If the next time you are making your way to the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, you happen across a few students hurling their bodies over the concrete wall that runs from the sidewalk to the front doors, do not be alarmed. They are most likely members of the Gustavus Parkour Society, practicing the death-defying, acrobatic art form that started in France in the ‘90s and has since taken the world by storm, appearing in countless movies, advertisements and YouTube videos.

What is parkour? It is difficult to categorize because it has no set rules or formal hierarchy. Parkour is perhaps best described as getting from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. It is often compared to skateboarding without a board and it usually takes place in urban environments, where participants soar under railings, down flights of stairs and over ten foot walls fluidly, with feline-like precision and agility. A practitioner of parkour is called a traceur.

“Parkour is a discipline similar to the martial arts. It’s about having control over your mind and body and reacting to your environment to overcome obstacles in your path. The idea is that this can be carried over into all facets of your life,” said Ben Bickel, a first-year computer science major and founding member of the Gustavus Parkour Society.

“Parkour in its most basic form is getting from one point to another fast and efficiently. It’s not about how you look while doing it—it’s about getting there following as direct a path as possible,” said First-year Griffin Hinwood, a founding member of the Gustavus Parkour Society.

Bickel and Hinwood, along with other members of Parkour Society, practice their skills by clamoring over obstacles all over campus and throughout St. Peter. They run full speed toward three-foot-high walls, diving head-first toward what looks like an impending face plant, only to catch the ledge with outstretched hands. Then their legs swing around their weight-supporting arms like a monkey leaping through the trees. Finally, after vaulting their bodies over the wall, they hit the ground rolling to avoid breaking bones and emerge without a scratch.

Many students have seen the society practicing around campus. “It’s an impressive act of physical aptitude, and it’s awesome,” said Senior Psychology Major Holly Andersen.

“Probably the most important step is learning how to roll so you won’t hurt yourself when you fall,” said Hinwood. “Learning how to do parkour is a different process for everyone—it depends on your body type and strength. It’s also important to have a good spatial awareness of your own body.”

Bickel and Hinwood started Gustavus Parkour Society with a few others this past fall. “It started with a group of us who were interested in parkour who just happened to find each other at the same time. I didn’t start officially until this year. After finding out about parkour through videos, I realized that I had kind of been doing it for years, climbing things and jumping around playgrounds since I was little,” said Bickel.

Although there are no official “moves” in parkour, as the idea is that each obstacle is unique and requires a different approach depending on body type, speed and style, there are a few general movements recognized by most traceurs, including the “Kong Vault” described above.

The “Dyno” involves jumping at a wall into a hanging position and from that point leaping to grab an even higher hold. The “Cat Balance” is running quadruped-ally, like a cat, along a narrow ledge.

The “Tic Tac” is executed by running at a wall from one angle, then jumping and kicking off the wall in a different direction.

Traceurs also practice numerous distance jumps, usually followed with a roll.
“We practice as much as we can,” said Hinwood. “Sometimes we film various moves. It takes a long time to get a shot right—it took us three hours last week just for one shot.”

As with any physical activity, safety is crucial. Because of its fast-paced and often acrobatic nature, parkour requires special care and extensive training before even the simplest moves can be practiced safely.

“It’s important to always know what you are and are not capable of and to stay within your own limits, and eventually over time you can build up your skills to perform more difficult maneuvers. Part of the philosophy of parkour is staying within your range while gradually pushing yourself to be better,” said Bickel.