THE FINAL JUMP

Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil of the 1970’s, died today at the age of 69 according to his official website. Robert Craig Knievel Jr. was born on October 17, 1938 and was infamous for his highly publicized motorcycle jumps over buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon.

No cause of death has been released yet but it has been widely known that Knievel’s health had been failing in recent years. Knievel suffered from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scars the lungs. He also contracted hepatitis C from a blood transfusion 15 years go, following a horrific spill.

During the height of his popularity many of his fans considered him a hero, a title that he neither asked for nor enjoyed.

“I do not like the word hero. It is the most overused and undeserving word. Too many people think the wrong people are heroes. A Soldier fighting without question, and dying, a scientist, an astronaut – people who stand in the way of harm or conflict and give their life without question for the good of other – they are the real heroes. I am not a hero. I was good at riding a motorcycle and a pretty good businessman. Not a hero.”

Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel Jr.

1938 ~ 2007