Building a reputation as real social climbers…

By
Tom Langham
Published: October 23, 2009
Building a reputation as real social climbers…

Excerpt from Sutton Guardian  July 2005

If someone told you there was a troupe of James Bond-esque daredevils operating in Carshalton, you probably wouldn’t believe them. If they went on to tell you that these urban action men can jump off high walls and buildings without getting a scratch, you would giggle at the joke because that’s not possible. But you would be wrong.

For those involved in Traceurs on the Durand (TOD) Parkour project, this is an every day reality.

The group whose ages range from 14 to 20 can run, jump and climb from any surface in Durand Close Carshalton with a fluidity and skill that prevents them being injured due to their training in Parkour.

Organised and taught by local outreach worker Tom Langham and professional Free Runner John Kerr, teenagers can start to Learn the skills of this art as soon as they submit a consent form signed by their parents.

The Volunteer-run group meets every day if the weather is good and because it is not funded, relies on youth centres and gyms in the borough to provide facilities for members to practice and train.

Originating in France Parkour is a physical discipline in which the aim is to achieve uninterrupted motion over under, through and around obstacles in a person’s immediate environment.

Participants are known as traceurs, meaning to trace, and they run, jump, climb and basically learn to adapt the way that they travel so that no object is an obsticale. Mr Langham also works as a *1 photographer-capturing images of the group perfecting their craft and is a qualified rock-climbing instructor and outdoor activities co-ordinator.

The 20 year old resident of Bramblewood Close in Carshalton explaned how he got involved He said: “I was working as an outreach worker and saw a few kids running and jumping off things and I thought it looked wicked. Then the boyfriend of a friend was working as a stuntman on a film and had to do Parkour. And he was the forefront of the group.

While this may sound like an exciting and fairly simple activity, Mr Langham stressed that becoming a traceur requires a lot of training. He said: Parkour involves a lot of skill, it’s not just jumping off things. “you start off jumping off small things and work your way up. It takes a lot of practice and I think it’s really about pushing your expectations of your own capability”

Being a traceur certainly has street cred, as any urban setting can become their own personal playground in which to practice. However, Mr Langham believes it also gives group members a strong feeling of self worth. He said: “ Parkour is not a sport but a philosophy in which the kids take great pride and have respect for, “One of them said to me that Parkour made him who he was and it had given him the strength not to let others push him around” Other than being personally fulfilling, Parkour has landed some of the Durand close traceurs a very glamorous part time job. ……*2 ……Mr Langham said, “When you get into Parkour it is something that grows in your life”….

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*1 I’m not a photographer, just owned a camera…

*2 I made an edit, as there was some un-factual information there…

*3 Another edit website does not exist…