Parkour is indeed hardcore
July 23, 2014

You can thank YouTube for bringing Parkour to the people. You know the videos: nimble-footed dudes scale city walls, leap from buildings, over railings, and do backflips off concrete ledges. This is the world of Parkour.

Parkour started in France in the late 1980s, spreading through Europe and the UK for the next 20 years. Thanks to anyone with a cellphone camera and a YouTube account, Parkour has since exploded into popular culture. It was featured heavily in the 2006 James Bond film “Casino Royale” as well as in an episode of “The Office,” where Andy, Dwight, and Michael yell “Hardcore Parkour!” and climb over desks.

The idea behind Parkour is pretty simple: Get from point A to point B as fast and efficiently as possible using only your strength and surroundings. When done right, there is a power and gracefulness to it.

But there’s another kind of video you’ve probably seen… (FULL STORY)