After years on the fringes, parkour finally seems like it is breaking into the mainstream. Training camps and local groups are popping up all over the country (www.americanparkour.com), and suddenly the impossible—i.e. leaping across buildings in a single bound—seems possible.
L'art du déplacement (the art of movement), as it’s called, is about training your body to overcome obstacles in your surrounding environment—from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls—quickly, efficiently, and smoothly. And, of course, it looks ridiculously cool. See for yourself, with our list of the top 10 best parkour videos out there.
10. It's best to start from the beginning. Here, then, are a few shots from the guy credited with starting it all, David Belle:
9. Don’t know about you, but I never played tag like this:
8. A behind-the-scenes look at how it’s done—shots from a parkour training camp held in NYC’s Central Park:
7. And from across the pond, the London parkour scene:
6. Rush hour, redefined: “City Gents” take to the streets of London:
5. The handstand on the ledge, 15-some stories up makes my stomach churn just watching it:
4. Classic movie chase scene—parkour style:
3. If you’re going to call yourself a ninja, you better have the skills to back it up. And these guys, the Russian Ninjas, certainly do:
2. More from David Belle:
1. Parkour is unimaginably difficult as it is. But on two wheels?! Danny MacAskill does things on a bike we didn’t know possible:
Do you have an idea for an ADVENTURE Top Ten list? Let us know by posting it in the Comments section below.