Knievel will try jump at Mirage

Back in July 1999, after jumping 25 new cars at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado, daredevil Robbie Knievel was asked what was next on his list of things to jump.

"I'm looking for a volcano," said Knievel, who had already jumped the Grand Canyon on his motorcycle.

Well, Knievel, at age 46, has found his volcano.

Sources confirm Knievel will jump the redesigned volcano at The Mirage at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

The feat will be part of a Fox television special and will come 41 years after the unsuccessful attempt by his father, Evel Knievel, on Dec. 31, 1967, to jump the water fountain in front of Caesars Palace.

The horrific motorcycle crash broke 40 bones and left him in a coma for 30 days but propelled him to pop culture stardom.

Thirteen years later, stuntman Gary Wells attempted the same feat and also was seriously injured.

Young Knievel conquered the fountain in 1989, soaring a personal record 170-foot.

He'll be flying over fireballs this time, drawing attention to the $25 million renovation of the volcano, which is being unveiled on Monday.

His Las Vegas resume includes the 1999 building-to-building jump from the 13-story Jockey Club to another Strip high-rise tower.

X Games gold medalist Mike Metzger set a world record in 2006 when he became the first rider to successfully perform a back flip over the fountains at Caesars Palace.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

The wide swath of economic cutbacks recently cost every department head at the Imperial Palace their jobs, including longtime vice president and general manager Ed Crispell. They were informed on a Thursday and gone by Friday. They weren't alone. Scores of other longtime employees were let go. Many of the hotel's 2,700 employees survived the Sept. 11 aftermath, when then-owner Ralph Engelstad refused to lay off employees, or cut their benefits, at a time when others were reducing their staffs. Engelstad, who opened the Imperial Palace in 1979, died a year later at Thanksgiving ...

With occupancy tumbling at local hotels, we hear the next shoe to drop will be the closure of some tower areas to cut electricity costs and housekeeping expenses ...

Steve Wynn's ad campaign for his new hotel Encore is out and so is the footage of how the commercial was shot atop the 48-story building, with his feet dangling over the edge. It's on YouTube.com at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqRgrjkr-dU. Click here for the commercial:http://www.encorelasvegas.com ...

Longtime Las Vegas resident Farah Carter is among the contestants in Lifetime Network's "Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist" (Tuesday, 10 p.m.) Habitues of the Outside Inn, 9941 W. Charleston Blvd, knew her before she was famous. She's a part-time bartender there.

SIGHTINGS

Ozzy Osbourne, backstage Monday after seeing "Love" at The Mirage, part of his 60th birthday celebration with family and friends. The cast serenaded him with "Happy Birthday." Accompanying him was wife Sharon and kids Aimee, Kelly and Jack. After dining at SW Steakhouse (Wynn), the kids headed off to Privé (Planet Hollywood Resort) with Jeff Beacher and ended up at Jet (Mirage) ... Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler, dining Monday at just-opened Sea Harbour, Caesars Palace's newest restaurant. Midler is hosting a book-signing of her best-selling children's book, "The Saga of Baby Divine," tonight in front of The Colosseum entrance immediately after her show there ...

At the Orleans on Monday for a dinner honoring Marvin Roy, "Mr. Electric," for his 50 years of performing magic: Lance Burton, Siegfried Fischbacher, Mac King, Jeff McBride and Nathan Burton.

THE PUNCH LINE

"This week, they will flip the switch on the White House Christmas tree, which has 25,000 lights on it ... one for every CEO who's looking for a bailout." -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.