Topic: MTV (Ultimate Parkour Challenge) April 26th; 10:30PM

[Daniel Arroyo]

As of right now I don't have an exact time but I do know that it will be on the 26th of this month, I will definitely update as soon as I find out the time. Thanks Ron.

[Jeff]

Best of luck with the show! From talking to Brian, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it. I hope there's lots of interesting creative flow, as that's underexposed in media pieces and what I think would really appeal to the public.

One thing Corndogg and I stress over at sfparkour.com all the time is that most media pieces are just a hook. they're meant to be entertainment, not an educational experience. They serve to interest people and have them seek out the local communities. We're here to welcome them into our communities, even if they were hooked with some piece that showed some narrow aspect of parkour or freerunning or some partially-misrepresented aspect. Show them the right way to train, guide them to resources and help them be good community members who will do the same for new traceurs after them.

Competitions, to me, seem just another aspect of that. I worry about them only as far as I think they have the power to affect my training. So I don't worry much about it.

I look forward to watching the show and training someday with all the people on it, and with the people who join as a result of watching it!

[BatmanNYPK]

Daniel I think its great what you guys are doing. As you know many of us are against competition, but being that MTV would do this anyway I think its great that its guys like you, livewire, Ilabaca, etc. I know MTV only cares about the profits, but hopefully with you guys there the right perspective will be shown.

[Leon Mederos]

Amazing how this gets greeted with such great respect. I thought people were anti-commercialization? What happened to "WE CAN FIGHT IT! IT DOESNT HAVE TO HAPPEN IF WE DONT LET IT!" ??

I'm just a little pissed off because I've been trying to get this point across for a very long time - if the traceurs involved something have the right attitude and push the right causes, commercialization can happen just fine. Props to you all involved, I talked to NoSole about this last week and think it's incredible that you guys all got together to train! Its such a tremendous opportunity to be able to go out and train with other traceurs, especially traceurs as skilled as those mentioned. But I really feel as if this is being held to a double standard.... I mean come on this is being posted on all sorts of "pro parkour" websites even though in the past they have openly torn down other attempts.

Either way, progress is being made and I'm very happy that it's in the right direction 

[Graham Hughes]

Can't wait to see it man, it looks awesome!

(PS: Hope your neck feels better soon!)

[Sat Santokh]

I've also heard bad things about the WFPF.  I'd love to hear what Mark has to say about the WFPF

[Travis Graves]

Amazing how this gets greeted with such great respect. I thought people were anti-commercialization? What happened to "WE CAN FIGHT IT! IT DOESNT HAVE TO HAPPEN IF WE DONT LET IT!" ??

I'm just a little pissed off because I've been trying to get this point across for a very long time - if the traceurs involved something have the right attitude and push the right causes, commercialization can happen just fine. Props to you all involved, I talked to NoSole about this last week and think it's incredible that you guys all got together to train! Its such a tremendous opportunity to be able to go out and train with other traceurs, especially traceurs as skilled as those mentioned. But I really feel as if this is being held to a double standard.... I mean come on this is being posted on all sorts of "pro parkour" websites even though in the past they have openly torn down other attempts.

Either way, progress is being made and I'm very happy that it's in the right direction 

Haha,  I was thinking the same thing. We have to remember most people don't have their own opinions though, they just echo the catchphrases of the current minute.




By the way, already discussed here-
http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=16277.0

[Mike Evans AKA "PKSoarer"]

I can't imagine a better group of traceurs to represent Parkour for M.T.V.   

 

[Daniel Arroyo]

Thank you very much everybody, you guys really do make me proud to be apart of something that is bigger then just my local community alone. And again as you all know MTV executives are out to profit and just show flashy aspects; however they allowed us to give our own opinions and they actually listened to us. As for FLOW, you should see PLENTY of it, I can't give too much insight but lets just say we went out there to move for ourselve rather then impress an audience, it just so happens that our individual movements ended up exciting MTV even more. In one of the round on the show you will see an individual showing nothing but flow for 45 sec (no flips), that is because that Traceur stayed true to how he moves. I can however discuss the the organizing of the rounds

ROUND 1:   We are split up into two teams of 4, we then go out and make a video; in the video we have to illustrate creativity, execution, team work, & FLOW.
                  Our video's are then judged and however has the best video goes to the last round (round 3). The team that doesn't win goes to round 2.

ROUND 2:   This is considered a speed round (Parkour based), in which you go through a given course and try to achieve the fastest most efficient time, whoever
                  has the fast time will advance to Round 3.

ROUND 3:   This is pretty much a freestyle round where the final individuals will complete :45-:60 seconds of free movement. They do have judges that will judge
                  who presented the (I hate this word) best FLOW/EXECUTION/CREATIVITY.

In the end we illustrate that there is no winner because we are all winners.

P.S. Thanks Graham my neck is fine now, it only lasted for like 5 days, but you will see what happened on the show (its a nasty fall, lol)

[Andy Animus Tran]

Amazing how this gets greeted with such great respect. I thought people were anti-commercialization? What happened to "WE CAN FIGHT IT! IT DOESNT HAVE TO HAPPEN IF WE DONT LET IT!" ??

I'm just a little pissed off because I've been trying to get this point across for a very long time - if the traceurs involved something have the right attitude and push the right causes, commercialization can happen just fine. Props to you all involved, I talked to NoSole about this last week and think it's incredible that you guys all got together to train! Its such a tremendous opportunity to be able to go out and train with other traceurs, especially traceurs as skilled as those mentioned. But I really feel as if this is being held to a double standard.... I mean come on this is being posted on all sorts of "pro parkour" websites even though in the past they have openly torn down other attempts.

Either way, progress is being made and I'm very happy that it's in the right direction 

Leon..  Some of us took a little longer to mature than you did.  :p

Daniel..  That's not the way that I would've gone about it.  I think I would've fought for a different format, but I understand the constrants MTV would have put you under since they'd more than likely prefer an "elimination" thing of that calibre.  However, I have faith that the message is still portrayed well.  Best of luck.  I'll reserve total judgment after it's all over.

[Daniel Arroyo]

Actually we didn't have much say in the layout of the rounds but Victor/David from the WFPF fought to get it like that rather then just one round of showing off and no insight to the philosophy of it. At first I didn't like the layout and neither did Daniel I. but once we got there and started training with each other and speaking to the camera's we soon realized that we need to live in the moment rather then complain about the past. Make the best with what we have.

[PKAB]

One thing though everyone I know that knows about it dislikes wfpk, why?

[SafeNSure]

Thank you Daniel for sharing your feelings and representing also the other participants.
You speak very passionately, yet humbly about your involvement with this venture, and this can be only be praised.

Anyways I just read all the 7 pages of posts on NAPK.com and I have to say that I am extremely disappointed. There is soo much negativity towards the WFPF and the signed athletes; I have already recieved hate email saying "I am glad you sprained your neck" and things like "I give hispanics a bad name". So if this thread gets anywhere near that I definitely will take it down.

Please note, though that on the PKNA thread the WFPF press releases and statements have been discussed by very passionate practitioners too, coming from very different angles. They are entitled to their opinions, and while it may be a lot to take-in in one shot (as any long thread), it has been a discussion lasting more than one month (= by people who care).
Instead, the people that wish you ill or call you names are just "idiots", and as such you should treat their opinions...

To be fair we have to notice, though, as Travis pointed out

By the way, already discussed here-
http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=16277.0

that there's been honest and fair criticism, and concerns expressed also on APK.
The discussion about the MTV show started on the "Parkour in the X-Games" thread (see: http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=14986.135), where somebody actually said:

BTW the thread on PKNA turned out a lot better than on here.

No hate, no negativity, just some fairness and difference in opinions.
Because "Cheerleading is NOT Parkour..." 

[Brett Robert]

I love APK.  Almost every other forum I've read about this on, there's been tons of anger.  The 100% anti-competition & commercialization people have tended to blast people and back them into corners, forcing people to take all or nothing stands.

Daniel, I'm glad you're OK, and I wish you a speedy recovery.  NoSole is a friend of mine, and I really admire people who take the risk of quitting their day jobs to "go pro," especially here in America where we don't have the social safety nets (i.e. universal health care, etc.) they do in France and Britain.  I think the world needs more people who refuse to pursue anything other than their dreams.

I haven't watched TV in years, but I can't wait to watch this.  I'm sure MTV will screw some things up in the editing room, but I'm glad such talented and intelligent traceurs were involved.

I hope as these issues are discussed, everyone remembers there are more than two sides to the larger debates on commercialization and competition.

[parquar]

I think this will be good for the parkour community if like Daniel said it gives the right impression. Props to Daniel and the other traceurs who participated in the making of the show.

[Kineticstorm]

Damn, this means I have to get cable. But MTV, come on. Couldn't we find a more legitimate network, like cartoon network? At least they show the programs the station is named after.

[Daniel Arroyo]

I totally understand that some people will disagree and may not support it, That is life; Not everybody agrees on everything. Also please understand that this will not be perfect but I just want everybody to know that I and the other Traceur's on the show are VERY VERY passionate about our movement, we just want to inspire and teach rather then to entertain. I want a kid to come up to me and tell me that something that I said changed his life or made his life better; when that happens as corny as it may sound I will have reached one of my many goals to make our community a better place. It's funny how just because I differ in certain aspects of our movement and immediately I get negative KARMA and negative messages, it just goes to show me that the people that are so negative haven't realized what Parkour is really about. We are here to unite and lead each other not push each other down. My brother is the total opposite and does bad things but yet I still support him because he is my family; So to those of you that may hate/dislike me for my decision's I want you to know that no matter what, if you ever come to my area you will have a place to stay. I embrace every Traceur because you are my family in movement no matter your perspective! Thank you to everyone for the support even if you may not agree.

[Ronster82]

I totally understand that some people will disagree and may not support it, That is life; Not everybody agrees on everything. Also please understand that this will not be perfect but I just want everybody to know that I and the other Traceur's on the show are VERY VERY passionate about our movement, we just want to inspire and teach rather then to entertain. I want a kid to come up to me and tell me that something that I said changed his life or made his life better; when that happens as corny as it may sound I will have reached one of my many goals to make our community a better place. It's funny how just because I differ in certain aspects of our movement and immediately I get negative KARMA and negative messages, it just goes to show me that the people that are so negative haven't realized what Parkour is really about. We are here to unite and lead each other not push each other down. My brother is the total opposite and does bad things but yet I still support him because he is my family; So to those of you that may hate/dislike me for my decision's I want you to know that no matter what, if you ever come to my area you will have a place to stay. I embrace every Traceur because you are my family in movement no matter your perspective! Thank you to everyone for the support even if you may not agree.

And that is what makes you more than a traceur. You don't have to listen to what anyone says, if you know you are doing what you can to help others and spread parkour in a way that might change someones life (for the good) than no ones opinion really matters but your own.

Keep it up! It sure sounds like fun!

[JC*]

Like many I pretty well thought it was gonna be a competition based show generating off of flashy movements or corossive jumps which in the end would deface the parkour community. After having read your post on both here and overflux it makes much more sense in what you guys have done and will be doing in this show. Similar to what you said  I also hope that MTV does not turn this against what the beliefs are.

[Skills]

I totally understand that some people will disagree and may not support it, That is life; Not everybody agrees on everything. Also please understand that this will not be perfect but I just want everybody to know that I and the other Traceur's on the show are VERY VERY passionate about our movement, we just want to inspire and teach rather then to entertain. I want a kid to come up to me and tell me that something that I said changed his life or made his life better; when that happens as corny as it may sound I will have reached one of my many goals to make our community a better place. It's funny how just because I differ in certain aspects of our movement and immediately I get negative KARMA and negative messages, it just goes to show me that the people that are so negative haven't realized what Parkour is really about. We are here to unite and lead each other not push each other down. My brother is the total opposite and does bad things but yet I still support him because he is my family; So to those of you that may hate/dislike me for my decision's I want you to know that no matter what, if you ever come to my area you will have a place to stay. I embrace every Traceur because you are my family in movement no matter your perspective! Thank you to everyone for the support even if you may not agree.

i think that ever1 can respect that...traceurs this is the key to progression looking past every flaw that someone has and being supportive of them regardless, my mom taught me that wen i was young