Offbeat Oregon History podcast · www.offbeatoregon.com (finn @ offbeatoregon.com)

‘Daredevil Al’ Fossett was Evel Knievel of the ’20s

February 19, 2026·11 min·1 clip

Al Fawcett was the only person in history to have paddled over Willamette Falls, Celilo Falls, and 186-foot South Falls and lived to tell about it.

This episode tells the story of Al Fawcett, a 1920s daredevil who became famous for paddling over waterfalls in specially designed boats but never achieved financial success. Despite surviving multiple dangerous jumps including Willamette Falls and a disastrous attempt at South Falls, Al struggled with gate receipts and eventually lived a quiet life in Portland, still dreaming of conquering Niagara Falls.

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