Jump off walls for fun
Mon 23 April 2007
Claire Kelly, Journalism
The latest controversial sport has arrived on the Sunshine Coast and it is not one for the faint hearted.
Parkour and parkour free running, are daring new ‘underground’ sports where participants run and jump over rails, walls, gates and anything else that is in their way. The Australian Parkour Association says the sport is usually conducted in a public space such as a park or obstacle course.
The Australian Parkour Association (APA) website, discusses parkour in detail as well as another off-shoot from the sport (parkour based) free running.
APAwebsite, discusses parkour in detail as well as another off-shoot from the sport (parkour based) free running.The website describes the concept behind the sport as “a philosophy and a method of movement through any environment, with efficiency and fluidity. The concept of parkour is to overcome all physical and mental obstacles in your path by using your body and mind to run, climb, jump, vault, etc,”.
The Australian Parkour Association forum currently lists more than 1613 members. Of the members, research indicates more than 300 are situated in Brisbane or its surrounds with 50 or more members based on the Sunshine Coast. The site does not reveal any contact details of members or directors apart from email addresses to keep their identities a secret.
The Australian Centre for Parkour and Free Running (ACPFR) started in January 2006 already lists more than 3248 members (including international members) with Australian numbers growing at an exponential rate.
A combination of martial arts moves, acrobatics and gymnastics are the basis of the sport. The ACPFR site says participants, otherwise known as ‘traceurs’, usually perform the moves in a city environment, often with a high risk of injury (as no parachutes or safety harnesses are used).
Peter Atkinson, a Buderim local says that he took up the sport for a number of reasons. Mr Atkinson says it’s free; it is an ongoing challenge, physically and mentally as well as a great way to keep fit. Mr Atkinson has had his black belt in karate for more than 14 years and is one of many parkour members with a strong base in martial arts.
“A lot of the people who do parkour runs know a great deal about the human body and the stresses that it can take. It’s not just a sport to get an adrenalin rush. It is actually a really good aerobic work out as well as helping to hone your reactions and general awareness,” he said.
Mr Atkinson said that it could be extremely dangerous especially for beginners.
He has seen a few injuries occur on the Coast because participants hadn’t warmed up or stretched properly, not because they were trying outrageous stunts.
“A friend of mine pulled his hamstring when jumping a rail. It wasn’t actually very high, he was just out of condition. I thought it was pretty funny, although he wasn’t very amused,” he said.
The learn parkour website even details specific moves which can be used to jump off buildings, walls or any other obstacles in an environment the participant chooses.
Blogs from participants on the International Urban Free Flow website say it is a sport that can help them get out of a tricky situation , such as an unprovoked attack.
Image(s) designed by Claire Kelly
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Submitted Comments
I know this was made a fair while ago but if you find the time could you please make a new one and repost it where ever you do. im a young traceur and i think the more people that know parkour the better and it will help the community to better understand what all these people are doing.
yours faithfully Dylan Wust
Dylan Wust