© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Apple's latest iOS (17.4) is preventing our livestreams from playing. We suggest you download the free Boise State Public Radio app & stream us there while we work to troubleshoot the issue.

Texas Stuntman Cancels His Snake River Canyon Jump

BigEdBeckley.net

The Twin Falls Times-News reports that Texas stuntman "Big Ed" Beckley says he won’t jump the Snake River Canyon. At least not this year.  

On his webpage, Beckley writes that since the Fox television network “backed out” of a TV deal, he’s looking for a media partner for 2015. 

“We are not doing the Snake River Canyon Jump this year and who knows yet if we ever will do it. We are still trying to get a media partner for 2015 but we have dumped over a million bucks of our own cash money in this project and will not get it back until we get that big TV deal we thought we had until FOX TV backed out.”

The Times-News reports Beckley has spent $1.6 million on the project so far. Beckley is a 63-year-old who's been jumping motorcycles since the mid 1970s. He spent $943,000 in a public state auction for the right to jump the Snake River Canyon.

Fox pulled the plug on televising the jump last month.

Beckley says on his website the jump was always a business proposition:

“If no TV Network wants to pay us several million dollars to do this the way we have told people we would do it then we shall walk away. We are not going to sink any more money in that project until we see some huge return on our money. I was never going to do this “because it needed to be done” I was doing this strictly for the business aspect and there is no reason to take risks for the heck of it. It is in God’s hands and we shall follow his lead wherever this jumping career takes us.”

Fox also canceled plans to air another jump, by Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun and rocket builder Scott Truax. The Times-News reports that jump is still on.

“Paul Arrington, project attorney for Braun and Truax, told the Times-News in June that Braun will still jump Sept. 7. Having built significant infrastructure and with three rockets under various states of construction, the team was beyond the point of no return, Arrington said.” – Times-News

The jump was last attempted by Evel Knievel in 1974. Knievel's jump failed.

Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio

Copyright 2014 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.