The Mad Track Video Magazine came to life in 1995 at producer's Chris Bjork home dropzone in New England. While on a wind hold, he was reading an article on the Couch Freaks Boogie. It was pretty informative but in the end Chris didn't get a feel for what the boogie was really like. It was then he realized there had to be a better way to show the jumpers of the world what skydiving and drop zones were like outside of their home dz. What was needed was an action-packed, blow-by-blow, visual depiction. Chris' answer was... The Mad Track.

The Mad Track, the world's only skydiving video magazine, captures all the excitement and kinetic energy of skydiving. Each 30 minute episode comes jammed full of kickin' skydiving stories on stuff like the Nationals, Couch Freaks, PIA, Quincy, Bridge Day and more. You also get tips and techniques from an expanding number of well known skydiving figures like Dave Dewolfe, Brent Finley, Ed Cummings & others combined with footage submitted from jumpers and dropzones around the world.
 
Starting with episode 11, every USPA drop zone in america will receive a free subscription to The Mad Track. Currently, the video magazine is delivered to nearly 200 subscribers worldwide including Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Canada, Norway and Switzerland, but hundreds more enjoy it, when the winds come up, the clouds come down or the beer comes out. Worldwide, The Mad Track is seen by thousands of skydivers. A partial list of subscribers includes Skydive University, SSK Industries, Surf Flite, Skydive Chicago, Skydive Elsinore, Skydive Cross Keys and many others.
 
Here's a hint for skydiving businesses of all kinds: Advertising on The Mad Track is much less expensive than advertising in a magazine, yet, since The Mad Track is the only skydiving video magazine in the world, and it is being sent to every USPA dropzone free of charge, ads on The Mad Track get noticed and get results!
 
A subscription costs $50.00 for 6 different tapes, that's about $8.35 an episode. That includes shipping anywhere in the US.
 
For more information email Chris at chris@themadtrack.com and check out The Mad Track's web site.

Montreal born Lyle Presse, who now owns the Drop Shop in Skydive Sebastian, Florida, started skydiving in 1982 at Bradair in Fredericton, NB. He says: "I had no idea what to expect, and thinking that the training would be weeks long I didn't bring any money on my first day. Imagine, they trained me and let me jump anyway, and I paid up the following weekend. It was static line training with a T-10 main and 26" lopo reserve. I was hooked right then and there.

I made my first 750 jumps in Canada, many of them in Simcoe and Burnaby in southern Ontario. I now have close to 8500 jumps, with over 3000 of them being tandems.
 
I started to load organize in Z-hills under Jerry Bird, and traveled with him to many events like Quincy and the Hercules Boogie in Sweden. I found myself alone organizing my first big way when Jerry had to cancel on a 72 way event for Late Jake's 72nd birthday and he asked me to replace him. I had done the first 2 point 100 way with Tom Piras, and organized several loads between 40 and 60 ways.
 
Since then I have been involved with many large formation jumps around the world, including the recent 282 way in Thailand, where I was asked to do the video debriefs for the participants while the captains would meet. Aside from that, my job was to control fall rate and the build speed of the base as I closed last in the eight way. I have been asked if I would accept the base captain's slot on the next World Team if Tony Domenico steps down like he expects. I really get a kick out of the people in this sport, and working with big ways puts me in contact with so many of them. I really believe the people are what have kept me in this sport for so long."
 
Lyle's other pursuits include Flexvision, which started with goggles he made from more durable material, The Drop Shop, gear store at Sebastian, and Skydiving.com, the portal web site owned by St. Catharine's Parachute Club.
 
A fun addition to boogies he attends is the Bird-Man Wing Suit, which Lyle brings along for jumpers to try. He stocks them at the Drop Shop, and teaches jumpers how to experience them. He says: "Another one of my recent ventures was the Daytona 5000 Canopy Challenge, where I put up my own money to offer a cash prize of $5000 and created new events in conjunction with Airblades to make a very cool Beach Swoop Competition. I am now working on the next stop for the tour, and am very close to finalizing full sponsorship with Ford Motor Co. The next event will be held on a beautiful beach on Margarita Island, Venezuela. I couldn't do all this without some really great people behind me, and a very supportive family. In Daytona I had my mom, dad, sister, and wife all working."
 
Lyle has jumped with the Canadian Team 100 during their training for the recent record attempt and increased the learning curve of everyone. He, along with TK Hayes of Skydive City in Zephyr Hills, has been helping organize the multi-plane formations. Lyle was also responsible for the overall organization of the Canadian Team 100 record skydives held August 1-4, 2000.
 
For the Canadian record attempts, he offered services free of charge. Lyle states: "On this one, my job is more that of a motivator than anything else. I am very happy to be going back home for this event, especially since I wasn't able to make the 50 way record a few years ago. I had been in the 44 way record before that, so this is a chance to get one of my records back." And we are very grateful to him for sharing his experience with us!
 
Lyle has scheduled a big way camp for December 28 - 31 at Skydive Sebastian, in Florida. All Canadians that are going south for the holidays, should consider participating, as Lyle will be looking to fill slots for next season's Canadian 100-Way record attempt in Burnaby. Plus, Sebastian puts on a heck of a party for New Year's! For more information contact Lyle at the DZ (800-693-JUMP) or at Lyle@Flexvision.com.