Big Ed Beckley To Attempt Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Jump On 40th Anniversary – Video
Forty years after Evel Knievel unsuccessfully attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon, Big Ed Beckley, a Texas stuntman, has won the right to try to re-create the attempt.
Beckley, and Beckley Media LLC of Bridgeport, Texas, bid $943,000 Friday for a two-year lease on the state land near Twin Falls where the jump took place in September 1974. There were many potential bidders Beckley would have to outbid, but on his website, Beckley claimed many weren’t in a financial position to beat him. Also interesting is that Beckley claimed he was the only “ramp to ramp motorcycle stunt man like Evel to be on this list.”
As part of the two-year lease, each year Beckley must pay $25,000 to the Idaho Department of Lands. Further, he’s required to have $10 million in commercial liability insurance and turn over a share of the revenue from the event to the state.
And although a major hurdle is behind him in leasing the land in the first place, Beckley’s mission is far from over. Beckley still must obtain permits from the city of Twin Falls and agree to post other bonds and insurance based on the specifics of his plan.
Curious how Big Ed plans on crossing the Snake River Canyon? Check out the animation below.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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