how did evel kenivel get his name

[Tony T]

Did anyone watch the Evel show on SBS on Wednesday night?
Very disappointing to find out what sort of bloke he really was.   
Obviously he was a real hero to Richard Hammond too............... before he met him................ 

edit: I didn't realise either how few stunts he actually successfully completed. 

[Wombat]

Yeah I saw most of it.
The saying goes, "you should never meet your heroes - you'll only be disappointed".
He was certainly a Showman; bigger than life, self promoting, full of theatre - and definately gutsy.
His name is probably right up there with Elvis and the Beatles.
And I'm not comparing talent wise; just on the recognition of the name - few people won't have heard of him.

On the doco he came across as a bit too self serving and maybe even arrogant.
He's aware of his own legend and basks in it; maybe it takes some effort to remain humble when others fawn and step aside as you pass by?

But to jump those buses and the fountain and whatever else takes some guts.
To continue following repeated horrendous injuries...
I'll remain impressed with his 'shows' but as a person I doubt we'd travel in the same crowd.

[Tony T]

Very well put, Wombat.
I've gotta admit I was a little nervous about meeting Rick Sieman. I'd been reading his stuff for nearly 30 years, so I had ideas of what he'd be like. Luckily enough, I was spot on. A great bloke with a never-ending supply of stories.   
So that's at least one hero that wasn't a disappointment.

[paul]

hey he had a good go at the stunts. more than some  would even atempt back then

[Freakshow]

well he was an american who grew up in that period that belived the US was the certre of the universe, and that they single handedly won the war, as far as he knows he was the king of the  universe /

Personalities are what they are interesting, thats what gives them a personality i guess.

[eno]

Hey cool I also watched Eviel as a kid & built ramps, lit burning newspaper & jumped it. Only problem is my bike was a girls bike (Hey I was second born & only the eldest got a new bike) the bike bent up so bad the steering head met the seat. Cool no more girls bike!, I stole my younger brothers bike & promply rode it straight into a ditch & bent the forks back to the pedals. No wonder dad hated me!

I read somewhere that Kneivel worked as a bike mechanic for Jim Pommeroy's father before he found his new calling.

Talk about old childhood heroes, what about Daniel Boone, did ya-all throw axes at stumps too?

Ah! heroes they don't build em like they used too. 

[paul]

nah but broke my arm  when i made a parachute outa a bed sheet and jumped off the garage roof  /
work allright in the test phase with a house brick tied to it  oh well  no joining jet jackson for me

[Freakshow]

he heh Axes at tree's was the go not the stumps

Except that ended abruptly one day after the time dad almost wore it ,as it glanced off the gum tree and went off at a lightning fast 45 degree angle like a catch to the slips, straight for his head, as he was bending over picking up rubbish in the yard, thank christ that missed, theres a story to tell ya kids, if you ever lived to tell it.  after that i only was allowed to saw the fire wood - by hand - grumble........... :'(

I was more a 'Cat weazle' and 'banna splits' kinda guy, evel rocked but he only seemed to come on tele every couple of months, where as catweazle could be seen most night, even 'Dr who' rocked ( tom baker ) and i was shit scared of "the Stig"

[Doc]

You can't really compare Evel to anyone else. He jumped 500lb Harley Bloody Davidson's. Dale Buggins was good and so too many others and no disrespect to any but none of them jumped on an overweight underpowered ill-handling rubber footpegged cow cocky bars red white and blue farm implement!..Evel did!!..what I liked..not once did he make anything look easy! 

[Lozza]

Doc the only thing impressive on that docco was "Lady Flyer" on her TM 250

[mx250]

You can't really compare Evel to anyone else. He jumped 500lb Harley Bloody Davidson's. Dale Buggins was good and so too many others and no disrespect to any but none of them jumped on an overweight underpowered ill-handling rubber footpegged cow cocky bars red white and blue farm implement!..Evel did!!..what I liked..not once did he make anything look easy! 

He jumped it but did he land it? Hate to 'rain on your parade' but sounds like further proof the guy was an idiot 

If you watch Maddo you can see his brains in the run up, the ramp, the calculations, the choice of bike and the landing ramp - it was as safe as possible - brain power 'not suck it and see' stupidity. And in flight you can see Maddo correct the attitude of the bike - skill, daring and brains.

This is what I saw at the time and nothing you guys have said has changed my opinion. In fact the more I know him the less I like him. His enduring ledgenery status says something about our society, hype, mass media, vested interests and the need for heros. Somewhere along the line the glare of the media has obsured a less than nice guy. I would respect more a working slob who brings up a family and calls playing the pokies sport.

Maddo I can look up to. Evel I care to forget.

[mainline]

One good thing about the doco for me was the memories it revived of Christmas morning in WA about 1976?. Going into the street with my dad and setting up a ramp with a piece of wood and two bricks so I could try out my new Evel Knievel wind up bike.

My favourite Evel Knievel moment however, was actually in a doco called "The Devil at your Heels". For those who haven't seen it, it's one of the most funny (unintentionally!) things you'll ever see. To cut a long story short, a slightly dimwitted Canadian stuntman whose career is nearly at an end, decides to make one last shot at stardom by trying to jump a homemade rocket powered car across the river that borders the US and Canada at some point in the 80's.

There are a shiteload of hilarious moments through the show, but one of the highlights is when Evel turns up on behalf of ESPN to interview the twit attempting the stunt. Evel takes one look at the ramp that been built and where the dude is trying to jump too and says " No way would I be doing it, that's madness, You'd have to be crazy!"