Following the recent pubication of our Handbook of Parkour and Freerunning, here is an extended version of one of the early sections of the book for those who can't access a copy.

Original image here

(Originally posted on metafilter on 7.7.05.)

It is September 2003. I am watching Frenchmen doing something I have only witnessed before on a BBC ident.

A particular news story has recently been brought to my attention (http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Teenager-badly-hurt-in-39freerunnin...) and I felt that it was worth discussing some of the points it raises. According to reports a 14-year old boy in Portsmouth had been attempting to jump from one rooftop to another, fell short smashing his face and falling 30ft to the ground below.

It was wet. Very wet.

It is early morning in Vauxhall park and the sun has barely risen for the day. I remove my socks and shoes put them in my bag and hide my bag under a large stone seat in eyeshot in the middle of the park. I whip out my mp3 player and start my carefully prepared playlist featuring many tracks from 80's movie montages, the first being Going the Distance from the Rocky Series, and start stretching to loosen up.

Morzine, a small town in the French Alps left me fascinated by its beautiful scenery. Everything looks so fresh, the mountains, the snow on the top, the trees, the big open space, the river, the fresh water from the well which tastes so delicious, the chalet with its rustic and cosy interior and the pure air that I had to adapt to after spending so much time in a polluted environment.