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Big Jim’s Garage

Kenny Powers And The Greatest Stunt You Never Heard Of

Jim O'Brien March 13th
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 25: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been edited using digital filters) Danny McBride attends the Los Angeles premiere of New HBO Series "The Righteous Gemstones" at Paramount Studios on July 25, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

No not THAT Kenny Powers. This is the story a man, his rocket powered Lincoln LTD and one big ass ramp. A Canadian by the name of Ken Carter had a dream and was determined to jump ONE mile over the St. Lawrence River from Canada to New York. How was he going to do this? In a rocket powered custom Lincoln LTD that took years to build – his goal?

  • Reach 270mph at the ramp and fly one mile to the other side (what could go wrong?)

Unfortunately time, money and lack of support kept delaying Ken Carter. Then one day the backers decided to bring American stunt man Kenny Powers to attend this feat. How’d it go? Watch and shake your head.

When he was pulled from the wreckage – he was head to say “Did I make it?” (really).

Two years later this stunt would appear in a Burt Reynolds movie. You think we’re joking? Remember “Hooper”? Didn’t he make a jump in a rocket powered car?

One last thing about jumping things – how many of us were inspired by Evel Knievel? As a kid he was my hero – I couldn’t wait to watch ABC’s Wide World of Sports to see what was next. We found this great news report from CBS after Evel crashed here in Detroit.

We were debating this in the office – here’s our list of Evel’s five best jumps:

  1. Caesars Palace Fountain Jump (1967) – This was Knievel’s most famous jump, where he attempted to jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He fell short and suffered numerous injuries, but the jump became an iconic moment in American pop culture.
  2. Snake River Canyon Jump (1974) – Knievel attempted to jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho using a rocket-powered motorcycle. Although the jump was not successful, it remains one of his most ambitious and daring stunts.
  3. Wembley Stadium Jump (1975) – Knievel attempted to jump over 13 double-decker buses at Wembley Stadium in London. He made it over all 13 buses, but crashed upon landing and suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries.
  4. Los Angeles Coliseum Jump (1973) – Knievel successfully jumped over 50 stacked cars at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, setting a world record at the time.
  5. Madison Square Garden Jump (1971) – Knievel attempted to jump over 19 cars at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He successfully cleared the cars but crashed upon landing and suffered a broken ankle and other injuries