It’s yet another instance of skydiving saving a life. Fighting through difficult times and a past that wouldn’t let go, Dan Blakeley turned to skydiving with a doesn’t matter if I die attitude. Doesn’t matter, right up until he found himself in freefall wanting to live every second of life he could, having just literally fallen into his purpose. With luck in the sport that only a 90s skydiving newbie could appreciate, Dan was handed opportunities that allowed him to carve out a successful career as a camera flyer and instructor for many years. Now retired from the sport and on a different path, Dan looks back on a fulfilling career happily knowing that regardless of what the future holds, he is and will always be a member of the Lunatic Fringe for life.

As children, the desire to push back against what our parents do is as natural as breathing, even when what your parents do is cool as hell. Neither Anna Moxnes nor Hollie-Blue Allum were an exception to this almost steadfast rule. Both the children of prominent skydivers and having been raised on dropzones deep within our community, it was a completely normal atmosphere to them, and one that had them looking outside the bounds of nylon and prop blast for direction.  Yet as has happened with so many second and third generation skydivers, it didn't take either all that long to realize that their parents had been on to something all along. For Anna, it was a almost unintentional start as a load organizer that would eventually see her vying for world championships while still harboring a desire for more, and for Hollie it would be the skills she learned to perfect in her professional life outside our sport that she would bring to bear in their now successful co-venture, The EdgE Agency. Now jumping for fun and "taking the piss" while forging forward with an agency quickly picking up speed, this dynamic pair are pushing hard to keep their passions going strong deep within the Lunatic Fringe.

From the very start there was no doubt in his mind that there were two things he would achieve in his life. Scotty Milne would be a soldier, and he would jump out of airplanes; yet there was no way even in his wildest dreams that he could have imagined the amazing adventure he was undertaking. A standout in the sport from the very beginning, he became a championship member of the famed skydiving team The Red Devils so soon in his career that many wondered how he was advancing so fast; right up until they saw him perform. Now, more than fifty years deep into a sport that he still embraces whole heartedly and having been a sought after instructor for much of that time, his position as the Director of Active Skydive keeps him just as busy today as he was when he introduced AFF to the military. Straight from the Highlands of Scotland, Scotty Milne proves that the only thing age needs to change in skydiving is jump numbers, and that the Lunatic lifestyle and longevity go hand in hand.

Back in the can to bring us up to speed on life deep within the USPA, Highlight Skydiving Team and her own new venture, the one and only Melissa Nelson gives us a bit of personal history along with insight on why she decided to climb deep inside the belly of the beast to try and initiate change, the challenges of trying to bust down the doors of the "Old Boy's Club", the groundbreaking work of the Highlight skydiving team and the amazing ideas she's bringing to the forefront in student training from the ground up. A lifelong member of the Lunatic Fringe, when Melissa Nelson talks it's because she's got something to say.

For this guy, skydiving made perfect sense. Getting a very early start for someone not born into the sport, Shawn Carter managed to make his first 3 jumps out of the coveted C-130 as a military cadet in Canada, so when it came time to hit the nylon in the civilian world a couple of years later he was all in. With his rigging ticket in his pocket and a desire to travel, Shawn managed to become one of the earliest crew members of Skydive Dubai gaining knowledge and experience along the way. After a potentially life altering accident on a bad landing and a fourteen month recovery, the drive to once again get in the air was a major part of his recovery strategy and he eventually not only overcame the injuries, but pushed on to coach and instruct. Now with his sights set on aviation as a profession and skydiving as a passion, Shawn fills us in on how he used he place in the Lunatic Fringe as a healing tool.

When you're born and raised in a place like Anchorage Alaska, "extreme sports" isn't really a thing; add to that being born to a big wall and alpine style climbing father and its pretty hard to give that title to much of anything as Ben Nelson can tell you. Working as a paramedic in one of the harshest environments on the planet, the initial drive to skydive just wasn't there simply because he hadn't yet seen the big picture, but after transferring to Houston for work and looking for more out of recreation than weekends at the bar he found Spaceland. It was there that he was exposed to all that skydiving and BASE had to offer, cranking out a thousand plus jumps a year, and there that he eventually made the move to work in the industry. Now partnered with Veterans groups aimed at helping in multiple areas, Ben and a crew of highly motivated people will soon embark on a 7 continent adventure hoping to use their experience to help understand and aid in suicide prevention. Yet another wonderful and inspiring member of the Lunatic Fringe Community.

Skydiving beginnings aren't always blue skies and sunshine as Jason Moledzki can tell you. Sometimes the drive to make that first jump can come from a truly dark place, but it was a place that Jason found the drive and determination to escape through his love of skydiving and BASE. A multiple world champion dozens of times over with world records and accomplishments in competition too long to list, he and his crew were a major driving force in the advancement not only of canopy piloting and its flight out of infancy, but in competition itself. As the co-founder and creative director of Flight-1, Jason has been instrumental in the complete overhaul of canopy instruction both in the civilian and military skydiving world with incredible student numbers going through their courses each year. on top of that, he is the co-creator/host of his own podcast called Trust the Journey with Melanie Curtis offering inspiration and insight along our journey deep within the Lunatic Fringe.  

Growing up in Australia in a very supportive environment, Emma Thomson had always been encouraged to explore her interests, and after the gift of a tandem skydive on her 18th birthday jumping had most certainly become one of them; yet it wasn't until she found herself at a destination skydiving center with her boyfriend wingsuit carving around her and her tandem instructor that she realized there may be more to skydiving than drogues and uncomfortable harnesses. With her career in education well underway, it didn't take long for her to put her skills as a teacher to work in the sport, completely changing the course of her professional life in a way that she never expected. Now, working around the world as a more and more sought after coach, she enjoys the benefits of an out of the box lifestyle while navigating social media, staying true to herself and continuing to push her own personal boundaries well within the Lunatic Fringe.

Aviation entered the life of Chris Kleinhenz at a very early age. having been aimed toward flight to focus his drive an attention, it was a series of fortuitous meetings, flight opportunities and the generosity of aircraft owners that helped him along the way. Add to that working hard to become a member of the US Air Force Academy skydiving team, and there was no doubt that airborne is where he preferred to be. Aviation and flying were his main focus for quite some time until he was in a position with flying to also put real energy into the jumping lifestyle by going full force at the Desert Campus of Skydive Dubai. From tandems to wing suits, he's got the chops to hang with the crew, but he's also taking on competition aerobatic flying while his real life gig is up front in the largest bird working, the 747. With his sights set skyward for the foreseeable future, there's no doubt that Chris will be with the Lunatic Fringe for some time to come.

Once again, a skydiving career wasn't born from the first exit, but the first freefall.  Argentina's static line course wasn't one that grabbed Juan Mayer, it was one that scared the hell out of him. Even after 52 jumps in a "kind of" AFF course and after freefall had shown him more of what our world may have to offer, it wasn't until a trip to Deland that he really saw the full picture.  Having now traveled the world, working in and helping to create incredible projects that have included everything from a world record balloon jump, flying over the pyramids, carving wing suits over The Palm Island in Dubai and publishing his own book of amazing images, Juan Mayer still has an incredible passion for skydiving and its community, and is another proud card carrying member of the Lunatic Fringe.

It is with sincere sadness that we say goodbye to another legend in our sport. Jarno Cordia was above all else a generous soul and an incredibly talented individual and we were lucky enough to spend a little time talking with him about what he truly loved, We at the Lunatic Fringe would like to honor him and his legacy with a re-release of Jarno sharing his journey in his own words at the beginning of 2021. BSBD Jarno. From a young age he was drawn to air sports, and skydiving in particular, but having an uncle who'd broken his back landing a round years before, it would have been easy for Jarno Cordia to watch his dreams of flying stay nothing more than childhood fantasy; but his desire to get in the air was much stronger than any fears he or his family may have had. After finishing school at 17 and a top notch career for the taking, he was able to use his early start in the professional world to put aside time to pursue his passion for flight both in skydiving and BASE, most specifically with wingsuiting. As has been for many a jumper, the drive to fly found a way to push career aside, and almost without thinking, he found that his passion and profession were now one in the same. With his partner and teammate Jenna Gygi at his side, @teamflylikebrick continues to lead him to almost every side of the 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.

It's a huge Lunatic theme. Skydiving was not the plan. For Nicole Scappatura it wasn't even an idea. She just answered an add for a job that neglected to say it was for a dropzone. For Omar Mohammad, it went against pretty much everything he was busy training for, which was to be the guy up at the front of the aircraft, not the meat missile jumping out the back. With both of them honing their skills with some of the worlds best jumping with Skydive Dubai, they've been on the fast track for some time now. Both professional coaches in the sky and Omar in the tunnel as well, they're a Middle East Dynamic Duo and certified members of the Lunatic Fringe.

Absolutely horrible. Having passed on the idea of a tandem and gone straight to AFF, Jamie Webster's instructors told him upon landing from his first jump that perhaps skydiving just might not be for him. Luckily, Jamie isn't exactly the type to take no for an answer, and from jump number two on things started looking up. Thousands up jumps later, and years of experience as instructor behind him he's solidly proved those first impressions wrong. Not that he hasn't had his close calls… In one of the most intense experiences shared on the podcast to date, Jamie fills us in on what it's like to spend time staring at the bottom of a 182, snagged, suspended and terribly threatened by gear designed to save lives, not take them. Jamie will be the first to tell you it is all about learning from your mistakes and close calls, proving why sticking with the Lunatic Fringe is his preferred path.

All in from the get go. Something undefinable was telling her it was time for a change, and it was just a "random tandem" that shot her off in on a new trajectory that would change everything. Booking her second jump just after landing from her first, Jocelyn Villavicencio knew right then and there that skydiving was her future. Jumping became her singular focus and goal, and it's been her drive and determination, her experience and the ratings she's earned that have taken her exactly where she's wanted to go. Working now as a full-time skydiver/instructor with dreams of competition, there is no doubt that Jocelyn is a full-fledged member of the Lunatic Fringe.

In truly rare air above the famed Namche Bazar, we sit down and get the inside scoop on exactly what it takes to run the highest drop zone on planet earth. From logistics to landings, find out what it's like to operate at a drop zone where a hop-n-pop is at 22,000 feet! This remote broadcast is about as remote as they get, and exactly what the Lunatic Fringe lifestyle is all about. 

In one of the more offensive episodes of lunatic fringe, back in the can for episode 200 is a true brother not only to myself, but the entire sport of skydiving. A lifelong ambassador for skydiving as a proud tandem instructor, Derick Massey through years of experience, and incredible injuries and recoveries has maintained his passion for his well earned slot deep within the lunatic fringe.

With her drive and passion for ballet slowly fading, Tijana Milacic found herself living in Serbia and wondering what comes next. For a time it was a successful career in the hospitality industry in the bustling city of Dubai, but as can happen, even this was not meeting her expectations, and she was all but ready to move on, until... It was a coworkers suggestion to make a "safe" and easy AFF skydive over the desert sands that truly lit a new fire for her. Now more than a thousand jumps in and a few years behind the counter as a Manifest Professional, there is no doubt in Tijana's mind that she is in it for the long run. With daydreams of working as an instructor and even the possibility of BASE, it's a pretty sure bet that she is now and will forever be a passionate member of the Lunatic Fringe.

Let's just call this one what it is. We all sat down in a very small room with some microphones, got intentionally as drunk as we possibly could and tried to talk about skydiving. Chances are you've probably done some version of it yourself, but If you haven't done it, we highly recommend you try it sometime, but until then please enjoy this little Lunatic Fringe bunch of idiots having a wonderful time…

Sometimes it's not always about the long game... Like many of us working skydivers, Ben Milham-Marks dove head first into the wonderful world of skydiving, and worked his way from the bottom up. From professional packer even before he was a licensed jumper, to an AFF instructor with only 400 or so jumps, then on to tandems and the traveling road show that can be a professional jumpers life, Ben pretty much covered it all; but as has been said and proven many times before, passion and work don't always necessarily make for the best mix. Having hit a stage in his career and life where its time for a change, Ben shares the joy that has been his time in skydiving, and why he's chosen, at least for now to call it quits. Searching out different avenues in life, he maintains his position with the Lunatic fringe at least for now through fond memories and amazing lessons learned.