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"And your boyfriend’s name is Evel, and he lives up in the sky”
Growing up in the 70’s, I was spoilt for choice when it came to heroes. But the one that stood head and shoulders above all the rest for me was the man in the star-spangled jumpsuit who liked to jump his motorbike over things.
I think the appeal of Evel Knievel was he would attempt these amazing-sounding and terrifying-looking stunts, apparently just for the hell of it. It was always a lottery as to whether he’d make it or not but that didn’t matter; you knew he wasn’t going to die performing a stunt and you knew that he’d be back bigger and better next time.
As you grow older, your heroes get tarnished as you learn that they weren’t such nice people in everyday life, or that the reason they crashed all the time was because they didn’t prepare properly and these charges have been levelled at Evel. But for me, that never changed anything. What mattered for me - and still does today as I’ve been re-watching some of the old footage - is that this man could reach out of the TV, grab your hand and take you on a rollercoaster ride that you were never going to forget.
He was the great showman of my childhood and I don’t think anyone who saw him at his heyday will ever forget him.
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