Desert in a Minute: Evel Knievel’s Early Daredevil Jump at the Indio Fairgrounds

NBC Palm Springs resident historian Steve Sumrall continues the “Desert in a Minute” series with a look back at a little-known chapter in the early career of legendary motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel.

The story begins with a poster announcing that Evel Knievel and his motorcycle daredevils would perform death-defying stunts at the Indio Fairgrounds Arena. At the time, the name Evel Knievel was virtually unknown, and many people had never seen it printed before.

The show marked the debut of the newly rebranded daredevil, who would go on to become one of the most famous stunt performers in American history.

For this early stunt, Knievel attempted a motorcycle jump over two pickup trucks — a distance of roughly 45 feet. Instead of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles he later became known for, Knievel rode a British-made Norton 750cc Atlas.

The jump was a success and helped introduce audiences to Knievel’s daring style.

However, the momentum from the Indio performance didn’t last long. Just a few weeks later in Barstow, Knievel suffered a serious accident while attempting another stunt — jumping over a speeding motorcycle. The crash resulted in a traumatic groin injury.

During his recovery, the motorcycle daredevil troupe he had been performing with disbanded.

Knievel soon returned to performing on his own, launching what would become a legendary solo career that made him one of the most recognizable daredevils in the world.

For Desert in a Minute, this is NBC Palm Springs resident historian Steve Sumrall.

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