Heelys Inc., a company in the United Stated that builds athletic shoes with wheels embedded in the heels, went one step further in August with the release of its Nano, and claims to have invented a new sport, freeboarding.
Nano is a small skateboard, barely larger than a shoe, that will snap into the wheel position of a Heelys shoe.
A press release from the company states "Nano creates a hybrid skate system by working with Heelys to create a stable platform for the front foot, allowing the user's rear foot to build momentum, carve sharp turns, and perform a wide variety of tricks. "
To test the Nano, Heely's brought in freerunners "due to their exceptional athleticism and balance," the press release continued.
As the freerunners "became more adept at skating, the freerunners naturally began to incorporate their own moves, giving birth to freeboarding."
Freerunning and Parkour Are Extreme Sports Natural To Combine with Freeboarding
While the words "Freerunning" and "Le Parkour" are often used interchangeably, they are actually different activities.
Parkour, as it is normally called, is a discipline, and freerunning is an extreme sport using gymnastic and acrobatic moves such as leaps, vaults, crawling, jumping and climbing.
In both, people seek to move across obstacles and the environment in creative ways, which translates into acrobatic leaps, vaults and climbs. A male practicing Parkour is a traceur and a female is a traceuse.
Parkour was begun in France in the late 1980s and is described by Drew Taylor at Parkour-Online: "Parkour was adapted for the urban environment from the natural method. The natural method was a way of training to improve strength and movement efficiency to equip practitioners with practical skills to help them live life. Physically, Parkour is a discipline to improve practitioner's ability to move in all environments and circumstances; involving training, walking, sprinting, crawling, jumping, swimming and climbing. Mentally, this training also encourages concentration, reasoning, focus, quick thinking and relaxation, which are skills needed for making the most of everyday decisions and tasks."
The term "freerunning" was invented to make Le Parkour easier for the English-speaking world.
YouTube videos have introduced the discipline / philosophy / sport to the world.
Parkour and Freerunning Have Become Different Extreme Sports
Over the years, Parkour and freerunning have split somewhat, according to the above website. Parkour remains a discipline / philosophy, and freerunning is a sport that is competitive and commercial. See the website for Urban Freeflow for more information on this aspect.
An article by Heather McGraw, contributing writer for The Columbia Chronicle, the newspaper of Columbia College in Chicago, describes Parkour as a" fast-paced workout technique where practitioners run up walls, jump over railings and balance on ledges. Parkour has simple, basic moves for beginners, but those with more experience have the skills necessary to practice their art form in parks and urban areas."
.Groups around the world are training and engaging in the activity, although at least one city, Moreton in the UK, has banned Parkour, deeming it "an antisocial activity."
Heelys Hired Freerunners Jonathan and Thomas Tapp for Freeboarding Demonstrations
Information from Heely's states that "twin brothers Jonathan and Thomas Tapp, two of the first freerunners to test the Nano , were eventually selected to perform in the upcoming Heelys Nano holiday commercials. Based in Dallas, Texas, USA, the Tapp brothers began their careers as professional freerunners at the age of seventeen, regularly providing stunt work for movies and commercials. After catching the eye of Heelys CEO Tom Hansen, they were approached by Heelys in 2009 to test out the Nano."
The results of their work has led Heelys to declare the birth of a new sport.
It'll be interesting to see if the "sport" takes root and grows as Parkour has in the last 20 years or as geocaching has in the last 10 years.
Velma Southerland - Velma Southerland has been employed in the lifestyles section of an award-winning East Tennessee community newspaper for more than 20 ...
