Live “in violation of a monotonous life”

Tancrede Melet — Obituary

The co-founder of the Flying Frenchies, Tancrède Melet, died in Drôme last week. Whilst planning a stunt for their next film, a strong gust of wind caught his hot air balloon and he fell 30 metres to the ground.

The Frenchies perform the craziest stunts and combine it with artistic filming. They push the boundaries in BASE jumping, acrobatics, highlining, climbing and circus. Given the dangerous nature of their activities, some will say that Tancrède’s accidental death was inevitable. He was playing with fire.

However, I believe his death serves as more than a cautionary tale about the dangers of extreme sports. If you watch the Frenchies’ films you can’t help but admire him. The training and skill involved in his stunts coupled with the courage of his alpine adventures demonstrate true fearlessness. It’s a dangerous art he has crafted but it’s also beautifully inspiring.

If you haven’t seen it already, watch Flight of the Frenchies. Tancrède’s credo was to live “in violation of a monotonous life”. He certainly achieved that.

RIP Tancrède.

Words from Tomo Thompson - thepathlesstravelled.co.uk