The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

 Back in the can to talk all about what has become nothing short of a global skydiving phenomenon, Zej M'ski sits down with Tracy Holman, Skydive Chicago's Events Manager and the powerhouse in charge of making your Summerfest dreams come true. With special drop in guests you won't want to miss, this is a great recap of one of skydiving most iconic events.

Back in command of the can, OG Ninja Ray Kubiak takes this face to face opportunity to sit down with Hall of Fame skydiver Amy Chmeleki. Kicking off her Skydiving at the ripe old age of 18, Amy made her first jump in 1995 and has never looked back. She is not only a long time member of the RedBull Air Force, but is now an organizer for Project 19, which highlights women's achievements and is a celebration of the 19th amendment. With countless national and world titles, Amy is 100% skydiver. As a mentor, coach, competitor and advocate for women's rights Amy Chmlelcki is the embodiment of the best side of our Lunatic Fringe.

Not even on the radar. Not a part of any plan, or for that matter even an idea. Yet again just a random tandem skydive to check it off the list and with it another almost instantaneous member of the Lunatic Fringe. Brad Dimmock may not have had a life plan in mind, but he most certainly knew what he didn't want… A one-way ticket to Australia as a newly licensed skydiver started him down a path that would lead to suffering in manifest, asbestos tents, camera flying, trailers, rigging tickets and tandem skydives abroad, simply enjoying each opportunity the sport brings him, and happily planning nothing more than a life in the sky. 

On another total Ninja episode, Mr. Ray Kubiak sits down with the legendary Mr. Martin Kristensen to talk all things Lunatic Fringe with everything from a modern day flying philosophy to starting a family and even a touch of Viking History on another entertaining episode with the Lunatic Fringe. 

In a follow-up to his incredible team mate and partner in all things air sports, please sit back and enjoy this re-released Lunatic Fringe with the one and only Mr. Craig Girard.

With more than thirty eight years and over thirty-thousand skydives under his belt, you'd be hard set to find anyone on earth with more overall experience than Mr. Craig Girard.  Multiple World Title and World Record holder, Craig was a member of not only the United States Army's Golden Knights, but Arizona Airspeed, one of the most highly decorated relative work teams in the sports history; a key member of the 400-way team over Thailand and coach for some of the most competitive teams out there, he takes time to sit down with me to share some of his truly amazing experiences and insights into the Lunatic Fringe.

With a career as successful as hers and with so many titles and so many accomplishments, one would easily assume that she must have gone one hundred percent from day one, but that's not exactly how it happened... When skydiving first crossed Eliana Rodriguez's mind, it was a suggestion from her father, but sadly at an age too young to take advantage. Joining the military at the ripe old age of 17, the idea of jumping once again crept into her mind with vague assurances of skydiving from her recruiter, but it wasn't until the end of her military career that her jumping life truly began. Balancing work and skydiving, it was a chance encounter and random job offer that sent her on her incredible path. A member of one of the winningest teams in the history of skydiving and a soon to be inductee into the Hall of Fame, Eliana Rodriguez continues to strive for excellence in our sport. Now as a member of the Highlight Pro Skydiving team. She along with her other all female team members strive to push for equality, bringing their unique skills to bear on important and timely social issues, solidifying their places as a leaders within the Lunatic Fringe.

Like many, a life plan was mapped out at quite a tender age, and a then very young Benji Brusasco started down the road of a classically trained professional musician. Like his grandfather before him, the saxophone was something he would become incredibly talented with, but... Like so many plans it was close to the mark, but it seemed to him there must be something more. A first time tandem given as a gift gave him a glimpse of another path, but it wasn't until years later and another random opportunity to make a skydive that Benji knew what he really wanted. Through AFF and chasing an opportunity to continue on in the sport, he used his talents in other areas of his life toward one goal; becoming a working professional skydiver. Now many thousands of jumps as an instructor behind him, Benji has no less passion for the sport, and with eyes on things like competition and longevity on his mind, there is no doubt that Benji Brusasco is yet another lifelong member of the Lunatic Fringe. 

In this fantastic blast from the past, we sit down with three of the founding members of the almost infamous Monkey Claw Freely team, the self proclaimed best freefly team founded anywhere between Philadelphia and Atlantic City in the late 90's. Bert, Tim and Stuey laughingly take the opportunity to talk about the almost accidental forming of the team, its name, its roots which were deeply ingrained in the history of Skydive Cross Keys along with John Eddowes, and how they've managed to remain a team through all of these years. They also touch on some of the more pivotal and sometimes painful aspects of the sport while going full blast at a time when things like freeflying and canopy piloting were still young disciplines. It's yet another episode that proves that active or not, once a skydiver, always a skydiver and forever a member of the Lunatic Fringe.

This is what happens when a seemingly innocent tandem skydive turns into an unexpected lifelong career. With 5 National titles and 2 World Cup titles under his belt, professional camera flier Jake Jensen sits down on this edition as the two take a stroll down memory lane, and chat all about his continuing adventure with the Lunatic Fringe.

Sometimes life goes pretty much exactly as we planned.   Off to university to study maths. Graduation and a job working in a field appropriate to a hard earned degree. Constantly in trouble for talking too much and letting loose with inappropriate jokes and/or sexual comments to unsuspecting co-workers. So yeah, not exactly to plan. Enter the new Laura Bamford. Professional skydiver and world traveler born not just of a love of skydiving that began at university, but of a desire to step outside the norm so she could have a chance to be herself. Now working as a full-time Tandem Instructor and Video flyer, Laura talks about issues both women and men face in skydiving, a few broken bones and out of service eyeballs, and a cheeky chat about an unexpected plane ride that all blends into yet another lifelong walk along the Lunatic Fringe.