Travis Pastrana takes an Evel approach

Very much like Aussie Robbie Maddison, Travis Pastrana is a hard man to keep down. And so it was in Las Vegas last night, as the current Nitro Circus front man completed three jumps – over 147 metres’ worth – on an Indian Scout FTR750 to break three records held by the late American stuntman Evel Knievel.

The first jump was 44 metres over 52 cars; the second was 58 metres over 16 buses; and the third 45 metres over the Caesars Palace Fountain. That was the jump which went pear-shaped for Knievel, who ended up in hospital with multiple broken bones.

“It’s just such an honor to live a day in Evel’s footsteps and literally his boots,” Pastrana was quoted as saying by ESPN.

“To be here in Las Vegas, so much of my history has been here. I proposed to my wife here, I had [the] first Nitro Circus show here. This was definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Only two weeks ago, Pastrana, 34, won his class in a Porsche Cayman at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

Knievel succumbed to lung disease on November 30, 2007 at the age of 69. That he lived so long may have qualified as a medical miracle. As the independent reported, his physical problems included: diabetes, pulmonary fibrosis, two strokes, hepatitis C, a hip replacement, arthritis, liver transplant, 38 formerly shattered bones – including a seven-times-broken back – twice-crushed pelvis and frequently fractured legs, plus several comas, one lasting 29 days.

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