116:, Quebec and grew up in a working-class neighborhood. With little education, he dropped out of school to perform car stunts with a team of traveling daredevils. Subsequently, he began performing as a solo act, and he jumped at racetracks all over North America. He became a notorious showman, earning the nickname "The Mad Canadian" for his death-defying antics.
176:, Ontario. The Powers jump was a failure, with the car travelling only 506 feet (154 m) in the air and breaking apart in flight before crash-landing in the water. Powers broke eight vertebrae, three ribs, and a wrist. Interviewed after the jump, Carter said that Powers was unprepared to do the jump and could have been killed.
183:, Powers was chosen to do the jump at the last minute due to health concerns about Carter. Powers and Donna Boyle Powers Ray also verified this story to Beverly Plumley Powers. Carter still wanted to do the jump. Powers carried an 8"x10" photograph of Carter in a portfolio at all times; the two were friends until Carter's death.
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Carter resumed preparations the following year and again in 1978, but the jump was cancelled both times. On
September 26, 1979, Carter got to within five seconds of takeoff before aborting the jump following a mechanical failure. The planned jump had been sponsored by a film producer in exchange for
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visited the site as a special correspondent for ABC and concluded that there was little chance of success. Delays in finishing the car and completing the ramp caused Carter to miss the broadcast date and ABC withdrew its support.
195:. The jump failed when the car began to fishtail on the runway and ramp, which ultimately put him in the water. Carter vowed to try the jump again and on September 5, 1983, made another attempt. His car, a 1982
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scheduled for
September 25, 1976. Carter anticipated a live audience of 100,000. Construction of a 1,400-foot (430 m) takeoff ramp began on fifty acres of farmland near
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bodied car fitted with a homemade rocket, overshot its target landing ramp and landed on its roof. Carter was killed instantly. He is buried in
Montreal.
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exclusive film rights. Believing that Carter had lost his nerve, the film crew secretly arranged for another stunt driver, American
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210:, and also shows footage from events after the St. Lawrence jump including Carter's fatal crash at Peterborough.
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In 1976, after 20 years of car jumps, Carter launched his most ambitious project: an attempt to jump over the
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For months, Carter prepared his car and looked for sponsors. Eventually, U.S. broadcaster
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Carter returned to stunt driving and on July 1, 1983, attempted to jump a pond in
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132:. The preparations for the jump were the subject of a documentary called
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128:—a distance of over 1 mile (1.6 km)—in a rocket-powered
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documentary at the
National Film Board of Canada website
229:"Ken Carter was Canada's Evel Knievel, but more bonkers"
260:"Rocket car jump 'the wildest ride of my life': Driver"
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gave him $ 250,000 to air the stunt on the episode of
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310:"Stuntman Ken Carter dies in rocket-car wreck"
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318:. 6 September 1983 – via Google News.
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397:Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
202:A 2016 musical docudrama by John Bolton,
288:"Heavyweight Podcast Episode #13: Kenny"
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100:(1938 – September 5, 1983), born
227:McAleer, Brendan (2016-12-06).
104:, was a Canadian stunt driver.
272:. 13 October 1979 – via
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354:Ken "THE MAD CANADIAN" Carter
140:National Film Board of Canada
392:Accidental deaths in Ontario
387:Accidental deaths from falls
294:. 2017-11-16. Archived from
187:Peterborough jump and death
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407:Entertainers from Montreal
362:Podcast Episode #13: Kenny
402:Canadian stunt performers
347:The Devil at Your Heels
247:The Devil at Your Heels
208:The Devil at Your Heels
181:The Devil at Your Heels
135:The Devil at Your Heels
120:St. Lawrence River jump
102:Kenneth Gordon Polsjek
35:Kenneth Gordon Polsjek
193:Peterborough, Ontario
72:Peterborough, Ontario
18:Canadian stunt driver
152:Wide World of Sports
292:www.gimletmedia.com
130:Lincoln Continental
112:Carter was born in
80:Cause of death
330:Aim for the Roses
204:Aim for the Roses
126:St Lawrence River
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68:(aged 44–45)
64:September 5, 1983
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66:(1983-09-05)
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382:1983 deaths
377:1938 births
360:Heavyweight
274:Google News
159:, Ontario.
108:Early years
371:Categories
332:(May 2016)
214:References
157:Morrisburg
98:Ken Carter
25:Ken Carter
83:Car crash
114:Montreal
74:, Canada
55:, Canada
49:Montreal
40: (
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174:Ottawa
53:Quebec
61:Died
42:1938
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31:Born
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