Snake River Canyon jump gets competitive

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Texas motorcycle stuntman Big Ed Beckley’s plans to repeat Evel Knievel’s attempted jump of the Snake River Canyon in south-central Idaho could be upstaged by a Hollywood stuntman with an earlier launch date.

Jerome County commissioners approved a permit for a rocket-powered jump proposed by Scott Record and Scott Truax for Sept. 1, a week ahead of Beckley.

The plan approved earlier this week involves taking off from private land in Jerome County and landing on private land in Twin Falls County, sidestepping public land restrictions and permits, the Times-News reported.

Eddie Braun has been picked to guide the craft, making two daredevils this year with plans to rocket across the canyon and succeed where Knievel failed in 1974.

The county commission’s approval of the second jump is causing friction with the Twin Falls City Council, which has worked with Beckley and even annexed the land containing Knievel’s jump site. That’s where Beckley plans to launch. Braun would launch from the other side of the river.

The state last year awarded Beckley a lease to use the public land landing site of Knievel’s attempt, and Beckley in October paid $943,000 to the Idaho Department of Lands.