The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Talk about a wildly varied life... Mr. Regan Tetlow has made the rounds to say the least! From bar tender and pub owner, to the meet and greet face man at Skydive Emporia Brava. From randomly being asked to announcing a swoop event on the beach to becoming the voice behind some of the largest skydiving events in the world (and if you can believe it, balloon races...). DJ and MC turned pro skydiver and actor Mr. Regan Tetlow has stories and insight galore!

A professional pilot and true "aviator", Erik Von Kennel took a slightly less traditional route into the world of skydiving. A long time float plane Captain in the Caribbean, his eye was turned towards the sport when our paths crossed as I was taking my shot at a life in the "real world" of aviation. Having had to deal with situations that would make most pilots hang up their wings for good, Erik instead decided that he'd simply learn to do it all better, faster and with more passion. This episode is a great look into what it takes to choose the cockpit of a jump plane, and why we love it.

A third generation of jumpers that started with the 82nd Airborne, Rook Nelson comes from one of the most well known legacy families in skydiving. Having embraced the sport from an extremely young age, he's had the opportunity to try his hand at, compete and succeed in most every discipline the sport has to offer. Having been handed the reins of one of the largest operations in skydiving history after a tragic accident, he's taken what was already a force to be reckoned with and turned it into what can only be considered a cornerstone in the sport; yet with all the weight that comes along with such responsibility, he hasn't forgotten that its still suppose to be about having fun!

He may not say so, but I certainly will.  A pioneer and role model in the sport, Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld (or Dan B.C.) has to say the least done more than most to push skydiving forward, starting from his very beginnings in the sport. With drive and determination he set out to compete and dominate, and ended up helping form one of the most successful teams in our sports history. Surviving one of the most horrific aircraft crashes in skydiving history, he went on to not only further his own career as a competitor, pilot and instructor, but become a true ambassador, teacher and mentor. Published author and motivational speaker, Dan B.C. is more than worthy of his stellar reputation.

"They call him Mr. Glass"...  or at least I do. In this podcast. Without a doubt one of the most passionate skydivers I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Mr. Jim Matthews has more flat out love for skydiving and aviation in general than you could possibly imagine. Why am I so damn sure? Because I literally don't know any other jumper that isn't dead who's had more serious accidents and surgeries than him; and yet, through his AFF, tandem and video careers and the almost as ambitious career as life of the party, he not only managed to always have a sunny disposition and desire to be airborne, but he did it all while holding down a very respectable career in the "real" world. PLUS...  anyone who can link "smoke" and "scrotum" into the same story simply has to be heard!

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.

Matt Gerdes and Mike Steen of Squirrel Wingsuits may not have set out to reshape the face of BASE jumping, but it seems they are quickly on their way to doing exactly that. With a ton of paragliding experience under their belts, their single minded goal soon became BASE jumping and wingsuit BASE; and in pursuing their lofty and dangerous dream ended up designing their own line of BASE specific equipment designed to enhance performance, increase safety and push the boundaries of human flight. 

In love with the sport and the community that it encompasses, and seeing a void in the market, "why not?" became the only reason they needed to start up the now beloved and wildly entertaining Blue Skies Mag.  As they approach their ten year anniversary with Blue Skies, Lara and Kolla sit down with me to talk about the magazines beginnings, it's contributors, it's vibe and it's future. Hate mail? Little old ladies with a taste for off-color humor?  Titties? Oh yeah, it's all in here...

Mas Di Siena's entrance into skydiving wasn't exactly smooth, and was a start that would have dissuaded more than most from pushing to reach the level in our sport that he has. Hell, it would have kept most playing video games instead. Ex competitor, professional skydiving instructor and proud as hell meat hauler, Mas has a shiny outlook and happy disposition that most "working" skydivers should strive for, a great way to approach life in general, and a singing voice that's simply to die for...

Ellis Danho Bourbonnais is the quintessence of a renaissance man to say the least, but most certainly not in the way most people would think. From surfing in the Gulf and then Hawaii, to MMA, skydiving, BASE jumping and climbing, Ellis is more at home pushing his personal limits than most people are on a sofa. Attacking new passions whole heartedly is where he's at his best, and he takes this time to give us a few of the reasons why.