Poker Writer
The famous Caesars Palace fountain jump will get another attempt on May 17 from seven-time X Games gold medalist Colby Raha. The stunt will celebrate the opening of Tao Group’s new Omnia Dayclub at the property, opening May 15.
Raha already has a plethora of big jump records to his name. In August, the 31-year-old set the world record for the furthest jump on a Harley V-twin with a jump of 205 feet. He also holds the world record for the longest motorcycle jump on a flat landing, at 200 feet, and the highest motorcycle air on the quarter-pipe, 90 feet.
Considering the distances of his world records, the Caesars Palace fountain jump should be routine for Raha.
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Reprising the Famous Evel Knievel Jump
The fountains are one of the most famous spots on the Las Vegas Strip and span about 160 feet. They have been a popular site of daredevil stunts ever since Evel Knievel’s famous jump on New Year’s Eve 1967. Knievel’s jump actually ended in near-disaster. He cleared the distance of the fountains but failed to land it, resulting in a nasty crash. He was badly injured with a crushed femur and pelvis, among other injuries to his hip, wrist, and a concussion.
But the jump was worth the injuries. It ended up being a large factor in Knievel’s eventual rise to stardom and in becoming a household name that persists to this day, decades later.
The daredevil legend’s own son became the first person to clear the Caesar Palace fountains. In 1989, Robbie Knievel successfully did what his father couldn’t by entirely clearing the fountains without crashing.
Other Successful Jumps of the Caesars Palace Fountains
Since Knievel’s son landed the jump, there have been a few other successful jumps of the fountains.
- 2006: Mike Metzger jumped the fountains, including landing a backflip. Despite the backflip trick, Metzger’s jump is less well-known than the others.
- 2018: Travis Pastrana did three jumps on the Vegas Strip back-to-back, including the fountain jump. Pastrana did the jump as an homage to Knievel.
When comparing the different eras of daredevil stunts, many note that, even though Knievel did not land the jump, he was still a pioneer who performed his stunts with greater risk because of the lesser motorcycle technology at the time.
One comment on YouTube laid out the key differences:
The difference with Evel was that every jump had an unknown outcome. It was a different level of excitement. He was crazy to try some of the things he did, considering the equipment he used and the fact that he relied completely on instinct to plan the jump. When you watched him, you knew it was very possible that he could be injured or killed…
…What Evel did took balls considering the risks. When the risks are understood, it’s less about balls and more about confidence and execution. With the technology and knowledge Travis had, Evel would have made it look easy, too.
