Eddie Braun will attempt the stunt that almost killed Evel Knievel in 1974, by jumping the Snake River Canyon in a rocket!
On September 8, 1974, the world’s most famous daredevil, Evel Knievel failed to jump the Snake River Canyon in his steam-powered rocket, the X2 Skycycle. Following takeoff, Evel’s parachute deployed prematurely halting the rocket’s momentum. Moments later Evel crashed within the canyon’s walls. That jump was a bigger event than Super Bowl VIII that year. It put Evel on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and his jump was the most-watched television event of 1974, with 49% of US households tuning in to watch.
Evel never attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon again, claiming that it was “just too dangerous.”
For the past three years, a team of award-winning filmmakers has been following professional stuntman, Eddie Braun, on his journey as he attempts to complete Evel’s legacy. OnSeptember 17, 2016 their film, “One Last Crash”, will have an ending, as Eddie fires up his 10,000 horsepower steam-powered rocket, the EVEL SPIRIT, and blasts himself over the Snake River Canyon.
As a young boy, Eddie met Evel Knievel. In that moment, he decided he wanted to be a professional stuntman, and he followed his dreams. Having been catapulted, flipped, punched, set on fire, and submitting himself to just about every stunt Hollywood has been able to come up with in the last 30 years, Eddie has decided to retire. But before he does, he has one more stunt he’d like to complete.
Eddie Braun has teamed up with Scott Truax, son of the rocket engineer who built Evel’s X2 Skycycle. Scott’s father, the late Robert Truax, was a Navy engineer, and bona fide rocket scientist. He had many professional successes, but never lived down his defeat of the X2 Skycycle rocket failing to clear the Snake River Canyon.
Scott Truax has built a rocket using his father’s original blueprints. He wants to show the world that his father’s rocket would have worked had the parachute not malfunctioned. He and Eddie have spent years building their rocket in the spirit of Evel Knievel.
After years of planning, launch day is quickly arriving. We have the rocket, we have the canyon, we have the team. What we need is you!
On the morning of September 17, 2016, Eddie Braun will attempt to make history in his rocket, the EVEL SPIRIT, a tribute to the world’s greatest daredevil. If successful, Eddie’s jump will fulfill Evel’s dream, secure Eddie a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, and create an ending to a three year journey.
What started with a conversation between Eddie Braun and Scott Truax, has become a journey more personal than either expected. One man will get to complete his hero’s dream, while the other seeks vindication for his father. Through all matter of obstacles, these men perservered. And an award-winning team of filmmakers was there the whole way, catching every step of this unbelievable journey.
No one else has attempted this jump in 42 years. Some people think it can’t be done– especially in a rocket made with 1970’s rocket technology. But Eddie is determined to prove them wrong… or die trying.
The EVEL SPIRIT is a steam-powered rocket, which will use hot water to propel it over the canyon. The steam is superheated to precise temperature and pressure. When released, the steam produces 6,000 pounds of thrust and 10,000 Horsepower! It is expected to reach it’s top speed of over 400 mph in 3.0 seconds and reach an altitude of 3,000 feet. After 4.5 seconds, the engine will cut off and (if everything goes according to plan) Eddie will deploy the parachute bringing himself and the EVEL SPIRIT safely back to earth.
In keeping with exact specifications of Evel’s X2 Skycycle, all of that temperature and pressure is being held in the rocket by the TOP OF A DOG FOOD CAN LID! Evel used it– we’re using it! That’s right, we actually cut off the tops of dog food cans (just like Evel did) and place the lid inside the rocket engine to keep all the pressure at bay until we are ready to release it! We are keeping this “old school” just like Evel Knievel’s rocket! No fancy modifications. Just good old fashioned 1970’s rocketry.
The EVEL SPIRIT was created using Robert Truax’s original blueprints and is nearly identical to Evel Knievel’s X2 Skycycle. The only physical differences between the two are: we’ve added some support structures in the nose cone (for landing) and we installed an improved parachute deployment system (we don’t want a repeat of 1974). The malfunction of the parachute in theX2 Skycycle was what halted Evel’s jump, and we don’t want a repeat of that! The EVEL SPIRIT uses a ballistic parachute, which deploys a small projectile out of the rear of the rocket carrying the parachute out with it.
The EVEL SPIRIT also has different aesthetics than the X2. The paint scheme on the rocket and helmet were created by motorsport legend Troy Lee of Troy Lee Designs with paints donated by PPG Industries.
“I’ve spent over three years funding this project with my own money to make my dream of jumping the Snake River Canyon a reality. With the help of Scott Truax and a team of incredible engineers and builders, we’ve recreated the original rocket with spare parts and the actual blueprints drawn by Scott’s father, Robert Truax. We’re so close to making this a reality. We’re literally on the edge of the canyon, but we need your help to get across.”
~Eddie Braun
To get us to the other side, we’ve created some amazing Kickstarter rewards so you can watch the launch LIVE, be part of this experience, or own a piece of history.
“I approached the rock icon Slash, who I knew to be an Evel Knievel fan, and asked if he would be interested in being involved with my rocket project. He gave us the most awesome gift we could ever dream… a theme song! Slash got permission from Sir Elton John to re-record his 1972 hit song “Rocket Man” specifically for our project. Slash suggested we include the song with every reward so every single backer of our Kickstarter campaign gets it. So that’s what we’re doing! I’m so honored to have been given the most epic theme song, by the most epic guitarist of all time!”
RISKS & CHALLENGES
Let’s be honest, this is a rocket. Anything can happen! But, as Eddie will tell you, he’s not a daredevil, he is a professional stuntman. He is used to taking calculated risks with every contingency considered.
VIDEO
The more money this campaign makes, the more money we’ll have to spend on the videos. We’ll be able to improve the LIVE launch video (better cameras, more operators, a broadcast truck) and on the documentary (better coverage of the launch with film cameras, post and editing, graphics, music, etc). So, the more the campaign makes, the better the LIVE experience will be, and the better the documentary will be. We need a large crew to capture the launch from base camp, with drones, from vantage points, and the landing site (which we’re not exactly sure will be).
ROCKET
The EVEL SPIRIT team is made up of some incredibly smart, talented and experienced engineers and builders. Every inch and every detail has been meticulously considered. We have backups of most of the rocket’s components. We have a backup helmet and communication electronics. We are leaving nothing to chance. Our job is to get Eddie across the canyon and safely back down to earth. God willing, that’s what we’ll do.
We have tested the engines, and they have performed well. The real challenge is heating up the water that powers the rocket. In our prior testing this has been a bit of a dance and we have not achieved consistent results. Our boiler system that heated the water appeared to be under powered and we built a new boiler that has yet to be tested. We have to put the new boiler through extensive testing to see how long it will take to heat the rocket’s engine to optimal temperature and pressure. So, the more money this campaign makes, the more testing we can do on the rocket.
PILOT
Eddie has not ridden the rocket, nor will he before September 17th, 2016. In the words of Evel Knievel himself, “This is a one shot deal!” We have reengineered the parachute system, but we have been plagued with the same problems that Evel had… our parachute system isn’t functioning correctly. What’s scary is that’s the only thing that will keep Eddie safe. So it’s paramount to further tweak and test. And there’s always the possibility that Eddie could pass out from the tremendous amount of G-forces on his body.
WEATHER
Mother nature is a fine lady. We are expecting that she gives us perfect weather and blue skies. But, she may have other plans for September 17th. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will wait until it does. The LIVE launch will be streamed when it happens. We will send Kickstarter updates to our backers to keep them aware of the schedule. We will also give continuous updates through our social media. In the event of a delay, the VIP’s are welcome to wait it out with us until the jump happens. If it gets pushed a day or two, we hope you’ll all wait with is.
That being said, the weather in Twin Falls in mid-September is usually perfect, clear and 70º.
for Press Inquires:
press@evelspirit.com
for Sponsorship Inquires:
sponsors@evelspirit.com