Eddie Braun crossed Idaho’s Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered “rocket cycle” on Friday.
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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?
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.
Braun, a 54-year-old stuntman from Southern California, utilized a steep ramp just like Knievel to help propel his rocket-powered craft across the gorge near Twin Falls at 4 p.m. PDT.
The rocket hurtled at an estimated 400mph before Braun’s parachute deployed and he landed safely in a field on the other side.
Reportedly, Knievel came up with the idea to attempt the jump while drinking at Moose’s Saloon in Kalispell in 1966.
Decades later, Knievel, who died in 2007 at age 69, blamed rocket ship engineer Robert Truax for the failure. My team got me there.
Before the jump, Braun said he was optimistic he would make it across the canyon.
September 8, 1974: Knievel makes Twin Falls the center of the universe for a day by attempting to launch his X-2 Skycycle, designed by Robert Truax, over the Snake River Canyon.
“I was so mad at that engineer”.
When asked before the stunt why he was doing it, Braun told GQ Magazine, “I figure this: I can tolerate just about anything for a couple of minutes”.
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“What better way to pay homage to the guy who inspired me and led me to become everything that I am professionally?” “I’m simply finishing out his dream”. Knievel promised a weeklong festival complete with celebrities, a golf tournament and fun.
