THIS is the terrifying moment rocket man Eddie Braun reached for the sky as he successfully jumped over the Snake River Canyon.
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YouTubeEddie Braun jumped a canyon recreating a famous Evel Knievel stunt
How many people get to finish the dream of their hero?
The steam-powered “rocket cycle” was launched from the base of a steep ramp and reached a top speed of 400 miles per hour.
As a tribute to his boyhood hero Evel Knievel, the 54-year-old professional stuntman hurtled across the 1,400ft wide canyon reaching speeds of 400mph before landing safely on fields on the other side.
Unlike Knievel, who landed at the bottom of the canyon in his failed attempt on September 8, 1974, Braun touched down safely on the other side, some 1,400 feet away.
Video of the crossing follows the rocket to its apex, but the sun makes it hard to track the flight until the craft is well across the canyon with the parachute deployed for the landing. Right before he launched Braun told reporters, “I wouldn’t be doing this if I thought it couldn’t be done”.
He looked at the stunt as a way to pay homage to Knievel, who inspired him to become a stuntman. He always claimed a glitch caused the problem partway across the canyon. Knievel died in 2007 at age 69. Bob worked on the original space shuttle and was one of NASA’s first engineers. The New York Times called him one of the 20th century’s “premier rocket scientists”. Many residents remember Knievel’s promise of a weeklong festival complete with celebrities and a golf tournament. Although the 50,000 spectators he said would show up didn’t materialize, those who came upset locals by skinny-dipping, partying excessively and fighting. The daredevil was later accused of leaving town without paying debts to area businesses.
Tim Woodward covered the 1974 attempt for the Statesman.
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Several members of Knievel’s family were on hand, including Knievel’s son, Robbie Knievel, and Evel Knievel’s ex-wife, Krystal Kennedy-Knievel.
