Robinson grew up in Los Angeles, California. At the early age of thirteen, Dar made the cover of "Life" Magazine for his accomplished abilities on the trampoline. Dar's father, Jess Weston Robinson, was responsible for the "trampoline sensation" that swept the country. Dar spent many hours helping in his father's Gymnastic Supply Company. Dar's natural athletic abilities and his accomplished ease on the trampoline would quickly render him the ranking of 3rd place for his division. One of Robinson's first major stunts was a 100-foot jump from a cliff into a river for actor Steve McQueen in the 1973 film "Papillon". In the same year, he appeared as a motorcycle stunt man in the Clint Eastwood film, "Magnum Force". He is also remembered for driving over the edge of the Grand Canyon and safely parachuting out before hitting the ground. In 1979, he set the world record for a free-fall from a helicopter, dropping 311 feet (95 m) onto an airbag.