Logo

Playground@Landscape

YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS

Slide 0
Slide 1
Slide 2
Slide 6
Slide 7
Slide 8
20.06.2011 - Ausgabe: 3/2011

The acrobatic art of locomotion in the city

Parkour is the name of the acrobatic art of locomotion in the city.

Photo

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.
 

Mehr zum Thema Playground Report

image

Playground Report

"Kleiner Exe" play park in Zweibrücken - A meeting place for (really) everyone!

Zweibrücken is a city of about 35,000 inhabitants in the southwest of Rhineland-Palatinate in the immediate vicinity of France and Saarland.
Despite tight budgets, Germany's smallest independent city has so far ...

image

Playground Report

Playground Bambesch - a living city history

This forest playground not only has great slides, swings, sandpits, wooden courses, ropeways, climbing walls and water games, but is also situated in a beautiful green area with tall trees and breathtaking nature.

image

Playground Report

Upgrade and new design of Einstein Park and its playground

The Einsteinpark with its old trees and large meadow area is a popular meeting place in the Mühlenkiez district. The recent redesign of its playground was thematically focused on "Universe, space and time".

image

Playground Report

Play areas for leisure and tourism - based on the example of the aerial cableway of Jakobsbad-Kronberg (CH)

In the Märliwelt fairy tale world all kids are taken into a world full of adventure with water and sand up to airy climbing heights. A guarantee for amazed children's eyes and relaxed parents.

image

Playground Report

Playground facility with the external effect of creating identification: Climbing like the goats in the Quadrath-Ichendorf animal park, Bergheim

The public animal park in Bergheim is considered an attraction, a place of identification and the 'green centre' of the Quadrath-Ichendorf district due to its subliminal and attractive offer. It is here where ...

image

Playground Report

Water playgrounds for Düsseldorf

Playing with water fascinates children. When Ulrich Wolf, former Head of the Garden, Cemetery and Forestry Office in Düsseldorf, gained this insight, he decided to develop a new type of playground. From 1955 onwards...