Travis Pastrana Makes All Three of Evel Knievel's Historic Jumps

Last night in Las Vegas and live on the History channel Travis Pastrana landing all three of Evel Knievel’s historic jumps.

At the end of the day, Travis Pastrana made leaping over 52 cars, 16 buses and the notorious fountain at Caesars Palace on two wheels look easy. Even in 100-plus-degree weather. Even using a heavy, stiff, flat-track bike unlike anything the action-sports stunt icon is used to jumping with.

As I’ve mentioned before I used to race motocross as a kid and although I’m a little older than Travis we still attended a lot of the same races and he was always a super nice kid that would talk to anyone and had no fear.

I remember around 1995 or 1996 at Loretta Lynn’s all the kids would go to the creek and jump off this tree with a wooden platform. It was high enough where you needed to land in a pencil position so you didn’t smack the water. For Travis, I’m guessing 10 or 11 at the time, this wasn’t good enough and he climbed all the way to the top of the tree where the branches were swaying and then did a one and half out of the top.

This is just one story in the many of insane things I’ve seen him do and my short description doesn’t do it justice but I’ve always had mad respect for him.