The Essence of Life: Parkour Visions

Epic movie soundtracks provide the audible ambiance in the crowded parkour gym. Over thirty people from age 15 to 32 sequentially pass over, under, around and through obstacles aimed to build precision, agility and strength when traveling from one point to another. It's as if each individual is on a mission. Applause is given gratuitously when someone manages to complete a move with a certain amount of finesse.

Sasuke participants warm up before the competition begins.

Starting around 3:30 p.m. the participants of Parkour Visions' Sasuke competition exert themselves in order to gain the ability to overcome mental and physical barriers. The competition is named "Sasuke" after the Japanese show "Ninja Warrior" that inspired the event.

The traceurs, parkour practitioners, compete to complete three obstacle courses in the shortest amount of time possible. They each get a chance to run through each course twice. The basic rules are that the ground is "lava" and certain obstacles are "lasers" that they have to avoid; if they touch them, they scratch. Any score beats a score with a scratch.

The first course started by pulling an 80 pound sled down the street and back before jumping, swinging and climbing over obstacles. Targeting accurate agility, the second course was not so much a series of obstacles to jump over, but obstacles to slide through. Finally, the third course aimed to help the participants break mental barriers of fatigue and continue to be precise and strong. The overall winner of the Sasuke, Justin "Earth Bender" Walcker, had a cumulative time of 166.86 seconds. But it is not all about competition; it is about building community and pushing past physical and mental limits.

"The purpose is for them to do things they haven't done before," says Rafe Kelley, an instructor at Parkour Visions.

"Parkour isn't about dangerous stunts, parkour is about comradery, adaptibility, confidence, focus," says Ian Schwartz, one of the participants. "We want everyone to meet their limits, but only what's acceptable for them."

Community is key in parkour because having a strong community facilitates safety and support. There is always a constant dialogue between traceurs to figure out more innovative ways to get over obstructions.

Parkour Visions instructor Rafe Kelley explains the rules of the Sasuke to the participants. One of his key points is "safety first, second and third."

Justin "Earth Bender" Walcker swings through the third course. He had the highest scores in the competition with an overall time of about 166 seconds.

Rafe Kelley lands on a "bosu ball," an obstacle that forces the traceurs to land with precision.

Richie Wight slammed his shin into an obstacle during the first course and was banned from running the rest of the courses because he was bleeding. "I was trying to jump from one box to another and basically landed on one box with my shin," explains Wight. "My legs locked up in the middle of the air...it was pretty fun." Although there are risks when doing parkour, the Parkour Visions community makes sure everyone is safe and had an EMT on hand in case of an emergency.

Instructor Rafe Kelley demonstrates the climbing portion of the third course. Kelley says the final course is like "the fourth stage on Ninja Warrior, you're not necessarily supposed to make it." The course was a true testament to everyone's fitness.

"I put dirt on my hands to use it like chalk for the rock wall," says Rami Mackay, 18. "But I waited too long so it didn't really do anything but get my hands dirty."

Kelly Butcher works on the precision aspect of the third course. She was the first participant to complete the course with no scratches and was also the only female participant in the Sasuke. Butcher says, "I tend to go for the safer, slower route," which is why she was able to finish every course without scratching.