Worldwide JAM Predicts Global 'Parkour' Boom in 2006

The world Parkour community doubles in size in just 6 months.

(PRWEB) March 25, 2006 --

Definitions:
TRACEUR - a person who practises Parkour
CREW - a local group of traceurs
JAM - a number of traceurs and/or crews congregating to train

Worldwide JAM is the first organisation to collate data relating to the phenomenal growth of Parkour (Free Running). As an extreme sport, Parkour has captured the imagination of the modern 15-24 year old youth market and is set to challenge the domination of other urban pursuits in 2006 such as Skateboarding, In-line Skating and BMX.

Worldwide JAM reports that the number of people participating globally in Parkour has doubled in the past six months.

Parkour first came to prominence in 2003 with the screening of director Mike Christie’s documentary ‘Jump London’ (Channel 4, U.K.). What started as a big risk for Channel 4 schedulers turned into a record-breaking success, with 2.5m people tuning in during the 11pm slot to watch Sebastien Foucan test his formidable Parkour skills on, over and around some of London’s most famous landmarks.

Jump London went onto become the UK’s 7th most successful TV export of 2004, sold to 65 countries, including a highly successful outing in the U.S.

Worldwide JAM has developed a comprehensive list of ‘Parkour Crews’ around the world and monitors the numbers of new members joining up. By comparing figures to those of six months ago, membership has increased by nearly 200%. It is however very difficult to estimate how many people actually practise Parkour, as only those who have internet access can presently be counted.

Parkour is the first sport to develop via the internet and while many crews have their own website and forums, there are also other groups that choose to remain hidden from the public eye, preferring instead to keep Parkour underground.

The internet has been the driving force behind Parkour's incredible rise from obscurity. Parkour crews generally start from a few friends getting together to ‘JAM’ locally which in-turn inspires curious spectators to get involved and experiment with a few of the basic moves. Once hooked, the membership of the crew begins to swell.

Before long, the crew has established it’s own name like ‘Free2Run’, ‘Seishin’ or ‘Team Traceur’ and launch their own website. Many of these Parkour websites are a conglomeration of stimulating media including photography, design, video and tutorials. Most also have an on-line forum which they use to communicate with fellow members, neighbouring crews or others much further a field, say in Canada, Brazil or Poland.

In essence, Parkour has become viral.

Over the coming months Worldwide JAM will keep even closer tabs on the rapid growth patterns and will soon be able to predict which countries are going to become the next Parkour hotspots.

ABOUT WORLDWIDE JAM
Although only six months old, Worldwide JAM has developed into one of the sport’s major players and is soon to release the world’s first Parkour magazine and broadband TV channel. With offices in London and New York, the Worldwide JAM website is visited by traceurs representing over 85 countries, which is another astounding indicator, baring in mind that in 2003 the sport was only known to exist in the U.K and France.

Worldwide JAM is rapidly establishing itself as a major hub for the global Parkour community. With over 50 international contributors supplying a constant stream of Parkour related news, photography, films and design, it sees one of its primary goals as dispelling the notion that Parkour is a dangerous sport to the world media and local authorities alike.

Through the development of workshops, people new to Parkour (‘noobs’) will be trained by experienced traceurs in the safe environment of gymnasiums and where the message of being socially and personally responsible is drummed in. 90% of Parkour injuries are sustained by inexperienced traceurs who have not had adequate training or those who are more willing to ‘show off’ to their peers, something that is not in the doctrine of Parkour principles.

Worldwide JAM is staffed by eight individuals, of which all but one are high profile traceurs. The most famous is 19-year-old Kerbie who stole the show in Mike Christie’s sequel ‘Jump Britain’. Kerbie is currently working as Parkour stunt co-ordinator on the new Bond movie ‘Casino Royal’, being shot in the Bahamas.

Images and video footage available upon request.

Contact:

Andrew Smith, director
JetRed Media LTD / Worldwide JAM

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