Las Vegas Weekly

December 31, 2008 · 12:15 PM

For Kaptain Robbie Knievel, there’s no rehearsal before Mirage volcano jump

By Robin Leach

Robbie Knievel.

Photo: Fox TV

An army of more than 100 people will have less than two hours to move three ramps into exact position on the Strip at The Mirage tonight starting at 6. The problem for stunt daredevil motorcyclist Robbie Knievel is that they’ve never done it before, and there will be no time to check it before he makes the 200-plus-foot jump over the 900-degree fireballs of the exploding Mirage volcano.

Hard to believe, but that’s not the worst of the problems. As Kaptain Knievel explained to me early yesterday during his satellite TV promotional tour: “Everything is working against us. If I’m a split second out of synch, I could be jumping through the flames instead of over them! I don’t have a speedometer on the bike, so I have to guess I’ve got the speed up to almost 90 mph to make it over safely -- and not wind up in the icy water and flames of the lagoon.

“I’m worried about the cold temperatures and the low humidity because the chain on the bike can break or lock up. It’s already causing carburetor misfiring, and that cannot dare happen once I’m on that final ramp. After the volcano, I’ve got to be able to see through the smoke and simultaneously be able to brake so I set down first my back wheel on the landing ramp. If it’s the front wheel first, then it’s a certain crash.

“I don’t have a death wish and I don’t want to die, but this is the most ambitious and dangerous jump ever attempted. I am confident, though, and relaxed going into it.”

Photo: Fox TV

Robbie Knievel.

Even worse, as Fox executive producer Jeff Androsky told me: “Nothing has been rehearsed. It can’t be. We have no luxury of practice or rehearsal. The jump is it. It’s never been done -- it’s once and once only, and so many things have to go right. He’s been out in the desert near Nellis Air Force Base since Christmas Day warming up. His last jump was Halloween, so the past few days he’s been tightening up his body, conditioning it with jumps from the natural dunes and getting all his strength back for tonight.

“The clock starts ticking at 6 p.m. when we start building the jump ramps. We’ve assembled as much as possible behind The Mirage so we can then drag it into place at the two Mirage driveways on the Strip. The logistics alone are monumental and overwhelming. Normally, I would insist we had five days to prep for something of this magnitude and test it thoroughly. Instead, I’ve got 120 minutes and no time to test anything.

“The only thing Robbie will do at that point is two test runs so he knows the bike is up to speed. His stunt coordinator will clock both of those on a radar gun so Robbie has a sense of the speed. That should be at 6 p.m. also right there on the Strip. Then we plan on him making a grand entrance just after 9 p.m. local time as we cut back from Times Square ball-drop festivities. Robbie will make a small speech and then move into position. Sometime between then and 9:15 p.m., he will make the actual jump. Exactly when depends on him.

Photo: Fox TV

Robbie Knievel.

“We have 18 cameras including a wide-reaching overhead jib camera to make sure we get the jump from every angle. Although the gap is 200 feet, his jump will probably be between 220 and 240 feet from take-off to landing. Another 14 cameras will shoot in Times Square so we have everything covered.

“We’ve built a giant tower of scaffolding on the Treasure Island property so Robbie can go up that -- it looks like a giant Olympic ski-ramp. He will be able to see every aspect of the jump from there. Once he’s up there, he’s committed. He’ll decide the exact moment to go himself when he feels it. At that point, there’s no turning back. I can only hope then that the timing of everything down to the split second with the fireballs, the explosions, the water jets, the smoke all time perfect for him so we end up with the right shot and not a disaster.”

The normally near five-minute musical presentation that accompanies the exploding volcano attraction has been trimmed for jump and TV purposes tonight.

“However, if the volcano blows too soon, Robbie will be flying right through those flames,” Jeff warned. “We’ve only been able to run the bike against the time code of the video recording to estimate the take-off, the lift-off and the landing. Not exactly the best way to do it, but there’s no other choice.”

Photo: Fox TV

Robbie Knievel.

Robbie has a new black uniform with red and white piping and white stars for the jump. He’s already pretaped a Mike Tyson-type grand entrance from the casino. When the camera crews filmed that Monday night, fans mobbed Robbie.

He told me: “I do this jump to honor my father and his memory. It will be exactly 41 years to the day that Evel Knievel attempted the jump across the Caesars Palace fountains. He made the jump but crashed on landing. His bones were shattered, and he was in a coma for 29 days. He is the reason I jump. He still is my inspiration, and I salute him every time. I will salute him before I start this jump and when I land.”

The most famous daredevil alive, Robbie has completed more than 350 jumps and set 20 world records. His first bicycle jump was at just 4 years old, and he was riding motorcycles by the time he was 7. His first show with his father was in Madison Square Garden at age 8, and by age 12 he was touring and jumping with his dad.

Photo: Fox TV

Robbie Knievel.

Next summer, Robbie plans to do his largest ever jump at Wembley Stadium in England in front of a possible 100,000 people when he plans to jump over 16 double-decker London Transport red buses -- that’s three more than he’s ever jumped before and would give him a new world record.

My Fox News friend and reporter Rick Leventhal is hosting from New York’s Time Square (probably because of his front-line Iraq and Afghanistan skills!) and with Talk Show’s Spike Feresten and Mark Thompson from Hole in the Wall co-hosting from The Mirage.

Photo: Fox TV

Spike Feresten of Talk Show.

Photo: Fox TV

Mark Thompson of Hole in the Wall.

Photo: Fox TV

Chrissy Russo of Fox San Diego.

Fox San Diego anchor Chrissy Russo will feature four of our Cirque du Soleil shows during tonight’s 90-minute telecast. Mindfreak magician Criss Angel hosted her on a behind-the-scenes tour of Believe at the Luxor and let her film several of the show’s big illusions -- along with some intimate moments with girlfriend Holly Madison in his dressing room! Named Magician of the Decade by the International Magicians Society, Criss also is the first five-time recipient of the coveted Magician of the Year award.

At Ka in MGM Grand, Chrissy was taught how to scale the giant wall, and at The Beatles LOVE musical in The Mirage, she talked to 10 top stars about why they love the production. At Zumanity, Spike, Mark and Chrissy tried to cover up the topless performers so the onstage antics could get past the censors for tonight’s broadcast airing live on the East Coast from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and tape delayed here in the Pacific Time zone.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

David Cook at Jet.

In addition, chart-topping rock bands Daughtry and Lynyrd Skynyrd are set to perform on the show, along with Scott Weiland and American Idol Season 7 winner David Cook, who last night pretaped his performance inside Jet at The Mirage.

Photo: Fox TV

Daughtry.

Photo: Fox TV

Lynyrd Skynyrd.

In the meantime, everything is a go for the two rival stunt jumps being broadcast in head-to-head competition on ESPN. Rhys Millen will attempt to become the first person to complete and land a backflip in an off-road truck on ramps that have been set up in the parking lots of The Rio all-suite hotel casino. Click HERE for our exclusive interview with Rhys.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Robbie Maddison.

Then over at Paris Las Vegas, Robbie Maddison will attempt to jump his bike more than 120 feet high to land it atop the 96-foot-tall Arc de Triomphe. Click HERE for our exclusive interview with Robbie.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue, who will photo report Maddison’s death-defying daredevil jump tonight, was at the site for us last night to shoot new photos.

Our only wish is that all three rival stunt riders complete their exploits safely and successfully -- and may the best man win in the TV ratings war. Whatever happens, Las Vegas becomes the ultimate winner in getting triple global exposure as we kick off 2009.

To everybody out there from all of us at Vegas DeLuxe, a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year! Don’t forget to check back right here in the morning for the full photo reports from our team of writers, photogs and videographers for the ultimate wrap-up of all the New Year’s Eve excitement -- the stunts, the shows and the parties!

— From Vegas Deluxe

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