Evel Knievel’s son Robbie Knievel dies at age 60: Daredevil had cancer

Evel Knievel’s son Robbie Knievel – who was also known as Kaptain Robbie Knievel – has died at the age of 60.

The daredevil passed away after being in hospice following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

He took after his famous father’s stunt performing career as he was known for his death-defying motorcycle jumps, and racked up a total of 350 jumps over his lifetime.

Sad loss: Evel Knievel’s son Robbie Knievel – who was also known as Kaptain Robbie Knievel – has died at the age 60; seen in 2010 after he jumped more than 200 feet over service vehicles before the start of the IZOD IndyCar Series Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway

See also  Angelina Jolie drapes lithe frame in flowing black dress while out with son Knox, 14

With his famous father: Robbie seen with his father Evel Knievel in 2006; Evel died in 2007

Robbie’s mother was Evel’s first wife, Linda. 

Evel’s mini-me son started riding motorcycles at age seven and he had his father tutor him in the art of jumping a bike over objects.

By age eight Robbie started performing; his first show was at Madison Square Garden in New York. At age 12 he went on tour with his dad.

One of Robbie’s most publicized stunts came in 2009 when he jumped over the man-made volcano in front of the Mirage Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

He is survived by his two daughters, Krysten and Karmen. He also has a granddaughter and grandson, Analise and Kane. 

His dad Evel – who was a massive star in the 1970s and 1980s – died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, in 2007, aged 69.

Big time: The daredevil passed away after being in hospice following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Seen in 2008

A closer look at a daredevil: Robbie seen here in 2005 at the E! TV upfronts in NYC

Montana native Evel -whose birth name was Robert Craig Knievel – was an American stunt performer and entertainer who was known for his red-white-and-blue jumpsuits, which his son Robbie also adopted for his career.

Knievel’s website says that Evel chose his nickname after spending a night in jail in 1956 after being arrested for reckless driving. He went with the Evel spelling rather than Evil as he did not want to be associated with the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang.

Over the course of his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. 

Evel famously told Esquire magazine, ‘Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it.’

Daddy: He took after his father’s career as he was known for his death-defying motorcycle jumps, and racked up a total of 350 jumps over his lifetime. Evel in the 1970s

In the 1970s he became so famous he landed an acting role on The Bionic Woman with Lindsay Wagner, appeared on The Donnie And Marie Show as well as The Sonny And Cher Show, and he also became a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. 

Knievel retired in 1981 after breaking more than 40 bones in his body, including his back seven times, and suffered many concussions.

Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 2000 a documentary about his life called Touch Of Evel was released. 

ROBBIE’S BIGGEST JUMPS 

In 1996, Knievel jumped over 10 limousines at the Lake Elsinore Storm Stadium celebrating the return of the Elsinore Grand Prix.

In 2003, Knievel jumped 15 Diet Pepsi trucks at the Chinook Winds Casino.

In 2006, Knievel jumped from one barge to another in Jacksonville, Florida and in late July 2006.

Robbie in 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas

In 2007, Knievel jumped an assortment of military vehicles at the North Carolina Auto Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina.

That same year he appeared in Wilmington, Delaware and successfully jumped $4.8 billion in bogus money representing the amount of interest paid to the customers of ING Direct.

See also  At least three people dead, state trooper is injured after shooting at Maryland business: report

He also made a jump at the Buffalo Chip campground.

In 2008 he successfully jumped over 24 Coca-Cola Zero truck cabs in Ohio.

That same year he jumped 21 Hummers at the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, Texas and he performed two back-to-back jumps in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 2008 on New Year’s Eve he jump the volcano at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

In 2010 he jumped a line of police cars, ambulances and a fire truck spanning 200 feet in his Above the Law Jump before the IZOD IndyCar Series Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway.

Knievel’s last jump was held in 2011 in Coachella, California; he jumped 150 feet (46 m) over tractor trailer trucks.

Information courtesy Wikipedia.