Evel Knievel is an interesting character study. On the one hand there is the guy with the panache, guts, and skill to fly a too heavy motorcycle over too far a distance in front of tens of thousands of people. On the other hand there is a man who did many questionable things in his personal life and really never lived up to the message that he preached to his followers. Personal faults aside, he managed to create a global aura around himself and reach a level of fame that was virtually unheard of in the days long before the internet and “global” media.

As you’d expect there are tons of great videos of Knievel in action from the 1970’s on YouTube. Here’s a sampling of some that caught our eye. He was a hell of a character and there is little doubt that his hard living, bone breaking lifestyle in this era, led to his hastened passing in ours.