Butte Begins Evel Knievel’s Farewell With A Bang

By Guest Writer, 12-10-07

If Sunday evening’s fireworks display is an indication, Butte’s farewell to its daredevil son, Evel Knievel will be a lot like one of his motorcycle jumps. We grew up during Knievel’s heyday, and we well remember the drill: Weeks, frequently months, of buildup and media coverage led up to the big day. That day, spectators would fill the stands hours early to get the best view. The jump itself was over in seconds.

Sunday’s fireworks display, donated and ably orchestrated by Rick Olson of Pyro & Fire FX in Gig Harbor, Washington, fittingly followed that pattern. The Civic Center parking lot started filling up by 6:30 p.m. By 7:15, the atmosphere was that of a cold, dark and unusually well attended Orediggers tailgate party, complete with honking horns, revelers shouting, and people stomping their feet to stay warm, thankful for a break in Butte’s recent sub-zero temperatures.

The red-white-and-blue fireworks began at 7:30, marking the arrival of Knievel’s body at the Civic Center, where the funeral will be held tomorrow. They were over three minutes later. Visually, the compact performance impressed with close-to-the-ground detonations and fast-paced, layered effects. But the noise registered most of all, the resounding, concussive din of mortars exploding about 30 yards away from the closest of the onlookers. We think Knievel would have approved of the whole scene, including the cacophony of honking horns that ensued after the fireworks gave way to a column of smoke.

The parking lot and surroundings, filled with several hundred vehicles, took about 45 minutes to empty, with traffic backed up in both directions, and creative drivers (us included) taking shortcuts along the adjacent railroad tracks and across the fireworks staging area.

So here we are, waiting in the quiet for Monday, when Butte says farewell to a local legend. Knievel’s given Butte plenty to talk about over the years. The lead-up to his funeral-the reminiscences, the rumors, the speculation, the coverage-suggests that this ability did not end with his death.