The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Only in the sport for 4 years, Dario Basile's time in both skydiving and BASE has made quite an impact in his life, and those that he meets. From A license to D, this base jumping, bull running, world traveling Tandem Instructor from Sussex NJ is absolutely going to let you, the guy sitting next to you and pretty much everyone else in earshot know that he is a skydiving, chili pepper eating high energy member of the Lunatic Fringe. Join in with Pussfoot's Brian Casserly on this amped up chat.

An OG jumper that started his static line course in the early 90's, Mr. Paul Wetzel, aka "Weasle" would go from rocking out of college where he had substantially more motivation for beer and skydiving that his courses, to Army Ranger school where he'd earn his jump wings; From trailer life in Louisiana to tandems in Las Vegas, and from helicopter flight ops in Iraq and Afghanistan to a food truck in North Carolina. Along the way he's made a Japanese man vomit with his ass (And my assist), taken thousands of tandems, hiked the Appalachian trail from end to middle and back and figured out just like a whole lot of us, how lucky he is to be part of the Lunatic Fringe.

For Tim Jones, the decision to become a skydiver wasn't a difficult one. A half planned road trip from the UK into France and a tandem skydive was about all it took. As sometimes seems to be the case, skydiving and Tim fit together pretty easily, and through a fortuitous friendship formed with Andrew Ford, who he would later find out was "somebody" in skydiving, he found himself working ground control at a very busy multi-aircraft turbine dropzone. With quite a few challenges, but also a number of valuable learning experiences, Tim managed to work and jump his way into the world of camera flying, and then eventually to tandems, finding pleasure not just in the work and the community, but in the potential for travel and experience in the small but extensive world of the Lunatic Fringe. Join in on this episode for an upbeat chat about all things jump.

Revisiting exactly what a modern version of the American Dream really is, Sydney and Barry Williams "gave the middle finger" to an antiquated idea of happiness that just didn't fit, and hit the road in a van with no regrets and no looking back. Both retired professional skydivers, they've taken the lessons they learned in and out of the sport, both happy and tragic and used them to help both themselves and others as they hike and talk their way across America on a motivational speaking tour that hits the real issues of our time. Listen in now as they share their path along the Lunatic Fringe.

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.

Next generation skydiver and author of "Perfectly Good Airplane", meet Ali Rumbaugh, currently dipping her toes into the Lunatic Fringe.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Cody McMains may not have known he was destined for an "extreme" lifestyle, but apparently he mother did.  Having followed the L.A. dream with a fair amount of success, but without the happiness that he expected to come with it, a well timed chance comment by a close friend set him on a completely different path.  Finding himself in the strangest of living situations in one of the least known areas of the state, the sky and the tunnel soon took over, leading him not only to find his love of the sport, but of teaching others about his passion. Now tossing drogues, instructing and aiming toward competing, Cody McMains has without a doubt purchased his lifetime membership in the Lunatic Fringe. 

Sammy Vassilev may just have himself an unofficial world record. One of the most unique at that... managing to rack up well over 200 jumps, if you can believe it, in the womb. Son of a world champion Style and Accuracy mom, Sammy was literally born with skydiving in his blood, so there's no doubt in his mind its the path he was always meant to be on. Having found a creative way out of communist Europe, he managed to plant roots (wandering roots) in the Midwest of the United States, and eventually in Sin City, where his skydiving career really took off.  From camera to skysurfing, wingsuits to Skydive TV, Sammy has hit all angles of our sport, eventually leading this lifelong jumper to open up his own shop, catering to all those in the Lunatic Fringe.

The Father of Freefly.  Was he the first person to be on his head in the air? of course not, but he was most certainly the first to go out of his way to stay there! Dancing around the clouds like Peter Pan for the last 30+ years, Olav Zipser has been "freeflying his mind" and traveling the world encouraging others to learn to do the same with not just technical ability, but with heart and passion. With ambitions that range from catching his shadow and its rainbow on every cloud he could find, to looking for ways to blast into outer space, Olav has led his best version of the life he almost didn't choose.

Don't let the package fool you.  Michael Washburn, or should I say, Officer Washburn, Retired US Army Ranger may not be large and imposing, but this guy has been there and done that! Coming to civilian skydiving later in life after a military freefall career that left him less than thrilled with the sport, it was a chance meeting with a guy named "Noah" who flew "wing suits" that drove him to chase a new dream.  Years later, as the team captain of "Sky Trash" wing suit team, he's got a humble outlook, but big dreams, and when it comes to chasing them, you can most certainly see the "Ranger"! Join us on this edition of Lunatic Fringe.

Even for charity it was a hard no. She'd managed to do what a lot of English people did when they wanted to skydive back then, and raised money for a charity jump; but after a less than idea ride on a round followed by an "assertive" landing, Maxine Tate had gotten her fill. Right up until she got her first taste of freefall about a dozen years and a high powered career later. Now, World record holder, Proud member of the Highlight Skydiving Team, Long time coach for Flight 1 and all around badass, she's hung up her competition spurs (or so she says) but has just as much drive, determination and passion as ever, solidifying her lifelong top slot deep within the Lunatic Fringe.

Back in the can, this time on location in North Carolina living the boogie life, Pussfoot's Brian Casserly sits down with Mr. Todd Thompson, who's life in the sky started out as more of an "order" than a desire, care of the US Military.  Wanting more of the freefall taste than Uncle Sam was gonna provide, there was no way that Todd wasn't going to end up a proper jumper on his own.  Working now as an AFF instructor and Senior Rigger at Skydive Shenandoah and enjoying the hell out of it all, there's no doubt he's a lifelong member of the Lunatic Fringe.

With everything she does, it's all in.  From Hollywood, to writing, to skydiving, Alethia J Austin is not one to do things halfway. Her passion for growth and achievement in everything that she does is what continues to drive her. Having spent more than 10 years working with Skydive Mag in a desire to help share with a community that has given her so much, it's the next steps that just might be the most exciting in Alethia J. Austin's  Lunatic Fringe journey.

Back in the can once again to talk design, innovation, safety and prevention, it's Julien Peelman from the one and only JYRO. He might not be the best known name in the sport, and you've not seen him standing atop a podium after a sick canopy competition, but he's been there none the less.  Julien Peelman wasn't just creative in how he began his time in skydiving or even in how he got his gig with NZ Aerosports, but it's that exact creativity and training that has forever solidified his name and legacy in our sport. Designing wings that not only saves lives, but smash world records, he's put his skills to work on everything from the Petra to the Kraken and everything in-between, and he's helping keep himself and so many more happy and active with the Lunatic Fringe. 

He knew he loved it from the very first jump, but that didn't keep it from taking quite a while to get into skydiving properly. Learning the lesson that if you're waiting for friends to go for a jump, you could wait a long time, Andy Sbarato had enough waiting, and just went for it. Like a lot of us, skydiving took over pretty damn quickly, but for Andy it also provided real opportunities. Covid for some was a time to really step outside their comfort zones, and with the pressures it provided came about the birth of Option Gravity. Born of skydiving in the Swiss and Italian Alps in 2018, his deep dive into our extreme sport also give him the idea for offering a better option for high quality custom skydiving apparel. Between travel, load organizing, and running his successful company, Andy worked hard to make opportunity out of adversity. It may have started deep in the pandemic and our Lunatic Fringe, but now Andy and Option Gravity pushing full force!

At first glance you might not see a whole lot in common between Brazilian Jujitsu and skydiving, but if you look twice you just might be amazed. Ricky Rout, a black belt and passionate coach in Brazilian Jujitsu spotted the similarities between the two immediately, and put to work the mental toughness he'd earned through years on the mat to work for him in the air. Born in India and raised on the island of Guam where wrestling became a passion, Jujitsu seemed like a great fit as a "pastime" on his way to university; but like many deep in the Lunatic Fringe, pastimes have a way of becoming lifestyles. Join us on this edition of Lunatic Fringe as we speak about Jujitsu and skydiving, the mental game of each, the drive and joy continuing to learn can bring, and how a chance meeting with one of skydiving's icons put Ricky on a new path.

It started with an accident onboard a commercial airliner over Austrailia, or at least the catalyst did.  In an event that will forever be a part of Simon Colmer, part of learning to get past it was a bucket list that happened to include skydiving; yet for someone scared of heights dealing with the after effects of a traumatic experience onboard an airplane, it was one that took a bit of time to get around to.  Now, splitting his life quite clearly between the "real" world of an IT job, and weekends as a freefly coach and up and coming canopy pilot, Simon takes time to tell us about his rough beginnings in the air, lessons learned through injury, experience and travel and a host of incredible characters and mentors, and how he keeps the passion going in a sport with changing trends and appearances as he balances between the regular world and the Lunatic Fringe.

Back in the can for another virtual bonfire, Pablito Perazzoli, Master Rigger, Tandem Examiner, world traveler and a curator of one of the most spectacular handlebar mustaches this side of the 1800's sits down to talk a little about rigging, jumping, travel, loss and life. Join us for a fun catch up and informative chat with another wonderful life-long member of the Lunatic Fringe.

Kēbē Round 2! It wasn't just skydiving that drew Kēbē in to the sport, it was skysurfing. He knew from the moment he saw a board strapped to another's feet while cruising through the sky that he was all about it. Admittedly having gone about things at an accelerated (and proper sketchy) rate, his return to life with the board after years of competition, drive and determination have led him to come up with a training program designed to help those with his same passion go about it in a well thought out and clearly defined way. Add to that a little Lunatic Fringe style creative writing and you've got Kēbē! 

it's kind of an unbelievable list of accomplishments and stunts. X-Games Skysurfing World Champion. Super Bowl Halftime winning Pepsi Commercial  pulling stunts with a goose. First ever to skydive from an exploding aircraft. First ever parachute on fire in flight... The list goes on and on.  Yet if you had asked a young Troy Hartman what he thought he was going to be when he grew up, there was only one answer. Pilot. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case over and over in life, the plan didn't exactly go the way he thought, so on to plan B...  Becoming not only a world champion skysurfer, but the ambassador for skydiving at a time when not only the US but the whole world seemed to be screaming for something extreme. Join us on this edition of Lunatic Fringe as we talk with Troy about more out of your mind tricks, stunts and lucky breaks than anyone could ever imagine, all of which have him forever linked with the Lunatic Fringe.