APK Member Evocati has written an excellent piece on commercialization. The idea of commercialization comes up frequently within the Parkour community because Parkour is relatively young, and we who practice are particularly passionate and protective of it. I often play devil's advocate in discussions to make people think of both sides of an issue, in this case Evocati did it for me :) the main point that I feel is interesting is that commercialization itself is not a good or bad thing, it is how we all deal with it and respond to it that has the most powerful implications. Please read more to see Evocati's ideas on the issue, which he posted in the forum.

When I am not in Baghdad with the US Army, I live in Colorado.  I learned to  snowboard ten years ago, and I love it.

Will you find me in the snowboard park, flipping onto and off of railings and  half pipes?  No.  It's not my speed, or my style.   I love nothing more than to carve beautiful turns, free-riding my way around less  well known parts of the mountain.

But most people, especially non-boarders, think of snowboarding as an ice bound form of skate boarding.   They think of X-games, and Shaun White, Hannah Teeter, et  al.  They think: 14-24 year olds, garish graphics, and crazy stunts.

But that isn't accurate.  There are a lot of us who ride the mountain for different reasons, who spend time honing our board skills, and our fitness, who hike into back country areas to get that first run experience on perfect powder. 

I'm not the target  audience of Transworld Snowboarding.  Hell, I can't make heads or tails of that magazine.  I can't tell which page is advertising, and which an article half the time.  And when I recognize advertising, I can't tell what is being sold.

But it doesn't stop me from taking advantage of the technology that had made my Arbor snowboard so great.  It hasn't stopped  me from loving being in the mountains, and expressing my philosophy and appreciation of life.

And I climb too.  But you won't find me in colored spandex, on sport routes, clipping like crazy.  You'll find me on old trad routes, with fists jammed in cracks, after it took me two hours to hike into the climb (in 5.10's I might add).  And when my old self is in shape I climb (and sometimes lead) old 5.9 that nobody has bothered to re-rate since the scale was updated  some years ago.

Just do your practice, and people will see what it means to you.    Lead by example.  Don't worry about the spin the media puts on it.  Don't worry about the "corrupting influence" of big business.   It improves the technology of the tools, that's all. 

Those that really get it will stick with it.  Those that don't, won't.

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