This week we have a chat with James "JC" Crandall about the history of skydiving and how we  got here.  JC has been in the sport since the 1960's and he has seen first hand the progression of our sport in every area.  Topics of Discussion: Drug Running in Skydiving Culture of Skydiving in the Early Days Boogies in the 80's Parties in the Old Days Resources Captain Hook Interview - Youtube Freak Brothers Video - Youtube Skydiving Then & Now - Parachutist Article ..read more

Did you know that many European skydiving federations are regulating the size parachutes licensed skydivers can fly?  This week we caught up with Julian Barthel, via a web call, to chat about important canopy skills. Julian loves Canopy Piloting, XRW and is a former member of the German Canopy Piloting Team. He is also an instructor with Flight-1, so he has a lot of great wisdom to share.  Topics of Discussion: Downsizing Canopy Piloting Techniques Mutant Harness XRW and Its Future Resources: Julian's XRW Project - Youtube Flight-1  - Website The Parachute & Its Pilot ..read more

This week we got to catch up with Ron Bell, the Director of Safety & Training at the USPA. Ron is super passionate about educating the next generation of skydivers and giving them the tools they need to succeed.  With over 13,000 skydives, he is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. In the episode we cover the 2020 Non-Fatal Incident reports. You may be surprised (I was) to learn where most of the non-fatal incidents are occurring. Resources: 2020 Non-Fatal  Incident Report Summary Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com ..read more

This week we are featuring an interview with Jamie Leibert and Sandra Zinovyev, the purveyors of the @CaptainManicorn brand. They are on a mission to be the first man and woman to fly a parachute in every country! Kristina got on a Zoom call with them (from Greece) to chat about their past present and future. Jamie and Sandra have a very interesting story to tell about overcoming drug addiction, alcoholism, and incarceration. They've had a tough past, but managed to overcome these obstacles and now are living out their dream! Resources: Captain Manicorn Instagram captainmanicorn.com Shop wi ..read more

This week we are having an in-depth conversation on canopy design with Tony Bourke. In this episode, you'll hear us chat about: major design considerations of ram-air parachutes, how they affect performance, how to classify them, and a lot more. We try to separate fact from myth and create more clarity around how parachutes fly. Resources: Tony's Youtube Channel Girl's Cant Fly Parachutes John Leblanc at Skydive the Expo Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/skydivelive ..read more

We know not everyone can make it to Safety Day, so we wanted to bring a little bit of the info presented at the 2021 Safety Day to you. This is not meant to be a replacement, (we could never cover all the DZ-specific topics) but a supplement.  Kristina & I are going to cover the Incident reports from the 2020 season. There is much to learn from these reports, so grab a pen and notebook, and let's get started! Resources:USPA SAFETY DAY LINK Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/skydivelive ..read more

In this episode, we spoke with pro BASE jumper Matt Blank about how to get into BASE and what steps a new skydiver could take to get ready for the sport.   Here are a few of the topics: Canopy Work Wingsuit Training Mountaineering  Micrometeorology  Mindset  Resources:Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills- Paperback topgunbase.ws - Website Understanding The Sky - Paperback The Great Book of Base - Paperback Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/skydivelive ..read more

This week we have a great interview with Matt Blank. This discussion focuses on the problems with canopy piloting skill development and coaching. This is the first of two interviews with Matt. We will have another discussion about BASE next week. Resources: topgunbase.ws - Website Understanding The Sky - Paperback The Parachute & Its Pilot - Kindle The Great Book of Base - Paperback Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/skydivelive ..read more

An interview with the legendary Omar Alhegalan. A pioneer in the sport of skydiving who got his start in the United States in the early 90s. Now he has over 17,000 skydives and lives in Dubai. Omar tells us a bit about his past and some of the amazing things he's accomplished in his outstanding skydiving career, from jumping over Everest to setting records and pioneering new disciplines.  Don't forget to subscribe! Shop with us at Fish Skydive Apparel Follow our Instagram! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/skydivelive ..read more

The January 2021 USPA Board of Directors meeting just wrapped up, so we got on the phone with Alix to discuss some of the issues addressed at the meeting.  Here are a few of the points we discuss in the episode: Discussion of Coaches with less than 200 jumps using a camera The proposed "E License" Video endorsement for tandem Camera Flyers Angle Flying & “Movement Jumps” recommendation documentation added to SIM6-12.  Balloon Tandems 17 year old receiving a waiver to jump Canopy Coach Rating Addition of Rookie 4 Way at Nationals  AND MORE Don't forget to subscribe! Shop ..read more