The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

Lunatic Fringe with Kēbē 2

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! 

Lunatic Fringe with Troy Hartman Pt. 2

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. 

Lunatic Fringe with Kēbē

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! 

Lunatic Fringe with Troy Hartman Pt. 1

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. 

Lunatic Fringe up Island Peak

Joined by Alberto, Emma, Olga and Victoria, this second remote Himalayan podcast is a bunch of skydivers most decidedly not skydiving! Recorded after more than two weeks on the mountain, having attempted scaling the 6,100 meter mountain known as Island Peak, situated a rocks throw from Mount Everest, the team recounts this most amazing adventure over a few drinks in the heart of the climbers and tourists district of Thamel, in Kathmandu. Lunatic Fringe with a twist...

Lunatic Fringe with Dani and Sebastian

Lunatic Fringe with Tracy Bohm

Personally I'm a hell of a fan of a good cliché, and I'm willing to bet Tracy Bohm is too. She met, jumped with, stalked, moved away with and eventually got married to her very first tandem instructor, Mr. Tom Bohm. He quickly instilled in her the same passion for skydiving that he had, and they went about making a hell of a life together both in the sky and on the ground. And then everything changed. Voted the number one Load Organizer by Blue Skies Magazine more times than most, take this time to listen closely to the advice, criticism and lessons she's learned along her wonderful, exciting and tragic journey into the lunatic fringe. 

Lunatic Fringe with Alberto Avails

Like so many before him, that first skydive was more on a whim than anything else. Ending up at an operation not too far from his grandparents home, Alberto Avalis may have seen parachutes in the sky before, but it wasn't until after that first jump that he knew. Working a construction job to pay for his new habit, it wasn't all that long before he knew that skydiving was the life for him. Now, after earning all the ratings and working as a professional skydiver and instructor for many years, he's set his sights on competition, and the coveted head down big way world record, of which he was able to earn a slot for this years attempt. Hoping to go back in 2025 to nail it, he plans on continuing on full power down his path with the Lunatic Fringe, competing, working, and loving every bit of it.

Lunatic Fringe with Dave Cicciarelli

You might think that the transition from a working risk management professional to a working skydiver might be a pretty over the top choice, and you'd be right; but to Dave Cicciarelli it was one of the easiest choices he ever made. With roots in skydiving that stretch back to the late 80's, and a career that kicked off properly when he went to work managing the AFP program for Roger Nelson, Dave's career has gone from Illinois, to Florida, New Zealand to Australia. Staring down his 60's and still going strong as a working skydiver, Dave Cicciarelli is the perfect Lunatic Fringe example of longevity in a sport that isn't just for kids!

Lunatic Fringe with Simon Whittle

From skateboarding to rock climbing, Simon Whittle touched all the bases when it came to his beginnings in extreme sports, but the real hook came when his UK parents bought him his introduction into the world of skydiving in the form of a static line course. The UK being what it is, it took Simon a very long time to start racking up any real jump experience, but where the sky failed, the tunnel filled the gap. Working his way through the ranks as a tunnel instructor, by the time Simon found himself back under nylon, it had been close to 8 years, and he was ready for more. With a drastic change of profession and location he headed off to the Middle East, which turned out to be exactly the move he needed. Now Skydiving Instructor, BASE Jumper, and believe it or not, Skysurfer, Simon Whittle is well and truly locked into his path with the Lunatic Fringe.