Seattle’s Parkour Visions debuts new gym expansion, hosts National Parkour Summit July 20-22, 2012

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul. 17, 2012 - Seattle, WA July 17, 2012 – This weekend, Seattle’s Parkour Visions will host more than 100 traceurs (parkour athletes) at the third annual Parkour Summit. A highlight of the weekend will be Saturday’s invitational obstacle course at Gasworks Park, which will challenge top athletes from the United States and Canada, including some who were recently featured on the TV shows American Ninja Warrior and Jump City: Seattle. See a sampler from last year’s competition at http://youtu.be/kYsZ_R6EzO4.

Friday’s open obstacle course challenge will showcase the organization’s newly expanded, 10,000 sq ft gym in north Queen Anne. Parkour Visions welcomes anyone who is confident in their parkour ability to join. Each competitor will get to test their skill with parkour challenges and obstacle courses that incorporate running, jumping, climbing, and balance.

All events are open to the press. Beginners and spectators are welcome. There is a small fee for students to participate in competitions or classes, but scholarships are available for anyone who can’t afford it. Call the gym at 206-923-8864 or email classes@parkourvisions.org for more information.

Registration is available at http://www.parkourvisions.org/parkour-summit-2012/.

Event schedule:

Friday, July 20: PKV Gym
1210 W Nickerson Street, Seattle

11:00am – 2:00pm – Adult Open Obstacle Course Challenge
2:00pm – 3:30pm – Open training, break for lunch
3:30pm – 5:30pm – Hands-on strength classes on squats, deadlifts, and bodyweight conditioning
6:00pm – 7:00pm – Dinner provided by PKV
7:00pm – 9:00pm Parkour informational talks
    •   The state of the human animal – Rafe Kelley (PKV)
    •   The importance of play and parkour as form of play Beth Kelley (MA, Anthropology)
    •   The interplay between nutrition, lifestyle, and movement – Scott Hagnass (Owner, Crossfit Portland)
    •   Parkour and creativity – Frosti Zernow (Parkour professional)
    •   Demon Drills and how simple movement drills outside can change people’s lives – Ryan Ford (APEX Movement)

Saturday, July 21: Gasworks Park
2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle (Meet at the main covered area)

11:00am – 2:00pm Invitational Obstacle Course Competition
2:30pm – Group warm-up
3:00pm – 5:30pm Hands-on parkour classes for beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners
5:30pm – Open training
8:00pm – Outdoor barbeque

Sunday, July 22: Freeway Park
700 Seneca St (Meet at the main fountain structure near 6th and Seneca)

11:30am – Group warm-up
12:00pm – 2:30pm Hands-on parkour classes for beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners
3:00pm – Open training

Parkour is the art of overcoming obstacles effectively and swiftly using only our bodies. Fundamentals include running, jumping, crawling, and climbing, in order to pass over, under, around, and through obstacles in the everyday world. Parkour offers a full-body workout to people at any level of experience or fitness; it improves our ability to move, increases our confidence, and changes how we see the world.

Parkour Visions, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Seattle, has been spreading the benefits of effective parkour practice through teaching and community outreach since 2007. In 2009, Parkour Visions opened Seattle’s first parkour gym. Due to increasing demand, in July 2011, we were able to move into a 6,000 square foot facility in Seattle’s North Queen Anne neighborhood, and this week we will open a 4,000 square foot expansion. Parkour Visions reaches thousands of people per year through their parkour academy classes, outreach to at-risk youth, special events, and private parties.

Learn more at http://parkourvisions.org/.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11926961/1