Better Than Evel Knievel – The Dale Buggins Story
Dale Charles Buggins (1961-1981) was an Australian stunt motorcyclist who had built a national and international reputation by the age of 20. At 17, Buggins broke a world record previously held by American stuntman Evel Knievel when he jumped 25 cars with a Yamaha dirt bike, in 1978. Dale would be gone a few years later, a shocking and tragic death by suicide.
Buggins’s work pre-dated Freestyle Motocross and the Crusty Demons 10-plus years on, and in that sense in Australia at least, he was a motorbike stunt pioneer like his idol, Knievel.
On 28 May 1978 Buggins broke Knievel’s world record by jumping over 25 cars at the Newcastle Motordome and by 1979 he was touring the U.S. in the “Evel Knievel Spectacular”. In 1980 he visited Seattle in the United States to perform with American stunt motorcyclist Gary Wells.
Jumping everything from cars to buses, Buggins also created a unique motorcycle high wire act with his sister Chantel. He toured the “Dale Buggins Spectacular”, in the States and Australia, appearing at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and others around the country. A documentary made with Buggins,Mud Sweat and Gears, by Douglas Stanley and Nomad Films was never released in Australia and appears to be “lost”, though short clips of it can currently be found on YouTube.
Buggins’s record has since been broken by fellow Australian FMX stunt rider Robbie Maddison.
Part of the above-mentioned documentary about Dale is on youtube:
Buggins committed suicide on 18 September 1981 in the Marco Polo Hotel in Melbourne, by shooting himself in the chest with a rifle that he purchased the previous day. Buggins had just returned from touring the U.S. and was in Melbourne for the Royal Melbourne Show where he was scheduled to appear.
His father and younger sisters, Chantel who subsequently quit showbusiness, and Emma appeared in the Channel 9 special in 1997.
The National Motorcycle Museum in Nabiac in NSW, Australia, has a section of wall devoted to images and memorabilia of Dale Buggins’s career. Another museum, The Stuntman and Daredevil Hall of Fame, which will include Dale Buggins memorabilia is planned for Junee, in 2011-2012.

The only book to exist so far is a biography, Defying Gravity, The Dale Buggins Story (by Damian Kringas, Independence Jones 2009)
An excellent news piece from 1997. Australian TV:
Sources:
Wikipedia
Youtube
bollox 4:21 am on July 29, 2014 Permalink |
Still so sad all these years later
Mark C 9:46 pm on July 31, 2014 Permalink |
Tragic sad event, I will re watch this video tonight hopefully,. I seen this video a few months ago.
Guy had so much great talent!!! He was very good at his sport, It sometimes very hard to understand why people get so depressed to let at times such little of your life’s troubles to snowball into such a big problem where the victim I guess would think its a huge problem when I feel it was not that big of a problem. Its got to be a type of mental illness where they should be help freely available somewhere very close by for everybody use that might need help..
Had a old friend we was not great friends but we know each other. He took his own life only 3 days ago. I happen be only within few miles & under 3 minutes out, when I heard EMS & Police call come over the 911 2-way radio. I was first person on scene and for over 20 minutes I was watching & protecting the crime scene. That is Something no other human should have these mental photos that are burned into my mind for rest of my life and surely nothing a little kid should ever see.
Warning signs was there, Close friends took pistol away from subject couple times before. Sadly few days ago there just so happen was no close friends around there when he needed there help the most.
This just myself, I swear I think Medical community could do more to help these people out.. I am no expert but many years as a Vol. Fire Dept. Officer, I seen this happen way too many times before when I feel the proper medical treatment could and should of made a huge difference. Govt. could spend more our Tax Dollars on this for real and much too big of a problem.
I could be wrong but Medical Care personal to myself could really do a much better job,, I feel it come down to putting profit more important than human life. Just my own stupid opinion..
I guess this subject sadly hit myself very hard tonight after reading about this.
OK off my Soap Box before John kick my own behind for taking up too much space.. It just hit me at the right time and a very hard & serious subject tonight. I guess it hit at wrong period of time in my life.
This is something no matter how much you try you can never forget what you saw. I can not say it was bad as Wonderland crime scene but I sure bet it was not much a better eye site view on a smaller scale.