Resilient, Swapping Shoes, Parkourism, and Cris Lechat

Howdy folks! 

Resilient

Another week in parkour, another quality video to enjoy. We’re truly living in a golden age for parkour content right now and sometimes the biggest challenge is keeping up with everything that’s going on. This week, we’re focused on Vancouver and Rene Scavington. Resilient is part comeback doc, part training video, and 100% engaging from start to finish. It's the product of six years of collecting clips, dealing with injuries, organizing parkour’s biggest grassroots competition, and somehow still finding time to progress as an athlete. Res is such an inspiration to me as a successful business owner and coach in parkour, an athlete who is still insanely strong and technical in his later 30’s, and active member of the international scene on social media. How he finds the time to build out all those facets of his life simultaneously escapes me…Res, if you ever drop a custom day planner you’ve got at least one customer right here. So if you haven’t taken the time to watch Resilient, go treat yourself to 8 minutes of beautiful parkour now. 

Athlete Feature: Parkourism Board

If you’re gonna be a tourist, this is the way to do it. Steph Calvert and Brenda McCallum started the Parkourism Board account in March of 2023 and it’s been one of my favorite accounts to follow since then. They take movements from athletes around the world and recreate them, generally at their home gym, Origins Parkour. The dedication to moving outside of their known comfort zone is inspiring, occasionally hilarious, and inescapably fun to watch. If you’re looking for a community of movers to engage with who love what they do, give @parkourismboard a follow (and maybe steal some of their ideas too).

Ahmed Matar & Swapping Shoes

A few days ago, Luis Alkmim had Parkour Gaza member Ahmed Matar (currently living in Sweden) on an independent episode of Swapping Shoes. They discuss Ahmed’s journey from Gaza to working as a parkour instructor for school kids in Stockholm. They also touch on some of the broader strokes of the war in Gaza and the horrific toll it has inflicted. As I’m writing this, Ahmed has shared on his social media that one of his close friends and a manager of the Wallrunners parkour program in Gaza - Saeed Al Tattari - was killed in a recent bombing. For those of us living far from the conflict, this conversation with Ahmed was a chance to hear from someone who has lived through some of its history firsthand. It is not always a pleasant listen but it does feel like a necessary one. 

Cristian Aldana

While you may know him better by his Instagram handle, @cris_lechat, Cristian Aldana has been a part of the Colombian parkour scene for over a decade now. He was instrumental in creating and editing Ciudad de Puentes and regularly drops some of the techiest, funkiest footwork content in the game. So enjoy this chat with Cris and quick look into the Bogotá scene! 

What's your full name and where are you from?

My name is Cristian Mauricio Aldana Villamil, and I am from Bogotá, Colombia.

How long have you been training and how did you start?

I have been practicing parkour for 14 years, starting with gimbarr training, a sport created in the ghettos of Bogotá. Thanks to that, I used to explore the streets, where I met people practicing parkour, and I began training it.

*Max’s note: gimbarr is in the same general world as street calisthenics and has its own cult following in Colombia and (unsurprisingly) Russia. Go check out some videos when you get the chance!

What was creating Ciudad de Puentes like for you? How much effort went into it?

I have always been interested in bridges, a structure that is quite common in Bogotá due to the city's transportation system, TransMilenio, connecting different areas of the city. Each bridge represents a distinct zone of the city, creating unique possibilities for movement. Despite their similar planning, each bridge presents new challenges. Inspired by this idea, a friend and I decided to start a small project. It eventually attracted many people from different parts of the city and turned into a documentary about parkour. Creating it was challenging since we didn't have many resources. We filmed it using our phones and an old camera, and for interviews, we rented a camera and a microphone. I took care of everything related to editing, color correction, animation, and graphic design. I would wake up early, and after work, I continued editing. The entire creation process took a year. Initially, I felt bad about not achieving higher quality, but then I realized that it represented us very well. The use of different cameras was not intentional; we were doing things with what we had, with the time and capabilities we possessed. Achieving it despite the difficulties is very valuable to me, in addition to the positive response from the entire community for the project.

Does the Bogota community have any other big projects on the way?

Right now, we are working on a project about tubes, focusing on the parks in Bogotá, which are highly representative structures here.

What is the Colombian parkour community like?

I believe they are very warm, open, and willing to help others.

Do you feel like there are any challenges athletes deal with in Colombia that folks from North America or Europe may not experience?

Perhaps it's the living conditions; most people who train here come from poverty, without access to many tools, the internet, or quality phones to record their lines. Some even lack a good pair of sneakers or have poor nutrition. They perform stunts in front of traffic lights and earn money on the streets like that. I don't say this to generate pity, but it's a reality that I see. I'm amazed at the love many still have for parkour and how they stay committed to it despite working night jobs, long hours, or facing economic difficulties.

Who are some of your favorite athletes to watch? Who inspires you in the parkour community?

I really enjoy watching Kelan from Motus, Egg, Tom.uzer, Benj, Endijs, Coby [Marcus], Hazal, Matttma, Lisa [Eckert], Ethan [Rud]... many people inspire me, starting with the founders. In my early days, Monkeey Man, Oleg, Ilabaca, Naim, and their brilliant articles about parkour and subversive politics, the Witchell brothers, Anthony Denis, Felipe Solano, Juan Cht, Dani Sampayo. Know a days people who are creating new styles and visions within parkour, and projects, the Boston community, Noa, Kipa, Gefam, Los ke saltan.

Who are some Colombian athletes that everyone should be following?

Londitudes, Dborisz, Jhonylopez.o_0, Jaiderhincapie_gw, Greisyrodriguez_, In.marino, Santrax_pk, Elgordo.gw, Alexxkendo_gz.

That’s it for this week’s newsletter. Keep training and feel free to drop us a comment or message with news you think we should share next week! 

Thanks,

Max & Sean