Knievel’s suit sale

There’s optimism and then there’s blind optimism, y’all. There are of course the jawdropping, death- defying motorcycle stunts Evel Knievel performed.

But if he had been dressed in ordinary motorcycle leathers, would the image of him flying over a line- up of yellow American school buses, on his way to an almost certain stint in a hospital bed, stick in the mind quite like it does?

Possibly not. Because Knievel knew how to put on a show.

And part of that showmanship was his famous star- spangled leather jumpsuit he’d wear on and off his bike. Matched with a cane ( not a simple prop, given the number of broken bones the stuntman would be nursing at any one time), he had the swagger of Shaft mixed with the ice cool of Steve McQueen.

Now someone is going to grab those leathers and that walking stick for their own collection.

Evel’s son Kelly Knievel has put up some of his dad’s memorabilia through Heritage Auctions, which generally specialises in more conventional sports miscellanea, like baseballs, bats and boxing gloves.

The pop culture items were already fetching US$ 40,000 mid- week though and the online bidding will be closing about the time you read this.

Oh, and incidentally, that diamondencrusted cane is hollow, for Evel’s … medicinal needs.