Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast
Free flight podcast hosted by Gavin McClurg, covering paragliding, hang gliding, and other forms of unpowered flight. Features interviews with pilots, stories from the skies, and discussions about the sport.
Episodes
#275 Hike and Fly Racing, Supporting, and Having One with Ben Hodgson
South African pilot and veteran sailor Ben Hodgson has been competing in some of the most well-known and intense hike and fly races around the world for a decade, beginning with the XBerg in 2017 and then advancing to the Bornes to Fly, X-Pyr and many others. Last year he was the main supporter for the wunderkid rookie Gabe Jansen in the Red Bull X-Alps after they met competing in a hike and fly r
#274- Breaking Barriers: Fatemeh Eftekhari’s journey as Iran’s “Queen of the Skies” and the Power of Aviation
Have you ever imagined a woman soaring through the skies at 6,000+ meters, shattering the proverbial glass ceiling in a country where female pilots are a rare sight? Today, we delve into the remarkable story of Fatemeh Eftekhari, Iran’s first female pilot and a trailblazer for women in aviation and extreme sports. Her journey is not just about flying; it's about defying societal norms, pushing bou
#273 Elite performance, Flow States and Mindset with NBA coach and author Bret Burchard
Explore the psychology of elite performance, flow states, and mindset with Bret Burchard, former NBA coach and author of Catching Confetti, Developing the Mindset of a Champion. Discover how mental training can transform sports, your flying, and everyday life.
#272 From Zimbabwe to China to the Alps- a Paraglider’s Journey through Adventure, Trauma and Healing
Anthony Dillon learned to fly without any proper instruction back in the...
#271 Why the Sports Racing Class (SRS) is taking the Paragliding world by storm with Brett Janaway
In this conversation Brett Janaway discusses the evolution of this exciting new take on paragliding competitions, the structure and scoring of the SRS, and the unique vibe that sets it apart from traditional events. Brett shares insights into the challenges and successes of organizing competitions, the importance of community, and the non-profit nature of the SRS, which aims to enhance the sport w
#270 From the Czech Mountains to Kenyan Volcanoes: Jakub Rott’s Flying Journey
Join us as Czech pilot and last year's Czech hike and fly national champion Jakub Rott shares his journey through paragliding, speed flying, skydiving and hike and fly competitions across the globe. Discover insights on safety, training, and the joy of flying in diverse terrain, along with some fantastic tips for aspiring pilots.
#269 Navigating Doubts with Violeta Jimenez
Violeta Jiminez has become one of the most elite competition paragliders in the world in a relatively short period of time. Her first World Cup was only 5 years ago in Aksaray, Turkey flying a Zeno. Last year she was on the podium in the OVERALL, again in Turkey, this time in Çameli. But it's been anything but easy. Violeta came to flying from a background in ballet and ultra running and as Will G
#268 Control Theory, Winning a PWC, and behind the scenes of X-Alps madness with Estefano Salgado
This episode features one of Valle De Bravo's most loved and successful pilots, Estefano Salgado. Estefano is a world-class trained chef who supported the Fra 4 team of Tanguy Renoud-Goud in the 2025 Red Bull X-Alps, is one of (maybe the only?) North American pilots to win a World Cup in recent history, is an elite instructor/guide for ParaglidingGuides.com and is a wicked story-teller! In this ep
#267 Bivvy and Adventure Flying by HANG GLIDER with Emi Carvalho
Portuguese pilot Emi Carvalho got into hang gliding over a decade ago. Now living in Switzerland Emi is fully bi-wingual, and has instructed both hang gliding and paragliding. His passion these days is bivvy flying and depending on the weather will pick the kit that fits the mission, but more often than not the kit that fits the bill to have more fun is a short-pack hang glider. It's a bit heavier
#266 Serena Ronchi and the Comeback
In this moving conversation, Serena shares her inspiring journey of recovery after a life-changing paragliding accident and her incredible ascension once again to the top of XContest in the Sport class this year. She discusses the challenges she faced during rehabilitation, her mental battles with fear, and the strategies she employed to regain her confidence in flying. Throughout the discussion,
#265 – 8 years of Tandem bivvy’s with Dad across the entire Alps to Solo big air adventures at 16 with Martin Rejmanek
Martin Rejmanek and his father Honza, a veteran 5-time Red Bull X-Alps competitor completed the full length of the 2003 Red Bull X-Alps course from the Dachstein to Monaco by tandem bivvy using only their wing and their feet this last year. Father and son completed the amazing journey in different segments over the course of eight summers, starting when Martin was just 8 years old. Martin is now s
#264 – A Monster record downwind wave flight across the US with Gordon Boettger
Gordon Boettger discusses an extraordinary gliding adventure that took he and his copilot Bruce Campbell across the Rockies in mountain wave in an Arcus glider from Minden, Nevada to Dodge City, Kansas- 1112 miles on December 19th, 2025. Gordon shares his lifelong dream of soaring high (max altitude was near 28,000 feet!) and downwind in mountain wave and the technical aspects of his wild flight,
#263 Training, Wing testing, Hike and Fly Racing, Competitions, Acro, 2 Liners, Flow, Family and more with Michael Maurer
In this wide-ranging conversation with Advance test pilot and former Swiss Champion Michael Maurer we discuss various aspects of paragliding, including the challenges and dangers of being a test pilot, the influence of family on flying careers, the importance of competition, and the pursuit of flow in flying. We also touch on advancements in paragliding technology, the future of the sport in Switz
#262 Into the Deepness with Keith Forsyth
Keith Forsyth began his flying journey with skydiving, then speed flying and wing suit base jumping but the lack of margin in speed flying and base lead him to XC Paragliding, where he's been drawing lines across the Pacific Northwest with what can only be described as a magical and inspired paintbrush. If you haven't been to the Pacific Northwest think alpine rain forest and big, jagged glaciated
#261 Soaring for smiles with Bonnie Hobson
Bonnie Hobson grew up in the midwest in the midst of endless cornfields, watching her neighbor fly his little bush plane. But soaring wasn't on her radar. Then in 2009 after a break-up and feeling like her life needed a shift she bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii. She saw some paragliders in the air, took a tandem and made a new life, and a new home. From the moment her feet left the ground Bonnie
#260 On top of the World with Fabian Buhl
German alpinist Fabian Buhl comes from a background of climbing and mountaineering and is credited with ascending some of the hardest routes on Earth. A few years ago while climbing in the Karakoram of Pakistan Fabian saw the potential of using a paraglider to access difficult objectives and removing the often long and dangerous approaches by foot. So he became a pilot. But his early attempts were
#259 Pete Thompson cracks the 300 FAI in Colorado’s Deepness
Pete Thompson had a hell of a summer in Colorado. After years of planning and trying to fly big, epic FAI triangles across the highest terrain in the lower 48 he finally beat a record set only last year by Galen Kirkpatrick when he put down a 275 km FAI in early August. A week later he went even bigger with a 292. Then just two days later he did it again, this time cracking the vaunted 300 for the
#258- Ariel Zlatkovski and Project 100: the Ultimate XC Challenge
This past XContest season (2025) Ariel Zlatkovski decided to take on a fantastically bold and totally mind-bending mission: Fly 100, 100km flights in a single season. To pull it off he'd have to spend a full 10% of his hours on Earth flying (nearly 20% of daylight hours), he'd cover 12,000 kilometers of open distance, and rack up 893 hours in the sky. He'd live the entire year away from home in In
#257- Chrigel Maurer and the Safety Debate
Two weeks ago at the World Championships in Costelo, Brazil a competition pilot was killed. This tragedy sparked an immediate and fiery response on social media calling for a top-down change at CIVL, the governing body of Category 1 competitions. Interestingly, two years ago during the World's in France there were over a dozen incidents, many which lead to serious injuries...but the blame was more
#256 From Newbie to the Red Bull X-Alps with Sebrand Warren
Sebrand Warren got his start paragliding just a few short years ago in the US but got hooked immediately and set his sights on the ultimate challenge- the Red Bull X-Alps. Last year he dedicated himself 110% to the race by moving his life, job, and girlfriend to France to learn the intricacies of the Alps and the relentless physical training that is required to compete. In this episode we discuss
#255 XC Concepts in depth with Calef Letorney
In this episode I dive in once again with Calef Letorney to explore advanced cross-country techniques, focusing on thermal flying, the impact of wind, the concept of shark flying and a lot more. We discuss the importance of understanding day conditions, recognizing when to shift gears in flight, and the strategies that can lead to more efficient navigation in the air. The conversation is rich with
#254 Simon Oberrauner and Cracking the Code
Austrian athlete Simon Oberauner has competed in the Red Bull X-Alps five times and has always finished in 6th place or better. In this year's race he placed third for the second time, a mere seconds behind Lars Meerstetter after over 1200 kilometers (course line!) and 8 days of ferocious racing across the Alps. Simon reflects on his amazing experiences in this years race and the importance of att
#253 Ask Me Anything with Karlis Jaunpetrovičs
We depart from the Red Bull X-Alps in this episode and dive into a whole bunch of questions that have come in this past year from our listeners. And instead of answering them on my own we return to Karlis Jaunpetrovičs, former test pilot for BGD and current head of his own instructional SIV, coaching, and guiding (as well as running competitions) company Flying Karlis. We cover a lot of very solid
#252 Beyond Limits with Celine Lorenz
Join us as we delve into the remarkable flying career of Celine Lorenz, a passionate paraglider who took to the skies at a young age. Discover how a tandem flight gift sparked her lifelong love for flying, leading her to save every penny for her license and equipment. Celine shares her early experiences, from working at her mother's refuge in the Alps to fund her dream, to the determination that d
#251 Risk and the Red Bull X-Alps with 9 time competitor Tom De Dorlodot
In this conversation, four-time competitor and 2-time color commentator Gavin McClurg and 9-time competitor and Red Bull athlete Tom De Dorlodot discuss Tom's continued recovery journey after a serious injury over a year ago snow-kiting in Norway and his recent emotional return to flying. They reflect on both of their recent Red Bull X-Alps experiences this June, exploring the dynamics of risk man
#250, Red Bull X-Alps Post-Race with Tanguy, Rémi, Jared, Juraj, Jean, and Shane
Just hours after some of the athletes finished this years stunning Red Bull X-Alps I caught up with Tanguy Renoud-Goud (FRA 4), Rémi Bourdelle (FRA 5), Jared Scheid (USA), Juraj Koreñ (SVK), Jean De Biolley (BEL 2) and Shane Tighe (AUS) to quickly get their highs and lows from the race, most memorable moments and the toughest question to answer- will they do it again? We are releasing this podcast
#249 Koen Vancampenhoudt and gaining knowledge through passion
dutch pilot Koen Vancampenhoudt shares his journey as a paraglider, highlighting his record-breaking flight in Mexico, the challenges he faced, and his early experiences flying with zero information in Fiji. He reflects on the importance of safety training, the thrill of downwind flying, and the lessons learned throughout his flying career. Koen emphasizes the need for proper instruction and the v
#248 The art of being Bold with Antoine Girard
French pilot and serious adventurer Antoine Girard has laid down some of the boldest lines on Earth, and he's been doing it for a long time. Antoine competed in the Red Bull X-Alps four times, starting in 2013 where he found himself on the podium (3rd), again in 2015 (4th), 2017 (badly injured), and 2019 (retired due to continued trouble with the injury sustained in 2017). He's pulled off some of
#247 A lifetime love affair of the air with Malcolm Jones
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 competitio
#246 Soaring through History with Bill Liscomb
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 th
#245 The 100 Peaks Challenge with Nathan Longhurst
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
#244 Grit and Growth: The Mindset of a Successful Pilot w Top Gun Ace Serge Durrant
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
#243 Flying and the Mind: A psychological journey with Paris Williams
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 evolu
#242 Stoic, Solo Adventuring with Juraj Koreň
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 year
#241- Tom De Dorlodot and Resilience
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
#240 A lifetime of Skydiving with Jeff Ayliffe
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
#239 The thrill of a lifetime of flying with Eddie Colfox
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
#238 Acro, Test flying, SIV, Instruction, Meteo and Comps with Karlis Jaunpetrovics
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 ri
#237- Removing the Anxiety of Vol Biv with Tim Pentreath
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, conti
#236 Soaring through History with Butch Peachy
In this continuing series on legends in the sport I sit down with Butch Peachy to discuss his over 40 years of flying hang gliders and his continued passion today. We begin with Butch's early days in hang gliding, his unique adventures including being (likely) the first to vol-biv with a hang glider, and the evolution of the sport. Butch shares crazy stories from the 70's, his experiences in compe
#235 A Record is Crushed in Norway with Arne Kristian Boiesen
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
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
#233 A Monster day in the Owens with Gordon Boettger
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
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 adventur
#231 Chasing Excellence with Evan Bouchier
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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 off
#223 Increasing Performance, Safety and Resilience with Jeremy Wilstein
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
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
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
#220, Martin Scheel and 30 years of the Swiss League
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
#219 The physiology of Hypoxia, Sleep and Aging with Dr. Bill Beninati
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 acc
#218 John Heiney and 45 years of Hang Gliding
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); h
#217 Kinga Masztalerz and Going Wild
Kinga Masztalerz gets after it. She picked up paragliding not too long ago, but has been pretty fierce about chasing it hard from the beginning. She's tackled the Red Bull X-Alps twice, flown all over the world, runs her own hike and fly race in New Zealand, and instructs at home in New Zealand and in places like Bir, India. But her journey has had quite a few scary bumps on the way. We start off
#216 Tom Peghiny and Taking the First Leaps into the Unknown
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 pu
#215 CRUSHING with the US Women’s Team
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
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 l
#213 Pierre Carter and Into Thin Air
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
#212 The Most Important Flight with Marcus King
Marcus King has been flying pretty much full time since 1991. He spent many years with the early Ozone team and has been on the design team with Cross Country Magazine for ages. All those gear and wing reviews you see in the magazine (and a TON of the photos!) are compliments of Marcus. In this chat Marcus shares his background in paragliding, his work in the industry, the rise of the sports clas
#211 – Jake Holland and the New Way Up
Jake Holland is a British filmmaker and adventure pilot based in Chamonix. In this episode we discuss his totally wild experiences this season and last in Pakistan with professional climbers Will Sim and Fabi Buhl, and pilots and adventurers Aaron Durogati, Antoine Girard, Veso Ovcharov and others, and the challenges of capturing these high altitude adventures on film. We discuss the mission of us
#210- Louis Tapper and Reducing Carnage
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
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
#208 A Love Affair with Flying- Phil Hystek
"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
#207- Behind the Scenes of the Red Bull X-Alps with Tarquin Cooper
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 misadventu
#206- A Walk (and Fly) down Memory Lane with Paul Guschlbauer
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
#205- Chasing the Monster with Gordon Boettger
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" (a
#204 – Flying High with Martin Jovanoski
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.
#203- The French Domination with Julien Garcia
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
#202- “The Flying Yogi” Jim Mallinson
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,
#201- Calef Letorney and Community, Confidence, and Cloudwhispering
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 fir
#200- Going pear shaped in Pakistan
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 blowin
Episode 199- A story of avoiding inconvenience with Alejandro Barañac
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 s
Episode 198- Going Big in…Israel? A flight to remember with Eliya Zemmour
UPDATE to this podcast: Cross Country magazine has just (July 2nd, 2025) broke an incredible story that Eliya Zemmour, featured in this episode has been regularly faking his flights on XContest, using other pilot's flights as his own. As Cross Country wrote, it is both sad and shocking in equal measure. This remains an interesting and exciting show, but we have no idea what is truth and fiction...
Episode 196- From World Record Skydiving to Paragliding, Reserve Testing, pro repacks with Andrey Kuznetsov
Andrey Kuznetsov has been on the national sky diving team for many years, holds several world records and the genius record (100 way canopy formation record) and has been a long-time test pilot for reserves. He made the transition quite easily from sky diving to paragliding in 2009 and skipped the C class altogether as he found it too slow! He recently flew across Vermont and landed on the beach a
Bonus Episode! Behind the scenes before the start of the 23′ Red Bull X-Alps
The toughest adventure race on Earth starts in a few hours! 32...
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