Parkour - Running while soaring

Parkour - According to Webster's New Millenium Dictionary: a recreational pursuit in which participants traverse urban structures by running, jumping, vaulting, rolling, etc.

My one word description of parkour: awesomeness!!

Parkour, also known as Free Running, as described on the Halifax Parkour website is "The ultimate goal in parkour is to ‘flow' along one's path, from point A to B non-stop, like water. A principal rule of parkour is to never go backwards. Traceurs believe that there is a path through every obstacle which is achieved through forward movement."

Maybe that's a little too philosphical for me, but parkour really is simply sweet to watch (and I assume participate in). Those who practice parkour, those known as Traceurs or Parkourists, can be seen jumping all over urban environments, moving as efficiently as possible without letting obstacles get in the way.

Parkour has somewhat entered the mainstream media the last couple of years, thanks in part to a few music videos from Madonna, including her songs JUMP and HUNG UP (which features some really sweet dancing as well). Parkour was also seen in a few Nike commercials, a couple Scion car commercials, and in Casino Royale last year during the chase scene between Bond and Mollaka in Madagascar near the beginning of the film (Mollaka is played by one of the founders of Parkour, Sebastien Foucan who hails from France). Other cool videos of parkour can be found here, and here. Parkour and free running are technically separate entities, with hardcore practicioners insisting they are much different, they are closely related (at least in my book) and are interchangeable terms for me.

While Parkour is much more popular overseas, there are US and Canadien traceurs. While much more difficult looking than just regular running, I personally think it looks awesome and would love to learn? Any local readers wanna learn parkour? This might have to go on my list of things to learn and participate in for 2008...