Jumping the City
Interview with David Belle, founder of Parkour
Marcia Caines
David Belle Paris, photo courtesy David Belle, PAWA
In the XXI century urban space is constantly reproducing itself. Parkour is the name of the sport invented by David Belle in Lisses, France. Parkour: the city anti-guidebook. Where obstacles serve to create movement and not to block it. The playing field: the city. The instrument: the human body. The obstacles: none. The players: Traceurs.
Traceurs jump from building to building, stairwell to rooftop, walls to railings, overcoming the constraints of the modern day city. While planners and developers dictate the impact of our social space the traceurs dominate it. Cluster interviews David Belle, son of Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP) coach Raymond Belle, inventor of the global urban phenomenon, Parkour.
MC: You are the creator of Parkour; since when have Traceurs been practising this sport and where and how did it come about?
DB: Since the beginning people have been following me. Some gave up and some continued. How? The guys just look interested in practising with me. I just take a look at their physical condition and tell them to follow me as well as they can, so I can see their motivation and begin to teach them some technical movements.
MC: Is there a strong social-political vein at the origins of this sport, (and others of its kind), that draws members of these urban subcultures to form communities in the first place?
DB: No it’s just fun in the beginning. It’s you, the journalists, who see a social-political vein in Parkour, I’ve never thought about this before! My aim was just to become the best in what I do. Now it’s true that there’s a sociological part in Parkour but I’m not clever enough to tell you about this. You should ask Joss, president of my association PAWA, I’m only a sportsman.
MC: What type of relationship does the sport or rather the “Traceurs” have or establish with the city? Does this relationship vary from, neighbourhood to neighbourhood and city to city?
DB: The city, and each city is now a game for traceurs, is not only walls that tell you to go one way on another Parkour makes you free to go where you want under your own steam. I think tracers understand this and they share the same values, no matter where they are.
MC: Has Parkour experienced more international success than expected? If so what do you believe to be the reasons for this widespread success?
DB: I think Parkour came at the right time. Just like Hip-hop at the beginning of the 80’s, or disco when it appeared end of 60’s. We’re just at the beginning of the XXIst century and people want to feel free, to know more about their body, to gain control by themselves and have fun without constraint. You can practise alone or with a group, outside or inside: as you wish. I think these are the reasons for such an international success.
MC: What are the “Traceurs” reactions to the attention of, and collaboration with, multinational companies such as Nike for advertising purposes?
DB: They feel proud to see that such a big company recognizes our sport. It’s the proof that we exist even for such a big machine like Nike that has nothing to prove. But we’re not stupid, we know that it was just a marketing ploy for them. A way of being “in”. They haven’t got more involved than this and that’s better for the time being.
MC: Which city, in your opinion, lends itself as the best playground?
DB: I’ll only be able to answer you after my world tour…
