He did what his hero could not. Jump over the Snake River Canyon. On a bright and warm September afternoon, Hollywood stunt man Eddie Braun climbed into his rocket and blasted off.
Braun was in Boise this past weekend and described to Don Nelson what it was really like.
Braun says, "The emotional part was very scary, you know a lot could go wrong, a lot could go wrong." Braun added, "mentally, I had told myself as soon as I heard the countdown, there was no other thought. Because if I would have paused, I would of said, woooo, wait a minute, what am I doing here."
Despite the number of people who tried to talk him out of it, including his mother, and good friend actor Charlie Sheen, Braun was determined to go through with the jump.
Braun remembers the seconds after blastoff, "There were moments I remember clearing the canyon, it seemed like it was gone before I had a chance to realize it."
One thing that will never be gone, is the fact he accomplished what his boyhood hero, Evel Knievel could not, and that is something that brings a big smile to his face.
Truly a rocket man.
