The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Another kick ass mid week reboot with Jeff Weatherall!

As a young Kiwi, starting out with sport was a pretty natural thing, and Jeff Weatherall excelled. Surfing seemed to be a natural fit for him, and competition became the standard at a young age; but as is known to happen when you push for the top, Jeff found himself burned out on the waves, and instead put all of his focus into a sport he'd never considered before, wakeboarding.  On his way to becoming an international champion behind a boat, he happened to catch a bit of footage of a guy named Frank BASE jumping, and knew it was in his cards. Years after his first glimpse, and long after that very first skydive Jeff made his first BASE jump, and was off on a new trajectory in his life that would eventually lead him on to become a full-time skydiver, wingsuit and BASE coach, and lifelong member of the Lunatic Fringe.

He never could have imagine when at the ripe old age of seventeen and enlisting in the Army that he'd eventually be nudged into pursuing skydiving by open water and a big fish, but that's exactly what happened. Greg Windmiller knew pretty quickly that skydiving was for him. With what he admittedly calls a 'blessed' career, Greg found himself not just jumping with some of the best in the business, but leading the pack. With a passion cultivated between military and civilian operations, he found his perfect path. Now a long time sought after instructor, public speaker and owner/operator of Superior Flight Solutions, Greg is just as busy as he ever has been, redefining what retirement is, and truly enjoying his place with the Lunatic Fringe. 

Another kick ass mid week reboot with The Darmon Brothers!

Third generation skydivers, brothers Marcos and Franco were literally born for aviation. Through luck, both good and bad, their grandfather and father built the family airfield and operation literally from the ground up, and these two brothers took to it like ducks to water, although not as quickly as one might think. With Business and Medicine the original goals, it was conscious decision to change course and follow in their fathers foot steps, walking away from the "real" world to instead remain in the one handed down through the generations. Working hard every step of the way doing everything from manifest to packing, driving to jumping, it was not a straight line to the sky, but one that taught them almost every aspect of the sport, leading them towards the instructors, coaches and competitors that they are today, deep inside the Lunatic Fringe.

An absolute trailblazer in the world of freefall photography and the man who can almost single-handedly be credited with blueprint for modern tandem video production, Mike Mcgowan joins us once again to talk not only about his incredible career in our sport, but about a subject that holds just as much importance to him. Addiction. Having faced his own demons in the form of alcohol and drug addiction, Mike speaks frankly about his now forty years of sobriety and what it took to get him from a path of self-destruction to a Lunatic Fringe success story and a pioneering member of the skydiving community.

Another kick ass mid week reboot with Will Lajeunesse!

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.

Drawn to skydiving when higher education failed to engage him and it's social scene held no interest, Nicolas Armstrong couldn't help but feel when he went out to make his first jump on a weekend that also happened to be during the biggest boogie of the year that it simply must be his destiny. With more than 20 years in the sport, working as everything from a camera flyer to tandem instructor to AFF and competitor, he has more than his fair share of stories to tell. On top of that, having to navigate the sometimes difficult landscape of an athlete living with type-one diabetes has made his journey with the Lunatic Fringe one that for him has been well worth the challenge.

Another kick ass mid week reboot with Shannon and Louise!

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.

EPISODE #300!

Fourteen years old isn't terribly early to be exposed to the wonderful world of skydiving if you're a second or even third generation jumper, but for someone with no connection to it... James Heck was that kid. Through random circumstance, James found himself packing parachutes almost right away, and even though he'd be required to wait what must have seemed like a lifetime to manage that first jump, he knew it was exactly what he wanted to do. Now a proud camera flying, TI instructing, pleasure swooping  BASE dabbler, James knows what it's like to just decide to go after what you want full force, just like a good Lunatic Fringer should.

Back in the can after way too long, the one and only David Junior Ludvik catches back up with us to talk about his beginnings in the sport, the wild and wonderful ride that was a decade in Dubai, life after the sandbox and a more military take on the sport, and just some all around fun catching up with The Lunatic Fringe. 

Another kick ass mid week reboot with the one and only Mark Norman!

In this episode I get the chance to sit down with one of skydivings true ambassadors.  Having come up in the sport during times of great change and innovation, Mark recalls what it was like to be there "when". Through struggles with burnout and addiction, he's persevered to cultivate a love for skydiving, its community and all the lessons he's learned, and freely shares them with me.