On This Day

Stuntman Eddie Kidd accomplished a "death-defying" motorcycle leap. During the spectacle he crossed an 80ft gap over a 50ft sheer drop above a viaduct at Maldon, Essex, on a 400cc motorcycle. The stunt was for film 'Riding High' about the life of a motorcycle stuntman. "They asked me to do the jump at the end of the film because they were worried," said Kidd. "It had been raining a few days before and they insisted that I have a mud guard on the front of my bike. But while in flight the wind caught the mud guard and over balanced the bike, so the landing was not easy." In the film, audiences were amazed at how the bike was nearly vertical when landing. "I was also told to wear a visor on my helmet, which blew backwards as I was landing, but I 'nailed' it" Eddie told BBC Essex. Kidd, who was only 20 at the time, completed the stunt before a stunned group of spectators, fans and press. Only wearing motorcycle leathers and a crash helmet, he landed on the jump and despite the pressure came away with only a minor leg injury.