Jump Magazine Issue 18

UF STREETWEAR - A PRODUCT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT

UF STREETWEAR - A PRODUCT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT - SHOP.URBANFREEFLOW.COM

Copyright © The Urban Freeflow Network. All rights reserved. ‘Urban Freeflow’ and the ‘Glyph’ logo are registered trademarks of Urban Free Flow Ltd

[email protected]/ezstyla

www.urbanfreeflow.comwww.facebook.com/urbanfreeflowwww.twitter.com/urbanfreeflow www.youtube.com/glyphmedia Issue 18 Contributors: Ivan ‘Lowkick’ SavchukJJ Goda François ConstantJonathan ‘JK’ KobylanskiMarc ‘Defo’ TorresHector AmadoMayte de Frutos GonzalezCarolin Yonetsu RiffelKatia AleixOliver Yonetsu LorenzCameron LinturnTony LynchGary ‘Surreal’ LawrenceFilip ‘Philips’ TuhýJC ‘Sage’ GreeningKai TaylorSzokacs ‘Roby’ RobertWill J CarmanTom ManningSteve MorrisAroldo ContrerasElishama UdorokMaster Cortes

Nite Watch ad photography: Ez

JUMP MAGAZINE # 18

Welcome friends, If you like Freerunning events, overseas travel, long train rides, sun, sea, sand and scantily clad ladies, you need to get your ass over to Kazantip, Ukraine, for the next Z Games event. I found myself based there for 8 days during the last month, where I was to be a judge at the first ever Freerunning event to be staged there. Now it’s no secret to any of us within the scene that PK/FR is the shiznits, but when you stage an FR event on a beachfront along with a host of other disciplines such as bboy, wakeboarding, bmx, kite surfing, mountain boarding, slacklining, climbing etc, it makes for a great atmosphere. Then if you add in thumping music, it becomes full-on party central and is a recipe for something a little bit special. During my stay, I was only required to do about 90 mins of actual ‘work’ so with plenty of time on my hands, I busied myself with the camera to capture a bunch of stills for an in-depth gallery later on in this issue. Also in the mag this month is UF All Star athlete, Marc ‘Defo’ Torres, who gets the spotlight treatment. Those who already know him will testify that he’s got skills to pay bills but in this Spanish practitioner, you’ll find that he’s gem in the sense that he’s ultra grounded to the point where he’s actually quite shy of his abilities, and much prefers to let his actions speak louder than words. Seeing as the interview needed plenty of words, it was good fun seeing him being taken out of his comfort zone and having to open up about his worrying fetish for a certain Mr Ilabaca.

Anyways, enough rambling for now.....

Enjoy.... Ez (Editor)

Front cover athlete: Ivan ‘Lowkick’ Savchuckwww.youtube.com/LowKickAkaG1mnastPhotographer: Ez

UF ad athlete: JJ Rodentwww.youtube.com/risingtideproduction Photographer: Ez

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WEMULTIPLY

www.nitewatches.com

Charles Poujade (France) www.vimeo.com/25322548 Photographer: François Constant www.fore1.com

‘Concrete Conspiracy’Street Activist: Jonathan ‘JK’ Kobylanski www.thejkproject.com

The tee-shirt says ‘Hustler’ but with Defo, you couldn’t be further from the truthPhotography: Hector Amado

arc ‘Defo’ Torres first appeared on our radar around the same time that the Galizian Urban Project guys started to create lots of noise in the scene. Just like them he hails from Spain and possesses a level of skill that impresses every time he drops a new video. Refreshingly, he’s also a very humble practitioner who for some strange reason, seems to be quite reserved about the skills he has at his disposal. We distracted him away from his training to pick his brains and to find out what makes him tick....

M

Please introduce yourself.Defo: My name is Marc Lloret Torres but most people know me as Defo. I am currently 18 years old, am from Barcelona, Spain, and have been involved with Parkour for three and a half years.

Explain the sensations you felt the first time you discovered Parkour?Defo: I feel like I am still discovering Parkour as my journey is not over yet. At the moment of discovering Parkour I felt happiness, sadness, longing, love, respect, hope, excitement, passion, courage and faith.

So it’s true about the Spanish being passionate then <laughs>. Where did you first see Parkour?Defo: <laughs> Yes I am very passionate. The first time I saw Parkour was on a television report. It showed Daniel Ilabaca’s ‘Trip to London’ video and I was completely blown away! In my mind I thought that I’d never be able to do those things and it wasn’t until months later, when some classmates started doing Parkour, that I joined in

“I FEEL LIKE I AM STILL

DISCOVERING PARKOUR”

with them. At first it looked like something very easy but everyone else told me it wasn’t so easy to do. I trained for 30 minutes making simple wall jumps and fence passes but that was enough for me to get addicted. That same afternoon I ended up spending around 7 hours training on the same wall. When I got home my arms and my legs were completely dead <laughs> but the feeling of satisfaction was amazing. At this time I began my new life. I’m sure that anyone reading this who’s already

Defo: There is no one bigger than another.

I think you misunderstood. Are you actively involved with the Spanish community?Defo: The truth is that I don’t really visit the Spanish Parkour websites that much. I do talk to many Spanish practitioners though and I feel good talking to people about the same subject and sharing opinions and experiences.

In Spain do you think there is a gap between the traceurs and freerunners or is it one big family?

the 8 month stage of my development. The next noticeable improvement came at a year of training, then 2 years of training and from then I started to really develop my own style. You only need to get out there and train hard. The rest will just come over time.

At what point did you start training seriously?Defo: I’ve always trained seriously since the day I first got involved in sport. I have always taken my Parkour very seriously even when I was just a beginner.

What is your opinion on the whole Parkour versus Freerunning debate?Defo: My opinion is that if someone wants to just do clean and efficient Parkour or wants to follow the Freerunning route, it’s their choice. The important thing is to feel good about yourself, be happy and share it with others. The most important thing for me though is respect. Respect others and respect your environment. Where you live in Spain, is the scene a big one?

a practitioner, will know exactly what you’re talking about, as they’ve all been bitten by a similar bug. When you started out, where you already active sports wise?Defo: All my life I have been involved in sports. It was basketball first, later soccer and then tennis. For me though, I have to say that Parkour is the most fulfilling by a long way.

Have you found that your previous sporting experience has helped with your Parkour?Defo: Yes, very much so. From football, basketball and tennis my legs and my arms were already strengthened. I found that my body seemed well conditioned to all the jumping and height drops. My previous conditioning also gave me the stamina not to give up and to always keep pushing myself. Sounds like you had a good head start. How long did it take to see a marked improvement in your level? Defo: You get better each day naturally from all the training, but I noticed a big improvement when I was at

Defo: From what I see, the Spanish community is much more than a big family. We are always together and we are travelling in and out of different areas to meet. There’s a very good feeling among all and we are always happy and smiling. We tend to help each other very much. Once a traceur from outside Catalonia came to sleep at my house and we spent many hours talking about Parkour and related things. We didn’t stop talking and I learned a lot from listening to his opinions and sharing my own. You’ll find that this is possible with nearly all Spanish practitioners. That’s great to hear. So is the Spanish scene free of politics?Defo: Yes, everyone gets along with everyone. It’s a healthy thing here.

Do you ever think about the competition?Defo: Yes, it’s often the subject of conversation during many workouts.

Focus at all times is key Photography: Mayte de Frutos Gonzalez

Hey, does my bum look big in this? Photography: Mayte de Frutos Gonzalez

Defo’s seen the light!!! Photography: Hector Amado

What is your general opinion of competition? Good or bad for the scene and the people involved?Defo: As I said before, respect is most important. Sometimes in competition people do things that they are not prepared for physically or mentally. Some of those people are in it just to win a trophy or money and this isn’t healthy. I remember the first time I saw the fall of a traceur in a Redbull event who tried a wallflip from high up. He ended up falling and went sliding and slapping his way down. He was saved because he got caught up in a cable but could so easily have died! I though to myself “This is crazy!!” It gave the impression that people will do whatever it takes to win in competition. For me it’s bad, because little by little there are more events and people think that Parkour is all about competition and that we train to be better than others. Once when we were training, a beginner came up to me and said “You are good, now tell me who is the best ever?” and I think this line of thinking is partly due to the competition state of mind.

“IF I COULD TRAIN ALL DAY, I WOULD USE

EVERY SECOND TO TRAIN”

That’s a valid point but it’s human nature for us to be competitive. So the question from the beginner is a question than pretty much anyone would ask. Do you train with others or alone?Defo: Most of the time I train with others. More people usually means more fun but training alone is very good too. Training alone allows you to gain confidence with yourself when making a jump. If you train with others it is sometimes hard to concentrate and get in the zone because it’s easy to be distracted.

just make the most of anyof the places I go to.

Do you take everything seriously or is it a lifestyle thing for you?Defo: That’s an easy one to answer. For me it’s no longer a lifestyle. For me Parkour is my life.

Outside of your Parkour/Freerunning training, do you supplement it with any other training at all? Defo: No, for me it’s just Parkour.

Do you eat healthy foods?Defo: I do not know what is healthy eating <laughs> I’ve never followed any

Defo: In Spain as a whole, I do not know? But in the city of Barcelona it’s prohibited since about a month ago! An association got in touch with us to install a park and to plan some Parkour exhibitions. They want for Parkour to be recognised as a sport as opposed to mindless jumping to steal or to break things. It could be an important step for the Parkour community in Barcelona.

Do you dedicate a lot of time to your training? Defo: I train whenever I get the time. Right now is a frustrating time because I have to work in a supermarket so I can raise funds for photography, filmmaking, travel and training. If I can’t train I get very upset.

<laughs> No pay, play? How much time per week do you dedicate to your training?Defo: As much as possible. If I could train all day long, I would use every second to train. <laughs>.

Do you follow a training routine? Defo: No I don’t follow any kind of training routine. I

What other Spanish teams or people would you say are worth keeping an eye on now and in the near future?Defo: Galizian Urban Project (GUP) because they are very complete and have all kinds of traceurs involved. Their way of training is amazing and they are like a big family. Madrid Art of Displacement (MADD) have a lot of power and flow and I like their way of thinking. Born To Trace (BTT) is a united team with great power and technique. Their jumps are very nice and so is their way of training. As for individual practitioners, Lopez Ferrer Arnau is a traceur from Barcelona that has great technique and his Parkour is beautiful to watch. His movements are highly polished and natural. Usually when a traceur is known you can see that people try to imitate his movements and one person people copy is ‘Urban Leo’ who is a traceur from Andorra and known for videos like ‘No colour’ where you can see that his movements are very beautiful and he has great flow and power. He’s a beast!

Do you have support from local authorities?

diet at all, I just eat what I eat.

What would you say is the strongest part of your game skill wise?Defo: Kong Precision. I love this kind of movement and it’s something that I’m improving on with each passing day. It’s all about power, control and the beauty of movement.

What area of your skills you most like to improve?Defo: Everything <laughs>. I cannot say anything in particular because it would be a lie. I’m fine having the power I have, the flow that I have and the technique I have. I just hope to improve on everything bit by bit.

Did you ever train with headphones on? If so, what kind of music do you listen to boot?Defo: I have a device for music and am always looking out for some good tunes from music videos and videos that help to motivate me. I think that sometimes music can help a lot.

The tools of the trade after being put through hard labour Photography: Hector Amado

What techniques do you like to drill most?Defo: I like to upgrade on all of them <laughs>. Some movements I like more than others but generally, I like to improve everything so I work on everything equally.

What techniques you like the least?Defo: None <laughs>.

For you, what kind of settings that make them ideal for Parkour/Freerunning training spot?Defo: the things I’d choose would be where you have to hurdle more, because it’s where you can really improve your technique and power. I would put some obstacles closer together and I would separate some things. I’d definitely add in plenty of bars to swing on too. Do you ever find any obstacles in your mind mentally?Defo: Fear and confidence is something that in some cases, is still beyond me, but lately the fear has gone from my head and I feel more confidence in my body.

“YOUTUBE IS MY MIDDLE NAME. I’M ALWAYS ON YOUTUBE!”

Do you travel around much in Spain for training? If so, tell us about the different areas and what is good about them.Defo: Going to different places to train with different people is a great way to improve and grow as a practitioner both mentally and physically. I’ve been to Alicante Galicia a few times. I remember my first trip out of Barcelona which was my first visit to Alicante. It was very disconcerting because I did not dare to do jumps that were very similar to some back home in Barcelona that

this point or done it as fast. How often do you shoot your own stuff to upload?Defo: Over time I learned that when I specifically try to record for a video, I never recorded it how I want. Now my way of making videos is to just train and record whatever I’m doing. then after a few months I’ll start to piece it all together.

That’s an interesting approach. When can we expect some new material from you to be released then?Defo: I started to edit a

Cave and able to learn many things about them, their thoughts and ways to train etc. Mexico because I have a big family and that the style of training is very similar to Spain and I’d really like to train with them.Lastly, France because it was there that Parkour was born and I’m sure they have very different ways to train.

Do you see many Parkour/Freerunning videos on Youtube?Defo: Youtube is my middle name <laughs>. I am always on Youtube! Whether they are new, old or repetitive, I’m always watching them. It helps a lot when training to make new moves and helps you to develop your creativity. How important do you think YouTube has been in spreading the word about Parkour/Freerunning?Defo: Youtube has been a great way to spread Parkour out into the world, but I think some people are more aware of Youtube than are of actual PK training. Without Youtube though, Parkour would not have progressed to

I’d already done. When I returned to Barcelona I had to change my way of training. During a later trip to Alicante, I returned to most of the jumps that I had not dared the previous time and I made them all quite easily. The same thing happened the first time I traveled to Galicia and again, that forced me to change my approach to training. Right now I’m still looking for my ‘way’ of training and I hope to find it soon enough <laughs>. Have you been outside of Spain for training?Defo: I haven’t had the chance to travel abroad yet, but I’d really like to watch training from outside Spain, as everyone here is very similar.

If you could get visit any three locations to train on an all expenses paid trip, where you choose to go and why?Defo; The UK, Mexico and France. London in the UK because I think there I would get a big improvement over my issue of heights and fear, apart from having the chance to train with people like Philip Doyle and Max

new video in mid July, I hope this will be on the net very soon. It will be very similar to my last video ‘Defo - Love Parkour’ one. Do you like the creative process of filming and producing your own videos and photoshoots?Defo: Yes I love it. But as I said before, my body does not respond when I want to dedicate it specifically to photography and recording of Parkour. In fact I am working to pay for a photo studio shoot and to get a good camera for it.

Who in Spain has influenced you most?Defo: Everyone has played a role in influencing me, but I think that Sergio ‘Steel’ Cora has been most influential. I’ve spent many hours talking to him about Parkour and I’ve learned a lot from him both in Parkour and life in general. I think the same of William ‘Shobu’ Lake Costas. He is a great traceur, a great friend and gives very good advice.

A moment of respite before jumping straight back into the action Photography: Mayte de Frutos Gonzalez

Running pre to cat leap Photography: Carolin Yonetsu Riffel

No shoot would be complete without at least one flip. Lies!!! Photography: Katia Aleix

Who in the Parkour world has influenced you most?Defo: Daniel Ilabaca, I will be honest and explain how I spent the afternoon I met Daniel in person: Three friends and I arrived an hour before the meeting place with Daniel and the ‘Parkour Tour’ team. At this point there was nobody around but in the distance we saw a man with a big jump, great technique and great agility. There were several cameras around filming his every move. Of course we wanted to get up close to talk to him but the cameras would not let us get closer because they were filming. Eventually he came over to greet me and asked me my name but I was a little bit star struck <laughs>. My heart was beating very fast and I couldn’t get any words out of my mouth. I just stood there open mouthed and amazed by what I’d seen. Eventually I came back to earth and told him my name. Later on he asked about me and what I wanted do in life along withvarious other things. When we finished talking he told me to ‘stay strong’ and those words meant so much to me. Today I keep in touch with him on Facebook.

“I ADVISE ALL TRACEURS TO FIND THEIR OWN WAY”

What do you like about Parkour/Freerunning?Defo: The feeling of satisfaction when you come home and know you have given everything to your training. I like the feeling of being in the air and the feeling of accomplishing something special. I like when you help someone to do a move for the first time and the next time he does it, it all goes well. At the time it’s a big step but over the days, months or years, that movement will become second nature for him and he’ll always remember the day he nailed that motion for the very first time. I

will always be there. Do you think it is your responsibility as an experienced practitioner to help people or should they be left to find their own ‘way’?Defo: I’ll help anyone who asks me for help and I’ll give advice to anyone who wants it. I advise all traceurs to find their own way, little by little though. Do not consider me as either more nor less than special than anyone else. I’m just me. Have you ever seen anyone fail badly?Defo: I’ve seen a lot of falls

How to deal with fear?Defo: “If you’re afraid to fall, you fall because you’re afraid” are words of Daniel Ilabaca that I think are good for all the traceurs in the world. Until recently I was afraid when jumping above a certain height but gradually over the months, I’ve been gaining confidence in myself to know when I can jump and when not to.

Have you ever taught Parkour?Defo: If someone asks me to teach a move or asks for advice with something, I have no problem. I have been offered money to run classes but have not accepted. For me, it is best to train every day and follow a few guidelines. What would you do if you saw a noob attempting something beyond their level in the street?Defo: When I see someone doing this I try to advise them that they are not yet prepared to make that leap. I’d explain that they should wait until other jumps have been completed with less difficulty and that this jump

also like to meet people, learn from others and to talk for hours. What you do not like Parkour/Freerunning?Defo: That I cannot train 24 hours a day <laughs>.

Do you ever worry about being injured?Defo: Yes there is always that thought at the back of your mind.

Have you suffered an injury to yourself though?Defo: Most of my injuries have been caused by things outside of Parkour. Anything I’ve picked up during my time in Parkour has been very mild and I usually return to normal training within 3 days

Are you afraid when you’re trying to do something ambitious?Defo: It’s very important to concentrate during the seconds before making the leap. If you are too nervous or feel any doubts, leave the jump for another time.

but nothing too bad. Recently though, I saw a very bad fall where a guy was training a cat leap with a drop of 3 metres. Needless to say he fell and I seriously thought he’d broken something but luckily, it was nothing serious and the guy is now back training.

Do you have a favorite shoe for training? If so, what are they?Defo: I don’t have a favourite but I tend to always train in the Kalenji because they are inexpensive. The quality isn’t great but at the end of the day, what matters most is the wearer and not the shoes.

Have you ever trained barefoot?Defo: sometimes, yes. But I have a problem in the toes that opens my skin so I don’t do it that often. I recommend it anyway because it makes you take more care with your touch and landings. Do you ever train in a gym?Defo: I prefer to train outdoors. In the gym you rely tooNo shoot would be complete without at least one flip. Lies!!!

Photography: Katia Aleix

Hola amigo, dame tu camisa o te mato! Photography: Oliver Yonetsu Lorenz

heavily on mats for safety. But in winter when it rains and I’m unable to train as normal, I like going to the gym to keep my level of Parkour sharp.

Do you think you’re going to keep training when you’re much older?Defo: I will train until my body allows and when my body does not respond well. I will continue in this business through photography, video, etc. But hopefully that’s a long time away yet.

If you suffered a serious injury that meant he had to give Parkour immediately, what impact would your life?Defo: I cannot stand still and the thought of going for longer than two days without training, makes me very scared <laughs>.

On a less serious note, what makes you smile?Defo: What makes me smile most is my girlfriend. But in Parkour arriving home after a great day of training is what puts a smile on my face.

What’s your favourite movie of all time?Defo: Invictus, is a film that really helps you keep training hard to get where you want. It’s a huge motivation to think that you can do things that nobody has ever been achieved and to think that hope is never lost.

If we were to review the history folder on your computer, what websites would be listed at the moment?Defo: Youtube.com/galizianurbanproject, Youtube.com/aralroca, facebook.com and urbanfreeflow.com/jumpmagazine9.

What has been the most pleasant experience for you so far in Parkour? Defo:The afternoon training with Daniel Ilabaca during the ‘Parkour Tour’ in Barcelona. That was very special.

What has been the least enjoyable so far?Defo: Sorry to be boring but everything in Parkour has been special <laughs>.

Ever wanted to work in the film industry?Defo: I have thought about it and I said to myself “why not?” But it is very difficult to work in the film industry in Spain. You need a lot of contacts and a manager but I have nothing. However, I am still happy with what I have. If you could give any information to beginners who have dreams of being a professional one day, what would it be?Defo: Be yourself at the end of the day and do not let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do.

Thanks for your time Defo.Defo: A pleasure, thanks for the opportunity. Much love to all the Jump Magazine readers around the world. Peace.

www.youtube.com/defobcn

Now that’s a sequence shot Photography: Hector Amado

“ARRIVING HOME AFTER A GREAT DAY OF TRAINING IS WHAT PUTS

A SMILE ON MY FACE.”

Now that’s a sequence shot Photography: Hector Amado

“ARRIVING HOME AFTER A GREAT DAY OF TRAINING IS WHAT PUTS

A SMILE ON MY FACE.”

Jaben Betz (Australia) Photographer: Cameron Linturn

www.stuntfitness.com

You never actually masterParkour. You merely look after it before passing it on to the next generation.

You never actually masterParkour. You merely look after it before passing it on to the next generation.

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Greg Ennis (UK) Kong clear at Imax2, LondonPhotographer: Ez

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MISHA (RUSSIA)

Skill (especially in Russia) seems to grow on trees and there’s an abundance of high level vids already ‘out there’ on Youtube. However, there aren’t a great number of

edits in circulation that are matched with high production values. In this case though, Misha gets the movie style treatment from SobVinStudio. We’re sure that you’ll all

agree with us about this production being fairly epic.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXjqgwH1DcQ

CZECH IN LONDON (CZECH REPUBLIC)Over the years London has become a favoured hotspot for practitioners to head to in order to test out their abilities. Most recently more and more people have made the journey from overseas and in this case it’s our brothers from the Czech Republic who’ve stepped up. Not only did they visit, they also stamped their authority all over London in the process. Skills aside, this video captures the fun element perfectly and does a great job of making you want to get up and out to train. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5acf37qAPsY

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Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight......Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

LONSDALE CAMDEN SNR 10

Tested by Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence Photography by Ez

UNDER PRESSURE

Reaching out for the sky and finding out that gravity has other ideas.Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

Weight....These shoes are really simple with no frills attached. As could be expected, they are nice and light and don’t weigh you down whatsoever. Score: 5 out of 5No complaints.

That obligatory balancing shot. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniac

Photographer: Ez

That obligatory balancing shot. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniac

Photographer: Ez

Comfort....When I first put them on they felt stiff and needed to be broken in properly. Once they were worn for a while they felt fine. That said, most people these days expect their shoes to fit nice and snug straight out of the box. Because the Lonsdale shoes didn’t, I’ve taken a point off. Score: 3.5 out of 5Ok but only after being broken in.

Style....Really simple styling with nothing to get excited about. The colour range to choose from is a bit weak so if you like funky colour ways, you’re looking in the wrong place here.

Score: 2 out of 5Quite bland with a limited choice of colours.

Taking pole position. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniac

Photographer: Ez

With scaffolding in the background that was screaming out to be sessioned, Surreal took the easier (lazy) option of just flipping out on a nearby wall. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

Shock Absorbency....The sole is thin so for those people who like thick soles to absorb impact, these are a no no. If you’re light on your feet and have a good touch, you’ll probably like the fact that you can really feel the ground. I liked these because of the sense of touch and how it makes them perfect for tricking too.

Score: 4 out of 5Good for experienced but not so good for noobs. Get some insoles if you’re paranoid about heavy landings.

Grip....The sole is surprisingly good grip wise, but needs to be broken in properly before having complete confidence when doing rail precisions and wall runs. I didn’t get a chance to test these in wet weather but expect that they’ll be shit on all surfaces if it’s raining.

Score: 3.5 out of 5Pretty good in dry weather but doubtful if it were wet.

There’s nothing like height drops to test the shock absorbency of shoes and to see if your knees are bionic or not. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniac

Photographer: Ez

A few years back this kind of activity at the Heygate estate in London, would have got you shanked. Now though, it’s just a ghost town and you can do as you please there. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

Durability....Even though they are simple looking shoes, they appear to be ruggedly built and I expect that they’ll hold up well to some heavy duty sessions. Throughout the test I did they didn’t show any real wear and tear.

Score: 4.5 out of 5Look like they’ll hold up well.

A few years back this kind of activity at the Heygate estate in London, would have got you shanked. Now though, it’s just a ghost town and you can do as you please there. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

Another drainpipe, another stereotypical burglary opportunity. Athlete: Gary ‘Surreal’ Lawrence www.youtube.com/surrealmaniacPhotographer: Ez

Overall....Hmmmm to be honest, these were only ok and certainly wouldn’t be first choice shoes for me. They were stiff out of the box, have a thin sole and and look really plain. The redeeming factor was the price though, as they only cost about £15 to buy (it depends on were you buy them from). So if price is a priority for you, definitely have a look at these as there are certainly worse shoes out there on the market that are suitable for PK. Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5Not perfect but ok if you’re operating on a tight budget.

Javier Andres Ganoza (Peru) www.limatraceurs.comPhotographer: Anon

PARKOUR MEETING BANSKÁ BYSTRICALocation - Banská Bystrica, SlovakiaWhen - 8th to 10th July 2011Number of practitioners -125Special guests - Sascha ‘Cionn’ Hauser (Austria), Andrej ‘ND’ Lisal (Austria), Sonny (Poland) and Belka (Poland). Report by Filip ‘Philips’ Tuhý. Friday – 8.7.2011We arrived early in order to prepare all the technical stuff we needed. After the registration process and dishing out the event tee-shirts, we went inside the high-school sports hall, where everything was set to happen. Upon arrival we were suprised to see not only the organisers preparing several obstacles (obstacles from firemen from Banská Bystrica such as walls from wooden folders, rails from riggers etc) but also around 30 practitioners already there ready to start.

As the rest of the 125 attending traceurs from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Austria were arriving too, all of them were using the prepared

obstacles with great enthusiasm. However, they did not know how hard the next day of exercise was going to be. Also, Sonny and Belka from Arte Crew came later in the evening. We finished the day with Jakub ‘Rainy’ Forgács (main organiser of this event) giving a speech about the meeting. Some of us couldn’t fall asleep and were jumping trough the obstacles even at 11pm. When everyone finally went to sleep, they didn’t get a chance to sleep for long because just after midnight a very loud scream and the sound of breaking glass woke us up. It turned out to be some drunk guys trying to break into the sports hall we were all sleeping in, so we called the police and let them deal with the situation. Saturday – 9.7.2011After a quick breakfast we went outside and warmed up before training. Many practitioners were complaining that the warm up was too hard, but they got to see the real meaning of hard training when Sonny and Belka got started. Through stretching, a series of power exercises, taking

PARKOUR MEETING BANSKÁ BYSTRICAthe stairs on all fours up and down again, it made them all reach the bottom of their energy. All the excercises were simple in theory but required a lot of physical strength. After this training everybody rushed to get energy drinks. The event organiser hoped to stage some workshops but none of the more experienced practitioners wanted to get involved, but it wasn’t a problem because most of the attending people had enough skills to get by. When anybody had a problem or question, there was always somebody experienced and willing to step in to help, so learning wasn’t ever an issue. After lunchtime Cionn, ND and other practitioners from Austria joined us. Together they showed us some unbelievable things and the rest of us just watched in astonishment. Cionn didn’t like the others just watching and not trying on their own, so he started to teach us directly. He explained somesimple moves and then let us try them out. It was suprising for all of us that the moves weren’t quite as easy as they looked.

Everybody tried their best to get the moves right and it produced a lot of energy and excitement in the room. It was a great atmosphere of learning and meeting up through Parkour.

In the evening there was a raffle with prizes from our sponsors and afterwards we watched several Parkour videos and the legendary Project: Pilgrimage. After this long day nobody had enough energy to stay up late. Sunday – 10.7.2011The last day. We all left early to catch the train and were in a really good mood after such a great event. www.parkour.sk

Tomáš ‘The Frenzy’ Molnár (Slovakia) www.parkour.skPhotographer: Filip Tuhý

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQheje0XhWw

This is an old skool bail from back in the early days of the UK Parkour scene. You can tell by the very dodgy roll and the foot grab vault just before ‘5 Star’ demonstrates some rag doll physics and throws his body into the ground after failing at a basic rail vault.

Alex Grinter (UK) Photographer: Kai Taylor

The Runner’s “High”. Being in the “Zone”. Moving in the “Flow”. Though this state of being may be vaguely described by various labels, all traceurs know what it is. Being in the Flow, Zone, or High (natural, that is) is the ultimate gift from Parkour and Freerunning to the practitioner. The state of being in the Zone is a culmination of several elements that come together at a brief intersection on the map of time and space. Once the Zone is felt, the practitioner strives to live in this condition as often as possible, attempting to bring the ingredients together to make the recipe of Flow in every given moment. But, why do we as traceurs want to be in this state of mind? What exactly is Flow, and why is it so important? In order to understand why Flow is so important, one must first examine what being in the Zone feels like to the blessed receiver. Feel the FlowFlow brings about a vibrating emotion, an unforgettable feeling, that grabs the entire body, shakes it of all attempted control, and levitates the body through all obstacles. It is as though the edges of your physicality explode into tiny cells that mingle with every other cell in your environment. A reciprocal relationship

THE PHILOSOPHER’S LANDING VI‘FLOWING TOWARDS TRANSCENDENCE’By JC ‘Sage’ Greening

is sensed by the entire body with all objects near you. Your mind no longer dictates your movement, but rather future actions are sensed and simply occur. Time and space are no longer relevant as somehow your body and mind immerse themselves in the river of infinity and omniscience. The Flow is felt, like a warm sensation that starts in your toes and slowly consumes every part of your body, all the way up to your mind. The conscious self evaporates, leaving no trace of individual identity. One is just a part of the whole of the world, moving as though dictated by a much more powerful force – the same force that guides all other life forms, ocean waves, and mountain peaks. Fellow Urban Freeflower Ryan East agrees, stating: “Flow is…the feeling of immense calm and control mixed with feelings of mild concentration, but only mild. Your body knows what to do and you’re just along for the ride. The world slows down and you are washed with a deep serene feeling. You are at one with yourself and the world, with every leap and bound, every vault, every rail, and every roll the feeling intensifies. You can then slow to a stop, look back at the path you took, and smile. That is flow, and it’s epic.”

dancing at a party due to everyone in the room noticing my large limbs flailing through the air, bringing embarrassment with each person I kill with my elbows. The point is, fear has dictated my life so much. It’s like the narrator to my life’s journey, well that is, up until 10 months ago when I sent an email to one Chris Delsalvio and began my Parkour journey. I have begun to develop a trust in myself, a trust that the heart racing, the sweaty palms, the negative voices telling me I can’t do this, are all in head. Every time that I face a fear in Parkour, it leads to me facing a fear in my everyday life. I’ve learned the more I sit there and build something up in my head, the more fear I feel. So I’ve learned to just trust myself and just go with it. Just let go and do what needs to be done.” In many ways, as we grow into adults, we begin to sit and brew over life. Instead of experiencing life first hand and keeping fear and laziness at bay, we foster and breed these negative traits. This is why Parkour and Freerunning remind many of us of our “childhood”, when we were free and unconstrained by public opinion and fear. However, it is when this freedom of childhood is combined with the ability to see a wider picture, which is achieved in adulthood, that allows for Flow to occur. It is the understanding of the world, the environment, other people, morality, mortality, and movement that digs the channels of future Flow. Combine this with the freedom of childhood, and Flow begins to stream in overwhelming amounts, changing life from the “normal” to the extraordinary. Training’s Gift of UnderstandingTraining is the second element necessary for Flow to occur. Training opens the gateways of knowledge and understanding that is essential to Flow. Simply put, Flow only occurs when the body is in motion. Training ensures the body is put into motion, but it also puts the mind into motion. The mind is just like any other organ in the body, it is made up of specialized muscles. Similarly, the mind needs to be worked and exercised in order to blossom, grow, and reach higher levels. Additionally, the mind must be seen as part of the body. The mind-body dichotomy is an illusion, a deceitful con implemented by the ego. There is no division, which explains why those who are physically active perform better on academic tests. The body includes the mind, and the health of the complete individual is key to achieving more Flow. Hence, train the body and mind hard and one will not only achieve Flow, but one will also reach unparalleled levels of experience and knowledge. One will see the connections between all things, politics to plants. One will reach an understanding of the self and world. One will become a new person. Urban Freeflow member Izzy Custodio expounds on this new level of experience: “Being in the flow for me almost feels as if I’m a different person. I’m a frankly new practitioner and

We as traceurs search diligently each and every day for this “ride,” seeking the unconscious path of Flow that leads to the unique destination of combined relaxation and excitement. The ego exits the body when in the midst of the Flow, leaving the true self to take the rollercoaster ride of life. This is Flow, and it is “epic.” However, there are two key elements that must occur in order for Flow to consume more time and space for the traceur: conquering of fear and constant training. Fear the Inhibitor Just like water in its path from the mountain top to the ocean, the juices of Flow run faster and longer when uninhibited by crushing obstacles. Traceurs seek to conquer obstacles in all states of life, and Flow requires the same mentality. However, humans create as many obstacles as they do conquer. The most damaging of self-created obstacles, the ultimate dam to Flow, is fear. The negative connotations around fear are man-made. Fear is a built-in instrument to the human’s psyche, but that does not mean it is a negative tool. Rather, humans allow fear to become a monster under the bed because they grow old and accustomed to fear. Fear becomes a dam to Flow because humans fail to see the benefits of fear as they become more egotistical and worried about the so-called “self”. Humility and honor take a backseat to “appearance” and political correctness. As we become adults, fear is allowed to breach its healthy boundaries and soon cripples the mind, body, and soul of the older individual. If traceurs want to feel the greatness of Flow, they must corral the monsters of fear in order to free up the land for the wild animal of Flow. Urban Freeflow advocate, Jeremy Walker, describes how fear can conquer the truth of an individual as age sets in: “I soon realized that I had lived in fear for the majority of my adult life. I was afraid of my father, afraid of what others thought of me, afraid of the people watching me trying to climb a wall, afraid to sing in my car, afraid to express my own ideas, afraid to be myself…but it’s funny though because when I was a kid, I used to embrace fear. I remember saying many times to my friends growing up that I wanted to be a daredevil and, wow, did we go after that ideal. We would climb trees, swing from branches, setup bicycle ramps on hills and launch our bikes off of them and anything else that we felt was daredevil worthy. I used to think I was an adrenaline junky. That I was searching for the next event in my life that will eventually lead to my death. Man I was FARRR wrong. I just liked the sense of accomplishment that came from these brushes with death (in some people’s eyes), but it goes deeper than that. It’s not just a mere adrenaline rush I’m seeking. No, it’s a sense of freedom that I’m sensing. The sense of freedom from fear. You see, for me, fear is a paralyzing emotion. It has caused me to do so many things that at the time, I regretted. Bending to people’s will because I’m too afraid to speak up for myself. Choosing women that I knew were not for me out of the fear of being alone. Not

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.” Fulton Oursler

aspect of the phenomenon. For some, Flow happens when one is all alone, surrounded by the transcendentalist imagery of nature. For others, Flow occurs when the pressure of competition pushes the self deeper into the recesses of ability. Yes, competition can spawn moments of Flow. And with the World Championships looming in the near distance, there is no better time than next month to examine the concept of competition and what it means to the Parkour and Freerunning community. So, how do you feel about competition? To compete or not to compete, that is the question for next month’s article, so send me your thoughts. Give me your argument for why you do or do not compete. I look forward to hearing from all of you! Until next month…keep training, shine on, and may the Flow be with you!

Suggested Further Reading: Michael W. Austin – Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind JC “Sage” Greening can be reached via email at: [email protected] or Facebook at: www.facebook.com/jcgreening

“This is the time of training, when you are learning your craft, and I don’t think you can work too hard at this particular time.” James Stewart

“No one is more interesting to anybody than the mysterious character we all call ‘me’, which is why self-liberation, self-actualization, and self transcendence are the most exciting games in town.” Robert Wilson

I’ve only been training a year and fear takes over for me rather frequently, but in the opposite aspect there are moments when an indescribable feeling takes over, not quite courage or confidence, more like understanding. And all the fear that was there before is gone, and I find myself doing things I never dreamed of, almost like it’s not me running at all and it feels different…that’s my zone.” The more often one trains, the more one experiences new feelings, movements, and knowledge. The training also begins to engrain movements into the subconscious, turning once very complicated moves into gut-reactive habits. The more moves that are committed to the subconscious, the longer Flow can be experienced while participating in Parkour and Freerunning. Training is at the hub of Flow, freeing up the mind and body to feel the environment instead of logically interpreting it. The more one is released from the constraints of vision and logic, the more the other senses can expound and grow. The traceur through Flow transcends into a higher realm of living; in essence, the traceur evolves into a “different person.” Transcendent FlowWhen caught in the short span of Flow, the self manages to exist at a greater level than ever before, yet at the same time completely disappears from the mind’s view. Flow literally transcends the ego, that thing which tells us who we are (and are not) 90% of the day. But this ego is stuck in the consciousness, so it is always influenced by those around us, past memories, hurtful and limiting words, and fear. Sadly, we live most of our lives listening to this ego and, by default, begin to blur the lines between ego and self. However, in those rare moments of Flow, the ego is removed from the individual – briefly thrown into the outer world of illusions. Instead of thinking about what move to make, whether it can be accomplished, who is watching, what are the rules, what society says, emotional and physical pain, fear of all kinds, and all other racing thoughts, the mind remains calm and simply exists. Thoughts are erased and breathing becomes the only sound. Aware of all things across more and more time, though still in a single moment, the traceur in mid-Flow reacts without thought, acts without plan, and senses the world with all attention. There are no labels, standards, or choices. This is pure existence. And, I must ask, does it get any more “you” than this? The complete physical you, including your free mind, moving through the world, in sync with it, moved by what you truly are: this is not a different person, but rather the true self. It just seems like a different person because we live in the false costume of ego day in and day out. The challenge that Flow presents to all of us is to live every moment as if we were in the Zone, to strip away the layers of illusion, and reveal, without hesitation, the actual self. When Flow occurs is still an unexamined

Todroescu ‘Fishu’ Tudor (Romania) www.freerun-romania.comPhotographer: Szokacs ‘Roby’ Robert

Matt Hart (UK) Photographer: Will J Carman www.carmanography.tumblr.com

come join thewww.flickr.com/groups/urbanfreeflowparkour collective

Stuntman: Neal Horton during last minute safety checks before a cliff jump of 24MPhotographer: Steve Morris

In this series we are talking about the various skills and abilities that a stunt performer must have in order to be successful in the Film Industry. This article outlines the proficiencies required for stunt work that involves water.

A basic skill-set for water stunts comprises the following: (Minimum requirements in brackets)

Swimming: (100m: 90 seconds)Underwater swimming: (25m)High diving: (forward dive: 10 meters)Scuba diving: (open water certification) Watercraft: (boat and Jet Ski licence)

SwimmingFirst and foremost you must be a strong swimmer. Water based action is usually played out in hazardous conditions such as rough seas, turbulent water, or fast flowing water – and fully clothed in most cases – making it necessary to have explosive power over a short distance.

To develop power in the water the emphases must be on sprint swimming. As a minimum, you want to be swimming 100 meters in 1 minute 30 seconds. I recommend training with a swimming squad to develop good stroke technique and to build a solid endurance base. And stick to freestyle, you’ll never use strokes such as butterfly and backstroke in stunts.

GETTING YOUR FEET WET IN THE

STUNTWORLD

Article - Tony Lynch

Stuntman: Neal Horton gets in the zone (top) before launching himself off of the cliff (bottom).Photographer: Steve Morris

Underwater SwimmingBeing a strong surface swimmer is mandatory, but equally important are your underwater swimming skills, as many action scenes involving water take place below the surface. There are essentially only two drills that you need to practice to build the lung capacity for underwater action, and they are: underwater swim for distance and underwater swim for depth. Aim for 25 meters as a benchmark for distance and 5 meters for depth.

The best way to learn underwater swimming techniques is to join a freediving club. Freedivers train in several different categories, however the category that is of most interest to stunt performers is dynamic apnea without fins, which simply means: underwater swimming for distance without the use of swim fins.

A word of warning about underwater swimmingThe event referred to as shallow-water-blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Anyone who practices underwater breath hold swimming is at risk of shallow water blackout.

The risk lies in the dangerous combination of hyperventilating and underwater breath hold swimming. Hyperventilating washes much of the carbon dioxide (Co2) out of the lungs. It is the build up of Co2 in the blood that triggers the urge to breathe. Without adequate Co2 in the blood the brain does not send out the signal to breathe, resulting in loss of consciousness and, ultimately, drowning! Never hyperventilate before a breath hold swim; some people practice this technique in an effort to increase breath hold time. Never do this no matter what anyone tells you about it being safe.

High Diving High diving promotes kinesthetic awareness and is directly transferable into stunt work (i.e. high falls and cliff jumps). As a benchmark, a stuntman should be able to confidently dive from a height of 10 metres. The most effective training is platform diving (focusing on good posture and proper technique, which is extremely important for safety and avoiding injury). Diving lessons from a qualified instructor is highly recommended. Scuba DivingStunts that directly involve underwater breathing apparatus are rare. However, I strongly recommendgaining certification in open water scuba diving as this allows you to survey underwater terrain, which

is essential in the case of a cliff jump for example. And further, a scuba ticket allows you to work in the area of water safety, which is imperative for stunts that involve water.

WatercraftBoat driving and Jet Ski riding are basic stunt skills and stuntmen should hold the appropriate licenses for both boats and personal watercraft. And not only are boat skills necessary for boat chases and so forth, but are also useful for water safety purposes.

Miscellaneous water activitiesIt’s essential for a stuntman to be confident in rough conditions and to have a sound knowledge of the ocean environment. The following sea sports are highly beneficial as they encourage a healthy respect for the ocean and promote a proper understanding of rips, currents, tides, surf and swell:

SurfingBody surfingSurf lifesavingSpearfishing and/or skindiving

So there you have a basic outline of the skills that are necessary for stunts that involve water. However, water is only one area of stunt work and performers must also be proficient in other areas such as heights (climbing, abseiling, high falls), vehicles (cars and motorbikes), and agility/strength/body control (e.g. martial arts, gymnastics and parkour).

To learn all there is to know about stunts you have to treat it like a university degree. In other words, you have to put in years of hard work, research and study. Remember, in the stunt game there are no shortcuts to success. The best stunt performers in the business are at the top because they have persevered through the ups and down in the industry and worked tirelessly at acquiring knowledge and learning new skills. Hard work and dedication is the only way to succeed in any sport or human endeavor, and stunt work is no different.

Tony is a stunt performer and stunt coordinator with over 25 years experience in the Film Industry. He is the author of the book ‘Stunt Fitness’ which outlines the principles of fitness training for stunt work. Check out the website for more information: www.stuntfitness.comwww.facebook.com/stuntfitness

Alexis Davila (Venezuela) www.pkfrvenezuela.comPhotographer: Aroldo Contreras

60 Second Interview: Elishama Udorok Introduce yourself:My name is Elishama Udorok, Lish for short. I’m 18 years old and from Hackney in London, England. I’m currently a student of Parkour/Freerunning, maths and physics and have been practising PK/FR for around 4 years now.

How did you first get into Parkour?A friend of mine sent me a link to a Parkour video on Youtube and I was gobsmacked! I spent day after day watching video after video, screaming, pointing, pausing and watching movements over and over again. I soon went outside and started copying things I’d seen off the internet, which resulted in a few cuts and bruises. It was a bad way to start but initially I was a lone practitioner and the videos with big drops and roof gaps were my teachers. I soon started meeting other practitioners in London and then I started to learn more about what I was doing with my body and how to do it safely.

Who are your inspirations in Parkour?I’m gonna be cheesy and deep and say nature firstly. In my eyes the best movers in the city are squirrels. I sit there sometimes and watch them and I think “if these guys were as big as me and all the jumps they do were up-scaled in proportion….wow <laughs>!” As far as humans go, I get my inspiration from the guys I train with like TJ, Soufein, Stephen Hoang, Alfie Green, Flynn Disneyo and Elijah ‘Moany Bastard’ Quashie. Another big inspiration has been Chima Akenzua. He was one of the first freerunners I met that I had seen in videos. I thought he’d be like “I’m a lot better than you and the only time I’m gonna be seen training with you is if I’m teaching you.” But he was just the coolest guy and still is. He’ll train with anybody. I try to be like him in that respect but some guys just get on my nerves!

What do you love about Parkour?I love how cheap it is to get involved. You could be butt naked and still be able to train. It just proves that you do not need anything other than yourself to be happy. Also, I love the community. When you’re at a jam and you see someone trying something over and over again, everyone there feels good when that person sticks whatever move they were trying. They might not show it, but they are happier even if it’s just a tiny bit.

What do you think of Freerunning?I love Freerunning! I think mixing and blending tricking, breaking and whatever you can think of into your movements makes them unique and beautiful. I also love the different communities in Freerunning. Last weekend I was at a jam where it was mostly trickers and nothing beats screaming at the top of your lungs, going crazy and dog piling your friend because he just landed a crazy trick. I really love that energy. I really wish more Parkour folk expressed themselves similarly. I’ve noticed that when they see something impressive they kinda just clap in an orderly fashion like they are watching an opera. I’m always that guy screaming “HELL YEAH!!” and then stopping myself to go… “Oh I mean….yah, that was adequate.”

Any last words?I love Haribo.

Jack Holmes (UK) Photographer: Will J Carman www.carmanography.tumblr.com

Samedi (Mexico) www.youtube.com/baronsamedi19 Photographer: Master Cortes

A good few months back I was contacted by the Ukraine Parkour Federation who informed me that at this year’s Z Games event in Kazantip, there would be a Freerunning competition. They asked if I’d be prepared to help with the judging and for me, it really was a no brainer decision to make. Not only was Ukraine one of the few countries that I’d yet to visit whilst on my travels, I also figured that it would provide some perfect filler material for Jump Mag. Needless to say, I gladly accepted and thought nothing more about it. They then sent over a promo reel from the previous year to give me an idea of what to expect and to say that I was blown away, would be a complete understatement! Set on the beach by the Black Sea and under the blazing sun, the event was a huge festival of music that showcased a host of adrenaline sports such as wakeboarding, mountain boarding, dirt jumping, kite boarding, bboy, climbing, slacklinging etc. So with my interest at an all time high, I eagerly packed up the camera kit, sunglasses and shorts in preparation for another mad PK/FR adventure. The gallery that follows gives an overview of the Z Games experience.....

Words and Photography by Ez

After landing at Kiev airport I was greeted by members from the Ukraine Parkour Federation who informed me, that later on a 12 hour train journey awaited to take me to Kazantip. Intitially I thought that they were messing with me and after saying “get the fuck out of here” over and over and expecting them to say “only joking”, it soon dawned on me that they were being deadly serious. Never in my life have I been on a train for that amount of time and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. To top it off, I was to be travelling with Tim ‘Livewire’ Shieff, who I hadn’t spoken to since he left the UF team after the World Freerun Champs in 2009. So it had all the ingredients of being very awkward but after exchanging pleasantries with Tim and laughing about the whole situation, it actually turned out fine. Above is the ‘ghetto train’ which would suck away a small chunk of our lives.

The train ride ended up taking just under 15 hours in the end!! Luckily for us, we had a cabin with beds to sleep on. Upon arriving we were told that a further 2 hour drive awaited until we’d get to Kazantip. It goes without saying that we were pissed off but Olga nursed away any gripes by filling us up with a fat McD’s meal. We then set off in a minibus that had no air con and to top it off, the driver was an absolute lunatic on a deathwish.

Upon arriving at the venue, they had Mad Max style security in effect where you were issued with a ‘visa’ that had to be scanned in each time you entered and left. Inside the place had a theme that gave the impression that aliens had landed and taken over. The insides as can be seen in these pics were adequately decked out. However, in these tunnels it was so hot that nobody actually stayed inside to fully appreciate the effect. A shame.

I was told by some locals that the location for the Z Games was usually used for big rave music events where *cough....drugs....cough* were readily available and where people would go to get off their faces. Each to their own I guess, but this place with its alien style theme would surely provide a complete headfuck for anyone who was tripping out. The above ‘bug’ was actually an abandoned bus which was also being used as a bar to serve cold drinks from. Joking aside, little touches like this actually made the place more interesting and all around the area, you could find things like this dotted around.

The event was sponsored by the likes of Adidas and Nokia who both had their own VIP areas on-site (which we completely rinsed). There were also huge tents which were either used for selling products or for people to get drink and food from. This pic was taken upon arrival and things were still being set up. I have to say that the atmosphere was really cool with loud music playing and everyone just chilling out in the warm evening sun. All that was needed to set the tone was some ice cold bottled beer and some bikini clad girls to watch playing beach volleyball.

This was the first time we got to check out the Freerunning area and at first glance it showed real promise. Upon looking a bit closer though, it soon became clear that it was going to be hit and miss. The obstacles on stage had been positioned right next to a climbing wall which had a pool beneath it. In theory this sounds like a lot of fun but when you get a few hundred climbers fooling around on the wall BEFORE the Freerunning event, you end up with a stage covered in water. In addition to this, the off-stage obstacles in the form of some scaff and a couple of kong blocks, were positioned on the sand. Straight away I had visions of people falling over both on stage and off. Luckily the enthusiasm of the competitors shone through bright enough in the end to turn the negatives into positives. The branding here on the stage was actually advertising a vodka company, so if anyone did fall over, it would make for an ironic photo opportunity.

Fresh from having just competed at the ‘Phoenix Acrostreet Championship’ event in Russia’s ‘Parkour Week’, UF All Star athletes, Erik Mukhametshin (who placed 1st) and Ivan ‘Lowkick’ Savchuk, had flown in especially to be judges at the Z Games. Instead of taking the time to chill out and recharge themselves, it seemed like they were on a mission to train full-on and film everything they were doing. After exchanging hugs and making fun of how Erik’s face was lobster red from the sun, they explained that they were going to film a video and were making the most of the great weather and perfect conditions to trick away. Here we see Lowkick filming Erik launching himself off of one of the tunnels. This jump was repeated about 5o times with no signs of them tiring whatsoever.

Pretty much anywhere that could be used to flip from, was used for tricking and filming. It became obvious that everyone on-site was new to what the guys were doing, because they quickly gathered around open mouthed to watch and take pictures. Neither Erik or Lowkick seemd bothered though. For them it was just training time and inbetween flipping onto the sand, they could be seen playing back the footage and laughing hard.

Above Erik demonstrates his own version of David Blaine’s famous levitation trick. Top right Lowkick and Erik review all the footage from their spontaneous flipping session and bottom right, erm......Lowkick performs a backflip into the water while wearing some ill-fitting speedo’s. “I’m gonna take you to the gaybar, gaybar!!”

Our driver for the last leg of the trip was Alex, who was a really cool guy. Aside from having a deathwish, which saw him attempting to drive into every pothole along the way and overtake cars even when there was oncoming traffic, he was the person responsible for setting up the slackline area on-site. Over the last couple of years slacklining has proven to be popular amongst PK practitioners as great supplementation training. At the Z Games it proved to be a big hit and with 4 lines being set up, there were always people ready to step up and have a go.

As soon as the event was in full swing, there were different heats staged to test the skills of the competitiors. The overall level was quite high and refreshingly, saw both males and females stepping up to compete. For me though, the most interesting heats were the one on one battles where the aim was to make your opponent drop off of the line while you remained on it. This was really popular with everyone watching and as much as we tried to instigate some heavy duty cheating, sadly it was all monitored properly and kept legit. Damn!

When a cute girl with a hot body steps up wanting to rep a Glyph tee, it’s time to curse yourself for only bringing medium and large sizes. Unfortunately because she’s drowned out here, you’ll have to take my word for it when I say she was HOT!

This area had a giant airbag which allowed both bikers and mountain boarders to perform a variety of tricks in knowledge that they’d land safely. Initially it proved entertaining but after a while it became a tad boring as noob after noob was lining up to try impossible tricks. Great fun for them, sure, but a spectacle of skills it most certainly wasn’t. Luckily, there was another set of ramps nearby for the riders to display some real skill.

Ah, this is more like it! The guys stepping up here showed off some serious skills where they not only got some quality airtime, they also performed a selection of flips and spins to wow the crowds. It was made all the more impressive by the fact that there were no safety measures in place. This meant that full-on concentration and precision was called for. In all the time I spent watching them, I didn’t see one bail which is testament to the skill level of everyone there. Awesome stuff. The best atmosphere though, was when the same athletes did their stuff at night with a huge crowd watching. It really was top notch stuff.

Some more quality hangtime. I could have watched these guys all day long.

Slap bang in the centre of the Z Games site was a big man made pool that was set up for the wakeboarders to display their skills. They were pulled along on a zipwire and even though they had to do it one person at a time, their discipline was one that always drew a crowd to watch what was going on. This was helped by the fact that there was always loud music thumping, as it provided a great place to hang out and really soak up the atmosphere. Here I get balls deep in the pool while a noob prepares to fall over.

The bboy battles were by far the most eagerly anticipated of all of the disciplines. They attracted big crowds and this was down to there being an international line-up of top level talent. Here we see a smaller freestyle session taking place in the Nokia VIP area.

This was the setting for the main bboy battles and in this pic, we see the start of the qualifying rounds. Once the action really kicked in, the place was absolutely packed and unless you had a prime spot, you wouldn’t be able to see a thing. The vibe during the battles really was electric and with the bboys really cranking things up skill wise, they had the crowd whipped up into a frenzy.

Even when it was early in the day, there was always some some crazy assed fool ready to step up and do something extreeeeeeeme!! Here we see one of the slackline guys attempting to make his way across the bboy dome. He failed though. in fact, he failed over and over. Luckily for him he had a harness strapped on.

As indicated earlier, the climbing wall was positioned right next to the Freerunning obstacles and from everyone jumping in the pool, the whole stage ended up getting soaked. Above we see one of the pro’s showing how it’s done. Top right we see Livewire preparing to dyno his way up. Bottom right he dismounts for an early bath.

On the day of the finals for the Freerunning event we arrived to see that some fuckwit had decided to set up a trampoline right in front of the stage area. In theory it wasn’t a bad idea, as it ‘could’ have turned an otherwise basic performing area into something interesting. However, after being set up, the organisers then deemed it as being too dangerous for the Freerunners to use and was promptly ruled out as a no go zone. So.......it sat there redundantly while the competitiors had to avoid it. Gotta love the art of organisation. Pictured here we see Erik doing some bouncy bouncy.

Maybe the reason the trampoline was ruled out was because this stupid blonde performed a scorpion faceplant? Rule number one....if you don’t know how to bounce, don’t step up to bounce.

After much messing about and delays, the first indication that the Freerunning action was about to start was when this fat Hummer rocked up with a very loud sound system booming out the tunes. Wherever the Hummer went it drew in crowds of people along with it but in this case, it didn’t. Maybe it was down to nobody really knowing what Freerunning was all about?

The music did a good job of getting Nika (our point woman) dancing. In a further attempt to draw in more people to watch, a group of cheerleaders were brought in to spice things up a bit (top right). Their ‘interesting’ warm up routine did a great job of bringing all the guys over and as can be seen (bottom right) Givi Maghradze, a competitor from Georgia, soon started sniffing and snapping away.

In addition to the cheerleaders, a group of models were brought over to generate even more interest. Out of all of them, this one was a real attention whore and didn’t stop working the camera’s. The guys pictured here couldn’t get enough of her and she absolutely milked it dry. That said, I clearly had the best view of proceedings. Just saying.

Like a shark with its eyes rolled back, Alex (our driver and the slackline event organiser) was soon sniffing around the girls and taking his own fapping material.

The last ditch attempt to gather a crowd before the Freerunning action started. As lovely as they all looked, I have to be brutally honest in saying that the cheerleading choreography was a bit crap. They did a good job of sticking with it as they blundered their way through their routine but even the most enthusiastic of spectators was left confused as to what they’d just witnessed. Hey blondie, tell your friend in the middle that I lost my lens cap and to keep an eye out for it. Thanks.

After all the fussing, the event got under way and the MC (above) stepped up to introduce everyone. The athletes waited anxiously to be individually introduced (top right). Stupidly though, another MC (bottom right) decided to interview each athlete BEFORE their runs. At that point the last thing any competitor wants is to be taken out of their zone of concentration to answer what their favourite colour is or whatever.

Being a judge, my position was fixed and this meant that any shot I took from the judging table would be the same as this one. So unfortunately, this is as much as you’re going to get. Everybody started from the top tier and when given their cue, made their way down the platforms via a mix of precisions and mostly flips. The positioning of the floor obstacles on the stage didn’t really allow for flow but regardless, a few people attempted to add vaults into their repertoire. The real problem was the water that made much of the area useless/dangerous. This led to most athletes flipping off of the stage to operate on the sand and brought its own problems as it was difficult to run around on. All said and done, the level in the final round was pretty high and everyone made the most of the obstacles they had in front of them.

Kirill Tsibenko Mid-stride.

Three of the four judges from left to right - Erik Mukhametshin (Russia), Ivan ‘Lowkick’ Savchuk (Ukraine) and Tim ‘Livewire’ Shieff (UK) deliberating after the final run had been completed. As with any of the main Freerunning events out there, the criteria was straight forward enough. The runs would be scored on four areas.....technical difficulty, creativity, execution and flow.

Aleksey Ermoshkin - “If you let me have your Glyph tee-shirt, I’ll let you see pics of my girlfriend naked.” Dmitriy Dvornikov - “No thanks, she’s butters!”

Denis Skripichuk collects his thoughts before the judges scores are announced. To be fair, in the semi-finals he was one of the most impressive but during his final run he landed awkwardly and fell over while dismounting from the stage and as a result, didn’t score as highly as expected.

As initially thought, the screwed landing went against Denis Skripichuk and he ended up placing third. Second place went to a delighted Zhenya Batromyev and first place (above) was deservedly picked up by Kirill Tsibenko for pulling off a clean run with a good level of flow. The other finalists where: Vlad Yalenko, Roman Kleton, Anton Batromyev, Dmitriy Shyryayev and Alexander Kalinin.

Kirill Tsibenko was of course really pleased with his placing and for all of his efforts, picked up a cheque for $1,000.

At the end it was smiles all around and as is customary at many events, the signing of tee-shirts took place once the comp was over. Above we see Givi Maghradze on the receiving end of a strategically placed piece of work.

Obviously I couldn’t grab many action shots while judging, so after the event was done and dusted, I grabbed a few of the guys to catch some action shots elsewhere. Here we see a selection of the Donbass Bro team stepping up to rep.

Dmitriy Dvornikov performs a handstand (above) on one of the pods that was actually the sleeping quarters for one member of staff. On the right we see him performing a gainer off of the scaff structure that made up the bboy dome area.

These pods were home to members of on-site staff and oddly enough, there was no easy way of getting into them (no ladders or anything). Imagine the fun of coming home drunk from partying and standing there for hours working out how to get in. Definitely a photo opportunity to be had but seeing as this was the daytime, I had to settle for a sober Dmitriy, who climbed up and launched himself off for a quality bit of hangtime. While rolling out of the jump, he ended up getting a face load of sand and that my friends, is what happens when you show off.

Hanging out with the guys before saying our goodbye’s. Overall the Freerunning event was good but could so easily have been excellent with just a few tweaks being made. It had some obvious teething problems in terms of organisation and that can only be expected, seeing as it was the first ever Freerunning event there. The Ukraine Parkour Federation guys deserve to be congratulated for pulling it off though. They were pretty much left to just get on with it by the Z Games organisers and it was because of their hard work and persistence that it was pulled off in the end. Would I go back again? Definitely! The experience of mixing so many disciplines together and having the backdrop of the sea, sun, sand and great festival atmosphere with everyone being really friendly, made for a really special experience that I definitely won’t forget in a hurry. A big thank you to everyone who played their role in making it happen.

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Jump Magazine Issue 18

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