Douglas M. Gaus
www.newproductconsultant.com

Eddie B, Eddie B...How could i have ever doubted thee?

I'm personally eating some serious crow since hearing the great news that Eddie Braun, Hollywood stuntman, successfully piloted his team's rocket, Evel Spirit, over the Snake River this past Friday afternoon.  But I never had any doubt he could do it as a professional stuntman, I just had doubt that the $$ powers to be would come through to allow him to actually do the jump.

It takes some serious b@lls to do what he did and he came through big time!!  He also lulled me into thinking it wasn't going to happen with the silence that happened the weeks and days before the jump.  But he did what a true pioneer does, he quietly went about his business and did what he was set out to do.. Eddie and team Evel Spirit were looking for a calm day with great weather conditions and last Friday's conditions in Twin Falls were just right...so they jumped the launch date by a day too.

Congrats Eddie, and sorry again for ever doubting that this could happen!!  Like I said in my original blog, I hoped that you would prove me wrong, and you did!!  Your courageous, heroic jump will forever be in the annals of Twin Falls and Idaho history!

And Evel's spirit (not your rocket) in the sky was watching down over you and most definitely giving you a kind wink and a thumbs up after you and rocket cradled gently to earth safely on the other side of the canyon..

Editor's Note (Again): Not to be overlooked, but you also have inspired the next generation of kids to do great things like this...Just like you were inspired by Evel and his stunt work and accomplishments when you were a kid!!

As we're just a few days from the tentatively announced Sept. 17 launch date, Eddie Braun, professional stuntman, and his team for the rocket craft Evel Spirit have gone silent.  They (along with daredevil “Big Ed” Beckley) have been promising for years to re-create the late Evel Knievel's 1974 stunt, again, to be set in the Twin Falls are of Idaho.  On the internet, recents pics can be found of the new "Evel Spirit" rocket and a ramp along with plans for static testing.  Eddie B. has secured rights to launch but not sure what else has been secured at this last minute.  Are there no television stations or any other promotional deep pockets stepping forward to broadcast the little known event?  

For this rocket reboot, Braun enlisted Scott Truax, the son of Robert Truax, Evel Knievel's original rocket engineer for the 1974 jump.  For those who are old enough to recall that jump, the rocket went off as planned but the parachute deployed early, leaving the rocket to fall to canyon of the Snake River, like a toy rocket descending to earth after being shot to the sky with a rubber band.  Luckily, Evel Knievel survived his fall into the Snake River, but many viewers over the years have blasted the ill-fated stunt as a firecracker dud, as the Snake River was never fully "jumped".  Braun, who has idolized Evel Knievel since a kid, has desired to "right" the bad jump that happened to his hero over 40 yrs ago. 

Will Eddie be able to pull a rabbit out of a desert hole in Twin by sometime Saturday?  His Kickstarter campaign says they are definitely going to launch, although the funding campaign was  pulled over 3 weeks ago with only about 1/3 of the original $150K funded...The Kickstarter website says to check for updates at Evelspirit.com, which is a non-working url...and that link just redirects to the same Kickstarter page.  Eddie Braun's twitter account has some new hopeful postings within the last 20 hrs, so maybe there is some last minute push to really  make this happen.

Slash, of Gun's and Roses, even got in the game and re-recorded the Elton John song '"Rocketman" to help promote and further the Evel Spirit jump and cause.  I haven't heard Slash's version yet but assume its an instrumental, as he doesn't sing...but I can hear Slash's guitar jamming in melody with the faint Elton John vocals still playing in my head..."I think it's gonna be a long long time...." (boy who cried wolf syndrome)

Editor's note: Eddie B. and company: I'm not the naysayer type so I hope you all prove me wrong! If you do blast off in Twin, very safe travels and God Speed to the other side!