For the non-initiated, parkour (also known as free running) is a kind of real-world gymnastics in which participants hurl themselves forward and negotiate obstacles (anything in the environment, including concrete barriers, buildings, cars, etc.) by using a carefully improvised series of tucks, rolls and acrobatics. Picture some of the more gravity-defying moves displayed by martial arts star Jackie Chan in movies like Supercop or the opening chase scene from Casino Royale (Daniel Craigs maiden voyage as 007) and youll get the idea. The people who do it well (Urban Dictionary tells me theyre called traceurs) are both amazing athletes and just a little bit crazy. And thats where MTV comes in.
Ultimate Parkour Challenge brings together the leading lights of the fledgling sport at a graffiti-tagged warehouse crammed with inclines, obstacles and 20-foot drops. Notable contestants include Daniel Ilabaca, the Jedi master of parkour who makes every incredible jump or climb seem effortless; Tampa resident Daniel Arroyo, who made a splash on YouTube after posting video of himself " target="_blank">doing the Cast Bomb, a move he invented; and Tim Livewire Shieff (pictured above), a physical specimen with boundless energy who specializes in death-defying handstands. Other contestants include Michael Turner (competing with one badly hurt foot), Ryan Doyle, Pip Andersen, Brian Orosco and a kid from L.A. named King David.
The eight traceurs are split into two groups for the first round of the competition, which, this being MTV, involves the making of team videos showcasing the members sickest acrobatic feats. The team judged the winner moves on to the freestyle finals; the losers have to run an obstacle course where only the person with the best time advances. In the end, both videos turn out to be excellent displays of physical ability though I disagreed with the final verdict of the judges. Of course, I probably shouldnt have expected rock-solid evaluations in a contest where the judging includes nebulous criteria like creativity and flow.
If I havent made this clear already, trust me when I say that parkour is a serious, dont try this at home activity. MTV kicks off the show with a warning saying as much, but follows it with a montage that insinuates jumping off the roof is all the rage in Americas coolest inner cities. Dont believe the hype. Two of the eight Parkour Challenge competitors end up in the hospital (though the injuries turn out to be minor); another is making his comeback after shattering his leg to splinters at a previous competition.
But its the element of danger, and the way each athlete confronts his fear through motion, that makes Ultimate Parkour Challenge compelling. The eventual winner of the $10,000 prize calls parkour a celebration of life, before adding, I choose to live. When you see him tucked in a ball, flipping sideways through the air while defying gravitys magic, youll believe him.
Daniel Arroyo:
Daniel Ilabaca:
Tim "Livewire" Shieff
King David:
Editor's Note: MTV's Ultimate Parkour Challenge premieres tonight, Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. on MTV and will air repeatedly thereafter.
MTV has long been a youth-sucking goliath; its bloated corporate girth waddling to the trough of whatever cool new thing the kids are into before swallowing it whole and shitting out a processed log of television banality. When it comes to so-called extreme sports, MTVs bastardization squad has been on the prowl since at least the early 90s heyday of Dan Cortese and MTV Sports. The nets latest bid to drain the lifeblood from an emerging trend, MTVs Ultimate Parkour Challenge contains a checklist of MTVs crimes against its audience: bland hosts, questionable music, whiplash editing and a competition with judging that stretches credibility. Despite it all (and to my great surprise), Parkour Challenge is a winner, thanks largely to the assembled crew of compelling daredevils willing to jump off a roof for your entertainment.
Read more about MTV's Ultimate Parkour Challenge and check out some videos of the competitors after the jump.
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