TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A Texas stuntman’s plans to repeat Evel Knievel’s attempted jump over the Snake River Canyon suffered a setback when the Twin Falls City Council denied his request to lease the site from where Knievel made his failed attempt nearly 40 years ago.
A motion to approve the lease to Beckley Media LLC failed on a 5-2 vote on Monday.
“Big Ed” Beckley has already paid nearly $1 million for a two-year lease on state land on the north side of the canyon as a landing site, but he also needed permission from the city, which owns Knievel’s takeoff point.
Many Council members said they were worried that Beckley’s safety plan for the proposed September jump was incomplete while some questioned whether local law enforcement could handle the expected crowds.
“I don’t know what to say,” said an emotional Beckley after the vote. “I’m numb.”
Mayor Don Hall said the Council will consider at its next meeting whether to look at proposals from other daredevils.
Meanwhile, Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun has permission to make a similar jump, taking off from private land on one side of the Snake River and landing on private land on the other. Scott Record and Scott Truax propose the rocket-powered jump on Sept. 1, a week before Beckley had hoped to make his jump. Truax’s father designed Knievel’s rocket which failed during the 1974 jump because the parachute deployed too early. Knievel landed in the canyon.
Truax has said he hopes to clear his dad’s and Knievel’s names.
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