Fall Risk: A Skydiving Podcast

If you’ve never heard of it before, oxytocin is your “happy hormone.” It’s responsible for the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you interact or touch someone you’re attracted to. It has the power to regulate your emotional responses, including trust, empathy, gazing, positive memories, and bonding cues. But--how does this relate to skydiving?

In this week’s episode, Sam is joined by four very experienced and amazing women from the world of skydiving to discuss this rather exciting topic. Listen in as the gang discusses where you might find this phenomenon occurring on the dropzone, what it looks like, and how this occurrence affects men and women differently. Pay close attention as they tell their stories, how this knowledge might change how you interact with your customers, and why it might not always be the best thing to indulge upon.

Josh Evans of The Content Clearinghouse joins Sam again this week for a special episode completely devoted to an amazing skydiving event called “Echelon.” Created and operated by Andy Malchiodi and Matt Fry, the appropriately named event marks the coming together of some of the best freefliers in the world, to create unique and awe-inspiring skydiving formations, the likes of which our community is only just beginning to conceptualize.

Two very special folks join Sam this week on Fall Risk -- enter Dan and Heather -- two of the nicest folks you'll ever meet on the dropzone. Join the gang this week as they discuss Heather and Dan's early days in skydiving and the tunnel. And hold onto your butts as they give everyone a rundown on their latest (and victorious) excursion to USPA 2022 Skydiving National Championships. Theirs is truly a tale of excitement and perseverance and you for sure do not want to miss this one!

Back at you with Part Two of comparing and contrasting Dropzone vs. Cutaway with Josh Evans, of The Content Clearinghouse! Next up is Cutaway!

Plot synopsis: "A drug enforcement agent goes undercover on a skydiving team to track down illegal drugs." -- What's not included: "...where speedstars are the pinnacle of the skydiving community, and it's normal to see people sit on the edge of airborne aircraft without a rig."

Spoiler alert: Again, make sure you've seen the movie before listening! Enter at your own risk!

Back at you this week with a double feature! The one and only Josh Evans, of The Content Clearinghouse, joins Sam to discuss two of the most famous skydiving movies ever created: Dropzone and Cutaway.

First up: Dropzone!

Plot synopsis: "A tough cop teams up with a professional skydiver to capture a renegade computer hacker on the run from the law." -- What should have been added, "...and the most insanity filled skydiving progression you've ever seen on the big screen, in addition to landings so bad you would have though they were jumping rounds the entire time."

Spoiler alert: Watch these movies if you haven't yet and then come back and listen to their individual takes on them.

Newly crowned, 4-way silver medalist Mary Dalman had the most fruitful summer of her skydiving career in 2022. She, along with her team, Cinnamon Roll Fight Club made the journey to 2022 USPA Skydiving. Nationals last fall, after an intense year filled with training, hard work, and perseverance from the entire team. Join us as she tells Sam about the entire process from start to finish, what she thinks is the most important part of building a team, and where she wants to go moving forward for her follow up year.

Arguably one of the nicest guys on the dropzone, Ben Shafer is a man of many talents, and has been dipping his toes into a a wide variety of skydiving disciplines. Everything from working as a tunnel instructor, to competing in MFS, developing his skills as a videographer, working as a load organizer, and so much more! Tune into this week's episode to hear more about Ben's background and start in skydiving, where he wants to go moving forward, and where to find him on the dz! Don't miss it!

Sean Kennedy joins Sam this week on Fall Risk! In addition to telling us all a little bit about his start in skydiving, he also shares details of his latest swoop competition adventure. While explaining how it all worked, he also seriously educates us on some key details regarding canopy piloting safety. Sean is a genuinely good guy in the world of skydiving, and has a lot of interesting takes on how to keep yourself safe while also venturing into the world of inducing speed under your canopy. Don't miss this episode!

David San Pedro--or DSP as he's known to some--is truly a one-of-a-kind skydiver. He's kind, excited, and genuinely invests in the people around him. This week he joins Sam on the pod to discuss what it was like being a skydiver before becoming a tunnel instructor in Portland, OR. In addition to all that, they get to talking about his motivations as an instructor and coach, his dynamic 4-way competition history (including his trip to the World Indoor Skydiving Competition in France, circa 2019), and where he wants to go with his skillset next. Don't miss this episode of Fall Risk!

Pranavayu's 2019 World's D4W routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ZanGj8yEA (Free routine @ 16:30, Speed Round @ 24.45, and Tie-Breaker @ 31:15)

Join us on this episode of Fall Risk to meet Travis and Brittany--two amazing people who met and fell head over heels (literally) while learning to skydive! They discuss their beginning phases of jumping, how the sport of skydiving has helped shape their relationship, and how this entire community and way of life have changed the trajectory of their lives. They give us listeners a little insight into what it was like being a student, and where they want to go moving forward. Don't miss this episode of Fall Risk!