The Evel Knievel Theory

For many years, we have based all our work on a short story about motorcycle dare-devil Evel Knievel.

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel was born on 7th October 1938 in Butte, Montana. Throughout his career he thrilled audiences around the World by attempting hundred of stunts on his Harley Davidson. Millions of fans attended huge stadiums and events, including an attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in 1974 on a rocket powered motorbike.

The story that we work by took place one night at a sold-out stadium performance in the United States. The finale of the evening was to be Knievel jumping over 13 double decker busses on his motorbike. The buses were driven into the stadium and the ramps angled precisely at each end.

Knievel made his entrance into the arena amidst screams of excitement and rode along the side of the buses while making his final calculations. The crowd watched in anticipation as Evel went back and forth 4 times before approaching the head technician.

There was a concerned look on Knievels face as he asked the technician how many buses were lined up. The technician replied, "There are 16 standard double decker buses as I was told". Knievel looked at the floor and shook his head, "the World Record", he replied "is 13 double decker buses. No-one can jump 16 double decker buses!".

The head technician looked at the buses and said, "it's okay, we'll just get the guys to drive 3 buses away and move the ramps closer". Knievil stopped him, "there are 18,000 people out there who are looking at me and 16 double decker buses. The crowd came here to see Evel Knievel jump 16 buses and that's what they're going to get!"

The technician looked back and replied, "but you just said that no-one can jump 16 double decker buses", to which Knievel replied, "I know".

Evel took the run up, went up the launch ramp, and flew over 130 feet through the air before landing on bus number 14. He suffered from 4 broken ribs, serious neck and back injuries, 2 broken legs, a broken wrist, a broken arm, and a fractured skull. In a news report after he left hospital, he commented:

"They got to see Evel Knievel jump 16 buses, that's what they wanted, I didn't let them down".