Whether or not you consider yourself a fan of stunt biking, it is safe to assume the name Evel Knievel rings a bell. A prototype of American recklessness and audacity, Knievel is remembered not only for his successful long-distance jumps, but also for his crushing, can't-look-away failures. One of these wipeouts, which took place on the grounds of the (just-opened) Caesars Palace hotel and casino in 1967 Las Vegas, stands out: this incident, which left Knievel battered and bedridden, wound up catapulting him into the international spotlight.
It was Friday, December 31, the brink of a new year in Cold War-worn America, when the charismatic but then little-known biker attempted a ramp-to-ramp jump of the signature fountains at Caesars Palace. (They had caught his eye the previous month, when he was in town to see a boxing match.) At 141 feet, the horizontal distance he needed to traverse while airborne to make it across the water would have intimidated anyone, especially bearing in mind the weight and power limitations of motorbikes in that era. Knievel, though, was the picture of steely stoicism. Stern-faced, he sat atop a red, white and blue Triumph-brand cycle emblazoned with the motto “Color me lucky,” and sported a patriotic jumpsuit to match.
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