Caesars Palace

From the moment you walk through the doors of Caesars Palace, you know you’ve arrived at the most prestigious resort in the world. Impeccable service. Luxury. All the little details that make the difference between an ordinary visit and a spectacular experience are yours. — Hotel Website

Yes. It’s opulent. It’s large. It’s posh. But, it also has a long and storied history. My favourite stories come from the world of motorcycle jumping. For a long time, the fountains at Caesars Palace remained an unattainable dream to motorcycle jumpers.

The first person to attempt the jump was Evel Knievel on December 31, 1967. While he managed to make it across the fountain, his landing was less than graceful. Even though the stunt was not considered successful, after this Evel Knievel became a household name.

Gary Wells also earned a name for himself in 1980 when he attempted the same jump. Like Knievel, he managed to make it over the fountain but crashed because someone moved his landing ramp. Wells suffered considerably for this stunt.

The first successful jump was in 1989 by Robbie Knievel — Evel’s son. The next was in 2006 when Mike Metzger became the first person to ever backflip on a motorcycle over the fountains.