Evel KinevelEvel Kinevel has contributed more to extreme sports and motorcycling than any other athlete to date. Evel's full name is Robert Craig Kinevel, given by his parents Chase and Ann Kinevel. He was born in Butte, Montana on October 17, 1938. It didn't take long for young Robert to become interested in the world of motorsports. In fact, he attended a Joy Chitwood Auto Daredevil show when he was just eight years old, which he says was the main influence on his later career choice. Evel dropped out of high school during his sophomore year and began working at the Anaconda Mining Company. His reckless nature got the better of him, however. One day at work, while Evel was driving an earth mover, he did a motorcycle wheelie and removed the city's power lines. This left the town without power for several hours and of course Evel was removed from his mining duties. Antics like this followed Robert his entire life. In fact, a later event even led Robert to his well-known name "Evel Knievel." This happened in 1956; Evel had initiated a police chase and pushed his motorcycle to its limits until he could no longer maintain control and wrecked. He escaped with his life and a place to sleep for the night. Robert was charged with dangerous driving and sent to prison. The night watchman accidentally said that "Awful Knofel" (William Knofel) and "Evil Knievel" were the night's residents. Robert then chose to use the spelling "Evel" in order to match his last name and also to drop the negative connotation of the word "Evil". Without a doubt, Evel Knievel is a true athlete as well as a thrill seeker. These qualities led Evel to participate in activities such as ski jumping, rodeo, and even serve in the armed forces throughout the 1950s. When Evel returned to Butte after serving in the military, he met his wife Linda Joan Bork (who was later replaced by Krystal Kennedy). After his marriage, Evel's interest in hockey became his main focus. He played briefly in the minors, but soon realized he was not destined to turn professional and that there was more money to be made by owning a team..