Bob Gill (daredevil)

''' Bob Gill is a former world-record holding motorcycle stuntman. He was one of the few jumpers to disdain the use of a landing ramp. His career was cut short in 1974 when he landed short on a world-record attempt to jump the wide Appalachia Lake in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia.

Racer to jumper

Bob began as a motorcycle racer in 1962. Unsatisfied with the money he was making as a racer, he switched to jumping full-time in 1970. After several long jumps, including one over the Cajun Canyon in Louisiana, he jumped over a set of Ryder trucks on May 10, 1973. The jump was filmed for a television commercial that was aired during Super Bowl VIII

World record

On July 17, 1973, Bob set a world record jump of when he jumped over 22 cars with no landing ramp at Seattle International Raceway in Kent, WA.

Appalachia Lake

On August 18, 1974, Bob was scheduled to attempt a world record jump over the -wide Appalachia Lake in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. Heavy rains in the area forced the postponement of the jump to August 25.

The jump was performed without the aid of a landing ramp. He landed three feet short on the embankment of the far side of the lake. Thrown from the bike, he suffered severe spinal cord injuries that left him permanently paralyzed. UPDATE: Bob will be going to France in the Spring of 2008 for a special procedure to walk again called Laser Puncture. He has a good chance of full recovery.

Today

Bob resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sources

• Morgantown, West Virginia Dominion-Post, August 19, 1974

External links

• Bob Gill's page at cyclejumpers.com
• photos of the jump and crash at Appalachia Lake