Evel Knievel — the name is synonymous with "Danger" and "Daredevil" but, until now, not so much with "Data Diagram".
We've decided to change that, though, by creating the first ever interactive infographic documenting the career of a modern superhero — a man who captured the imagination of a nation for the better part of two decades.
The infographic illustrates all of Evel's jumps. At a glance you can see when he made each jump, what he jumped over, what bike he used, how far he went and whether or not he sustained any injuries during the jump.
Don't forget to scroll to the right for some of Evel's best jumps, and...
Click on any bike to see details of that jump
Accuracy
For some reason, despite the spell under which he held an entire nation for nearly twenty years, accurate records were not kept of Evel's jumps. As a result, we are left to estimate some of the details. In particular, distances were rarely reported or recorded. However, Evel often made several consecutive jumps that were approximately the same length, so we can make educated guesses.
Acknowledgments
I relied heavily on the research of Stuart Barker to create this living document. Steve Mandich created this comprehensive list of Evel's stunts, which was invaluable in my research. Steve is also the author of an authoritative, yet somewhat hard-to find, biography of Evel.
Feedback
In addition to creating a new way to look at Evel's career, I'd like this document to become as accurate as possible over time. I plan to update it periodically as information is uncovered about Evel's past. If you have any information that you think might help me in my question, please let me know. Thanks!
For a more light-hearted daredevil, check out Hammy the Hamster Cheats Death. But, please, promise me that if you're going to emulate Hammy (or Evel), you're going to get yourself some good safety gear (like this).
