1974. Twin Falls, Idaho. Three rebellious high-schoolers share the wildest summer of their lives working behind-the-scenes of Evel Knievel's death-defying Skycycle Jump across the Snake River Canyon. On the night before the big jump these teens risk-it-all to recruit a group of ex-Marine bikers to prevent a Hell's Angels gang from destroying Knievel’s Skycycle. (Inspired by the True Story)

Comps: The banter, action and romance of THE FALL GUY (2024) meets the scrappy high-school underdogs of TOY SOLDIERS (1991).

Semi-Finalist, 2023 Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition.

Semi-Finalist in Amazon Studios', Best Screenplay Competition, 2011 (as Reckless Wheels). 

SYNOPSIS:

A True Story inspired by multiple first-hand accounts.

Story by Bradford Richardson & Kevin Schafer (whose father built Knievel's launch ramp).

SYNOPSIS -

Summer of '74. The ranch town of Twin Falls, Idaho. Defiant high-school senior, Kyle, wants nothing more than to escape small town life and his controlling Civil Engineer father by playing baseball for USC. When Kyle's Dad, (who just designed & built Evel Knievel’s launch ramp), blows Kyle's college fund on a country club membership for himself, Kyle sets out to earn the tuition he needs any way he can.

While working as a hotel busboy, Kyle encounters Knievel and impresses him with his boldness. Knievel challenges him to sneak onto the highly secured jump site the following morning to watch the test launch of the Skycycle X-1 prototype.

Kyle, along with best friends, Megan & Nick, sneak onto the jump site. Something goes wrong with the launch and the Skycycle crashes & sinks into the wild Snake River. Knievel offers five-thousand-dollars to anyone who recovers the Skycycle.

Kyle, Megan & Nick risk their lives in a reckless attempt to dredge it up in snake-filled waters. They nearly pull it off too, but when their boat is about to be dragged under water Kyle is forced to cut the Skycycle loose to save Megan & Nick.

Knievel is so astonished he offers Kyle a security job behind the scenes of the jump site. Megan takes a job too working in the beer garden. Nick is already tied to his job at his Dad’s gas station.

With a week to go, Kyle, Megan and Nick are forced to grow up fast as the jump site campground fills with Bikers, Love-Children, Cowboys, Vietnam Vets and Families. Disparate groups of Americans, united by their excitement and anticipation for witnessing the greatest stunt ever conceived.

When Kyle discovers his dad cheating on his Mom, he's inspired by Knievel's heroic determination and finally stands-up to his dad but gets himself thrown out of his home.

On the night before the big jump, Kyle saves best friend Nick from a murderous drug dealer; takes a chance on love with Megan; then, when a riotous Hell’s Angels gang threatens to destroy Evel’s Skycycle, Kyle, Megan and Nick risk-it-all to recruit a group of ex-Marine bikers to prevent a Hell's Angels gang from destroying Knievel’s Skycycle - and it works!

The next day, Kyle and Megan leave together for college. The rest, is history.

Semi-Finalist, 2023 Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition.

Semi-Finalist in Amazon Studios', Best Screenplay Competition, 2011 (as Reckless Wheels).

2nd Place Winner in the Twin Falls, Idaho, Sandwiches Film Festival, 2016

Second-Rounder Finalist in the 2008 Austin Film festival Screenwriting Competition.

Top-Ten Finalist in the 2000 Cinestory Screenwriting Competition, (as Running Wild)

WHY US - Kevin and I traveled to his hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho, (where he's a local Rock legend). We interviewed the key players who made the Snake River Canyon Jump possible. We came away with the true behind the scenes story about how the event very nearly never happened.

As a Production Designer and Lead Graphic Designer I've earned a Regional Emmy plus I've worked on two Academy Award Winning Features FARGO and THE BIG LEBOWSKI. I was also the Minneapolis-based Graphic Designer for Arnold Schwarzenegger's JINGLE ALL THE WAY, and the Lead Graphic Designer for the Crime Comedies, SUGAR & SPICE, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.

Growing-up just outside of Philadelphia, I needed my wild imagination to create fun & mayhem. It got me into a lot of trouble though, like that time, when I was 10 and I stole my parents' car to take my little sister for ice-cream. (we made it as far as the neighbor’s front yard); or when I launched myself down a steep, busy street in a plywood go-kart I'd built with no brakes; or, after setting out on my own at 17, my two summers as an amateur stock car driver.

Life’s misadventures, and years of being told what’s out of my reach, led me to discover my brand: Heartfelt Dramedy, for Features and Series, about misfits struggling to become who they were always meant to be.

I've been lucky to study with Blake Snyder, Jen Grisanti, Jessica Bendinger, and now the wonderful Holiday RomCom Writer, Carley Smale.