Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

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The Cloudbase Mayhem podcast is where you will find fascinating and educational interviews with the best free-flight pilots in the world. If you fly a hanglider or paraglider, if you fly acro or cross country, the Cloudbase Mayhem podcast is where we glean how the great pilots of the world get there…

Gavin McClurg

Hailey, Idaho

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    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 16m AVG DURATION
    • 247 EPISODES

    4.8 from 210 ratings Listeners of Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast that love the show mention: lz, paragliding, thermal, thanks gavin, mayhem, thank you gavin, xc, p2, gavin's, pilots, flying, working towards, flights, decision making, conditions, handling, safety, intermediate, buck, sky.


    Ivy Insights

    The Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast is an incredible resource for pilots and anyone interested in flying. Hosted by Gavin McClurg, a seasoned pilot himself, this podcast covers a wide range of topics related to paragliding and free-flight. From interviews with experienced pilots, trainers, authors, and filmmakers to discussions on safety, technique, weather, and more, this podcast offers valuable insights and entertainment for all levels of experience.

    One of the best aspects of The Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast is the genuine and informative interview style of Gavin McClurg. He has a knack for asking thoughtful questions that delve into the expertise and experiences of his guests. The wide variety of guests also adds depth and diversity to the episodes. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced pilot, there is always something new to learn from these conversations.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is its focus on safety and risk management. Gavin emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions and learning from others' experiences. This emphasis on safety helps listeners develop a better understanding of risk assessment in flying.

    While there are many positive aspects to The Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast, one potential drawback is that it caters specifically to paragliders and free-flight enthusiasts. If you are not interested in these topics or do not participate in these activities, some episodes may not be as relevant or engaging for you.

    In conclusion, The Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast is an invaluable resource for pilots at every level. Gavin McClurg's genuine interview style combined with a diverse range of guests makes each episode insightful and entertaining. Whether you're looking to expand your knowledge or simply enjoy stories from the world of paragliding, this podcast is a must-listen.



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    Latest episodes from Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

    #247 A lifetime love affair of the air with Malcolm Jones

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 70:26


    This week I sit down with Tom Peghiny to visit with Malcolm Jones, two legends in the world of hang gliding. They share their personal journeys into the sport, from Malcolm's early experiences with water skiing and the very first known towing of hang gliders which later became the Wallaby Ranch, the first aerotow facility in the world. The discussion covers the evolution of hang gliding competitions, memorable events, and the impact of their aviation experiences on their lives.

    lifetime love affair malcolm jones
    #246 Soaring through History with Bill Liscomb

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 83:34


    This conversation delves into the rich history of hang gliding, exploring the personal journeys of the early pioneers of free flight. It highlights the evolution of hang gliding, the DIY spirit of early glider construction, and the influential eccentric figures who shaped the hang gliding community. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced in the sport, the importance of safety, and the role of photography in documenting this unique culture. Through personal anecdotes and reflections, the conversation captures the essence of what it means to be part of the hang gliding world. Bill Liscomb shares his journey through the world of hang gliding and sailplanes, reflecting on the early days of the sport, the creation of the incredible documentary 'Big Blue Sky', and the impact of tragedy on the aviation community.

    #245 The 100 Peaks Challenge with Nathan Longhurst

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 69:41


    In this conversation, US based climber and relatively new paragliding pilot Nathan Longhurst shares his incredible journey of completing the 100 Peaks Challenge in New Zealand, combining his passion for climbing and flying. He began on 17 November 2024 and ran, rock climbed, ice climbed, bushwhacked, kayaked, cycled and paraglided his way through the list and incredibly- knocked it out in just 103 days.

    #244 Grit and Growth: The Mindset of a Successful Pilot w Top Gun Ace Serge Durrant

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2025 85:43


    Serge Durrant, a former Top Gun fighter pilot turned paraglider, discusses his journey from aviation to adventure sports. We explore themes of mentorship, risk management, and the importance of community in high-stakes environments. Serge shares insights on overcoming fear, the competitive nature of flying, and the mental techniques that have helped him succeed in hang gliding, flying F-18 fighter jets, and paragliding. The conversation highlights the parallels between aviation and paragliding, emphasizing the need for grit and the value of learning from mistakes.

    #243 Flying and the Mind: A psychological journey with Paris Williams

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 74:03


    Paris has been flying hang gliders his entire life, and we're the same age— so a long time. In this episode we explore the multifaceted nature of flying and its psychological implications. Paris has a PHD in psychology and is a practicing psychologist, and he shares his own journey from a challenging childhood and coming from a pretty dark place to finding solace in the skies. We discuss the evolution of hang gliding, the thrill of aerobatics, and the importance of mental health in the sport. We get into mindfulness practices  as a means to enhance performance and maintain presence during flights and the balance between competition and enjoyment and the need to reconnect with the joy of flying. We explore the intricate balance between striving for success and enjoying the journey in flying, and how letting go of the desire for achievement often leads to much better performance.

    #242 Stoic, Solo Adventuring with Juraj Koreň

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 80:20


    Juraj Koreň is an expert alpine climber and pilot from Slovakia who has been chasing some very extreme (often solo) adventures around the world for the last decade, including his 7 "virgin summits" attempt to climb and fly off the world's highest peaks. We begin this conversation discussing his experience in the 2019 Red Bull X-Alps and how mistakes in his first race have guided his last five years of preparations for his second race this June. They discuss the challenges of solo climbing and the importance of understanding mortality in adventure sports. Juraj reflects on his experiences, including a harrowing solo climb of the north face of the Eiger and the mental battles faced during the Red Bull X-Alps race. We discuss the addictive nature of extreme sports, the lessons learned from past experiences, and the importance and intrigue of solo missions for personal growth and reflection.

    #241- Tom De Dorlodot and Resilience

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 87:24


    A year ago almost to the day professional Red Bull adventure athlete, 9 time Red Bull-Alps competitor, brainchild of "The Search" projects, professional speaker, loving father and husband Tom De Dorlodot was learning how to kite-ski in Norway for a future planned expedition across the length of Greenland when things went horribly, horribly wrong. This wasn't Tom's first major injury, but this one has forced Tom into some scary places both mentally and physically. Tom's year has been a blur of darkness and light: nine major surgeries, months of antibiotics, at times a real risk of losing his leg pulling against optimism, hope, love of family and beautiful lessons.

    #240 A lifetime of Skydiving with Jeff Ayliffe

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 77:22


    Jeff Ayliffe hails from South Africa and has been under some sort of canopy for a great deal of most of his action-packed years, beginning at the age of 5 when he became obsessed with skydiving. Jeff shares his journey from a young skydiving enthusiast to a veteran member of the national team. He recounts personal stories, including the thrill of formation flying and some terrifying, and sometimes tragic moments when things went wrong.

    #239 The thrill of a lifetime of flying with Eddie Colfox

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 75:01


    Eddie Colfox has an unbelievable history with paragliding, beginning in 1991 at home in the UK and later across India, Pakistan, and Morocco. In this show Eddie discusses the evolution of the flying community, the connections formed through shared experiences, and the challenges faced in high-altitude flying. Eddie shares personal anecdotes, including his work with notable figures in the sport and the impact of his diverse experiences on his life and career. The conversation highlights the thrill of adventure, the importance of community, and the lessons learned along the way.

    #238 Acro, Test flying, SIV, Instruction, Meteo and Comps with Karlis Jaunpetrovics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 93:01


    In this episode we talk about his journey to becoming an instructor, the challenges and intricacies of test piloting, his passion for acrobatics, his experiences flying in Taiwan, and the vibrant paragliding community he has encountered along the way. Karlis shares his passion for cross-country flying and the importance of mentorship in paragliding. He discusses the significance of finding the right instructor and community, as well as his transition into teaching SIV training, the 4 fundamentals of SIV, and how progression works when it works well.

    #237- Removing the Anxiety of Vol Biv with Tim Pentreath

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 55:25


    Four years ago almost to the day we released a podcast with veteran UK pilot/adventurer Tim Pentreath that explored his "Gumball Rally"- a vol biv adventure open to anyone in the Alps every summer. At that time Tim and his friends were just getting getting started. This show is a follow up with Tim to find out how it's been going. The answer- quite well indeed! The Gumball continues to grow, continues to generate a ton of smiles, and they continue to cover a lot of very cool ground.

    #236 Soaring through History with Butch Peachy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2024 46:25


    In this continuing series on legends in the sport I sit down...

    #235 A Record is Crushed in Norway with Arne Kristian Boiesen

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 59:43


    On June 10, 2023 Arne Kristian Boiesen, a veteran paraglider from Norway stepped off one of his local sites outside of Oslo hoping to go pretty big. 9.5 hours later he'd flown his Niviuk Peak 6 343 km from launch, a remarkable 90 km farther than anyone ever had in Norway, flying nearly due north across epic terrain, landing just south of Trondheim. The record stands today.

    #234 A lifetime in the clouds with Chuck Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 117:27


    Free flight tends to attract some rather big personalities to its crutches. And among its most interesting and passionate devotees is American pilot and pioneer Chuck Smith. Chuck learned back east on the dunes in the US with his brother in the late 80's under the tutelage of climbing legend John Bouchard. From there the search for airtime and the love of the flying community brought him all over the world. The people he's impacted or been impacted by is an impressive rolodex of the history of flying.

    #233 A Monster day in the Owens with Gordon Boettger

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 43:42


    Gordon Boettger has achieved remarkable feats in wave flying, breaking records with a 3100+ km flight in 18.5-hours using night vision goggles and strong atmospheric wave. This Monday I joined him for a thrill ride where we covered nearly 1200 km in 7.5 hours, launching at 0330 using NVG's, reaching altitudes of 24,500 feet, showcasing the incredible future potential of soaring.

    #232 An Impossible Story of Survival with Ben Lewis

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 67:39


    Canadian pilot Ben Lewis shares his perilous and rather unbelievable cloudsuck experience paragliding in Bir, India, where extreme turbulence led eventually to a harrowing near-death "landing." After losing control and suffering severe injuries, he emphasizes the importance of weather awareness, risk management, and community support in adventure sports, providing vital lessons for fellow adventurers.

    #231 Chasing Excellence with Evan Bouchier

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 50:34


    Evan discusses his transition from extreme kayaking to paragliding, highlighting the significance of tandem flying, competition experiences, and mental techniques like intuition and visualization. He reflects on challenges, the thrill of flying, and the importance of resilience, emphasizing the parallels between sports and his aspirations in cross-country paragliding.

    #230 Hugh Miller and making the Glide to Sailplanes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 50:47


    Hugh Miller, a renowned paraglider pilot, has recently transitioned to flying sailplanes, capturing interest with his first competition experience. His journey highlights the challenges and excitement of learning a new aviation discipline. The piece reflects on the differences between paragliding and gliding and explores the unique skills required for the latter.

    #229, The Exit Point Podcast interviews your Host

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 111:33


    Gavin McClurg, an accomplished extreme sports athlete and Patagonia ambassador, discusses his experiences with risk, flow, and mentorship in extreme sports on the Exit Point Podcast. He covers his history in ski racing, close calls in kayaking, and confidence-building from sailing around the world, emphasizing his expertise in paragliding.

    #228 Eat, Sleep, Fly 100 km Repeat with Mathew Fiddes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 57:05


    Mathew Fiddes, a relatively new pilot, set out to win the Australian XC league in the 23' XContest season. Despite early challenges, he aimed for 52 100 km flights in a season and achieved this goal by traveling extensively. A discussion at the Red Rocks Wide Open covers his journey and future aspirations.

    #227 The XPeaks Expedition with Chrigel Maurer and Peter Von Känel

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 85:15


    Peter Von Känel and Chrigel Maurer embarked on the Xpeaks 82 summits project, becoming the first to link all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps using only their feet and paragliders. Despite weather challenges, they completed the mission in a remarkable 51 days through teamwork, expert skills, and careful resource management, and "embracing uncertainty."

    #226 Benni Bölli and the Art of Flaring

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 57:58


    The episode features Benni Bölli, the inventor and designer behind Flare kites, discussing "flaring" or parakiting, a sport combining kitesurfing and paragliding elements. He explains the Flare system's dynamic nature, emphasizing safe handling, training, and the significant differences and benefits between parakites and traditional paragliders for soaring.

    #225 AMA with Malin Lobb- C Class 2 Liners, First bivvy in the Alps, When are you expedition Ready?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 35:55 Transcription Available


    In this Ask Me Anything episode, three main questions from Patreon supporters are addressed. Topics include the new class of C wing 2-Liners with insights from SIV expert Malin Lobb, tips for a first bivvy in the Alps, and advice on assessing readiness for big challenges such as new lines or expeditions.

    #224 The Free Flight Lab with Michael Vergalla

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2024 67:01 Transcription Available


    Mike Vergalla, founder of the Free Flight Lab, delves into his paragliding journey and highlights the lab's pillars: climate science, conservation, and safety. He discusses paragliding's potential in research and environmental conservation, emphasizing the need for more data. The conversation also covers the environmental impact, community responsibility, and the unique experiences paragliding offers.

    #223 Increasing Performance, Safety and Resilience with Jeremy Wilstein

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 61:27 Transcription Available


    Jeremy Wilstein discovered breathwork, inspired by Wim Hof, and has been teaching it for 8 years, benefiting performance, safety, mental stability, and well-being. His exercises, enhancing sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, aid decision-making, reduce anxiety, improve physical recovery, and simulate altitude training. Breathwork is pivotal for athletes and pilots alike.

    #222, Living Life to the Fullest and Embracing Adventure with Dick Jackson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2024 74:22


    Dick Jackson takes on his remarkable journey as an alpinist and paragliding pioneer, covering his early expeditions, the evolution of paragliding in Aspen, and technological advancements in free flight. He reminisces about adventurous flights, the camaraderie in the sport, and reflects on grief, spirituality, and the profound impact of mountains on his life.

    #221 Learning stalls for the first time after 30 years of flying with Nate Scales

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2024


    My neighbor and mentor Nate Scales has been flying paragliders at a high level for over 30 years. He competed in the 2007 Red Bull X-Alps. Owned the US foot launch record out of Idaho, where conditions can be about as rough as it can get. He has been flying 2 liners since their inception in 2009. But until this week had never done an SIV, and never stalled a glider. He finally decided the time was right and it was time to conquer his fears. This is his story. Let's call it a PSA for those on the SIV fence. Nate has had a nearly accident-free flying career. Chalk it up to skill and making good decisions and a good dose of luck but we all know this sport can bite, and it's never too late to mitigate some of the risk.

    #220, Martin Scheel and 30 years of the Swiss League

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 73:55


    Martin Scheel was one of the best climbers in the world when he discovered paragliding and the sky crack immediately became his new passion. His images and videos have entertained and awed for several decades across the free-flight spectrum. In the mid 90's he helped create the Swiss League and has headed it up since. His collaborative efforts with generations of pilots have helped create some of the most successful pilots on Earth, including Chrigel Maurer, Stephan Morganthaler, Dominik Breitinger, Tim Bollinger, Nanda Walliser and many, many others over the past three decades. Martin organized the Superfinal in Disentis in 2022 and more recently the PWC in Grindelwald last week.

    #219 The physiology of Hypoxia, Sleep and Aging with Dr. Bill Beninati

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 72:54


    n this episode Bill takes us on a deep dive into the physiology of hypoxia, sleep and aging and what we can (and should) do to help combat the effects of each when it comes to flying. Hypoxia can greatly reduce our mental acuities, often without our knowledge. It can be sudden and can be radically different from day to day. The bottom line- when operating at altitude even the most prepared and acclimatized need to build in more margin. Come along as we explore three subjects which can really impact our safety and ability in the air.

    #218 John Heiney and 45 years of Hang Gliding

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2024 82:21


    John Heiney started hang gliding in 1978 and he's still going strong today. His photographs of free flight have been on more than 50 magazine covers. He broke the Guinness World Record for looping in 1988. And then he broke his own record again ten years later! He was crowned the world aerobatics champion four times. He's a machinist; diesel rabbit aficionado (he's driving his fifth these days); hang gliding instructor, has more than 40 wings in his garage; worked on numerous commercials and films; designed gliders; was a test pilot; stunt pilot and has invented dozens and dozens of camera mounts to capture the magic of flying. His incredible flying stories span over four decades. Grab a cold one and kick back, you're in for a treat.

    #217 Kinga Masztalerz and Going Wild

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2024 71:23


    Kinga Masztalerz gets after it. She picked up paragliding not too long...

    #216 Tom Peghiny and Taking the First Leaps into the Unknown

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 71:06


    Tom Peghiny's lifelong passion for flying, beginning with hang gliders at age 13, progressed the sport significantly. A key figure in early hang gliding, he competed in the first US Nationals and World Championships, advocating for safety and design innovation. Now into paragliding, Tom's enduring enthusiasm has been central to his life's work, influencing the community and fueling a continuous pursuit of flight, highlighted in an interview that reflects on his impactful career and the sport's evolution.

    #215 CRUSHING with the US Women’s Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 70:45


    The US competition scene is thriving, led by women like National Champion Galen Kirkpatrick. Gavin McClurg interviews the leading US Women's team members (Alexia, Violeta, Jenny and Galen), discussing their impact and inclusive approach in paragliding. They share insights on competitions, advice for newcomers, and the importance of visibility and support for female pilots' success.

    #214, Galen Kirkpatrick and Creating New Lore

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024 66:10


    Galen Kirkpatrick rose from a beginner to the 2023 US National Paragliding Champion in seven years, becoming the first female champion. Her journey from fear of flying to the pinnacle of the sport involved intensive training, overcoming a significant fear, and a shift in mindset to prioritize fun and creativity. Her success has been a mix of personal bests and learning to apply flying lessons to life, marking a seminal moment for women in the sport and inspiring camaraderie and emotional safety among pilots.

    #213 Pierre Carter and Into Thin Air

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 101:01


    South African pilot and adventurer Pierre Carter has been at this game for a very long time, and he hasn't wasted any time chasing thin air dreams. Pierre has been knocking off the world's seven summits for nearly 20 years (some of them several times), and has flown off all but Denali (because it's illegal) and has only Antarcticas Mt Vinson remaining. In between his efforts to summit and fly off the worlds highest peaks Pierre competed in the Red Bull X-Alps three times, organized the X-Berg hike and fly race in South Africa and most recently had a bit of an epic in Pakistan. Come along for an amazing ride with a very special gentleman.

    #212 The Most Important Flight with Marcus King

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 78:12


    Marcus King has been flying pretty much full time since 1991. He...

    #211 – Jake Holland and the New Way Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2024 95:53


    Jake Holland is a British filmmaker and adventure pilot based in Chamonix....

    #210- Louis Tapper and Reducing Carnage

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 85:34


    Louis Tapper, a passionate Kiwi adventurer, holds kitesurfing records, competes in paragliding, and advocates for safety in extreme sports. In an in-depth discussion, he emphasizes the importance of risk management, accident reporting, and human factors in flying. The conversation also covers lessons from other sports and the slow progress in changing safety culture.

    #209 Thad Spencer- the Comeback

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 89:37


    Thad Spencer, a paraglider, narrates his experience of a severe accident in western Minnesota, reflecting on the selfish nature of extreme sports and their impact on relationships. He talks about using his recovery period to redefine self-identity, overcome fears, and embrace challenges. The discussion highlights the importance of confidence and a balance between caution and risks. It also delves into navigating retirement and the importance of finding new purposes during this phase of life.

    #208 A Love Affair with Flying- Phil Hystek

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 126:09


    "Flat out Phil" Hystek has been instructing free flight in Australia longer than anyone. It began with a fascination of hang gliding in the 70's, becoming a hang gliding instructor in the late 80's in California, being "forced" into paragliding in the early 90's and his energizer batteries are going stronger than ever today. Phil has racked up 171,000 meters of vertical ascent in his back yard to date this year (at age 65!), just returned from a 4 weeks of vol-biv flying in Bir, India and is a story teller for the ages. We travel the world, meet the legends, pull off the absurd in Telluride, pack it hard in Bali, and find out who thrives in this sport and who should maybe take up a different activity.

    #207- Behind the Scenes of the Red Bull X-Alps with Tarquin Cooper

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023


    Tarquin Cooper has been the voice of the Red Bull X-Alps the last few editions and this year was joined by your host and four-time X-Alps competitor Gavin McClurg to add some commentating and live footage from the air. In this episode the two of us sit down to share our own unique perspective of the race as we chased the athletes and teams around the Alps and had our own adventures (and misadventures!) in our mostly frantic attempts to keep up. I go into the full details of the unfortunate "tree incident", we hear about Tarquin's wild sail in the Fastnet race immediately after the Red Bull X-Alps ended, the athletes who most impressed us this year, Chrigel's continued dominance, what it was like for me to be covering the event instead of racing and a lot more. If you're in a bit of Red Bull X-Alps withdrawal this episode should help bide some time until 2025! The post #207- Behind the Scenes of the Red Bull X-Alps with Tarquin Cooper first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

    #206- A Walk (and Fly) down Memory Lane with Paul Guschlbauer

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 117:23


    Paul Guschlbauer has been on the podium more than anyone in the Red Bull X-Alps other than of course Chrigel. He began his X-Alps journey back in 2011 when by his own account, he was a pretty beginner pilot. But that year the weather was horrific and he is a beast on the ground and he managed to nab 3rd place. This result lead to becoming a Red Bull athlete, a spot in that year's Dolomitimann, and the rest is...well at least history in the making as Paul is far from done! This year's Red Bull X-Alps was Paul's 8th edition of the incredible race and a lot has happened over the more than a decade of racing. The post #206- A Walk (and Fly) down Memory Lane with Paul Guschlbauer first appeared on CLOUDBASE MAYHEM.

    #205- Chasing the Monster with Gordon Boettger

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 107:37


    On June 19th this year in the blackness of night Gordon Boettger and his copilot Bruce Campbell donned expedition clothing mountaineers use to climb the highest peaks in the world, stepped into a specialized high performance sailplane, put on their night vision goggles and took to the skies of the Sierra mountain chain at 0230. They didn't know it yet, but they would be in the air flying "wave" (aka the "monster") for over 17 hours and go farther than anyone ever has in a glider, ultimately ticking up 3055 kilometers, or 1898 miles.

    #204 – Flying High with Martin Jovanoski

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023 101:23


    Martin Jovanoski has been flying his entire life. Sailplanes, Hang gliders, Paragliders- in any and all forms. He got started in accuracy, moved into cross country competitions and pretty much does it all when it comes to free-flight. He's one of the big reasons Krushevo, Macedonia has become such a mecca for competitions, and he instructs, guides, flies tandems, designs wings, consults and more. I've been lucky enough to compete with Martin many times in World Cups and hands down Martin is the cream of the crop when it comes to unabashed love for our sport. He's always got the biggest smile on launch. He's the pilot who seems to have retained that first flight wonder of flying we all have throughout his long and very storied career.

    #203- The French Domination with Julien Garcia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 67:09


    The objective is simple- be the best in the world, and win championships. In other words- you can go to University to paraglide! Charles Cazaux, Luc Armont, Pierre Remy, Honorin Hamard, Meryl Delferriere, and Maxime Pinot are all products of the French training program and Julien Garcia, our guest on today's show is their coach. For years he was the coach of the junior team and is now the coach of maybe the most elite team the world of paragliding has ever seen. 5 of the top 10 pilots in the WPRS ranking are French right now. In last week's PWC in Targassone, home of the Polisport training center all three top spots went to French pilots. In this episode I grill Julien on the secret sauce of winning.

    #202- “The Flying Yogi” Jim Mallinson

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 94:39


    Jim Mallinson has a lot of titles. Baronet, Sir, Professor, Doctor, Mahant, and of course Pilot. Jim is the world's leading expert on Hatha yoga and Sanskrit. He has translated texts that go back thousands of years. Jim became fascinated with India on a trip there when he was 18 years old and for every year since other than during Covid he has spent 6 months of every year there living as a Sadhu, or "one who has renounced worldly life"- basically a vagabond, but then during the other 6 months has achieved an unbelievable resume in academia, mostly through Oxford University. He's the author of nine books and scores of academic articles. Described as "perhaps the only baronet with dreadlocks" Jim is one of the most fascinating individuals in our sport. He

    #201- Calef Letorney and Community, Confidence, and Cloudwhispering

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2023 83:46


    Calef Letorney was a professional paddler back in the early 2000's who made the switch to flying and has never looked back. When you think of places to fly in the world you don't often put the North East US on the list. There's a lot of trees, cloudbase is low, weather if fickle. But that's where Calef found himself after learning to fly in the Colorado Rockies and his desire to send meant the first thing that had to happen was to get good at flying, and it's hard to get good without other good pilots to fly with, so he had to get others up to snuff as well. So Calef became an instructor, then an SIV instructor, then a guide...and the rest fell into place.

    #200- Going pear shaped in Pakistan

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 115:59


    Pilots and friends Pierre Carter, Jeremy Holdcroft, Scott Baker, Richard "Barbs" Barber and legendary mountaineer Andy De Klerk set off this June to attempt to break the altitude record by flying up the Baltoro Glacier to K2 in Pakistan. Everything was going well...until it wasn't. Andy suffers a heart attack (in the air!), and Scott breaks the rule of not making a tricky situation worse by blowing a landing on the wrong side of the river and suffers a broken ankle and leg, which turns into an epic on its own. A wild story from a wild part of the world and we break it down into everything that went right, everything that went wrong, and lessons we can all take on board to make our community safer and more prepared in the mountains.

    Episode 199- A story of avoiding inconvenience with Alejandro Barañac

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 42:12


    We have a saying in our sport, "never avoid inconvenience." But it's easier said than done. An easy field a kilometer away from the train station, or a really tricky field right next to it? Landing in strong wind across a river that means a long walk, or landing in strong wind near a road that will have rotor? In the 21' Vercofly a number of pilots were injured. Some due to rowdy conditions, but several were just because of pilots making poor decisions. This is one of the latter stories from a first-time hike and fly competitor, Alejandro Barañac.

    Episode 198- Going Big in…Israel? A flight to remember with Eliya Zemmour

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 47:12


    Eliya Zemmour is an Isreali-born climber, endurance athlete, hike and fly guidebook author and...formerly incarcerated conman, but that's another story to be told soon on the podcast! In this show we take a deep dive into his recent 228km flight from the southern tip of Israel past Jerusalem, which broke the country record.

    Episode 196- From World Record Skydiving to Paragliding, Reserve Testing, pro repacks with Andrey Kuznetsov

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 69:36


    Andrey Kuznetsov has been on the national sky diving team for many...

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