residents remember Knievel’s promise of a weeklong festival complete with celebrities and a golf tournament.
Knievel also allegedly left town without paying certain business debts.
Other daredevils have proposed similar jumps across the canyon in recent decades – including Knievel’s son Robbie.
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Statesman media partner KIVI 6 On Your Side reported that 200 to 300 onlookers showed up after word got out that Braun would be attempting the jump on Friday.
