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October 04, 2010
First Issue Free
pg 7 pg 4 pg 3
Vol. 23, Issue 15
Pardon my French
Photos by glenn landberg/THE ARBITER
Two BSU students parkour their way to healthy minds and bodies
Lauren Hooker Journalist
The art of movement -- or, as the French say it, "parkour." As Chris Lloyd and Shaun Erlebach took turns scaling fences, jumping over rails and flipping off walls, it became clear parkour, also commonly known as free-running, is more than just a hobby. Developed in France between World War I and World War II as a way to maneuver from life-or-death situations, parkour has transformed throughout the years into a way to get from one location to another the quickest way possible. It involves a variety of different moves, including wall flips, jumping from wall to wall, ducking, rolling and vaulting over various obstacles. Moves vary depending on comfort level and physical abilities.
Core and arm strength are two of the most important muscle groups associated with parkour moves and can be conditioned with push-ups, crunches and lifting weights. Erlebach is a junior business major and Boise State cheerleader. For him, parkour is a way to stay in shape and help utilize his skills outside of practice. But Erlebach’s initial interest in parkour stems from his childhood. “The main reason that I do (parkour) is because I never got that (experience) of climbing trees when I was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to do that,” Erlebach said. “When you’re older, it looks funny climbing trees, so this is another way of kind of doing that.” But you don’t have to be a cheerleader or a ninja to practice parkour. “To be able to parkour, you need to be
able to walk and use your arms,” sophomore information technology management major Lloyd said. “It’s really great because anyone can really do it. If you can walk or run, you can parkour. You do what your body can do and that can be anything you use to get from one place to another.” However, Erlebach and Lloyd are no strangers to injury. Parkour is a dangerous sport and requires appropriate conditioning and stretching to help prevent harm. “The biggest thing you have to do is stretching… stretching, stretching, stretching. You need to stretch about 30 minutes a day,” Erlebach said. “But, I mean, when you’re jumping off of 30-foot buildings onto concrete, you’re guaranteed to get hurt. It’s only a matter of time.” If you want to learn more about how to get involved with Boise parkour, check out the "Team No Boundaries" Facebook page.
Parkour Video Christopher Lloyd and Shaun Erlebach show off some of their parkour moves around Boise State campus in an exclusive video. Watch them demonstrate their acrobatic skill at arbiteronline. com where they will also give three tips to anyone who wants to begin practicing parkour. Shaun Erlebach uses parkour to do a backflip off a tree at Boise State.
The Arbiter • arbiteronline.com