Best Gavin McClurg Podcasts (2024)

1
#224 The Free Flight Lab with Michael Vergalla 1:07:01

1h ago1:07:01

1:07:01

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 responsi…

1
#223 Increasing Performance, Safety and Resilience with Jeremy Wilstein 1:01:27

14d ago1:01:27

1:01:27

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 pi…

1
#222, Living Life to the Fullest and Embracing Adventure with Dick Jackson 1:14:22

1M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

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…

1
#221 Learning stalls for the first time after 30 years of flying with Nate Scales 26:09

2M ago26:09

26:09

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…

1
#220, Martin Scheel and 30 years of the Swiss League 1:13:55

2M ago1:13:55

1:13:55

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…

1
#219 The physiology of Hypoxia, Sleep and Aging with Dr. Bill Beninati 1:12:54

3M ago1:12:54

1:12:54

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 op…

1
#218 John Heiney and 45 years of Hang Gliding 1:22:21

3M ago1:22:21

1:22:21

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…

1
#217 Kinga Masztalerz and Going Wild 1:11:23

4M ago1:11:23

1:11:23

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…

1
#216 Tom Peghiny and Taking the First Leaps into the Unknown 1:11:06

4M ago1:11:06

1:11:06

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, inf…

1
#215 CRUSHING with the US Women’s Team 1:10:45

5M ago1:10:45

1:10:45

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 s…

1
#214, Galen Kirkpatrick and Creating New Lore 1:06:10

5M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

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 person…

1
#213 Pierre Carter and Into Thin Air 1:41:01

5M ago1:41:01

1:41:01

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 remain…

1
#212 The Most Important Flight with Marcus King 1:18:12

6M ago1:18:12

1:18:12

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 …

1
#211 – Jake Holland and the New Way Up 1:35:53

6M ago1:35:53

1:35:53

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 altitud…

1
#210- Louis Tapper and Reducing Carnage 1:25:34

7M ago1:25:34

1:25:34

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 chang…

1
#209 Thad Spencer- the Comeback 1:29:37

7M ago1:29:37

1:29:37

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 …

1
#208 A Love Affair with Flying- Phil Hystek 2:06:09

8M ago2:06:09

2:06:09

"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,…

1
#207- Behind the Scenes of the Red Bull X-Alps with Tarquin Cooper

8M ago

—

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 t…

1
#206- A Walk (and Fly) down Memory Lane with Paul Guschlbauer 1:57:23

9M ago1:57:23

1:57:23

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 Bul…

1
#205- Chasing the Monster with Gordon Boettger 1:47:37

9M ago1:47:37

1:47:37

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 …

1
#204 – Flying High with Martin Jovanoski 1:41:23

10M ago1:41:23

1:41:23

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,…

1
#203- The French Domination with Julien Garcia 1:07:10

10M ago1:07:10

1:07:10

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 th…

1
#202- “The Flying Yogi” Jim Mallinson 1:34:39

11M ago1:34:39

1:34:39

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 spen…

1
#201- Calef Letorney and Community, Confidence, and Cloudwhispering 1:23:46

11M ago1:23:46

1:23:46

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 Col…

1
#200- Going pear shaped in Pakistan 1:55:59

12M ago1:55:59

1:55:59

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 rul…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Gavin McClurg Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

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1
Redefined Life

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1
#224 The Free Flight Lab with Michael Vergalla 1:07:01

1
#223 Increasing Performance, Safety and Resilience with Jeremy Wilstein 1:01:27

1
#222, Living Life to the Fullest and Embracing Adventure with Dick Jackson 1:14:22

1
#221 Learning stalls for the first time after 30 years of flying with Nate Scales 26:09

1
#220, Martin Scheel and 30 years of the Swiss League 1:13:55

1
#219 The physiology of Hypoxia, Sleep and Aging with Dr. Bill Beninati 1:12:54

1
#218 John Heiney and 45 years of Hang Gliding 1:22:21

1
#217 Kinga Masztalerz and Going Wild 1:11:23

1
#216 Tom Peghiny and Taking the First Leaps into the Unknown 1:11:06

1
#215 CRUSHING with the US Women’s Team 1:10:45

1
#214, Galen Kirkpatrick and Creating New Lore 1:06:10

1
#213 Pierre Carter and Into Thin Air 1:41:01

1
#212 The Most Important Flight with Marcus King 1:18:12

1
#211 – Jake Holland and the New Way Up 1:35:53

1
#210- Louis Tapper and Reducing Carnage 1:25:34

1
#209 Thad Spencer- the Comeback 1:29:37

1
#208 A Love Affair with Flying- Phil Hystek 2:06:09

1
#207- Behind the Scenes of the Red Bull X-Alps with Tarquin Cooper

1
#206- A Walk (and Fly) down Memory Lane with Paul Guschlbauer 1:57:23

1
#205- Chasing the Monster with Gordon Boettger 1:47:37

1
#204 – Flying High with Martin Jovanoski 1:41:23

1
#203- The French Domination with Julien Garcia 1:07:10

1
#202- “The Flying Yogi” Jim Mallinson 1:34:39

1
#201- Calef Letorney and Community, Confidence, and Cloudwhispering 1:23:46

1
#200- Going pear shaped in Pakistan 1:55:59

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