Life of Evel: Evel Knievel

Someone crashing a motorcycle is, in itself, not usually an act which guarantees widespread mainstream celebrity. If it was there would be no end of motorcycle racers and stuntmen who would qualify as household names. While the American public had thrilled, cringed and been utterly amazed upon seeing footage of Knievel’s accident, it was the unsaid, almost intangible reasons behind why he had crashed – why he had been prepared to crash – which appealed to the collective subconscious.

For the first time in modern history, Americans had become disillusioned with their government, their society, and their country as a whole by the late 1960s. The massively unpopular war in Vietnam, which America had been involved in since 1961, had polarised the nation, and mass protests and riots were literally tearing the country apart. Being an American suddenly wasn’t so simple any more. Millions believed the government was wrong to commit so many young soldiers to lay down their lives in a war on the other side of the world for a cause most did not understand.

The American people were, quite simply, confused. It was no longer clear-cut as to who were the heroes and who were the villains. Thousands performed the previously unthinkable act of burning the Old Glory, the starred and striped American flag. For one brief moment in time, Evel Knievel offered an escape. He offered Americans the kind of hero they could believe in, one who gave hope and inspiration to anyone facing problems, challenges, danger – or all three combined. Here was a man who gave his word that he would attempt to fulfil his dream right there in front of anyone who cared to watch and he would not back out of the challenge, even in the face of hideous injury or possible death. If it is true that God loves a tryer then so does the public, and Evel’s was a simple one-act stage play which preached the message that if you want to achieve something then don’t let fear get in your way. In a modern-day version of Robert the Bruce and his spider, he encouraged the nation to believe that if at first you don’t succeed then try and try again. ‘I always said you can fall many times in life but you’re never a failure as long as you try to get back up. Use your body or use your head, or use anything you got left to be a worthwhile human being. And I think America needed that kind of figure when it was on its knees with Vietnam. You have dreams in your life which require taking risks, and if you see someone else taking risks to get what they want you are inspired to try yourself.’