| Eddie Kidd | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 June 1959 London, England. |
| Occupation | Stunt performer |
| Known for | Motorcycle stunts |
Eddie Kidd (born 22 June 1959, Islington, London) is an English stunt performer best known for his motorcycle jumps.
Contents |
Kidd started his career at the age of fourteen. He is the holder of many world records for jumping over cars and buses. He has worked as a stunt double in many films notably for Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, Roger Moore and Michael Caine in Bullseye!, and Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye. One of his most famous motorcycle stunts was in the 1979 film Hanover Street starring Harrison Ford. Doubling for Ford on a motorbike, he jumped a 120 feet (37 m) railway cutting at 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.
In his role as stunt biker Dave Munday in the 1979 film Riding High, Kidd performed a motorcycle jump across an 80 feet gap in a disused viaduct across the Blackwater River in Essex.
In 1993 Kidd jumped over the Great Wall of China on a motorcycle.
Despite performing over 10,000 jumps in his career, he did not have a UK motorcycle licence until 1995.
In 1993, American motorcycle daredevil, Robbie Knievel challenged Kidd to a world title motorcycle 'jump off' competition in St. Louis, Missouri. Knievel, (son of the late Evel Knievel) had deemed Kidd to be the only motorcycle jump rider in the world worthy of challenging him. The event was televised as a pay per view event titled, 'The Daredevil Duel, Knievel vs. Kidd.' The competition required each rider to make three motorbike jumps, with the accumulative distance covered by each rider calculated to determine the winner of the contest. Kidd won the contest by out-jumping Knievel by 6 feet.
As Robbie Knievel and Eddie Kidd were never to meet again in a competitive capacity, the winner's belt from that day remains with Kidd.
On August 6, 1996, Kidd was involved in a serious motorcycle accident while performing at the Bulldog Bash, held at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon. In comparison to some of his previous stunts, the jump Kidd made that day was relatively minor, comprising a jump of approximately 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m) across a drag strip. The relatively short landing area beyond the drag strip comprised of an uphill incline leading to the edge of a steep embankment. Although Kidd completed the jump and landed the bike upright on two wheels, his chin struck the petrol tank of his motorcycle and was knocked unconscious. As a result, Kidd was unable to prevent himself and his bike from continuing up and over the 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) embankment edge. Kidd sustained serious head and pelvic injuries in the resulting fall. [1]
After the accident, Doctors told Kidd's parents that it was possible he could be in a coma for up to 10 years, but he regained consciousness within three months of the accident.
Kidd appeared in an episode of Russell Brand's 2002 TV documentary series RE:Brand on the digital satellite channel Play UK to talk about his life after the accident.
Kidd took control of a motorcycle again when he formally opened the Beyond Boundaries Live 2007 Exhibition at Sandown Park, Esher on 29 June 2007 whilst riding a Conquest 1200 trike, manufactured by Martin Conquest Limited.
On 17 April 2011 Kidd started the 2011 London Marathon, ditching his wheelchair at the start and walking the rest of the way, stating it would take "four weeks to complete" and that it was his "greatest stunt yet". On 6 June he completed it.[2]
Kidd also said he would compete in another marathon in two years' time.
Kidd was once married to dancer and actress Debbie Ash, the sister of actress Leslie Ash; after having two children, they are now divorced.
22 years after a brief relationship with her, Eddie met Samantha Kirli again in 2009. They are now married.
In 1984, Martech released a computer game based on Kidd's stunts titled Eddie Kidd Jump Challenge.
In 1988, Kidd branched into clothes and hair modelling and appeared in commercials for companies such as Sunsilk, Vieda, and Levi Strauss. Arguably, Kidd's most well known commercial appearance was for the Levi's advert campaigns of the late 1980s. In the story line, the protagonist (played by Kidd) is permitted entry into a nightclub wearing black Levi's 501 jeans as others are being turned away by the doorman for breaking the dress code.
Kidd has also had a singing career releasing several singles, such as "Leave it to the Kidd" (Decca FR 13795) which was a Tony Blackburn show 'Record of the Week'. He was known as the 'mighty soldier'.