Scooter Link Evel Knievel Letter

When I went to this photo shoot a few years ago, I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to spend the day with Evel Knievel. While the photographers were setting up the different shots, Evel and I had a chance to talk. Many things about this great man stick out in my mind, however, there are just a few I would like to share. First, although the daredevil stunts had taken a toll on Evel's body, he made it clear that he would do it all again. Evel felt that you only live once and you should not just think about the things you believe in and want to do, you should do them. I understood what he meant after I told him that my son, 14 years old at the time, had a deep respect for him and had also loved watching Robby, Evel's son. At that point Evel said, you should have brought him, meaning my son. I told him that I didn't feel it was the right thing to do because this was a professional photo shoot. After all, it was business. He said, and these were his words, "Oh Bulls#$t, If you wanted to bring him you should have." Well, he was Evel Knievel, and I wasn't, and that was the way he lived his life, his way. You have to respect that. He asked for my home number and said he would call my son. I gave it to him and never really thought he would ever call. After all this was a one time photo shoot and I spent three hours with him. He didn't know me from a hole in a wall. It was about two weeks later on a Saturday when the phone rang at my home. My wife answered it. "Evel Knievel's on the phone," my wife said. I went to the phone and said, "Hi Evel." It sounded strange to me to call him Evel, but that's all I knew him by. At that point Evel just said, "Joe?" I said, "Yes?" He said, "I don't want to talk to you, put that son of yours on." Well, he spent 15 minutes talking to my son and made his day, my sons day that is. Although I do think knowing the kind of guy Evel was, that it made his day too. I never talked to Evel again, but I will always have a fond memory of him. His attitude was that of a true American.