The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Addie's Lunatic Fringe Episode

Another kick ass mid week reboot with Taihuka Smith!

From a missed shot a military flying career due to a childhood illness, to a desire to skydive which lead to an off the beaten path flying lifestyle, Taihuka Smith has had quite a ride so far. Near death experiences in West Papua, peeing in a bottle over the Mediterranean and looking ahead toward an airline career, This is a fun one to give a listen to! (and he sings and plays guitar... Just sayin').

Skydiving was an absolute no for Amberly Brown. Sick to her stomach and feeling out of place, she was much happier on top of her surf board. Having grown up through turbulent times and spending much of her childhood in Alaska, going to college in Hawaii and spending her off time surfing had been an incredibly positive turn, and Amberly hadn’t really been looking to add airsports to the list. Yet through chance meetings with a member of one of skydiving’s most well-known families and a desire to continue to explore her own boundaries, skydiving soon became a driving force in her life. Now, a six-time world record holder, Amberly Brown is busy not only continuing on with her own pursuits through travel and the joy that is a good boogie, but looking for ways to give back to a sport that she still holds an incredible passion for in yet another example of the draw of the Lunatic Fringe.  

Another kick ass reboot with Joe Jennings, Part II

On the conclusion of Lunatic Fringe with Joe Jennings... From the X-Games to Good Stuff; from Hollywood to the Super Bowl, Mr. Joe Jennings has helped to shape not only modern skydiving through the lens of his camera, but was instrumental in bringing our sport to the forefront of pop-culture, entertainment and the masses. Like most, his first jump wasn't just entertainment, it was transformation, and on part two of Joe's chat on Lunatic Fringe, I get the opportunity to sit and talk with Joe, and my guest host Omar Alhegelan about the making of not only a world class camera flyer, but of some of the most iconic skydiving videos ever to see a screen.

Starting her skydiving career jumping round parachutes in her universities skydiving club, there was no doubt that if Vana Parker was going to be active in the sport, it wasn’t going to be in the UK. Luckily for her, South Africa was soon to be where she called home, and finding the nearest dropzone to her quickly became priority number one. With an incredibly competitive personal drive and even after dealing with early injuries, Vana found herself embracing formation skydiving and all that it had to offer. Now, having chased her competitive dreams over the course of an almost 30 year career, she and her fellow hard charging and incredibly dedicated team members have managed to stand at the top of the podium on the world stage with medals around their necks and their national anthem playing; but getting there wouldn’t have happened without absolute focus and determination, nor did it happen without disappointment and controversy. Yet through it all, Vana is still just as passionate today as she was when her journey began, and she’s the first to admit that there doesn’t seem to be any end to her Lunatic Fringe journey in sight. 

Another kick ass reboot with the one and only Joe Jennings!

From the X-Games to Good Stuff; from Hollywood to the Super Bowl, Mr. Joe Jennings has helped to shape not only modern skydiving through the lens of his camera, but was instrumental in bringing our sport to the forefront of pop-culture, entertainment and the masses. Like most, his first jump wasn't just entertainment, it was transformation, and on part one of Joe's chat on Lunatic Fringe, I get the opportunity to sit and talk with Joe, and my guest host Omar Alhegelan about the making of not only a world class camera flyer, but of some of the most iconic skydiving videos ever to see a screen.

Raymond Adams Found his calling early in life. Well, he found his first calling... Deciding at the ripe old age of nineteen that he wanted to take a more artistic path and that hairdressing was how it would begin for him, Raymond sought after that particular goal with singular determination. He would eventually pursue skydiving with just as much passion and drive, which would lead him to photography, which would lead to... Even Raymond will be the first to tell you that what comes next is absolutely up in the air! A die-hard member of the community of skydiving that has a much stronger grip on him than any single jump ever could, Raymond Adams takes incredible pleasure in all that the Lunatic Fringe has to offer, and strives each and every day to give back as much as he's received. 

Another kick ass mid week reboot!!

Anas Bekkali.  Like a lot of us, he got his start in "Air Sports" almost completely by accident, and like most of us, it totally took over his life, and damn has he made the most of it!  Starting off as a pure "tunnel rat" and transitioning to the sky, he's managed to do a whole lot with his ten or so years in the sport.  From skydiving over Everest with the Moroccan Flag and jumping his countries flag back home (where he was invited to meet the king), to plans for jumping the great pyramids of Giza and an adventure show of Morocco, Anas is working hard to make the most of his time in the Lunatic Fringe.

Practically born in her families Cessna, Fleur Jones was all about aviation from the very beginning. Traveling almost every weekend to different fields around the UK, it was inevitable that she would eventually come face to face with skydiving. But... It wasn't quite skydiving's time in her life just yet. With urging from her mother, Fleur pursued her dream in dance as a ballerina, and did incredibly well for herself. Right up until mother nature made her just a touch too tall… So, she did what any girl in her position would do. She made the obvious choice to go out and become a detective in her local police force. First of course she worked incredibly hard to become a successful dance teacher and ballet evaluator. After learning how to balance it all, Fleur then managed to not only take up skydiving, to  but dedicate what little free time she had left to becoming a valued instructor not only in the sky, but in the tunnel as well, solidifying her incredibly busy schedule deep within the Lunatic Fringe.

Another kick ass mid week reboot with Omar Alhegelan and the Family!

Being a champion many times over is amazing. Having a reputation for riding the cutting edge of the sport you love is spectacular. Thinking outside the box and embracing new and bold and daring in a sport full of daring people is wonderful. But let's face it, being the parents your nine year old daughter looks up to and admires makes all that pale by comparison. Dunia Alhegelan, daughter of Omar Alhegelan and Cheri Johnson will be the first to tell you that traveling the world and jumping out of airplanes is something she's wanted to do forever, because well, dad does it, and does it really well! On this episode of Lunatic Fringe I get the whole family in on the act to talk all about life, love, travel, skydiving, mixed up birthdays and piercings. Join in and enjoy Omar and the family!