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The punishment for not performing the skill. It can be death. If you don't land right, you're going to die.
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>> Who is Fizzy Sins? >> First and foremost, I'm a child of God.
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>> What do you say to people that would suggest you've got a death wash?
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>> The world's pretty comfortable. As soon as you take off, you see the water
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separating from you. >> What are your worst injuries? >> I just couldn't see anything out of my
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right eye. Blood was coming out. >> How do you feel? Do you sleep okay? >> I was crying the day before. Am I ready
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for this? >> Do you feel like you've got God on your side when you jump?
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>> Get everyone to come and say a prayer. If it's in his will, I will succeed.
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>> What was the outcome for you? Would it be worth it? >> I'd probably regret that jump. Would you
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like people to say he died doing what he loves? >> I died doing what I love.
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>> Flynn Chism, welcome to my podcast. >> Hey, thanks for having me,
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>> mate. It's great to have you here. First of all, um, uh, Fizzy Sins, that's on
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your t-shirt. >> Yeah, >> it's your Instagram name. Uh, what is Fizzy Sins or who is Fizzy Sins?
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>> Uh, so Fizzy Sins, I'd say, is this um dude that jumps off all these cliffs and
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um, which is me. I'm just trying to build this brand around it and this community pretty much.
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>> Is it kn for ego? >> Yes. Yeah, I'd say so. >> Yeah. >> So, so Fizzy Sins is the guy that does
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the death diving, which we'll get into. Um Flynn Chism. Who is he? >> Um I'd say like first and foremost, I'm
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a child of God. I I want to let people know that I'm a follower of Jesus. Um
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and that's like when people ask me that question, that's what I say. Yeah.
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>> What is that? How long have you been a child of God? >> Um, so I guess I first came to church
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when I was around 10 years old. My mom brought me in and then I guess through the high school years I had a good mate
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who was Christian as well and kept me with it and I got baptized maybe four years ago now. So that kind of marks the
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start really for me. >> Baptized. So you were like 17 at the time, 18. >> 17.
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>> 17. Is that quite old to get baptized? Uh, well, it depends. Like some people
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get baptized really old cuz they don't like meet Jesus until they're older,
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like 40s, 50s. It doesn't Yeah, it doesn't really matter, I'd say. >> What What does Jesus make of what you do
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as fizzy sense? Or does it not work that way? >> Um, like for me, like I'm in God's creation when I'm jumping.
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It's like really beautiful to me to go out and see all this amazing creation
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that he created. And I believe that I'm like honoring him by showing everyone
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else on social media the amazing places um that I can jump and that he created. Really
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>> awesome. We might get into the um religious aspect of your life later and
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um what that means to you and what that's brought to you. But um I just want to focus on the death diving stuff
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for a bit. So with um Fizzy Sins as your Instagram handle, you've got 85,000
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followers now, which is massive. How does that attention sort of sit with you? How how's it growing by the way?
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>> Yeah, I mean like two years ago I downloaded Instagram. Like I never had
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social media before that. Like I still kind of disagree with social media and how it's impacted the world. But uh I
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just downloaded it for my jumping and I'm like yo I'm just going to share some
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cool content that and like my achievements through the sport. And then I think this year it's grown from like I
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started the year at 10,000 followers and now 85 which is crazy. I've just been
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doing so much like like jumping three times a week and then yeah just heaps of crazy stuff overseas and World Cups and
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all that. So I think people like seeing that journey. >> How does the attention sit with you as
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someone that's sort of anti- uh social media at your core? Yeah, it's a bit
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different. Um, especially in the mount like uh getting photos and stuff like >> are you kind of famous?
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>> Uh, like in terms of recognition and >> Yeah, I don't know. I don't like to use
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that word, but I like that I'm able to influence people when they meet me and
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show that I'm not like this reckless dude that's just um throwing my body off
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cliffs, that I'm like quite calculated. Like when I see people at jumping spots
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and all that, I'm able to explain my process and all that. So, >> it's pretty cool that I get to be an
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influence on that. >> And with a with a bigger following comes um you more sort of scrutiny, I guess.
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Um yeah, what sort of comments do you get? Posit both positive and negative. >> Um to be honest, this past year, I don't
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read comments. >> Um before that, yeah, I definitely got um a few bad comments for I jumped the
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Caterpillar Dam, which is 35 m. That was like the start, I would say, to my growth on Instagram. you know, people
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calling me an idiot or like I'm just doing this for clicks and all that stuff, but it hasn't really phased me.
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When they go after other people, like I've had comments about my parents and
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I'm like, whoa. >> Like I gave him a message, I'm like, yo. Um, you can have your opinion, but yo,
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that wasn't like appreciated by me. >> Okay, those two things that you just
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mentioned, um, are you an idiot? >> Uh, no. I would like to think I'm not.
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>> Are you are you just doing it for clicks? >> No. No, definitely not. Um I think there
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is a lot of people that do do things for um clicks, but not extreme sports athletes. Like they're just posting
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their achievements. And there's a lot of jumps I still don't post cuz I'm I'm not
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going to post everything, but um I'm just posting what I enjoy. >> What What is your why? Why do you do
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this? >> Um I think you have to do it to like feel it, I'd say. Um I always believed that I
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really wanted to do something like that's different to other people. Like I grew up playing rugby, basketball, it
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was all the same. And then since co I started doing mountain biking, climbing and all that very different sports. And
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then just being in this dangerous situation and um like the punishment for not performing the skill is it can be death
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or you know severe severely bad injuries. And I think I don't know, it's
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just you get to be so present in those moments that the survival instincts kick in. And um we were talking about the
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climber before, Alex Honold, you know, he's doing the exact same thing. He's um
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his survival instincts are kicking in, you know, like he's just going up his
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wall, flowing through it, and very in the moment. I think it's very important.
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>> Yeah. Alex Arnold, who did the um Skyscraper um live building climb on Netflix. Um, yeah, I've been going into
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a deep dive on him ever since that came out. I've listened and watched so many
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podcasts he's been on and just made me aware just because it's something that
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like I don't necessarily understand. Um, it doesn't mean that what he's doing is
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right or wrong or stupid or amazing. And I feel like it's the same sort of thing
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with what you do. Well, a lot of the comments I read about you online, because I've been going into a deep dive
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for the past week, are um people worrying that like kids might copy you or someone might try. Now, I can
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honestly say I've watched maybe a hundred of your videos. I've got no intention of trying to do what you've
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done. Um, and I don't know, maybe it's different for other people, but not for me
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personally. Would is that a concern of yours at all? >> Yeah. Uh, I feel like I take some
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responsibility for it, but like I think people got to apply common sense to the situation. like as like I do other
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sports. I'm mountain biking and when I watch a Red Bull athlete do a massive
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jump, I'm not going to go grab my bike and do the exact same jump cuz I don't
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have the skill for it. Um and then if people do then I think they're an idiot
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>> because they've just done something where their skill is not as high as
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their skill is lower than their confidence. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. There's a balance to it.
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>> So would you describe yourself as an athlete? >> Yes, definitely.
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>> Yeah. No, I compete. I compete. I've competed in two different sports from
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New Zealand. And I've applied the same um rituals to my jumping that I have to
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my climbing as well. >> So, how did you first discover it? First of all, what's it called? It's called
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duds. >> Yeah, duds. >> Dudes. >> Duds d like >> that's Norwegian.
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>> Yeah, that's a Norwegian word. Um and then it's death diving. The Americans
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call it death diving because duds in Norwegian means death. Um, so that originated in Norway. I don't know how
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long ago, but um, it's like one of their national sports. They have national
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championships and the world championships there usually um, which I go over to qualify for.
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>> It's not a sexy name. >> Ah, I think it is. >> I think it sounds pretty cool.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. Well, it suggest that what I mean it suggests there's a chance of
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dying while you do it, which uh, it's high risk. I think it's because obviously we close last second, but when
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you're like going towards the water belly first, it looks like you're about
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to die, but we actually close up like a a shrimp, I'd say. So that Yeah. >> Yeah. Explain um explain it exactly what
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dudes is. >> All right. I would say you're you take off from a platform, cliff, bridge,
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whatever, with water underneath, and you're going to you're heading towards
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the water belly first, and then you're trying to close as late as possible. Uh
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bringing your hands and feet together. That's called the shrimp position. Or
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you have no hander where your hands are behind your um back. So you're leading
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with your head. I don't like those because those actually hurt a lot. And then um crusher, which like um
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protecting your head like this. >> Um those are like the three common landing styles.
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>> So it requires skill. >> Yes, you definitely um want to start low
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and learn the technique. >> So what was your first jump? How did you start?
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>> My first jump like you know from a young age everyone like does manus and stuff.
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I was doing mostly just straight jumps like landing on my feet and then >> like a pin drop.
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>> Like a pin drop. Yeah, exactly. So I had pin drop like 17 m before I started
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dodzing. Um and then >> 17 m. >> Yeah. >> Um that's still my highest straight jump
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to this day. >> Where's that at? >> Uh in McLaren Falls, my local spot in
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Toadonga. But um I wanted to do something cool cuz like pin drops look. You're just like landing in the water.
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And I couldn't do any flips or spins or anything. I was too scared. So I'm like,
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"Okay, I'll just land differently." And then then all my mates would be like,
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"Whoa, that's so cool." And then after I did that, then I wanted to learn spins
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and flips. >> Yeah. There was one like one moment where it clicked for me that I really
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wanted to do it was there's this local spot in the mount on Leisure Island. Um,
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it's called Suicide Rock and I was just there with a couple of mates. And >> again, not a sexy name.
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>> No, that that one isn't. I don't recommend many people to try that one
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cuz it had a fair gap, but I was very confident in my ability. And again, I had two people in the water as safety.
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Went up through my rocks and I jumped it. And that was like a crazy accomplishment. Like I had just dodged
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17 and that was like pretty high like back then. high inflation we call it now is 17's not that high but
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>> yeah it's a pretty pinnacle moment >> I suppose anytime you get a new PB it's
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um like a scary moment or a a nervous moment >> yeah definitely and then I would say you
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got to really celebrate that PB because it could be your last like you can't
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just keep going higher like there is a limit and nobody wants to reach that limit
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>> um yes so that limit you you have the New Zealand record which you set in
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Spain last year. >> Yep. >> 40 m. >> Yeah. >> That was off that was at a proper
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competition off of like a a scaffolding platform. >> No, that was off a cliff. Like I was at
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the gainer tour which has comps and tours along the way, but no one was jumping 40. So I I had to find it
00:11:40
myself. Like I didn't know I was jumping that cliff the day before. Like I found
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out the night before that I was going to jump it. But I was searching cuz I was prepping my body. I was like doing 30 m
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like it was nothing. 34 meter jumps just every single day. And then I found this
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40 and yeah had 15 people there. It was I think the fact it was 40 wasn't the scariest
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part. It had like a 7 m gap. So when I was throwing my rocks cuz Okay, so with the gap I couldn't see my landing zone.
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Like I couldn't see any people in the water cuz he was like cliff in front of
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me because I had to jump over the cliff. So, when I was throwing my rocks, my safety out dead. And I'm like, whoa,
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what does this mean? And I just hit another rock down the bottom cuz I'm landing when my rock lands. I'm like,
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okay, I'm going to have to throw this really fast. So, I threw it like further
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and they yelled out dead again. I'm like, wow, I got to really push out for this one. So, I threw it really hard. It
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landed just in the water, 2 m clearance. And I don't know, looking back, I'm so
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glad it's over cuz yeah, when I jumped out maybe halfway down, then I knew that
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I was going to make the gap. I guess the Yeah, the gap was definitely the scariest part.
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>> So, just to create a mental picture of this, so you you throw a rock out to
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make sure you get the water and from the splash, you can tell how deep the water
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is or >> Oh, I can like if I throw a rock, that's where I'm going to land. So when I didn't throw it
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like I threw it normally and it was hitting other rocks. So the cliff's here
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and there's rocks down here and I'm throwing a rock over over these rocks
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down here. >> So that means you need to have more of a run up and a sprint before you jump.
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>> So I got to push super hard to make it over these rocks. >> Oh no, bro. That sounds too too risky
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for me. >> Yeah. So that was that was the sketchy part. >> Oh my god, that is so sketchy. And uh
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did you know it was a New Zealand record? Is that something that you were like intentionally striving for?
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>> Uh, I was striving for the 40 club. It's like a really prestigious like number
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like only seven other people I think have 40 m or higher. Um, I already had the New Zealand record. I only caption
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it as record for clicks I guess cuz as soon as you see record they're like whoa
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I'm going to share this to someone else. >> So yeah. But with what you've just
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explained, what if something goes wrong like outside of the the actual dodging bit in
00:14:07
terms of I don't know like you you you you stub your toe on a rock on while you're doing the runup or you know you
00:14:14
trip over on a a tree route or something. >> Yeah. So I do a lot of runups. So I
00:14:20
don't really post that too often. Um I'm probably throwing five rocks. So, if I'm
00:14:24
doing a runup, I'll run, throw my rock, see where it lands, and I'll probably
00:14:28
clear the runup as well. If there's like rocks, I'm just going to take them away.
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I call it gardening. So, um if I'm at a spot and it's too bushy, I have to jump
00:14:37
over a bush, I'm just going to clear that bush or like flatten it so I don't
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have to pull out any roots. Um yeah. >> Do you often go to a jump platform and
00:14:46
then um bail or abort? >> Yep. Maybe due to weather, if it's too slippery, um it's really annoying and
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like cliff jumpers don't like bailing, but you know, safety at the end of the
00:15:00
day, you just got to do it. Um pretty much. >> What do you say to people that um would
00:15:07
suggest you've got a death wash? >> I just say they have a lack of understanding of what I do, I guess. You
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know, the world's pretty comfortable. You know, everyone's warm, everyone's
00:15:18
fed, everyone's hydrated. I just want to, you know, push my own limits. And >> I know that everyone else that is an
00:15:27
extreme sport um wants the same. >> Yeah. There's a saying you can't um yuck
00:15:34
someone else's yum. And I feel like that's the that's the case here. Um but
00:15:39
you do you hear that a lot, the death wish thing? >> Yeah. Yeah, >> a lot of people don't understand why I
00:15:44
do it, but like I have had a lot of mates uh that I take and even from 5 m, they get the biggest rush of adrenaline
00:15:54
cuz as soon as you push out, that feeling is like you can't describe that to someone else. Like as soon as you
00:16:00
take off and you see the water separate from you, it's like crazy feeling. And
00:16:03
then you hit the water, you come up and you celebrate like I just accomplished this.
00:16:07
>> Um >> cuz it's like instant flow state. I don't know if you know what the flow
00:16:12
state is. >> Yeah. Yeah. Like >> when you're in the air, there's like no
00:16:16
other thoughts >> except like most people scream and that is their one thought. They're like ah
00:16:20
like that's all they think in the air. Where you go with like rugby your mind
00:16:24
can go elsewhere >> you know it's 80 minutes where this is maximum of 3 seconds and um I think
00:16:33
that's pretty special. >> What are you thinking about in that 3 seconds? Are you just thinking about
00:16:40
what you've got to do >> or are you thinking about God? >> No, I'm think like there's nothing like
00:16:45
there's no thoughts. Even when I spin uh like doing spins and flips like you're
00:16:50
kind of just focusing on the movement and spotting, but like even when you're
00:16:53
spotting, not really thinking like I'm just enjoying all the the air time. Like
00:16:58
sometimes when there's a fat run up, like you get to boost it. I'm just in
00:17:02
the air just like looking around and just like, man, this is amazing. Do you know or know of anyone that's
00:17:07
died or suffered significant injuries? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um yeah, on the gainer tour
00:17:15
this year, someone um broke his spine. Um couldn't feel his legs for a bit. Had someone got knocked
00:17:23
out on that same tour and he was sinking and we had to pull him up. Um but I don't think they were ready for that
00:17:32
jump. Oh, the guy that did 34 and broke his back. I mean, he was a previous world record holder, but he didn't like
00:17:38
progress up, I guess, through the the stages to work up to it. I think he was a bit pressured into it. And then the
00:17:44
guy that got knocked out, he was just hucking sick side flips off the rip. Like, you don't usually warm up.
00:17:51
>> Like, if someone gets injured, there's usually a reason. >> Yeah.
00:17:57
>> What are your worst injuries? Um, I'd say currently my eye like earlier,
00:18:04
oh no, later last year in September >> when you went temporarily blind. Is that
00:18:09
>> Oh, yeah. I'm still like like I'm going to need glasses unfortunately. And that
00:18:14
was like pretty like tough to swallow. I was pretty gutted, but like now I'm
00:18:20
like, you know, that's life, you know. >> What happened? >> Um, it was a 25 m jump into Oky Falls,
00:18:25
the rafting area in Rooua. And I wouldn't I think I took every step correctly. It's just my landing wasn't
00:18:35
as good as usual. And when I closed I closed too hard and my knee went into my face um into my eye and as soon as I
00:18:43
came up I'm like I just couldn't see anything out of my right eye. And then
00:18:47
later that night I was like having blood out of the cornea. I don't know really
00:18:52
know the eye very well but yeah blood was coming out. I'm like whoa this is Yep. go the doctor and then yeah I think
00:18:59
I had a dislocated lens so it fell out. Usually your lens is straight and then it just went boom. So that's why I can
00:19:05
like see closely but further away is a bit tricky. >> Um other injuries I've got from you uh
00:19:13
blowing eardrum, concussion, uh temporary blindness and coughing up blood. >> All right, the coughing up blood was not
00:19:20
too bad. That was from the dam. Um yeah, I just came up sped out some blood and walked away. After that, I was all good.
00:19:26
But the blowing air drum is really common. Um, I just landed on my side. I was, it was my first time trying three
00:19:33
spins, which is a 1080. Over rotated, just like boom, water went straight in and yeah, couldn't hear for a couple
00:19:40
months. But like that stuff feels like No, like there's other injuries I've
00:19:45
seen in the sport. Like I would rather my eardrum go than like a broken leg where I'm out for ages. Um, and then
00:19:53
concussions. Yeah, I I take those really seriously. >> Oh, concussions plural.
00:19:59
>> Uh well, yeah, technically I don't know how many I've had cuz I've had some before
00:20:07
jumping. I think I've only had like three from jumping. Um like just playing
00:20:12
footy and stuff. I've had a few head knocks and all that. But yeah, those things I take pretty serious.
00:20:18
>> Even when you have a great jump and everything goes right, does it still
00:20:21
hurt physically? >> No. No, I wouldn't say so. Uh, like for the lower jumps, sometimes it hurts if I
00:20:28
land perfectly because I'm just not that nervous. I'm not tensing very hard and I
00:20:32
hit the water a bit more limp and I'm like, "Oh, that kind of hurt." But like
00:20:36
most of my 30s and even the 40 felt like nothing. No impact at all. I came up, I'm like, "Yo, wrist is good, ankle
00:20:42
good, head's good. I could go do that again." >> See what happens after each jump. You do
00:20:47
like a quick mental sort of stock take of the >> Yeah. I'm just like rolling around my
00:20:51
wrist. Yo, ankle's good. Ah, sweet. Get to go tomorrow. >> When um at what point did it stop being
00:20:58
something you did just for fun and shits and giggles and it became something you
00:21:01
took seriously and competitively? >> Um just when people like started messaging
00:21:08
me like, "Oh, how do you do this dots? How do you do this technique?" And I'm
00:21:11
like, "Oh, wow. This is like people are really wanting to know in New Zealand."
00:21:15
Um like my current goal is to get more people doing dods or staples than Manus. Um but yeah, once people started like
00:21:23
noticing it, I'm like, "Oh man. Um I better like like keep the content up so
00:21:30
people um are inspired to do it." >> And you've had some um mainstream media
00:21:35
coverage as a result of it. Uh on your Instagram Instagram page, Fizzy Sins, there's um a clip of you with Ryan
00:21:41
Bridge and you've been on um with Patrick Gower as well, Patty Gower. Yeah, I've been on a few news channels
00:21:46
around the world like Norway and Bali and um I think there's one other country.
00:21:52
Oh, and Aussie as well. >> Um but a few here. Like if I get those opportunities, I'm going to take it cuz
00:21:58
it like professionalizes the the sport as well. I get to explain that we're not
00:22:02
just reckless >> and um yeah, it's pretty cool, especially for the brand. It pushes the
00:22:08
brand. >> Yeah. >> Do Yeah. Yeah. What's the goal with the brand? Like are you hoping to I'm
00:22:13
thinking like Red Bull would be a good fit for what you do. >> Yeah, I've had chats with Red Bull. Um
00:22:19
>> how do you monetize this? >> Monetize? Uh Facebook pays a bit of money. Um I've had a few brand deals
00:22:25
that pay a bit. Uh I mean I still work full-time like as soon as you know it becomes a full-time job. You don't like
00:22:32
people usually don't enjoy it as much. It's definitely a goal to have the
00:22:34
financial freedom to do this every day. Um but yeah, I'm just waiting for the
00:22:39
right company. Um, I'm going to start my own board short line, Fizzy Sen's board
00:22:44
short line with a company as well. I'm hoping to have that ready by next summer
00:22:48
or start promoting it in winter. So, that's a big goal. Um, but my biggest goal usually I tell
00:22:55
everyone is that I want to find a way to financially support other athletes to travel uh to compete in their sport that
00:23:03
don't have the money to >> like to go to a World Cup cuz all these minority sports don't get much money.
00:23:08
You know, the All Blacks take it. No, I don't want to blame the all blacks, but
00:23:12
yeah, rugby cricket. Yeah, they all take the funding and like coming from speed climbing where I had to work full-time
00:23:18
and train 24 hours a week, it's like exhausting, especially want to focus on
00:23:23
resting and eating. Um, right. Yeah. >> Yeah. How do you train for this? >> Uh, for death, I do a lot of gym. I
00:23:32
still climb like a lot as well. I try to build my back and traps because that's
00:23:37
what's copying most of the impact and just conditioning the body with hard impacts. Like before my 40, I was
00:23:43
ripping all these 30s to build up a tolerance. I guess it's like I relate it
00:23:49
to boxing. You know, they get punched in the abs and then their abs get used to that hit. Um it's pretty much Yeah.
00:23:55
preparing for that impact really. >> Did you did you hide it from your parents originally?
00:24:05
Uh, maybe my mom. I think I did. >> Um, that suicide rock clip that I was explaining about, I showed my dad. Oh,
00:24:14
no. I showed my mom first and she's like, "Oh, yeah. You got to stop this."
00:24:18
Yeah. This is This is getting a bit too far. >> It's a mother's nightmare.
00:24:22
>> Yeah. Yeah. Um, and then my dad didn't really like that clip either. And then I
00:24:29
think I would say I was a little bit more reckless at the start cuz I just didn't know. So, I wasn't as experienced
00:24:33
back then, but leading on now, like I'll like ring my dad. I'm like, I'm about to
00:24:38
do a 30 m. And he's like, "Oh, all good, boy. Y just let me know when it's done."
00:24:43
But like he came to a 28 m one time. It was my PR and he freaked out. He's like,
00:24:49
"Oh, I don't want to watch this." Which is fair enough. Like I I don't think I
00:24:52
would want to watch my son either. But now he's like he's all about pushing uh
00:24:57
the boundaries and doing something creative. to compare it to um like the size of a
00:25:04
building. What would 28 m be? The clip the the jump you're talking about with
00:25:07
your dad watching. >> I think Oh, the one that my dad's watching. >> Yeah, the 28 m one that he he couldn't
00:25:12
watch. >> 40 m is about 12 stories, right? >> Yeah. So, >> is that like nine perhaps? A ntory
00:25:19
building. >> Yeah. >> I just want to put it in terms that you the average listener or viewer can
00:25:23
relate to. It's um >> Yeah. Yeah. I don't think many people would be comfortable like standing on
00:25:28
the edge of a nine-tory building and looking over the edge. >> No, but I like that.
00:25:35
>> Um, and how does your mom feel about it now? >> Um, I think, well, she likes it. I get
00:25:41
to meet people like you guys and Patty Gower and stuff. Um, she's like, "Oh,
00:25:45
that's pretty cool." Um, but I don't know. I think she likes it. She
00:25:51
thought I was always going to go to uni and be a doctor or something. So, I'm
00:25:54
sorry, Mom. Um, >> you're going to see a lot of doctors. >> Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:01
>> Um, yeah. Do you get more nervous doing the the media things or podcasts like
00:26:05
this or like standing on the edge of a 30ft drop? >> Nah. Because when I am standing on the edge, you
00:26:12
know, this is life or death situation. We're taking it real seriously. And like
00:26:15
I said before, right now we're in a comfortable room. I'm warm. I mean, the
00:26:19
AC is a little bit cold, but um like I got drinks in front of me and like I'm
00:26:24
just comfortable. There's nothing to be nervous about. There's no life threatening threats or anything. So,
00:26:32
>> what are your biggest fears? What are you scared of? >> Um >> like it might even be something that has
00:26:40
nothing to do with um duds. Um, I don't I wouldn't say I have like Oh, I
00:26:48
guess being a paraplegic would be very very scary. I don't really like speaking
00:26:54
that into existence really. >> Um, maybe myself changing if I ever did get bigger, you know. I'm always pushing
00:27:02
>> Oh, in terms of like ego. >> Yeah. Yeah. like I'm always pushing um
00:27:07
like to build a brand and all that and I never want to shy away from like or like not be humble or like
00:27:15
arrogant or yeah, stuff like that. And especially with my faith as well, I don't want to
00:27:21
like just shy away from that. I want to make sure that I'm always like true to
00:27:25
myself, I guess. >> I don't think there's much chance of that happening. Um, but you you
00:27:29
mentioned the um the P word uh just before. There's um a guy I've had on the
00:27:34
podcast a couple of times now, Brad. Uh he was um he was a wakeboarder, >> Red Bull athlete. Um and he had an an
00:27:42
incident on a ramp in the States and he's um he's now I'm probably going to
00:27:46
get he's either a tetroplegic or a quadriplegic. Um but he's got no movement from um the head down. Um he's
00:27:53
got like a stylus on his chair which he, you know, uses to to write with on his phone. Um he like blows into this um
00:28:01
blows into this little tube to propel his chair forward. Um and that's a result of him doing something sort of
00:28:07
extreme what he loves. If in touch with this is never the case, but if that was the outcome for you,
00:28:14
would it be worth it in the pursuit of doing what you love? >> Uh well, I mean, I'd probably
00:28:23
regret that jump. But you know, people drive cars and they die. You know, >> people just ride bikes to school, they
00:28:32
get hit, they become a paraple. I can't apply that logic to jumping because there is so many risks in this
00:28:39
world that >> if you're just like just driving from Toadonga to Oakuckland
00:28:45
today it's like oh why would I do that when there's you know >> a high risk of someone else hitting me
00:28:52
like I'm in control when I'm jumping you know there's so many external things in
00:28:56
normal life where someone can just come up and stab you like and that happens >> um so I think living life like that is
00:29:04
really boring and h sad as well. But in saying that, yeah, like I I never do a jump that I'm not prepared for either.
00:29:12
So I'm always confident in my ability and if that for some reason happened, I'm like it could have happened another
00:29:18
way. >> Um yeah, I think a lot of athletes feel the same way. Like I've um I've listened
00:29:24
to a lot of podcasts like that who uh got a bad injury. Now I'm like, "Yeah,
00:29:28
that could have happened another way anyway." >> Yeah. You you might be a bit bit young
00:29:32
to know this song, but um you know the band Pink Floyd. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. They've got a song called Wish You
00:29:37
Were Were Here. And there's a a great line in that song um saying, "Did you
00:29:41
exchange a walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?" Which basically
00:29:45
means you can live in a cage. Um but it's not really living, you know, or you
00:29:49
can do some uh do some stuff. >> We actually had that in the car on the way here, that song,
00:29:53
>> actually. >> Yeah. Yeah, we listen. Yeah. Yeah. >> I got goosebumps hearing that.
00:29:57
>> Yeah. Oh, my mate is like Ned Ned Johnson. Shout out to him. He's like a
00:30:00
massive Pink Floyd. Oh, yeah. Pink Floyd fan. Yeah. Yeah. Love him. >> But that line in particular, that sounds
00:30:07
like what you were It sums up what you were saying just before, I think. Do you Do you feel like you've got um you've
00:30:12
got God on your side when you jump as like a a sort of a like a a shield or a layer of protection?
00:30:18
>> Uh yeah, I I think about that a lot. Like before all my big jumps, I get
00:30:24
everyone to come and say a prayer. Even before these cliff tours, usually I get everyone to come in for a prayer and I
00:30:28
pray over them as well cuz um you know if it's in as well I will succeed. Um and if I am being reckless
00:30:38
like that's why I'm not reckless with my jumping cuz I'm like well that was just
00:30:41
stupid and like like God wouldn't want me to do something stupid. Like if I'm
00:30:47
training for it and being p purposeful with it then it's yeah okay in my opinion. In terms of safety, what are
00:30:55
the key things you assess before deciding if it's safe enough? >> That is a great question. Um, depth
00:31:00
check is like that is clear cut. Like if it's not deep enough, I'm not jumping.
00:31:05
If it's >> Do do you get in the water first to >> with goggles? >> Okay.
00:31:09
>> Yeah. I actually get three people. So, we cover the whole area cuz if there's a
00:31:12
log sticking up, that's gone. You're gone. So, >> how much depth do you need?
00:31:17
>> Uh, 3 mters, I'd say. I've jumped off 20 mters. um into 2 m deep water and I just
00:31:25
did a hard landing. I was pretty confident that I wasn't going to hit but yeah, I'd say 3 mters.
00:31:30
Yeah. Oh, and then the other safety is having safety in the water in case you do mark up a trick or
00:31:39
you know the performance and they probably need to like help you and hold you while you're um winded or something
00:31:46
like that. Um I throw rocks to see the gap. If the gap's too big, then we would
00:31:51
have to call it. um the takeoff takeoff slippery um or jagged that that um comes into the
00:32:01
decision. Um and then just someone out of the water with a phone in case something really went wrong. Like I
00:32:07
usually have four to five people at my jumps minimum. Um yeah, take care of safety.
00:32:15
>> The the location of each jump, is that something you take into account in terms
00:32:19
of safety? I.e. the accessibility for like the Westpack rescue helicopter, say, you know what I mean?
00:32:25
>> Yep. So, if it's in a remote area then like I don't usually like doing it
00:32:31
>> unless I have maybe 10 people with me and we have a my mate just got a beacon
00:32:37
or something you can like flick up and push and then the >> like a GPS thing.
00:32:41
>> Yeah. Yeah. So, that's really helpful. So, we can push the limit a little bit
00:32:44
more with that. But um yeah, the geography of where the jump is um yeah >> comes into it.
00:32:52
>> The the the night or the days and nights before like a big significant jump.
00:32:58
How do you feel? Do you sleep okay? Do you get excited? Are you nervous? >> Uh before the dam, which was my PR at
00:33:08
the time. I was going from 28 to 35 m. Yeah. I was I was crying the day before cuz I thought I was going to do it that
00:33:14
day and I'm like wa this is like heavy. I'm like am I ready for this and then
00:33:19
just put a whole lot of thought into it. And then that night I actually went and
00:33:22
watched the scariest movie of my life, The Smile 2 in the cinema. And I didn't
00:33:27
even think about The Jump the next day cuz I was just so scared from that movie. Oh my gosh, I I wouldn't watch
00:33:32
that. Um that that to me seems like a bad sign. Like if you're if you're crying
00:33:38
the day or a couple of days before like what you you're you I think you must be
00:33:43
sort of built different from most in terms of I think most people would be like this is a sign that I shouldn't do
00:33:48
this. >> Yeah, I guess so. I think I was just feeling it and um just trusting myself.
00:33:56
And I always like messaged my dad. I'm like, "Oh, I'm planning on doing this."
00:34:01
And he's like, "Yeah, if you feeling confident, I feel confident in you." My
00:34:05
girlfriend the same as well. She's like, "I don't think you have it today, but
00:34:07
tomorrow when we have more people, um, I'm feeling good." So, I kind of like I
00:34:13
have like mental outlets, I guess, where my girlfriend's really good for it. She
00:34:18
comes to like pretty much every PR I've done, she's been there. I can just
00:34:22
discuss and she understands cuz she knows all the other jumps as well. So, it's um, yeah, very, very helpful.
00:34:29
>> Does she jump too? >> Oh, she's done like 4 m dods, I guess. and
00:34:34
>> she's like straight jumped 11 m or so. So, I'm quite proud of her for that.
00:34:37
>> I wouldn't I wouldn't do that. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, I was pretty stoked when
00:34:40
she did it. >> Yeah. So, but it's not her thing. >> No, but she loves traveling around. She
00:34:45
um traveled all throughout Europe um last year with me, you know. We went to all these World Cups in Norway and just
00:34:52
staying with people. We got a camper van around Iceland. So, >> yeah, she definitely loves the travel
00:34:57
aspect and meeting all these other cool rad people. like the community is so um cool and inviting that you know everyone
00:35:05
else's girlfriend is there as well so you get to >> y with them. >> Have you had a chat with her about like
00:35:12
what what she goes through like in the leadup to a jump? >> Yeah. Um I usually ask her just straight up. I'm
00:35:20
like, "Oh, I'm sorry. Like what do you what do you think about this?" And then
00:35:25
uh she was there that day that my dad was there watching the 28 meter and she really didn't like that one. It was it
00:35:31
was Hanua Falls. So that was like it had like a bad rep like the story behind it
00:35:36
and I didn't know that story. I didn't want to know the story. Um but yeah, she
00:35:41
she didn't really like that one. But from now on we kind of like discuss together if we're like ready for it or
00:35:46
not. >> And I'm assuming she's always like really scared. But um she knows that I
00:35:53
love it and when I come up from a jump all excited, she's excited. So it's kind
00:35:58
of like a team effort, I'd say. It's a team effort with everyone there, you
00:36:01
know. Everyone's like putting that energy into me and I'm putting that energy into others who are jumping as
00:36:06
well. >> Yeah, team effort. >> It's a massive massive support crew for
00:36:10
sure. How long have you been with your girlfriend? >> Oh, pretty much since I started. Oh,
00:36:15
like I met her a month after I started um death diving. um she doesn't like the
00:36:21
story, but the first time we met, we went to McLaren Falls and I like jumped the green building, which has a
00:36:28
massive gap, and they were like, "What the heck?" Like, "I'd never date someone
00:36:31
like that." Um, now she does. >> So, it's been what, years? >> Yeah. Two two years.
00:36:39
>> Yeah. Okay. I'm going to ask you the most horrible question ever. If she came
00:36:42
to you and said, "Flynn, it's either me or death diving. I'd probably just do one last jump. Like
00:36:53
maybe I dodge 50 meters to get the world record and then I'm like, "Okay, I'm
00:36:56
done." >> Is I can't I can't like I'd probably just I'd choose her. Um cuz there's so
00:37:04
many other things that I enjoy doing like climbing and >> just traveling. So yeah.
00:37:12
>> Yeah. the the speed climbing it seems like a much more you like you're really
00:37:15
good at that e like you've you've represented New Zealand at a national level.
00:37:19
>> Uh yeah like I've gone overseas >> to world champs and world cups and stuff
00:37:24
and I competed with Julian. He's like quite well known in New Zealand. He's an
00:37:29
Olympian. Um he actually took my spot the little bugger um at the Ocean Champs. He won so he got to go which was
00:37:36
awesome. But yeah um we actually got Ocean Champs this weekend and national champs. So, I'll be competing
00:37:43
uh then. So, it'll be cool. >> Now, that's um like a that's become like
00:37:47
a a legitimized sport now that it's um an Olympic sport, right? Does does anyone from the the climbing world like
00:37:54
frown upon the death diving or do they sort of encourage it and support it >> like from the speed climbing community
00:38:01
or the climbing community? >> Yes. Yeah. >> Oh, no. They love it. Oh,
00:38:04
>> do they? >> Oh, yeah. Cuz they're all like super sick people as well and no one else is
00:38:10
really doing it. So like when I come to a competition, I'm not known as a climber. They're like, "Oh, he's a death
00:38:16
diver." >> So that's like the pressure is taken off now cuz I'm like, "Ah, speed climbing is
00:38:23
kind of second to me." It was like for 4 years I was like dedicated like um riding the highs and lows of the
00:38:30
competitions, but now there's so much less pressure that I get I just get to
00:38:34
enjoy speed climbing. Yeah, it's great. So, have you given up your um dreams of
00:38:39
becoming an Olympian with speed climbing? >> Uh, yeah. >> And and now that sort of transferred and
00:38:44
now your your dream is to eventually be the best death diver in the world. >> Yeah. I I wouldn't even mind if I wasn't
00:38:52
the best. Like, I'm just going and traveling to these amazing spots. And that's what I enjoy most, just exploring
00:38:59
and finding stuff that no one's ever jumped before. The world record has always enticed me because I think I have
00:39:06
the capability capability to do it, but it hasn't been like uh solidified in my
00:39:11
mind. I would say like the 40 club like I'm like I'm definitely doing 40 club
00:39:16
like this year, but with the world record I'm like not not sure. >> What is the current world record?
00:39:22
>> It's 48 m. >> Right. >> What's the um what's the bungee platform
00:39:26
on the Oakland Harbor Bridge? >> That's 40. >> 40. Oh, that's only 40.
00:39:30
>> Yeah. Oh, >> so you've done that height? Yeah. >> Yep. >> If if you were allowed to, would you
00:39:37
would you do 40 off the bungee platform on the Oakland Harbor Bridge? You'd never be allowed to. It would never be.
00:39:42
>> Well, I actually got offered in January. They were going to do an ad campaign and
00:39:46
I think I was going to jump it with someone else jumping it with a rope and then obviously I would have kept going
00:39:52
and it was getting all set up. Um but then like health and safety said no, we actually can't allow this. But I like I
00:40:00
said yes straight away. Like I was so keen to that. That's actually my dream
00:40:04
actually to dodge a bungee. I wanted to do the Queenstown one which is like 44 meters. So I'd have to train a lot. But
00:40:09
that's way more scenic. The Oakland Harbor Bridge is ugly. So like um I'm
00:40:15
not too sad. >> But the Queenstown one, yeah, that looks amazing. >> But there there's unfortunate occasions
00:40:21
that happen from time to time where someone will park their car on the Oakland Harbor Bridge and jump over the
00:40:25
barrier as a suicide attempt. And more often than not, they're successful. How
00:40:30
how how do you not die? >> Is it is it the technique? >> Yeah, technique and conditioning and
00:40:37
training. Like, you know, their intent is to kill themsel. Uh, and they're probably going to hit the water a bit
00:40:43
limp. You know, I'm tensing as hard as I can and like got full focus on surviving. Um, and they're also like
00:40:50
landing like probably like back heavy, like landing flat on their back. Like if I jump from 40 landing on
00:40:58
my back, I'm probably dead as well. >> Or on my head. Um yeah, there's definitely like if you
00:41:03
don't land right, you're going to die. Even from 20, like people have died.
00:41:07
>> Yeah. >> Is fear something that you try to eliminate or something that you work
00:41:13
with? >> Um I'd say something that I work with. Like it's very um like if I ever went to uni I' or like
00:41:21
not even just uni I'd like to study the process of before like when you're
00:41:26
filled with fear. I talk to my mate a lot Ned about this like he's always up
00:41:30
there with me before I jump like man I am just so scared right now like I can't
00:41:35
believe I'm actually going to do this. Um and then that process of okay I'm
00:41:39
going to start my countdown and I've never ever backed out of countdown. No one does. like the ritual's lost, like
00:41:45
you can't do it. And then, you know, you hit that flow state, you've jumped,
00:41:49
you've landed, you're just filled with joy, and it's like that process from
00:41:52
being so so scared is like, yeah, I guess I I work with it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. What is the full process before
00:42:00
each jump? >> Um, I give like I'm really organized with my people. Like depending on who's
00:42:07
coming, I'm like before we even get the spot, I'm like he's going to be doing
00:42:10
this, he's going to be doing this, she's going to be doing that. um like filming
00:42:13
angles, safety in the water, someone up there with me as just mental support. And then the most
00:42:21
nerve-wracking part is just climbing up or not not like physically climbing like
00:42:26
if there's stairs just even walking every step you're like I'm going to be
00:42:28
descending this soon onto my face. It's like wow. Okay. Um and then just I usually throw about five or five to 10
00:42:38
rocks, but my final three rocks is like a ritual now. I'll say three rocks and
00:42:43
after that last one I'm following it. I want to Yeah. Um and then I start my
00:42:49
countdown from usually three. I've locked in 3 2 1 send it. I just just go for it. Yeah.
00:42:59
>> Have you ever landed and thought I dodged a bullet that time? >> Yes. Um
00:43:07
actually after I did my eye, the um doctor gave me the all clear to jump again and I just went and did a 31 m and
00:43:16
I nearly hit my eye again. Like I had a cut right under. I'm like, "Oh, if I hit
00:43:20
my eye again, that would have been it." Like my the vision would have been real
00:43:25
bad. So I'm like, "Okay, like it was just like a lesson, you know? I'm like,
00:43:30
"Okay, I'm I'm good. I'm just not going to do that again."
00:43:33
>> Mhm. um practice my technique so I never hit my eye again, which I haven't hit it
00:43:38
since then. >> When you when you see a medical professional and you tell them how you
00:43:42
got injured, what's the reaction like? >> Oh, I love it cuz they never believe how
00:43:47
high I've jumped like when I coughed up blood. I went to the doctor just in case
00:43:52
I did something to my lungs and they're like, "How high did you jump?" I'm like,
00:43:55
"35 m 115 ft." No. And then I show them the video. They're Oh. Um, and they're
00:44:03
like, "Well, that was actually pretty cool." I'm lucky to have good doctors.
00:44:08
Actually, overseas in France, that was really hard cuz I don't speak English,
00:44:12
but they were like, "Oh, you're an idiot." >> But, uh, New Zealand, it's been good.
00:44:17
Um, you talked before about the um the steps and the safety process and the checks
00:44:22
and balances that you do, but have you ever um stood there and thought not today and walked away just because of a
00:44:28
like an internal feeling or a vibe? Um, like if I So once I've done all those
00:44:38
safety checks, like I said, the depth checks and throwing rocks and I've locked into it. No, I wouldn't say I've
00:44:43
ever bailed. I would either bail when I've chucked rocks, I'm like, "Nah, not
00:44:48
today." But once I'm climbing up with all my then everyone's filming, I'm
00:44:52
like, "No, I've never bailed." >> It's just like I can't have indecision.
00:44:59
It's like the, you know, when I was crying the day before, I was crying cuz I knew I was jumping like there was no
00:45:06
way unless the weather had suddenly changed or something. Um, yeah. I just got to have 100% certainty. It's the 40
00:45:13
meter as well. Like I knew I was doing 40 like um yeah, nothing was going to change my
00:45:20
mind. >> Has has doing this and getting better and better at it made you feel
00:45:24
invincible or just more aware of how fragile you are? >> Oh yeah, definitely how fragile I am.
00:45:29
Cuz even from lower heights, I've had injuries and I'm like, "Oh, respect
00:45:33
every height you jump. Even 10 oh no, 10 meters, you can land however you like, but maybe 15 plus." Um yeah, respect
00:45:41
respect the height. land properly. >> Yeah. >> Unbelievable. Um, and has the sport made you more afraid
00:45:51
of death or more at peace with it? >> Oh, it's probably neutral. Like I've
00:45:57
never had a like jump where I thought, "Oh, this could be it really." So, yeah,
00:46:04
I really don't want to die. And I didn't want to die before it either. So, it's
00:46:08
probably just neutral the same. How long can you realistically do this for? >> Um,
00:46:16
yeah, probably until I have kids. I don't know. >> Well, that was going to be my next
00:46:21
question. Like, what would make you stop? And maybe that's the answer. >> No, I I told my girlfriend that um when
00:46:28
we have kids, I won't do anything above 27. And I set 27 cuz that's the Red Bull
00:46:33
diving height. So, I'd always like to if the Red Bull diving boards come back to
00:46:36
New Zealand, I'm going to jump them. though like no matter like what circumstance
00:46:42
>> cuz you've talked about the nerves and the anxiety that you feel leading up to it
00:46:47
and um you're pushing through that. I think that's really cool and really
00:46:49
commendable. But yeah, what's a fun height for you? >> A fun height? >> Yeah. One where you don't get nerves
00:46:54
climbing up the the platform. You just feel excitement. Oh, like just full boosting like a massive run up of 20 oh
00:47:03
like oh probably 20 22 m is like amazing cuz anything lower you don't have enough
00:47:09
air time. You're like oh I wish that was that lasted a bit longer but 20 or 22
00:47:14
you're like oh man birds are chirping around me flying around. So yeah that that height's really fun.
00:47:20
>> Is there a height where you'd say no that's it that's the line? Oh, you play
00:47:25
anything above 52. >> Um. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> Why? >> Oh, like personally,
00:47:34
well, the world record's 48. So, like if I was to break it, I'm going to probably
00:47:37
do 50. Um, not no I'm not claiming anything, but anything higher than that, I'm like, yeah, that's just getting too
00:47:46
much. And I don't know what height's terminal velocity. I think it's probably way off.
00:47:53
So like 200 m is terminal velocity, but I think that is getting a bit silly >> when you're saying, "Okay, above 50."
00:48:02
Yeah. I think it's just too much. >> It's tempting fate. >> Yeah.
00:48:05
>> Yeah. How do you know when ambition is outpacing common sense? >> Uh
00:48:12
probably when I'm like just hurting myself a lot. Um, I think I don't know
00:48:17
if I'm answering that question right, but like if there's like a something like a
00:48:25
massive gap or something and there's even a 20% chance of getting severely injured, I'm like, "No, common like I
00:48:33
got to use my common sense. I'm not taking uh like an 80% chance of survival rate.
00:48:39
I want to I want to have aund or like 99 cuz there's always like somewhat of a
00:48:43
risk like with everything. But yeah, as soon as you start taking those high percentage risks, I'm like, no, you got
00:48:49
to be confident in your ability >> that you're you're gonna make it.
00:48:55
>> I I think you answered that per I mean, jeez, whatever however way you answered
00:48:59
it was going to be the perfect answer because it's your truth. But I I think
00:49:02
it's good like you're not getting ego get in the way. You're not doing it for
00:49:04
other people. You're not doing it for the clicks. Um you're staying well
00:49:07
within uh like what your comfort or talent level is. >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Like I learned that
00:49:14
through mountain biking. I would use I used to send stuff like yeah my balls are up here but my skill was down here
00:49:22
and I'd crash and break bones and then like I'm never taking that mindset to anything else. Um I want to
00:49:29
be well equipped before doing something um that's difficult. >> You you um you do need big balls for for
00:49:37
what you do though. But I suppose it's slightly axis of um you know talent and
00:49:42
ability level but also you know the courage. >> Yeah. Yeah. I wish it actually did
00:49:46
equivalate to ball size. That would be that would be cool. >> Who who who tells who in your life tells
00:49:53
you the truth when you need to hear it. Your partner, your mom? >> Uh oh. It's always my dad. No. He always
00:50:01
says, "Okay, you got to start doing this." Or Yeah. My girlfriend as well.
00:50:08
Um, but other than that, yeah, probably just parents and partner >> cuz I think
00:50:14
outside of them, like my core close people, I guess, like people can't really tell me what to do. Um, cuz they
00:50:24
haven't experienced what I've experienced, but they've like been with
00:50:26
me the whole journey, then they actually understand a lot more. >> Yeah. Is there anything that throwing yourself
00:50:33
off um cliffs and dams has taught you about everyday life? Like anything transferable?
00:50:41
>> Oh yeah, definitely. That like I wish that I relaxed a lot more through life before jumping.
00:50:52
I feel way more grateful uh being in the position I am just exploring and traveling like even
00:51:01
through school you know I was such a competitive person and all I wanted to do was make the first 15 and like it
00:51:08
took such a mental toll out of every single day and I think a lot of people have those mental tolls where
00:51:14
something's happened or they're worrying I think yeah I just wish I was present
00:51:20
way more before I started jumping and just living life every single day >> uh in the moment. And um yeah,
00:51:28
>> what's I mean, you're still really young, so you've still discovered that
00:51:30
as a young at a young age. >> Yeah. Which is good. >> I don't like telling people what to do
00:51:35
cuz I'm only 21. I don't I don't think I deserve to tell people what to do. Um
00:51:40
leave that up to the the elders. >> The elders. Um uh uh um what do we got here? What what
00:51:52
would you say your best and worst habits are? >> Oh um I think best habit is that I'm like on
00:52:02
any given day I'm just willing to wake up early to do something like Yeah. I
00:52:08
think and also filling up my day like I'm I try to be as productive and as I
00:52:12
can and I think some people have it some people don't where like if I have a day
00:52:17
where I'm doing nothing I feel awful like even on rest days I'm climbing I'm
00:52:22
going for a bike ride hanging out with mates like I'm never going to sit in front of the TV on a couch watching
00:52:29
Netflix I don't really watch Netflix or anything like that anyway but um I think
00:52:34
that's a good habit >> um a bad habit it. Oh, I drink a lot of chocolate milk.
00:52:42
It's not It's not healthy. And even coffee now, like I discovered coffee and
00:52:47
I love it so much. And I'm like I don't want that to be the excitement in my
00:52:51
day, you know, a coffee. I just want to be able to drink it and not like have all that dopamine. I don't know.
00:52:57
>> Are you a drinker or not? >> Like alcohol? >> Yeah. >> Oh, nah. Well, on occasion, maybe like a
00:53:04
couple times a year. I just had my 21st, so I did my Yi and I thought I did a pretty impressive time for not being a
00:53:10
drinker. Um, but yeah, >> how much how long was it? >> I was 2 and a half minutes. Some Some
00:53:17
people may laugh, but I thought I thought it was pretty good. >> No judgment here. I think mine was about
00:53:22
8 minutes. >> Okay, I did it with Space as well, apparently. That's a hard hard one.
00:53:26
>> Yeah, it's a weird tradition, isn't it? >> Yeah, >> it's a strange I I don't I maybe it's a
00:53:31
thing in Australia as well, but I think it's definitely more of a New Zealand
00:53:34
thing. It's a Yeah, like drinking 2 L of beer as fast as what you can doesn't
00:53:40
seem like the most sensible thing. >> But yeah, I don't I think drinking like
00:53:43
I don't think people should do it every weekend. Again, I don't want to tell
00:53:45
people what to do, but I think um on occasion like I do it for a birthday party and after a world cup or a record,
00:53:53
y I have a few beers just to celebrate and really I think people need to celebrate their wins. People just move
00:53:58
on to the next goal too quickly. just let it soak in and enjoy that moment >> and then you can move on. But
00:54:06
>> yeah, >> is there any mistake that you wish you could go back and correct, diving
00:54:11
related or non-diving related? >> Um, no. I've never said I had regrets really
00:54:23
ever. I don't think there's any mistakes that I would like to undo. I think Yeah.
00:54:31
If you're Do you have any siblings? >> Yeah, I have four. >> Four. Older, younger.
00:54:36
>> Yeah, I have one older sister. She lives in Thailand. So, it's pretty cool being
00:54:39
able to have an excuse to travel there. Um, and then three younger ones. Um, yeah. 18-year-old, 11-year-old brother,
00:54:47
and a 9-year-old sister as well. >> What do they make of what you do? >> Oh, I think they're pretty psyched. My
00:54:52
older sister doesn't understand it. Like, I haven't I don't see her very
00:54:56
often. Um, but yeah, my little brother's doing it a bit. >> The 11-year-old.
00:55:02
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh god, must be freaking out. >> Yeah. But I think uh they appreciate the
00:55:09
um like the adventure. Like I just I just take him out, sleep in hammocks, you know, for the night. Like I just go
00:55:15
into remote places with him. And he's just he's just so keen and I love it and
00:55:19
I love taking him out. And same with my other sisters as well. They're we're
00:55:24
we're a big wake surfing family behind a boat. So yeah, we all like adventure and
00:55:28
I want to like help them through that as well. I want them to >> do as much stuff as they can while
00:55:34
they're young. >> Yeah. Not like I actually hate YouTube shorts for kids cuz you can't really
00:55:40
block YouTube and they're just scrolling. So as long as you're off that, I'm happy.
00:55:46
If if um your siblings all got together and came up with um three separate words
00:55:51
to describe you as as a brother, as a man, uh what would you like those three words to be?
00:55:57
>> Um I'm hoping adventurous. Um I'd say hopefully caring as well. Um
00:56:11
I think they would definitely say brave as well. >> Oh, no [ __ ] No one could dispute that
00:56:16
one. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Are you proud of yourself? >> Yeah. No, I'm like psyched on what I've
00:56:21
done so far and like I'm just truly grateful for the life that God has given me and like my
00:56:29
dad, he's supported me so much like financially and um just like wisdom and all that. So yeah, um I my girlfriend I
00:56:37
have as well just yeah, it's been it's been great just being able to jump off
00:56:41
cliffs and enjoy life and travel and see stuff that no one else gets to see. >> And the rest of 2026, what does that
00:56:48
hold for you? >> Um I'm going to be going to the States in June and doing a cliff tour around
00:56:54
there. The exact same like kind of people that I did in Europe last year. Um I'm just going to be doing all the
00:57:00
iconic spots, all the people that I watched when I was younger growing up. gonna see all the jumps that they did
00:57:04
and do those. Um, I got invited back to the world's highest odds comp. So, be
00:57:11
going to Norway to do that. And yeah, just more traveling, pushing and Oh, definitely working still. I work at
00:57:17
Zorb, so going to be doing that probably until I start traveling. >> Zorb as in the downhill.
00:57:24
>> Yeah, the balls. >> Right. Right. Right. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Whereabouts in Toadong?
00:57:27
>> Uh, it's in Rooua. >> All right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, I just commute there every day
00:57:31
and >> every damn day. Yeah. >> How far is that commute? >> Oh, it's like 50 minutes. So,
00:57:36
>> right. Why don't you move? >> Oh, it's a good question. I think it
00:57:41
runs in my family. Like my granddad traveled an hour every day. My dad travels from Toddonga to Roou every day
00:57:48
as well. And um yeah, >> for for some people you'd for some people going um going downhill in Rooua
00:57:56
and Aorb will be the most extreme thing they do in their life. Um yeah. Yeah. Does that make you laugh?
00:58:03
>> Yeah. Like it's crazy. Some Americans come over and Yeah. I'm singling out the
00:58:08
Americans. They're like, "We came to New Zealand just to do this." I'm like, "Are
00:58:11
you serious?" >> Oh, I should is really fun. I don't want to like throw a shade on it, but
00:58:16
>> Yeah. Yeah. No, it is. It's heaps of fun, but a lot of people be real nervous
00:58:20
doing that. Like that'd be the edge of their >> Yeah. >> the edge of their um you know, their
00:58:26
limits. Like when people are scared to get in or they want to get out the ball, I'm like like really
00:58:32
and so I just zip them up and push them down like and then they enjoy it. I'm
00:58:35
like man come on. >> Um they must be a really good employer in terms of giving you time off work and
00:58:41
allowing you to do what you love. >> Yeah. So I I've worked the past four
00:58:45
summers there. Um so when it comes to winter, I haven't had a winter in like
00:58:50
four years. So just um work at Zorb, save up all the cash and then go travel from like May to September and then come
00:58:59
back to Zorb. Um so it's really handy and I was lucky enough to go help set up
00:59:03
the first in Norway um or in Europe actually. So that helped with the dods cuz it's the national
00:59:09
sport. So I got to learn everything there while working. So it was good. >> So when you go on these overseas
00:59:15
excursions like are you are you a big deal in these in these circles? like a people like um ah Fizzy Sands.
00:59:22
>> Yeah. When I get to meet all the other cliff jumpers, we're all like psyched to
00:59:25
see each other. Um >> like I just came back from Tasmania where they hosted a comp down there and
00:59:31
got to see everyone from Europe, from the States, and now they're coming over
00:59:35
here. I've got the world record holder coming over in March and >> oh the community, it just makes the
00:59:40
world so much smaller. Like everyone's just traveling everywhere to see each
00:59:42
other. >> Um yeah, it's awesome. >> Yeah, I it's cool when you meet
00:59:47
like-minded people. you you know you find your tribe. >> Yeah. When when they're just positive
00:59:52
and just ready to go send some cliffs, it's like it's awesome. >> When when this all finishes for you, um
01:00:00
yeah, what will give you the same sort of rush or excitement in life? >> H I have no idea. Maybe like seeing it
01:00:08
through other people like I feel really great when we host a an amazing cliff tour in a great location and everyone's
01:00:15
just got smiles on their face. I'm like, "Yes, we've done our job. got them
01:00:18
psyched. Um, they're out in God's creation, so like influencing that way.
01:00:23
Um, that gives me a pretty big rush. Even being safety in the water, you got the GoPro. You don't really look at the
01:00:29
GoPro cuz you want to watch it, but um, you just see them come down and hit the water like real hard. They come up,
01:00:34
celebrate. It's just Oh, >> so happy for them. >> Yeah. it. If the unthinkable happened and um this
01:00:44
thing that you love doing somehow costed you your life, what would you what would
01:00:48
you like people to say? Would you like people to say he died doing what he loves?
01:00:52
>> You know, you must have heard that saying before. >> Yeah. Um yeah, I guess so. that um
01:01:02
I I just if I ever got to that stage, I think I would have pushed the boundaries
01:01:07
too far. >> Um so it's kind of hard to say. >> Yeah, >> cuz yeah, if I I think I would have been
01:01:16
stupid to kill myself doing this sport. Like it it is it is hard to do if you know what you're doing. But yeah, I
01:01:23
guess I died doing what I love. M >> yeah, >> I think this is probably where we'll end
01:01:30
it. Is Is there anything that you wanted me to ask that we haven't covered on the
01:01:34
podcast today? >> No, we've covered a lot. So, >> yeah, I I think it's been really great.
01:01:38
It's um So, for me, it's like a completely different understanding of of
01:01:41
what you do. I understand it's all calculated and measured. >> No, it's great. That's what I wanted. I
01:01:46
hope all the viewers think the same. >> Less bad comments saying that I don't
01:01:51
know what I'm doing. So, >> you don't read the comments anyway. >> Yeah, I don't read. But people read them
01:01:56
for me and they're like, "Yo, do you see this comment?" I'm like, "No." And
01:01:58
they're like, they just like tell me like, "Oh, okay." >> Yeah. But but you're um you've got your
01:02:04
head screwed on the right way. E like that takes a lot of um mental fortitude to not read the comments. People say
01:02:09
don't read the comments, but if you know people are talking [ __ ] about you, it's
01:02:12
like you it's it takes every every fiber of your being and every ounce of strength to not read them.
01:02:19
>> Yeah. I'm like not too fast. I just Yeah. I don't know. Even if people like
01:02:25
told me straight up they don't like what I'm doing. Like, well, okay. What do you
01:02:30
want me to do? You want me to like I'm not going to stop jumping because you
01:02:34
don't like it. Like, I think people care too much about what other people think. Um, so just yo,
01:02:41
for people that do think like that, just um care less. I don't know. I don't know
01:02:46
what to say about that. >> Where where does that strength of character come from? It's such a Is that
01:02:49
connected to your faith, do you think? >> Uh, yeah. Yeah. Uh maybe I think my
01:02:54
dad's the same. Like he'll just like he he absolutely doesn't care. Uh
01:03:00
and I think people that put themselves out there have to have that mental strength otherwise you're going to get
01:03:05
eaten up cuz there is some hateful people out there which I've realized >> and um yeah just people are going to
01:03:14
make more like haters going to make more noise than the people that enjoy it. So
01:03:19
>> just listen to the people that like it. >> Oh mate, I've got I've got a theory. If
01:03:22
you don't want um anyone to hate you or talk negatively about you online, um
01:03:26
there's a way to do it and that's just don't do anything with your own life.
01:03:29
Don't do anything. Don't say anything. Don't post anything. Um but it's not
01:03:33
living a life, is it? >> Yeah. Like I only post cuz Yeah. I just want to show the people that really do
01:03:39
like it what I'm up to. And all the cliff jumps like, "Yo, he just did 40
01:03:42
m." I'm like, "Yeah, thanks, man." And then I want to see what they're doing as
01:03:45
well. Like I got a whole lot of mates in Aussie at the moment. Eight people just
01:03:49
did 31 m like bang bang bang. And I'm like, "Oh, I can't wait to see it." But
01:03:53
I'm never going to tell people what to do. I'm like, "Oh." Cuz people ask like,
01:03:57
"Should I do this jump?" And I'm like, "Oh." Like that is the worst question I
01:04:00
get asked like a DM. I'm like, "Should I do this?" And I'm like, "I have no idea
01:04:04
who you are. I have no idea what you've done in the past." And usually that's
01:04:08
why I tell people. I'm like, "Can you show me videos or some evidence?" Um, so
01:04:13
that's probably the hardest question I get asked. >> Well, it's been really nice to connect
01:04:18
with you today. Um, my impression of you in the hour that we've been talking is
01:04:21
that you're like a sensible young man. Uh, you got your head screwed on the right way and you're living your life to
01:04:26
the best of your ability and um, you're making the most of every opportunity and
01:04:30
who can argue with that. >> Yeah, it's been great. Thank you for having me.
01:04:33
>> Fizzy Sins Flynn Chism. Cheers, mate. Thanks for coming on the podcast.
01:04:37
>> Thank you. >> Good luck.