Lunatic Fringe Into the Void

A Kiwi born and raised, Antz Hansen had been around aviation from a very young age, so when the daydream of making a skydive finally presented itself, the outcome wasn't quite as he'd expected.  As it turned out, round parachutes weren't his thing...  But then, after he'd already established himself as a professional photographer, the chance to try the new "Square" design presented itself, and boom! Working behind the lens his entire adult life, specifically as an "extreme" photographer, Antz has gone out of his way to put himself into some seriously sketchy situations, and is happily not only still here, but happily is sitting down to tell us about his path with the Lunatic Fringe.

From round parachutes to squares. Riding atop busses fueled with beer and coke and dodging power lines. Lodi O.G. jumper. World record big ways. Subterranean BASE in Mexico. Burning Man. Waterfall wingsuiting...  There isn't a whole lot in air sports that Splash Robinson hasn't experienced firsthand! One of the original crew out of Lodi and on to Skydance in Davis, Splash has been going big ever since he wrapped his fathers car around a telephone pole (not how you would imagine). He's been there, done that and was probably the guy who designed the t-shirt. This is the guy that helped put the Lunatic into Lunatic Fringe, and its an episode you're not gonna want to miss! 

Raised in a family of Aviation enthusiasts, pilots and veterans, Jan Kruger had thought the career of a pilot might be the right path for him, but his family aimed him in a slightly different direction.  Taking on the challenge of becoming and A&P, or Mechanic, or Engineer, or as Jan puts it, somebody that fixes airplanes he found his niche, and ended up working with one of the premier companies that helps keep Twin Otters in the air and doing their thing. With skydiving a dream that had always been on the back burner, it jumped to the forefront as soon as he started spinning wrenches for a skydiving operation which has led him happily and inevitably down a path straight toward the Lunatic Fringe.  Join us on this wine filled and aviation enthusiast based episode!

Living mirrored lives on different sides of the planet, Louise Kristensen and Shannon Seyb had a passion and drive for most all the same things. From Horseback riding and yoga, to tunnel flying and a love of the sky and our community, forming a team to spread the love and a positive vibes was the only natural thing to do. Biding their time until they can train for dynamic two way tunnel comps and get back in the air, Louise and Shannon take the time to tell me how they got their starts in the sport, and how they've spent their "down" time lately keeping it interesting here in the Lunatic Fringe.

Just about as all around positive as they come. Professional Skydiver, writer, life coach, "Ball of Light"...  I had to ask, just how does Melanie Curtis manage to stay so positive and upbeat all the time? The answers may not surprise, but they will most certainly inform. As a member of a new skydiving demo team designed to raise awareness and highlight women in our sport, she's all about making positive change! We go pretty deep on this one to be sure, so...  For those that are looking for just light hearted and want to avoid some of the topics of the day, well, this may be a bit more in depth than you're expecting, but I got the chance to really talk straight with Melanie about the world we're living in, the sport we love, and all the reasons why for good or bad, we love the Lunatic Fringe.

Proper scared. Kaz Sheekey started out like I imagine a fair amount of us do in skydiving, but for her, just like most of us who decide to make a life out of it, that fear she felt on jump one became a positive driving force, not a deterrent. Immediately attracted to the lifestyle as well as her love of jumping, all it took was a "vacation" to the US to drive her into a 25 plus year love affair not just with skydiving, but with canopy piloting.  A kick ass competitor, Flight One instructor and demo team member to boot, as well as balancing life as a mom in these trying times, Kaz Sheekey takes a bit of her time to share with us her journey into the Lunatic Fringe.

Meat Hauler. Not what most people dream of when they think of a career in skydiving. It's not glamorous and it ain't sexy... As a matter of fact, unless you're a first time tandem student, the tandem instructors tend to be the most overlooked of us, but the truth of the matter is, it's an incredible way to spend your time in the air. Rich LaBarr will be the first to tell you that tandem instructors are seriously un-sung heroes in our sport and deserve their time in the spotlight, and I am 100% in agreement. Starting late in the game (late as in he took his time becoming a working skydiver, not cause he's old and grey) Rich and his wife became fully immersed in our sport, and haven't looked back. Join in as we talk about the joys of strapping other people to you and doing dangerous things!

Started jumping while in college, Check.  Coach rating, Check.  Tandem Instructor, Check.  US Navy F-18 Hornet Pilot...  Big Fuckin' Check!  Joey Marco started both his career in aviation and his career in skydiving around the same time, and has somehow managed to keep his passion for both!  As a new F-18 pilot, Joey gets inundated with "Fan Boy" pilot questions all over the place that I've wanted to ask for years, and we even manage to talk about skydiving!  Join in on another "quarantine" edition of Lunatic Fringe

Hard work and perseverance paid off.  Signed to run and compete for not just one of the best track teams around but precisely who she wanted, Rachel Belmont was headed to college on exactly the trajectory she had planned; then, as seems to happen too damn much, her future was changed by a random injury that left her wondering what came next. Too strong to back down, she was able to push past not only the physical, but the mental as well to become not just an accomplished runner, but an ultra-marathoner.  Training now as a nurse and wanting a way to give back during these crazy times, she wanted to find a way to combine the two worlds she's fallen in love with, and has put running and skydiving together to help those in need. tune in to listen to exactly what she's gone through, what she's got planned, and how you can help on this edition of Lunatic Fringe into the Void.