Evel Knievel--Open Up & Bleed

Steve Mandich dot com has the history of every Evel Knievel injury, and it is pretty freaking amazing. Kudos to Steve. Here is a taste of what Steve has written:

Evel says he only broke about 37 bones in his 16 years of performing. He claims he spent more than half the years 1966 to 1973 in hospitals, in a wheelchair or on crutches, recovering from an aggregate of injuries that one doctor suggested five to ten severe auto accidents would produce. By the time he quit performing in 1981, Evel had undergone 14 major operations, with several steel plates and metal pins set into him.

And that's just the beginning, there is plenty more over on Steve's site.

I remember right before Evel tried to jump Snake River Canyon, my friends and I were so caught up in all the hoopla that I decided I was going to make a jump of my own: I was going to jump over my neighbours dog on my three speed.

We set up a short, very short, ramp and made my neighbours poor collie (Lassie, wouldn't you know it) lay down between the ramp. I got my three speed to about 10 mph and hit the ramp. The board immediately busted in half, sending me flying onto the dog.

That day I learned that Collies aren't as passive as one may think. I can attest to that by the bite mark that still adorns my inner thigh. I also learned that breaking a wrist isn't very cool at all. I also learned that chicks kind of dig a guy with a face full of blood.

Good times, baby, good times indeed.