Evel Knievel made the leap from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums through a unique combination of bravado, determination, and promotional genius. He invented himself and his business, jumping, crashing, and miraculously recovering to promise even more unbelievable acts to come. A generation of kids grew up transfixed by his televised exploits, imitating his stunts on bicycles and with Evel Knievel toys. Decades after Evel hung up his red-white-and-blue cape, his legacy lives on in the young athletes who have taken extreme sports to mainstream acceptance.