Kaptain Robbie Knievel dead at 60

Kaptain Robbie Knievel has died at the age of 60.

Robert “Robbie” Edward Knievel III the son of legendary daredevil Evel Knievel has succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 60. Following in his father’s wheel marks, Robbie began jumping motorcycles at a very young age. He is credited with over 350 jumps and has broken 20 world records in his 40+ years of motorcycle jumping.

Some of his more memorable jumps include the 1989 Caesars Palace fountains jump in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recreating his father’s infamous attempt at clearing the fountains in 1967. Robbie landed the 150-foot jump successfully.

In the spring of 1999 Robbie made two of his more spectacular jumps. The first in February when he jumped the 130-foot gap between the two 13-story Jockey Club towers in Las Vegas. Robbie was forced to intentionally crash into hay bails on the landing so he did fall off the ‘landing’ tower.

The second that spring was in May, when Robbie jumped a portion of the Grand Canyon. The jump was one that his father had planned, and always wanted to do, but was never granted permission to do so. The Grand Canyon jump set a personal record for Robbie, jumping 228 feet. Robbie lost control on the landing, wrecking his motorcycle and fracturing his leg.

In 2004 Kaptain Robbie jumped five military airplanes on the deck of the USS Intrepid in New York City.

And In 2008 Robbie wanted to jump the Volcano at the Mirage Hotel, after it was set in motion they had to alter the jump, and move the ramps in front of the volcano so his flightpath was in front of the attraction rather than over the volcano itself. The jump was a success, and Robbie landed the ramp to ramp 200ft span.

Robbie Knievel was a name spoken often here in the Mining City. Love him or hate him, or a little bit of both. Robbie was a part of us.

Robert “Robbie” Edward Knievel III dead at 60.

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