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Kai McNeil
Thomas Podbedck, a senior in Material Sceince Engineering, leaps toward a wall so he can cat hang on March 4th. Podbesck is a senior officer in the freerun and Parkour club at State. "I enjoy the movement the most" said Podbesek as he described his passion for freerunning.
As the warm weather returns to NC State, so does the Parkour and Freerunning Club. Established in the fall semester of 2009, the members of this organization meet every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday outside D.H. Hill Library to train and practice Parkour.
Parkour itself came into the spotlight several years ago when it experienced an explosion in popularity, according to Thomas Podbesek, a senior studying materials science and engineering and a member of the club. But Podbesek said that as time went on and shows such as “The Office” parodied the activity, public perception of Parkour changed.
Although some may look at it as a joke, the members of the NC State Parkour and Freerunning Club say it’s an intense and fulfilling activity.
The term Parkour was coined by David Belle, a French actor and stunt coordinator, according to Nick McLamb, former president of the club and an NC State alumnus.
“It’s a natural, fun, challenging and relaxing activity that breaks the mold and can be whatever anyone wants,” McLamb said.
Podbesek said that to him, Parkour is “a strict, martial discipline.”
Parkour activities existed before it became an official term, according to Podbesek, but members of the club try not to get bogged down in definitions and semantics and instead focus on honing their skills.
After meeting in the Brickyard, Parkour Club members go to different places on campus to practice moves and improve their abilities. They can be found all over campus, ascending brick walls, balancing on railings, jumping gaps and performing wall runs by the Free Expression Tunnel.
Members of the Parkour Club don’t just throw caution to the wind and risk personal injury, however. Safety is the club’s first priority, and they always practice moves on solid ground in safe conditions before taking a jump or climbing to higher heights. Still, those who practice Parkour admit there is a certain amount of fear to overcome.
“Getting over that fear comes from the way we work up to it,” said Cailean Pritchard, a junior studying chemical engineering and co-president of the club. “Everything we do comes from progression.”
Pritchard stressed that Parkour is open to anybody who is willing to put in the effort, as it focuses on personal development of skills instead of competition with others.
“All you have to do is show up and want to learn,” Pritchard said. “That’s what’s unique about Parkour— it’s about you doing your own thing, not trying to be better than someone else.”
Since the club’s inception, attendance has fluctuated with each semester, but current members say its membership has decreased in recent years. Podbesek attributes this to the fact that Parkour itself is a difficult and sometimes risky activity.
Still, the risk involved doesn’t stop those who do attend from enjoying themselves. As the weather continues to improve, members of the club intend to get back into a regular schedule.
When they’re not on campus, the club members train elsewhere at places such as Enso Movement, a Parkour and free-running gym founded two years ago by several of the original members and founders of the NC State Parkour Club.
McLamb said the Parkour club is not an exclusive group, and they welcome anyone who wants to try, even if only for a moment.
“There are no rules or requirements,” McLamb said.
With winter coming to a close and spring arriving, expect to see the members of the NC State Parkour Club out on campus, ascending to greater heights one jump at a time.