Robbie Knievel, the legendary motorbike daredevil who adopted in and expanded upon his father Evel’s legacy, died on January 13, 2023 after a battle with pancreatic most cancers. He was 60 years outdated, and died together with his three daughters by his aspect, in keeping with his brother, Kelly.
Going by the skilled title of “Kaptain Robbie Knievel,” the youthful stuntman with the world-renowned surname accomplished over 350 jumps, in keeping with his official web site. His profession spanned three many years, together with highlights similar to efficiently leaping the Caesar’s Palace fountains in Las Vegas in 1989. His dad was there to cheer him on and hug him after Robbie efficiently nailed the soar that had significantly injured Evel over 20 years prior, in 1967.
As knowledgeable stuntman, Robbie managed some superb feats—but in addition withstood loads of damaged bones and accidents alongside the best way. His brother, Kelly, instructed the Related Press, “Daredevils don’t reside simple lives. He was an important daredevil. Individuals don’t actually perceive how scary it’s what my brother did.”
In 2019, Robbie Knievel penned a shifting essay titled What It Was Prefer to be Raised by Evel Knievel for the parenting web site Fatherly. In it, he talked about rising up watching—and later emulating—his well-known daredevil father. He additionally talked about his first motorbike, and the way he discovered easy methods to journey it at a younger age.
“My first bike was a Honda 50 mini bike. To show me to journey, my father put me and my brother in a ditch with our bikes and tied a rope round us. If we received scared and unintentionally twisted the throttle too far, he’d yank us off the bike earlier than we received damage. He made us at all times put on helmets and instructed us to by no means go using alone,” Robbie Knievel wrote.
“However fairly quickly I used to be placing up an indication on our gate studying “See Evel Knievel Junior soar for 25 cents.” Then I’d soar my mini bike over ten 10-speed bicycles. My dad would flip out after I’d get banged up using within the mountains, tearing up my knees or breaking my arm. However since he realized I wasn’t going to cease, he determined to place me into his present, so he might watch over me. It was nice. At age 8, I carried out my first present with him at Madison Sq. Backyard. Then I went on tour with him, doing wheelie exhibits earlier than his large jumps, the place I rode round on my again tire for the crowds. Quickly I had my very own motion determine as a part of the Evel Knievel toy line,” he continued.
Issues weren’t at all times simple between father and son—and Robbie moved out at age 19 to strike out on his personal. He recounted that it was a tough factor for his dad to move him the baton, partly due to a way of competitors, however primarily as a result of he was nervous about his son getting significantly damage. Manner again originally, Robbie recalled that his dad tried to inform his children to not observe his path into the motorbike stunt world—however clearly, that’s one lesson that didn’t take.
Robbie Knievel is survived by one brother, two sisters, three daughters, 5 grandchildren, and his mom. He might be buried with different relations in Butte, Montana, in keeping with his brother, Kelly. We at RideApart ship our deepest condolences to Knievel’s household and mates, and all who have a good time his extraordinary life.