Fall Risk: A Skydiving Podcast

It's hard not to notice Patrick Kessler on the dropzone. He is after all, almost seven feet tall. But that's not what makes him stand out. No, what really makes Patrick stand out from the crowd is his unusually quiet nature. Truly, Pat is the quietly stoic figure in the room, letting his keen observational skills and soft advice do all the talking for him. Which is probably why he's an exceptionally astute canopy coach.

In this episode, we go over how Patrick got started in the skydiving world, what led him to pursue canopy piloting, and why he's so intent on sharing the knowledge he's gleaned with the rest of the skydiving community. Lots of laughter and hilariously on the nose analogies in this one, folks. Don't miss it!

Very likely the most laid back guy on the dropzone, Travis Mickle has created a name for himself not only as an incredibly easy going dude, but also as one of the more talented wingsuit pilots of the world.

In this episode, Travis takes listeners through a brief overview of his early skydiving days and what got him started in this sport we all know and love. Listen in, as Travis tells Sam all about his competition days as a wingsuiter, what kinds of competition he's chasing after moving forward, and gives his stark opinion on the world of wingsuiting as we know it today.

If you've never met the guys of Skydive Midwest Chemtrails, you should immediately get in your car and head to SDMW, because you're missing out on the chance of knowing (and flying with) five incredibly cool people.

Currently known as the biggest 4-Way VFS team (seriously they're almost all over seven feet tall), Chemtrails is comprised of DZO Keith George, lineman Matt Congdon, electrician Colin Conway, business intelligence director Kyle Brady, and podiatrist Nathan Norem. Together they’ve formed a team who probably has the most fun with competing, a fact made incredibly obvious just by watching their daily antics on the dropzone.

Recorded as a send-off for when the team heads to the FAI 2023 World Cup Competition in Voss, Norway this weekend--this episode gets a little weird as we establish who’s who on this team with some "fan-submitted" questions. Laugh along as they regale me with some absolutely hilarious team stories from years past. Don’t miss this episode, and don’t forget to well-wish the team on their way to Norway!

Team instagram: @sdmwchemtrails

Competition updates: www.skydivemidwest.com/blog/

Have you ever wondered how the cameraman became the cameraman? Has the thought, "How did he get SO good at that..." ever crossed your mind when leafing through your local cameraman's reel? If so, you should absolutely NOT miss this episode.

In the fourteen years Elliot Byrd has been skydiving, he's amassed thousand of jumps across multiple disciplines--though a large number of them have been devoted specifically to camera flying. Known as THE cameraman at Skydive Midwest, and the prolific owner of Byrd's Eye Studio, Elliot has had his hands in multiple video and camera projects, primarily big-way events, records, and team skydiving. Though most recently, he's taken on the role of SDMW's media manager, which puts him front and center, creating content on a daily basis.

In this episode, we get a look behind the curtain of how Elliot has gotten to this point in his skydiving career, what projects he's looking to tackle in the future, and we get a vast breakdown on how to approach camera flying safely and what to prepare for as you're pondering the idea of adding cameraflying to your skillset.

Elliot's website: www.byrdseyestudio.com

The Dunning Kruger Effect... maybe you've heard of it? Let me give you a little breakdown just in case you haven't. The DKE is a cognitive bias which says that people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a type of task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge. There's more to it than just that obviously, but the aforementioned phrase is something we hear far too often in the skydiving community. It begs the questions: How do we become more aware of when we're falling victim to this bias... and how can we make a lasting difference in our awareness as we continue our progression through our jumping careers?

Tune in to hear Sam, Tubbs, and Nate Shannon discuss these very same questions, where they break down more fully what DKE is, how it affects our community, all while discussing what changes can be made using their own experiences as examples.

If you've never heard the name Kazu Oyama before now, then stop what you're doing and listen to this episode stat! Be prepared to laugh, so enter at your own risk!

Far and away one of the most knowledgeable skydivers you'll ever meet, Kazu Oyama also possesses the unique ability to be simultaneously intimidating and hilarious. Clocking in at over 7 feet tall (a tiny exaggeration) and constantly cracking jokes all over the dz, it's easy to see why both descriptors apply. Not only that, but as the dropzone's resident Examiner and master rigger, it's his job to make sure everyone is safe and up to snuff.

Don't miss this episode--it's gonna make you laugh!

Gorka Amian is a one-of-a-kind guy. That may seem like a cliche introduction, but there is nothing cliche about the man himself. Intensely focused, competitive, and unique--Gorka has lived, breathed, and slept skydiving for years. It doesn't matter what the discipline is--if he has a goal, he makes it happen, whether that task is to compete in VFS, FS, learn to judge skydiving meets, or taking on the leadership roles in big way events. Gorka Amian is quite literally a man who could do it all, if he wanted.

Don't miss this fascinating look inside Gorka's mind to see what makes him tick, why he took on so many of the massive projects he's been involved in so far, and where he wants to go in the future.

Mo Schulz is a seriously awesome person. Not from any one place in particular, Mo has been in the skydiving game for most of her adult life, and traveled all over the country working at various dropzones in different roles. As such, she's learned a thing or two about the going-ons at various dropzones.

In recent years, she's experienced some major life changes--she moved to the Midwest, had and raised a pretty awesome baby, started a cooking blog, and earned all her instructor ratings. In this episode, in addition to tell us her origin story, she also takes a deep dive with Sam into the wonder (and sometimes agony) of being a female tandem instructor.

Mo's cooking blog: https://thebondofcooking.com/

Mike Silva is one of the best known names in the tunnel coaching industry. And for good reason--as one of the most experienced bodyflight coaches in the country, Mike has been around and coaching fliers of all shapes and sizes for what seems like an eternity. For years, he's been cultivating and sharing his knowledge about the dynamics of body flight with others. Everything from the four basic body orientations, both static and dynamic flights, the tips and tricks of VFS, and the dazzling methodology behind trick flying. In addition to his extensive competition history, Mike also created a name for himself teaching other coaches how to better themselves and their craft inside and out of the tunnel.

WARNING: DO NOT MISS THIS EPISODE. This is a tiny peek into the inner workings of Mike's thought process about coaching methodologies, as well as how to better hone your own skills as an instructor/teacher/coach. Listen closely and you might just learn a thing or two on how to apply his methods to your own students, and how to bring the beauty and excitement of our community to others.

Scott Robinson might be one of the coolest cats on the dropzone. Just ask anyone who knows him--Scott is far and away one of the kindest, sauciest, and genuinely cool dude in the jumping community. From flying airplanes, to joining bigways, to working in a wind tunnel, or as a skydiving instructor, Scott has pretty much tried it all--making him an exceptionally knowledgeable member of our community as well. Don't miss this episode--join me this week in listening Scott tell his tale in the deepest, most sultry radio voice to ever grace this podcast.