This installment of Exit Point was pulled from the archives, where it was never intended to end up. In this episode Laurent Frat sits down with the globally notorious BASE jumper and locally legendary Australian BASE Association leader known by his fitting moniker, Feral.
This is the second part in a multi-part series examining the life and death of jumper Mathew Kenney. Part 1 can be found on episode #56 with Jeff Shapiro. In this installment, Matt Blank sits down with veteran BASE jumper Jill Kuzman to discuss her BASE jumping journey alongside Mat and how she views their adventure after his addition to the BASE fatality list.
This was supposed to be the second installment of a series following the career of Wingsuit BASE jumper Kate "Compton" Escott, but instead it has become the last in this series. This episode was recorded a month before she lost her life while wingsuit BASE jumping and aimed to cover her transition from up-and-coming amateur to true professional. You can listen to her first interview with us by scrolling back to episode 33. This episode was released with the love and support of her family and fri...
In this episode, we explore the critical topic of mental health, particularly within the context of high-risk sports. Sara Pendlebury, a registered psychotherapist from Chamonix Therapy discusses with Laurent Frat the unique challenges faced by athletes in high risk-sports. They cover a range of topics including the impact of grief, the importance of self-regulation, and the role of community. Sarah shares practical advice on navigating mental health issues, the therapeutic benefits of awe and b...
In this episode, Laurent sits down with Dante Wardlaw, a multidisciplinary air sports athlete. Their discussion covers Dante's journey from early exposure to skydiving and paragliding, to becoming a full-time professional. Dante shares insights into his rigorous but fun training schedule, his constant quest for improvement, and the delicate balance between humility and confidence. They also discuss the mental and technical aspects of various air sports, stunts vs. sport, the importance of unders...
In this episode I’m Matt Blank speaks with Peyton Malesovas. In an attempt to start bridging the gap between the gray hairs and the youngbloods, she’s agreed to come on and share her perspective about getting into BASE jumping and becoming an "intermediate". They address imposter syndrome, early onset sendiness and she sheds light on the big-picture questions of how we keep the BASE jumping community progressing and avoid the mistakes made by the former generations. This independent project is o...
In this episode, Laurent sits down with Jon Devore. Jon is a professional skydiving stuntman, aerial stunt coordinator, and captain of the Red Bull Air Force team. This episode is rich with insights and full of contrast. From his beginnings as an educator, to pioneering freeflying, to doubling as Johnny Utah in the Point Break remake - Jon shares how teamwork, and dedicated training were vital to his accomplishments. Jon also discusses the delicate balance of humility and excellence, and how cru...
In this episode, host Matt Blank pulls over with Anne Helliwell to get a look into the renaissance era of BASE jumping. An integral part of creating BASE specific equipment, Anne pioneered and invented a substantial portion of the techniques and technology BASE jumpers use today. She’s been an active jumper for close to four decades, leading and participating in jumps all over the world. We touch on everything from the innovation process for the first BASE specific equipment, to what it was like...
In this episode, Laurent sits down with Tomic, an expert wingsuit BASE jumper, skydiving and tunnel coach. They cover his journey, strategies, and philosophies. Tomic shares his approach to both teaching and executing technical jumps, the importance of mindset, and how he combines intense training, and athletic preparation with creative expression. He also reflects on his acceptance of the inherent risks of being at the sharp end of the world's most dangerous sport. This independent project is o...
In this episode Matt Blank sits down with Joe Lohmuller in his home in Moab, Utah to talk about Joe’s journey from a life of self-destruction to one seeking self-actualization. This episode covers everything from substance abuse to terrain flying tactics as we dive into Joe’s progression toward the cutting-edge of wingsuit BASE jumping. Joe’s perspective and story not only provide valuable insights for anyone considering risking their life to fly today’s epic alpine lines, but also provides a cl...
In #57 Laurent Frat sits down with Peter Salzmann, an Austrian wingsuit pilot who recently set world records in BASE jumping with his innovative wingsuit foil. They cover Peter's career as a paragliding instructor, stuntman, and professional wingsuit pilot. Peter shares his early beginnings from jumping off the roof of his house as a child to what it feels like to fly the foil. Some highlights are their discussion about the importance of balancing risk with the exhilarating freedom of BASE, wing...
Laurent sits down with Jeff Shapiro to share the profoundly personal and emotional experience of leading a fatality recovery from a remote wingsuit accident. Jeff provides a vivid recount of the technical challenges and emotional weight faced bringing the body of Mat Kenney home, while reflecting on the deep bonds within the BASE jumping community. Their conversation explores the balance between ambition and caution, the importance of camaraderie, and how personal adversities reshape perspective...
In this episode of Exit Point, Laurent sits down with David Laffargue. Their conversation goes unfiltered as they have a gritty, candid exchange that attempts to strip away some of the unspoken elements of greed to reveal the sport’s raw truths. They tackle everything from the temptations of shortcuts in training to redefining ‘cool’ by prioritizing safety and longevity. Whether you’re a seasoned jumper or just BASE curious, this episode will have you nodding in agreement or seething with outrag...
In this episode, hosts Laurent Frat and Matt Blank step outside the realm of BASE jumping to gain valuable insights from Gavin McClurg, the host of Cloudbase Mayhem and a celebrated figure in the paragliding world. Gavin, a former Red Bull X-Alps pilot and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, shares his journey from ski racing to paragliding, offering lessons that resonate across high-risk sports. The discussion covers the importance of SIV training, the dangers of intermediate syndrome, ...
In this episode, Matt Blank interviews Jacob Gardner, a renowned BASE jumper and equipment manufacturer. Jacob delves into his journey as a parachute rigger, the challenges and learning curve he faced, and how understanding gear transformed fear into fun. The discussion covers the evolution of BASE canopy manufacturing, the importance of equipment maintenance, and the trade-offs between different materials and designs. They highlight the balance between action and technical knowledge in BASE jum...
In this episode, Matt records with Sean Devlin who comes on to share his perspective on wingsuit progression, using data driven analysis to enhance performance and the importance of water training in the BASE environment. Devlin has built an impressive career outside of BASE jumping as a risk analyst in the financial tech world as well as compiled an impressive wingsuit resume traveling the world to jump both to compete and adventure. He's a multi-sport instructor with several accreditations in ...
In this episode, Laurent is joined by Kendrick Dane, a licensed attorney and BASE jumper. They explore the evolving world of BASE jumping, its legal battles, community spirit, and the pursuit of freedom through human flight. Kendrick is also General Counsel for the advocacy group BASE Access, whose mission is to preserve and open site access on public lands within the United States. Kendrick and Laurent discuss the challenges and hopes of legalizing BASE jumping in national parks, Kendrick’s jou...
In this episode, Matt Blank talks with Avery Badenhop, Dennis McGlynn, and Harry Parker, who were known during the 90s as the “three-headed dragon” of BASE and founders of the infamous Team Ill Vision. This team has been a timeless model for outlaw extreme sports gangs living an endless summer lifestyle. The leader of Team Ill Vision, Avery, is the quintessential counterculture athlete, creating a unique lifestyle that would inspire generations of jumpers to go all in and totally cut away from t...
In this episode, Laurent welcomes Marshall Miller. Marshall has inspired both jumpers and the public with his epic videos from his early days to his recent projects, including his appearance in Line of Sight ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcWMZq8-3wI ), shout-out to the KAVU boys for producing what we believe is one of the most incredible wingsuit BASE jumping videos ever made. Marshall, a pioneer in the world of professional BASE jumping, was one of GoPro's first sponsored athletes and has p...
In this episode, Matt Blank interviews John Cox, a mostly self-taught BASE jumper who recently shattered the world record for "Most BASE jumps in 24 hours". He surpassed the previous record holders (Miles Daisher and Danny Weiland) at the end of 2023 with an outstanding performance, completing more than 100 jumps off the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho. We talk to him about his progression in BASE, his training for the world record attempt, and what it was like during the grueling 24-hour sl...
In this episode, the Exit Point team holds a round table discussion about how we've been doing and where we hope to go. This episode also celebrates a milestone in our podcast. Sometime last year, thanks to all of you out there, we passed 100,000 downloads and have since blown past that. Thank you all for listening and supporting us by sharing the podcast, leaving us reviews, and donating so that we can continue producing the show. _______ Please support this independent project by visiting: htt...
In this episode, Matt and Laurent interview Dan Darby. Dan has been skydiving and BASE jumping for over fifteen years. He's a competitive wingsuit skydiver, BASE jumper, and a member of the US parachute team for wingsuit performance flying. He's also a co-founder of Arcus Flight wingsuit school in DeLand, Florida, and a multidisciplinary skydiving and wind tunnel instructor. In this episode, Dan talks about wingsuit progression, survival tactics, training techniques for performance flying and th...
In this episode, Laurent is joined by Scott Palmer. Scott, also known as Plamer, is a 3rd generation aviator, was a forward air controller with the US Air Force and after serving in Iraq, he went on to pursue a career in skydiving. With over 15 years in the sport and over 11,000 skydives, Scott traveled the world competing and became one of the world’s most sought-after tunnel coaches. He has multiple world records and championship titles and has been involved in a ton of amazing aerial stunts, ...
In this episode, Laurent sits down with Yuri Kuznetsov. Yuri made his first skydive when he was 13 years old, his first BASE jump in 1994 with skydiving gear, and has since made thousands of jumps. He has been active in urban, terminal, wingsuiting, sliderdown, you name it - to say that he is experienced is a massive understatement. We're looking forward to hearing some of his stories from back in the day, how his motivations around BASE have changed over the years, and talk about how he has rem...
In this episode, Matt Blank interviews Brian Germain. Brian is a career educator with a master's degree in sports psychology and a groundbreaking parachute engineer and test pilot. Brian has authored numerous critically acclaimed books, including The Parachute and Its Pilot. https://briangermain.company.site/ https://calendly.com/brian-germain-1 http://adventurewisdom.com . Please support this independent project by visiting: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/exitpoint . https://www.exitpointpodcast....
In this episode, Laurent speaks with Luke Rogers, a professional wingsuit pilot from Australia. He's won multiple national titles, podiumed at various world championships, and was the first person in the world to flare a wingsuit over 100 meters. Luke is constantly training, competing, and coaching at wingsuit events. He's incredibly generous with all his tips and tricks regarding flying wingsuits. This conversation is packed with info about maximizing performance. . Please support this independ...
In this episode, Matt Blank talks to Marta Empinotti, a BASE-jumping living legend. She’s not only a skilled and creative stuntperson, but also a pioneer in BASE education and rigging. She was one of the first to make BASE jumping a professional career and helped establish the industry standards. Marta is a respected leader in the BASE community, who inspires many of us with her excellence and ethics. She has guided and mentored countless BASE jumpers over the years. If you don’t know who she is...
In this episode, Matt Blank sits down with John McEvoy. Blank and John take a deep dive into BASE jumping student progression and what it means to be on the path to mastery. John shares his incredible story of recovery, determination, and passion. He talks about how he got into BASE jumping, what he learned from his stroke, how he fixed his heart and faced his tumor, and how he continued to develop his business and teaching. He also reveals some of the challenges and rewards of being a BASE jump...
In this episode, Laurent speaks with Marine Descols. Marine is a hypnotherapist, wingsuit coach, and camera flyer. She did her first skydive at the young age of 12 and developed a passion for action adventure sports when she met her partner Vincent. Marine and Vincent founded Sky Vibration, the world's first commercial tandem wingsuit operation. Marine is fascinated with the mind-body connection and has pursued a career in physiotherapy and hypnotherapy, which led her to work with surgical patie...
In this episode, Laurent speaks with Fred Fugen, a pioneer of modern parachuting and one of the most talented and innovative skydivers, wingsuit pilots, and BASE jumpers on the planet. Fred has won multiple world championships in freeflying, set several world records in BASE jumping and wingsuit flying, and has executed some of the most incredible aerial stunts ever performed. Laurent talks with Fred about how it all started, what motivates him to push the boundaries of human flight, and how he ...
