Fifty years after Evel Knievel’s attempt, the rocket he used to Jump the Snake is back in Twin Falls

Lorien Nettleton, KIVI

TWIN FALLS (KIVI) — It’s been 50 years since Evel Knievel brought world attraction to Twin Falls, and each these years later, it’s still 1 of nan biggest things to ever hap here. To commemorate nan effort to Jump nan Snake River Canyon, Knievel’s family and friends hosted a motorcycle parade Sunday on pinch an opportunity to spot his Sky Cycle X-2 rocket successful person.

“It was complete insanity. It was! but of course, successful Evil Knievel style, he made it happen,” Bill Rundle was moving for Evel Knievel successful 1974 erstwhile he made world headlines.

The jump tract is still standing, wherever 50 years agone it served arsenic a elephantine ramp to motorboat 1 of nan astir celebrated things to ever hap successful Twin Falls.

“This was thing but people,” Rundle said, opinionated astatine nan guidelines of nan jump site. “It was truthful jam-packed pinch people. Biker clubs, they rolled nan semis complete (and) stole each nan beer. There was a statement of outhouses retired successful this field, and they tipped them each complete and lit them connected occurrence and guys were jumping them connected motorcycles until 1 almost sewage killed.”

Evel Knievel’s 1974 effort to jump complete nan Snake River Canyon is nan worldly of legend.

To this day, group tin locomotion up nan jump tract and ideate trying to hurtle crossed nan spread to nan different side.

Rundle started moving for Evel astatine nan property of 14 and told Idaho News 6 astir nan build-up to nan jump attempt.

He recalled watching a TV typical successful Evel’s Montana surviving room conscionable 2 days earlier nan jump.

“We watched nan ABC special, saying ‘Here’s what tin hap if nan rocket doesn’t get capable speed,'” Rundle said. “They had a bull’s-eye connected nan broadside of nan canyon. Everything that could perchance could spell wrong,” Rundle said.

“And I’ll ne'er hide really quiet it was successful that room. None of america said a word,” Rundle said. “And erstwhile it was over, Evel conscionable looked astatine america and said ‘well, location you go.'”

Evel’s oldest son, Kelly Knievel, said his dada was for illustration nan godfather of stunt performers, opening nan doorway to nan X-games and utmost thrill-seekers who came after.

“He was his own, original, charismatic. Everything he did was new, and it was built upon thing he had already done,” Kelly told Idaho News 6 successful a Zoom interview. “And nan adjacent point that he was going to do was going to beryllium bigger and better, and that’s conscionable nan measurement he thought.”

The nationalist will person a uncommon chance to spot Evel’s rocket, nan Sky Cycle X-2 Sunday.

This uncommon quality could beryllium nan past clip nan Sky Cycle comes done Twin Falls, it’s been making a cross-country travel arsenic it heads to its last destination, nan Evel Knievel Museum successful Las Vegas.

“We’ve been organizing this task for a small complete a year, bringing nan rocket backmost to nan canyon (for the) 50th anniversary,” John Bagley told Idaho News 6.

Bagley’s Motor Mania unit has been filming a documentary astir Knievel’s life, and for them, nan Snake River Canyon is simply a hallowed site.

“He was our real-life superhero erstwhile we were kids,” Bagley said. “So we’ve been connected circuit each crossed America doing bringing nan vehicles astir promoting is ever getting awesome interviews pinch awesome celebrities awesome group who really portion of this jump 50 years ago, and it’s conscionable it’s been epic.”

A motorcycle parade commemorating nan jump kicked disconnected astatine 11 a.m. Sunday astatine nan Valley Wide Country Store connected Hwy 93 northbound of I-84, and traveled southbound complete nan Perrine Bridge to downtown Twin Falls.

Sunday afternoon, nan Knievel family and typical guests will beryllium astatine Koto Brewing pursuing nan parade, wherever nan Sky Cycle X-2 will beryllium connected display, and typical Evel Knievel brew will beryllium disposable for purchase.

Organizers planned to battalion nan Perrine Bridge pinch motorcycles during Sunday’s parade.

Sunday afternoon, visitors to downtown Twin Falls tin bask unrecorded euphony each time astatine Koto Brewing, spot nan entity cycle, get autographs and cod leader cards.

Fifty years aft Evel Knievel attempted to jump nan Snake River Canyon successful Twin Falls, nan Sky Cycle X-2 rocket he attached to his motorcycle is connected show successful Twin Falls. | KIVI