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Evel Knievel died last week, and it was a sad day for me. I was always a fan of the motorcycle daredevil, probably in part because he, too, was a big Elvis fan, even patterning his stunt costumes after Elvis' famous 1970s jumpsuits.

But Evel was a larger than life character. One of my most vivid memories is witnessing at age 18, via closed-circuit broadcast, his attempted jump of the Snake River Canyon in 1974.

Evel had made his name jumping Greyhound buses, Las Vegas landmarks and anything else over which a motorcycle might sail. Realizing he needed something bigger to live up to his growing image, he began to say that someday he hoped to jump the Grand Canyon.

Park officials refused to give him permission to do that, so he bought land in Idaho abutting a narrow section of the impressive Snake River Canyon.

Remember, these were the days before people could watch pay-per-view broadcasts at home on their own televisions. Big ticket closed circuit broadcasts like an Ali-Frazier fight were staged in big arenas, like the Charleston Civic Center, with a giant screen set up on one end and people paying money to attend.

This was how Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon jump was set up, and so, I talked a girlfriend at the time into making the trip with me to Cincinnati Gardens to watch Evel make his jump.

Obviously, a typical motorcycle could not make such a jump, so Evel had come up with something he called a "Skycycle," which was nothing but a simple rocket with a cockpit barely large enough for a grown man to squeeze inside. No steering system. No brakes. Just a rocket with a parachute.

Over the years since that stunt, a lot of people have ridiculed Knievel for the fact that the vehicle's parachute deployed early, resulting in faliure. Some folks have even claimed Evel intentionally deployed the chute ahead of schedule.

Having watched it live (on closed circuit), that criticism is baloney. I'll never forget the tension in the crowd inside the arena, and the absolute fear and trepidation evident on the faces of the thousands gathered at the site of the jump.

When Evel finally emerged from his trailer and made his way to the Skycycle, he stopped for a brief interview with the broadcasters. Evel Knievel truly looked and talked like a man who was minutes away from diving off a skyscraper. There is no doubt in my mind that he believed that climbing into that tiny rocket would be his last act on earth. His voice was shaky, and he was visibly trembling.

What went through my mind was that Evel Knievel had gotten himself into a situation he wished he could back out of, but it was too late. I remember thinking, "We're watching this guy commit suicide."

Knievel, with help from his handlers, was lowered onto the rocket and literally stuffed inside it.

The plan, as impractical as it seems now, was for the rocket to shoot across the canyon and the river below, at which time Evel would deploy the parachute, which would cause the rocket to land on the other side on its nose, which had been fitted with a spring-like device that would basically act as a pogo stick, bouncing the rocket a couple of times and bringing it to a rest -- hopefully right-side-up.

No wonder he figured he was dead.

I'll always remember the countdown -- a countdown that seemed more like a death watch than an entertainment stunt. When the rocket fired, the Skycycle shot up its ramp like -- well, like a rocket -- and at the same time the parachute deployed, well ahead of schedule.

Since then, several theories have been offered as to why the parachute deployed when it did, the most likely being that the force of the takeoff caused Evel to involuntarily squeeze the trigger that unleashed the chute.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2007 "When news breaks, we fix it" Published daily except some days

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Evel Knievel was an American original

Evel Knievel waves as he is lowered into his unique Skycycle for his attempted jump of the Snake River Canyon in 1974. Here's some video of the jump.

Anyone who thinks Evel was in less danger under this scenario than he would have been actually crossing the canyon has not watched the entire tape of the event. Even though the parachute deployed, the Skycycle continued to climb upward, finally slowing right over the center of the canyon, with the rough waters of the Snake River directly below him.

The high winds immediately began pushing Evel and his rocket back toward the canyon wall on the side from which he had launched. The rocket was spinning like a top, and the announcers pointed out that he would possibly be blown right into the canyon wall itself, surely killing him.

Evel had no parachute of his own, so he had no recourse but to ride the rocket to whatever end it might come. After a couple of minutes, it became clear that Evel would not crash into the canyon wall -- he would land in the river itself, at which time he would surely drown, either because he could not extricate himself from the rocket, or because he was too banged and bruised to swim.

I sincerely believe that one of the greatest miracles I have ever witnessed was Evel Knievel surviving his attempted jump of the Snake River Canyon. Knievel's rocket had disappeared into a corner where even the cameras lost sight of it. Several tense moments went by, and the crowds at the Snake River Canyon, the Cincinnati Gardens and hundreds of other arenas around the country were dead silent, all of us figuring the next scene we would witness would be rescuers carrying Knievel's limp and lifeless body out of the waters of the river.

When the cameras finally picked up a rescue boat, lo and behold, Evel Knievel was alive and well, slowly waving to the crowd to signal he was ok, his rickety craft having landed half in the water and half on a rocky ledge. Here's video.

Knievel had suffered some serious cuts and bruises, and he spent several days in a hospital. But he lived to make a few more jumps -- all of the traditional motorcycle variety -- before calling it a career.

By most accounts, Evel Knievel was a hard-living, hard-drinking scoundrel who spent more than one night in jail and was constantly involved in fights and altercations, both physical and legal.

But he was one of a kind, an American original, a man who invented his own niche, made people pay attention to it, and earned and lost several fortunes along the journey.

Evel Knievel, thanks for the thrills.

(Press Release) BECKLEY — Former State Senator Russ Weeks has written a new book about his four years in the West Virginia Legislature, blowing the lid off various cover-ups, lies and examples of malfeasance in state government.

In "No Strings Attached," Senator Weeks exposes the corruption, duplicity and self-serving interests of the politicians who hold West Virginians hostage.

Senator Weeks, a Navy veteran who ran for office believing one man could make a difference, exposes the hypocrisy of state government in the Mountain State, and reveals an insider’s account of the true story behind:

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Governor Joe Manchin’s handling of the Sago tragedy and the real reason behind the emergency mine legislation that followed the event.

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The cover-ups and government interference regarding serious allegations at a West Virginia healthcare facility, and the heavy-handed efforts to stop Senator Weeks from pursuing the truth.

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The charade of the lawmaking process, and how bills are often changed long after being approved by the legislature.

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The real reason West Virginia ranks last in almost every category.

Senator Weeks' new book blows lid off WV government lies and malfeasance

"No Strings Attached" is a riveting first-hand account of government malfeasance at its most shocking, told by the man who held the same Senate seat once occupied by Robert C. Byrd.

And Sen. Weeks issues a challenge to readers:

“Now that you know what’s going on with your elected officials, what are you going to do about it?” You can order the book by clicking here.

Former state Senator Russ Weeks is a lifelong West Virginian who served in the Navy, where he was directly involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis. After a career in private business, he was elected to the West Virginia Senate.

He and his wife, Helen, reside in Beckley, West Virginia.

West Virginia GOP Club looking for candidates

(Press Release) With the West Virginia candidate filing period looming, West Virginia Republican Club President Lisa Peana called on concerned Republicans to consider running for public office in 2008.

"There is a common misconception that legislators must be a lawyer or have previously served in a local office. Instead, most legislators come from a wide variety of occupations and that is a good thing.

"Some can bring the gift of a long life's experience, and some can bring new ideas and

enthusiasm. However, we need new voices in the capitol as we have experienced decades of failed economic policy wrought by seventy-four years of single party rule."

The candidate filing period begins on Monday, January 14th and concludes at midnight on Saturday, January 26th.

Republican Club Vice President Charles Bolen said, "Change will not happen overnight, but it will happen if everyday West Virginians step forward and answer the call to serve."