The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Embry-Riddle. Not exactly what you would naturally think of as the training grounds for a world class canopy pilot. Perhaps a world class airline jock, or in his case even an air traffic controller, but not the founding member of one of the sports longest lived and most accomplished canopy pilot teams in the sport of skydiving.  Curt Bartholomew began his career just like the rest of us; with that first jump. but then again, most of us didn't try (and almost manage to succeed) to complete their entire AFF course in one day! From balls out as a student to balls out with Alter Ego, Curt has pushed his own personal limits and those of the sport for quite some time now, and he's got all the stories (and scars) to go along with it.  Enjoy Lunatic Fringe Into the Void with Mr. Curt Bartholomew.

Seriously, a man after my own heart.  From tunnel flying, cart racing and his cursing (appropriately) kids, to random dropzone nudity, tutu's and a healthy ability to enjoy the inappropriate, Brian Casserly has embraced skydiving fully, as has his family.  The owner of pussfoot.com, Brian with and 'I' and sometimes with a 'y' goes out of his way to embrace the extreme lifestyle, all while successfully managing to lead a so called 'normal' life to boot! With Puss Foot he looks to draw together all things extreme, turning life with the Lunatic Fringe Into a global community, and hopes you'll be part of the gang! Listen in and enjoy! 

It's heading toward the end of the summer season, and I thought I'd take a little time to catch up with our old friend David "Junior" Ludvik and see what kind of shit my globe trotting swoop champion has gotten up to over the warmer months. Turns out the answer is quite a fucking lot!

Master Rigger, Tunnel Instructor, AFF Instructor, Tandem Instructor...  Fucking over achiever is more like it! Mr Rory Corrigan Started his jumping career at one of the craziest dropzone's on the planet at its peak, and has the stories to tell!  Tattoos, suspension (whoa) and body modification may have been his first stroll down the Lunatic Fringe, but Skydiving has become his life.

Just a babe in the woods some would say. An ordained minister and a bridesmaid for all occasions others might. Even a potential regional man someday in the not too distant future! Zej Moczydlowski (M'ski to the rest of us normal people) started his career in the sport the old fashion way. He was ordered to jump!  From a start in the military to a really rough first hundred jumps as a civilian, he's put a fair amount of time and learning into his 800 jump career. As one of the wordsmiths behind Teem's Friday Freakout and Blue Skies Magazine, Zej has dug in firmly with his life along the Lunatic Fringe, and takes the time to tell a few stories, fire off a few baseless insults at me and a few others, and talk about the direction of the sport and where the next generation may want to lead.

Starting out at Skydive Crosskeys in the early 2000's was a fucking trip! Just ask Mr. Will Lajeunesse...  From the dropzone fix-it-all man so he could jump his ass off, to a fully sponsored athlete, Will had the chance to see skydiving from every angle, both good and bad. From crazy highs to deep lows, he's had the opportunity to taste a bit of it all. Having become infamous for some seriously sketchy shit, to becoming zen in the alps, Will has some wonderful memories to relive and great advise to pass on that you're not going to want to miss.

Haulin' Meat and delivering flags for nearly a fuckin' quarter century! Mr. Jim Dolan found a way to not just balance a bit of a skydiving habit with the normal (or so he says) life of a school teacher, but he managed to do it as a member of one of the most unique demonstration teams in the world. Featured in their own IMAX film, the Flying Elvi have had one hell of an amazing run! A good laugh and a few lessons from a guy who's seen and done a whole lot.

From a horrible first experience, to what should have been life altering, career ending injuries and surgeries, you would have thought Derick Massey would have either never become a skydiver in the first place, or hung up his harness years ago; but between an iron will to continue on his path with the Lunatic Fringe, along with a true passion and love for our sport, there's just no keeping him down. One of my closest friends in the world sits down to talk to me about his time in the sport and out, along with some of the fun, stupid and downright dangerous shit we've gotten up to both apart and together.

I think it's safe to say he may have pissed off a few people in his day. I also think it's safe to say that he gave more assholes like me with a little potential a chance to shine than most ever would. From a true country boy with a real desire to fly to the owner and operator of one of the longest running mid-sized dropzone's in the US, Mr. Ray Ferrell has his footprints all over the world of skydiving. He was there with the pioneers of RAM air canopies and a crazy new kind of flying called "Relative Work", and became his own kind of pioneer as he helped to design the first ever skydive specific aircraft. Listen in as he paints a picture of a wonderful 30 year career building dropzone's, parachutes, airplanes and life long friendships on his journey with the Lunatic Fringe.

From his beginnings in Venezuela and then on to New Zealand, it turned out to be a pretty substantial injury to his shoulder that initially aimed him toward skydiving, but it wasn't until years later that his full on love affair with nylon began.  As a master rigger and skydiving instructor, he's had the opportunity to work on some pretty substantial projects all over the world, and his journey into the world of air sports certainly wasn't boring! Give a listen to an enjoyable and heart felt chat with Pablito the man!