YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
Frenchman David Belle is credited with the creation of this trend sport that he first practiced during the 1980s in the concrete jungle of Lille. The roots of Parkour can be traced back to the so-called “Méthode Naturelle”, which was developed by the French naval officer Georges Hébert at the beginning of the last century. This method was a type of physical and mental training, which saw the body strengthened in many different disciplines outdoors. The training consisted of, among other things, running, jumping, climbing and balancing and quickly became standard training for the French military. David Belle carried the “Méthode Naturelle” he learned from his father all the way to the urban cityscape of concrete and steel and developed it further, turning it into a sport. Using the principles of this method, today’s athletes search for the most efficient way through the city; no obstacle is bypassed in doing so. Everything that can be jumped, climbed or navigated using a similar activity is overcome. Experts take every obstacle as quickly and spectacularly as possible. In order to achieve these feats, the athletes must be in good physical condition, have excellent jumping power and body control; creativity is important as well.
The company Lappset has managed to transform this idea with its demanding Parkour range. It was developed in collaboration with the Finnish Parkour academy. Typical movements are various jumps, overcoming obstacles, climbing and hanging. The movements should be elegant, efficient, flexible and flowing. Parkour is an environment in which teenagers can challenge themselves to move in an expressive way. In order to meet the safety requirements, the subsurface must, of course, be designed to be shock-absorbent to the degree required for the different drop heights. Gummiwerk Kraiburg Relastec GmbH was the outfitter on the Parkour project in Dortmund as the Euroflex impact protection mats are particularly well suited to Parkour. They make precise jumps and landings possible, as well as rolling off, and, in addition, they cushion these jumps very well. This is very difficult to achieve with a substance such as sand, for instance.
This project was implemented in May 2011 and officially opened on 21 May 2011. After the individual Parkour elements were installed, the subsurface was fitted, as per the installation instructions of Gummiwerk Kraiburg Relastec GmbH, as a stable, compressed, double-layered, unbound, loose, drainable structure. To release the tension in the surface materials, the Euroflex impact protection mats are stacked and laid out for at least two hours before the installation of the pallet. After this has been completed, the installation can be carried out using T-joint sections. This method of installation helps guarantee a stable connection across the entire surface. Small holes for the equipment feet can be introduced seamlessly with the aid of a jigsaw. With this application, the Euroflex shock-absorbent flooring systems have unlocked yet another avenue in the play, sport and leisure sector.
