Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Multicity motorcycle ride across Texas kickoff event

Yesterday, October 22 marked the Kick-off Celebration of the first ever Kiehl's Texas Run for TWOxTWO; An extension of Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR, a charitable Motorcycle Ride. On their fourth operable year the charity has raised over $500,000 for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

The Kiehl's Texas Run is a Four-stop, five-day charity motorcycle ride across Texas led by Kiehl's President Chris Salgardo, accompanied by Kevin Robert Frost, the CEO of amfAR, and other riders who have committed their time to raising HIV/AIDS awareness. This year Tim Lopez of the Plain White Tees is joining the multi-day ride.

“We’ll be stopping for hand lotion breaks and small concerts,” he said.

The charity ride started in Austin, and will make a few stops in Houston, Longview, and Dallas from october 22-26.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Big Ed's next jump: Texas showman aims to soar in the footsteps of Evel Knievel

BRIDGEPORT, TEXAS — In 1973, Big Ed Beckley made his first motorcycle jump, soaring over five cars in the small town of Dighton, Kan.

Then 23, Beckley earned $350 for the feat during the heyday of famed motorcycle jumper Evel Knievel.

Beckley was hooked.

"The coolest thing was I got paid more in that one night than I did in a week at the truck stop," said Beckley, who lived in Scott City, Kan., at the time. "I was like, 'Whoa, no wonder Evel is doing this.' His lifestyle looked really cool, and that's what I wanted to do."

The next year, Beckley watched with fascination as Knievel tried to fly over Idaho's Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket. That attempt, which drew worldwide attention, failed when the parachute opened prematurely, sending Knievel down into the canyon, where he landed near the river's edge. He had only minor injuries.

Beckley never forgot the stunt.

With the 40th anniversary arriving next September, Beckley, now 63, plans to star in the sequel to Knievel's jump.

On Sept. 27, he bid a whopping $943,000 in an Idaho state auction to lease the landing site on one side of the canyon.

"I've never done anything like this before," Beckley said with a laugh. "I've got a lot to learn how to fly this thing so I don't smash into the north rim of that canyon wall."

The first order of business for Beckley - who calls himself the "world's largest motorcycle jumper" - is to lose weight. He's already dropped about 100 pounds, down from a peak of 389.

Then, riding a rocket-assisted motorcycle that has yet to be built, he plans to soar across the canyon on Sept. 7, 2014, the day before the 40th anniversary of Knievel's jump.

Beckley insists that he will have a better outcome than Knievel.

"He got himself a big bottle rocket," Beckley said. "He actually made it to the north rim, but the parachute opened early and blew back into the canyon. My deal is completely different."

Weight loss isn't the only challenge facing Beckley.

He will have to reach speeds above 300 mph, then fly his rocket-powered motorcycle 1,600 feet across the canyon, then slow down enough to land safely on the other side with the help of parachutes. While he has made numerous jumps, his longest has been 156 feet, a fraction of the canyon's span.

"The only problem is you've got to be doing over 300-something mph through the top of this deal and about 400-something feet in the air," Beckley said. "This canyon is not some other motorcycle jump. This canyon is 460 feet deep and about 1,600 feet across."

While he plans, Beckley has one more event scheduled locally. On Oct. 19, he will jump over 10 cars at a festival in Boyd, Texas.

But the Snake River jump is taking up most of his time.

At his office behind his home in Bridgeport, Texas, which is filled with photographs and posters of previous jumps, as well as several motorcycles, Beckley has been swamped with calls from around the country since he won the auction.

A promoter best known for his monster truck and motocross shows, he relishes the possible financial windfall from jumping the canyon.

With two other main investors, Beckley believes he can sell the television rights for a multimillion-dollar sum.

"There's only three principal investors, including Ed Beckley," he said. "And I'm the one that stands to reap the most benefits."

If this one succeeds, Beckley - in true Evel Knievel fashion - boasts that he will do jumps across the Mississippi River in St. Louis and the Nile River in Egypt.

Beckley moved to Texas in 1974 and regularly did motorcycle jumps at a track in Odessa. He was badly injured that year when the handlebar of his motorcycle impaled his leg in a crash.

He wouldn't jump for four years as he recovered.

When he returned in 1978, motorcycle jumps were at the height of their popularity, and he crisscrossed the country appearing at drag strips and raceways.

At one point, he came up with the idea of trying to jump from one World Trade Center tower to another. In his office, Beckley has a framed photo of himself standing in front of the towers. He says the stunt was called off when New York Mayor Ed Koch was voted out of office and replaced by David Dinkins.

During the 1980s, Beckley jumped at places like Reunion Arena, Madison Square Garden and the Silverdome outside Detroit. In the Madison Square Garden jump, he said, he propped his bike up against a security guard's toilet so he would have enough takeoff distance.

In 1994, he stopped jumping and became more focused on his son's motorcycle racing career.

He would start jumping again in 2012 but was injured in a test jump at an event in Salt Lake City. He spent days in intensive care, then recovered from his injuries and jumped 10 cars in Billings, Mont., in June 2012.

His website, bigedbeckley.net, details his recent jumps and the plans for his Snake River adventure.

"I just kind of got off into his life, and now I'm getting back into mine and I'm having a lot more fun," Beckley said.

Even though Beckley has committed nearly $1 million to the Snake River jump, it isn't guaranteed to take place. He still must win over a number of officials in the Twin Falls area.

"We'll certainly be looking forward to the opportunity to capitalize on the anniversary of the Evel Knievel jump," said Shawn Barigar, president and chief executive officer of the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce. "But I'll be honest: There are a lot of unknowns right now."

Other state and local agencies must also sign off, Barigar said.

"The process that happened with the state only dealt with the landing side of this jump," said Barigar, who also serves on the Twin Falls City Council. "There will still be an application and permitting process for our side of the canyon."

The hesitancy stems not only from ensuring the safety of the jump but also from making sure that Twin Falls doesn't take a financial hit.

During the Evel Knievel jump, some vendors were left with unpaid bills.

"Some of it is fact and some of it is folklore," Barigar said. "It's hard to know what happened 40 years later."

But Barigar said there is support for the jump if it is done correctly. Forty years later, the jump site is still a tourist attraction.

"I think there is cautious optimism," Barigar said. "... People back then didn't understand the scope and impact, but this time people are certainly thinking about the possibilities."

Beckley began wooing Twin Falls officials more than a year ago. He understands the doubts, but he believes he can address those concerns and bring a lot of attention to the city.

"I want to be elected mayor, not burned at the stake when I'm done," Beckley said.

__________________________________________
Source: Fresnobe (Hanna, 10/16)

Friday, October 11, 2013

Information on Roar by the Shore road closures

The Corpus Christi Police Department welcomes Bikefest ‘Roar by the Shore’ to Corpus Christi for its 20th Anniversary.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., Bikefest 2013 will be holding a parade beginning at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and ending just North of the Concrete Street Amphitheater. Traffic Officers with the Corpus Christi Police Department will be providing traffic control throughout the motorcycle route. Side roads will begin being blocked off at 2:00 p.m. Beginning at 4:30 p.m., the Parade route will close to traffic until it ends at 7:30 p.m.

Motorcycle riders will gather on Shoreline Drive around the Texas A&M University and proceed northbound on Ocean Drive and Shoreline Boulevard to Power Street. At Power Street, riders will take a left onto Chaparral Street and head southbound to Belden Street where they will ride on, taking a right onto Tancahua Street. The riders will continue to several designated parking lots north of the Concrete Street Amphitheater.

Street closures will include Ocean Drive, Shoreline Boulevard, Power, Chaparral, Belden and Tancahua Streets.

Motorists are asked to take alternate routes to avoid this area. The downtown area of Corpus Christi is expected to have congested traffic. Delays are to be expected. Please be patient and courteous.

____________________
source: Alice Echo-News Journal (Willden, 10/11)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Texas Daredevil Spends nearly $1M for Evel Knievel Jump Reenactment

BOISE, Idaho • Last December, Big Ed Beckley walked to the edge of the dirt ramp where Evel Knievel attempted in 1974 to jump the Snake River Canyon.

“I sat on the end of that take-off ramp, looked out across that canyon and felt icy fingers come up my back,” he said.

“It said, ‘Go for it.’ I know that was Evel.”

On Friday, Beckley — a motorcycle stuntman from Texas — said he felt altogether different knowing he was one step closer to pulling off what no stuntman ever has.

He threw his arms in the air and shouted after securing his winning bid of $943,000 for the right to land his motorcycle across the canyon from where Knievel attempted the stunt 40 years ago.

The launch nearly killed Knievel, but on Friday Beckley smiled and joked wildly through the hour he bid against four other groups at the Idaho Department of Lands building in downtown Boise.

Beckley beat out Twin Falls BASE jumper Miles Daisher, who said it was his dream to attempt the stunt. Also skunked were locals Scott Record and Scott Truax who built an exact replica of the steam-powered rocket Knievel used.

“We are going to turn this into something huge and I’m expecting to be elected the mayor of Twin Falls, not burned at the stake,” Beckley said.

A life-long Knievel fan, Beckley said he watched the Butte, Mont. native’s historic attempt on pay-per-view television. He said he plans to jump with a rocket-powered motorcycle — not a steam-powered rocket with wheels — over the canyon at 230 miles an hour. A parachute will carry him to safety, he said.

“I’m the one who can get this done,” he said moments after winning the auction.

Beckley said he was confident in his team of engineers.

“I’ve always wanted to make my mark in life, but not on the north side of that wall,” he said, sweat rolling down his forehead.

The final price on the lease surprised many in the audience. What Beckley bought was a two-year lease on the 1,147 acres north of the canyon rim. The lease is $50,000 for two years and stipulates that the state gets a small percentage of what he makes on the event. Proceeds from the auction and lease will benefit Idaho public schools.

Beckley claimed he would pay the bill out-of-pocket.

Twin Falls Bidders

Record and Truax tried to silence the room with a $750,000 bid at one point. Their final bid was $880,000, which was much more than the $200,000 they thought would be reasonable, Record said.

“We thought we had that in the bag,” he said.

Record said he doesn’t think Beckley’s idea is feasible, he “can’t fathom” how he is going to make that money back and expects the Texan’s permits to be turned down based on his idea.

The two aren’t giving up, however. Record said he is in contact with Hollywood producers.

“We’ve got all kinds of plans — a Plan B, Plan C and a Plan D,” he said. “This thing isn’t over yet.”

Daisher said he grew up watching Knievel and sees the famous mound of dirt in the distance each time he BASE jumps from the Perrine Bridge.

Daisher, who partnered with the Chicago-based REO Development Group, said he wasn’t comfortable starting a project nearly a million dollars in the hole. He wasn’t ashamed after his team surrendered with a final bid of $658,000.

“As an athlete, I’m not afraid to walk away from some jumps if they get too scary,” he said.

Although he had worked for years on the project, Daisher said he wasn’t ready to “lay over and stick my legs in the air just yet.” He still hopes to dazzle his hometown.

“That’s my home team right there,” he said of Twin Falls. “My heart is beating fast and I hope this will be a catalyst for me to do a bigger, better project.”

Knievel’s Legacy

Evel’s son, Kelly Knievel, now a Las Vegas resident, said he wasn’t sure how he felt about the news of a jump moving forward. Whether Beckley’s attempt is successful or not will never change his father’s legacy, he said.

“There’s only one Evel Knievel and there will never be another Evel Knievel,” he said in a telephone interview.

Regardless, Kelly, 53, said he was excited to hear about the attempt and would try to attend if it moves forward.

“I’ll be the first guy out there putting a shovel in the ground and cutting the ribbon,” he said jokingly. “Nah, I’ll wish whoever flies over the canyon the best of luck.”

What’s Next?

Twin Falls City Councilman and Chamber of Commerce President Shawn Barigar looked a bit starstruck after the auction ended.
“Wow,” he said. “I did not anticipate that number today.”

City personnel have waited to see who won the state’s land permit before finishing its permitting requirements, he said. Barigar said the city will have a “thoughtful process” to ensure public health and safety from the event that’s likely to draw thousands of spectators.

“We’ll be looking at how we can ensure the city capitalizes on an event like this while mitigating those potential negative impacts,” he said.

Beckley will also need permits from many other state and federal agencies, Barigar said. When discussions about reenacting the jump come up periodically, about 30 different agencies are in the room, he said.

Whether or not Beckley will successfully navigate the permitting process remains to be seen. But he is now closer than any other person who has been interested.

Beckley said he would have loved to see Robbie Knievel — one of Evel’s sons who still performs motorcycle stunts — try the jump.

“I just don’t think he is physically able right now,” Beckley said.

When asked if he would have liked to see a reenactment stay in the family, Kelly had a quick answer.

“No one is saying that a Knievel won’t re-attempt it,” he said.

Bill Rundle, a Butte man who was one of Evel’s mechanics and watched the canyon jump when he was 16, was skeptical of the event. He said the only way the jump would “mean anything” was if Robbie was in the drivers seat.

“Will it ever be what it was? I don’t think so,” he said.

Chad Harrington, who runs the Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Mont., agreed that a successful jump would not change how Evel’s attempt is remembered. That, he said, was Evel’s brainchild and that it has been 40 years since anyone has mounted the ramp is a testament to his bravery and genius.

But Harrington doesn’t see the jump quite like Rundle — those who competed for the lease Friday were not hoping to best Evel.

They were paying for the right to pay their respects.

“It would be a hell of an achievement,” he said. “... A tribute.”ok/ata

Big Jump, Big Money

Texas daredevil ‘Big Ed’ Beckley spends nearly $1M on lease for Knievel jump reenactment

Pull quote:

“We’ve got all kinds of plans — a Plan B, Plan C and a Plan D. This thing isn’t over yet.”

- Scott Record, Twin Falls resident who lost bid to attempt Evel Knievel’s jump

BOISE • Last December, Big Ed Beckley walked to the edge of the dirt ramp where Evel Knievel attempted in 1974 to jump the Snake River Canyon.

“I sat on the end of that take-off ramp, looked out across that canyon and felt icy fingers come up my back,” he said.

“It said, ‘Go for it.’ I know that was Evel.”

On Friday, Beckley — a motorcycle stuntman from Texas — said he felt altogether different knowing he was one step closer to pulling off what no stuntman ever has.

He threw his arms in the air and shouted after securing his winning bid of $943,000 for the right to land his motorcycle across the canyon from where Knievel attempted the stunt 40 years ago.

The launch nearly killed Knievel, but on Friday Beckley smiled and joked wildly through the hour he bid against four other groups at the Idaho Department of Lands building in downtown Boise.

Beckley beat out Twin Falls BASE jumper Miles Daisher, who said it was his dream to attempt the stunt. Also skunked were locals Scott Record and Scott Truax who built an exact replica of the steam-powered rocket Knievel used.

“We are going to turn this into something huge and I’m expecting to be elected the mayor of Twin Falls, not burned at the stake,” Beckley said.

A life-long Knievel fan, Beckley said he watched the Butte, Mont. native’s historic attempt on pay-per-view television. He said he plans to jump with a rocket-powered motorcycle — not a steam-powered rocket with wheels — over the canyon at 230 miles an hour. A parachute will carry him to safety, he said.

“I’m the one who can get this done,” he said moments after winning the auction.

Beckley said he was confident in his team of engineers.

“I’ve always wanted to make my mark in life, but not on the north side of that wall,” he said, sweat rolling down his forehead.

The final price on the lease surprised many in the audience. What Beckley bought was a two-year lease on the 1,147 acres north of the canyon rim. The lease is $50,000 for two years and stipulates that the state gets a small percentage of what he makes on the event. Proceeds from the auction and lease will benefit Idaho public schools.

Beckley claimed he would pay the bill out-of-pocket.

Twin Falls Bidders

Record and Truax tried to silence the room with a $750,000 bid at one point. Their final bid was $880,000, which was much more than the $200,000 they thought would be reasonable, Record said.

“We thought we had that in the bag,” he said.

Record said he doesn’t think Beckley’s idea is feasible, he “can’t fathom” how he is going to make that money back and expects the Texan’s permits to be turned down based on his idea.

The two aren’t giving up, however. Record said he is in contact with Hollywood producers.

“We’ve got all kinds of plans — a Plan B, Plan C and a Plan D,” he said. “This thing isn’t over yet.”

Daisher said he grew up watching Knievel and sees the famous mound of dirt in the distance each time he BASE jumps from the Perrine Bridge.

Daisher, who partnered with the Chicago-based REO Development Group, said he wasn’t comfortable starting a project nearly a million dollars in the hole. He wasn’t ashamed after his team surrendered with a final bid of $658,000.

“As an athlete, I’m not afraid to walk away from some jumps if they get too scary,” he said.

Although he had worked for years on the project, Daisher said he wasn’t ready to “lay over and stick my legs in the air just yet.” He still hopes to dazzle his hometown.

“That’s my home team right there,” he said of Twin Falls. “My heart is beating fast and I hope this will be a catalyst for me to do a bigger, better project.”

Knievel’s Legacy

Evel’s son, Kelly Knievel, now a Las Vegas resident, said he wasn’t sure how he felt about the news of a jump moving forward. Whether Beckley’s attempt is successful or not will never change his father’s legacy, he said.

“There’s only one Evel Knievel and there will never be another Evel Knievel,” he said in a telephone interview.

Regardless, Kelly, 53, said he was excited to hear about the attempt and would try to attend if it moves forward.

“I’ll be the first guy out there putting a shovel in the ground and cutting the ribbon,” he said jokingly. “Nah, I’ll wish whoever flies over the canyon the best of luck.”

What’s Next?

Twin Falls City Councilman and Chamber of Commerce President Shawn Barigar looked a bit starstruck after the auction ended.

“Wow,” he said. “I did not anticipate that number today.”

City personnel have waited to see who won the state’s land permit before finishing its permitting requirements, he said. Barigar said the city will have a “thoughtful process” to ensure public health and safety from the event that’s likely to draw thousands of spectators.

“We’ll be looking at how we can ensure the city capitalizes on an event like this while mitigating those potential negative impacts,” he said.

Beckley will also need permits from many other state and federal agencies, Barigar said. When discussions about reenacting the jump come up periodically, about 30 different agencies are in the room, he said.

Whether or not Beckley will successfully navigate the permitting process remains to be seen. But he is now closer than any other person who has been interested.

Beckley said he would have loved to see Robbie Knievel — one of Evel’s sons who still performs motorcycle stunts — try the jump.

“I just don’t think he is physically able right now,” Beckley said.

When asked if he would have liked to see a reenactment stay in the family, Kelly had a quick answer.

“No one is saying that a Knievel won’t re-attempt it,” he said.

Bill Rundle, a Butte man who was one of Evel’s mechanics and watched the canyon jump when he was 16, was skeptical of the event. He said the only way the jump would “mean anything” was if Robbie was in the drivers seat.

“Will it ever be what it was? I don’t think so,” he said.

Chad Harrington, who runs the Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Mont., agreed that a successful jump would not change how Evel’s attempt is remembered. That, he said, was Evel’s brainchild and that it has been 40 years since anyone has mounted the ramp is a testament to his bravery and genius.

But Harrington doesn’t see the jump quite like Rundle — those who competed for the lease Friday were not hoping to best Evel.

They were paying for the right to pay their respects.

“It would be a hell of an achievement,” he said. “... A tribute.”

_____________________________________________________
Source: Magic Valley (Smith, 9/28)