Topic: What's softer, sand or grass?

[Traceur Junior]

Um yea, so I have a question.... sorry if it seems sorta dumb.

What's softer, sand or grass?

I really can't tell the difference with my feet and I don't want to find out which is softer by landing on my face. So, I'm asking you... which is softer? Or are they pretty much the same?


Edit by M2  - please use titles so people know what a thread is about. (I fixed this one)

[BOREAS]

sand.  But sand is annoying.  Especially wet sand.

[Gabe Arnold]

Loose sand like at the beach or in a long jump pit is very soft. Grass is okay because the soil beneath it gives a little. But wet packed sand, like you'd find down by the water's edge at the beach or a bay or something, can be hard as cement.

[Jak]

Your not going to slip around on the grass though like you would on the sand....Is this for learning rolls?

[Mark Toorock]

I'd have to say if you can't tell you might want to spend more time figuring it out ... and also trying not to land on yor face anyway.

If someone says "grass" will you go dive on your face on grass?

To me, part of Parkour is learning and discovering - you tell me, which is softer?
 

[Ozzi]

I'd have to say if you can't tell you might want to spend more time figuring it out ... and also trying not to land on yor face anyway.

If someone says "grass" will you go dive on your face on grass?

To me, part of Parkour is learning and discovering - you tell me, which is softer?
 

BAAAAAMMMMMMM....

Finally someone brought some sense to this thread...

[Casper]

To the well trained traceur a drop onto cement feels as soft as a drop onto the softest grass you could find!
But if this is for drilling rolls or landings, I wouldn't worry too much about which is softer... The harder the surface is, the more quickly you'll be aware of improper technique! (Not that I'm advocating starting your rolls on cement). And if you're drilling landings and worried about how soft the surface is, you should be training with smaller drops until you're more confident and have better landing technique!

[Casper]

But to answer your question 
I would have to say that a thick lawn is softer than sand, unless it is VERY fine. Sand often does not give at all, at least not vertically.

[Alec Furtado]

Just got back from the beach and... sand! Sand + snow is even better! I'm not kidding... there was a nice layer of snow on the beach. It was awesome... great to practice rolls. My friend and I (he's the one on the top in my avatar) were jumping of ledges and dunes into the sand... it was really fun. Plus, running up those dunes was quite a workout

[Traceur Junior]

I'd have to say if you can't tell you might want to spend more time figuring it out ... and also trying not to land on yor face anyway.

If someone says "grass" will you go dive on your face on grass?

To me, part of Parkour is learning and discovering - you tell me, which is softer?
 

Actually, I'm probably the kid that would go dive into the grass on my face.

And, I'm new to this whole Parkour scenario, and as I was "learning and discovering" when I sorta dislocated my shoulder.

So, thats what lead up to me asking this question.

So, I will answer your question "which is softer" when I'm healed =)

Your not going to slip around on the grass though like you would on the sand....Is this for learning rolls?

Nope, not really. They're for learning flips... which I know, is not a part of Parkour.


and sorry M2 about the whole title thingy... This was one of my first threads.

[Acewall]

Well if it's for flips, sand all the way. It's how I learned front flips, and as soon as it's summer I plan on going to the beach and practicing every flip/trick I know. I loooove sand. And after your done with your tricks you can go for a nice swim or surf, pick up chicks, etc. Sand is all around good.

[David Glass]

There's no absolute answer.

I went jogging on the beach the other day and my feet fell about 1 foot into the sand. Then again, some sand is so compacted, cars drive on them (seriously, lifeguards drive their pickups on it)

Also, regardless of the grass, the underlying soil can be clay-like, or well aerated, which will make it softer (don't ask me how I know all this)

If you have a choice and you're spending time contemplating which to choose, I'd say throw a coin so you get to training on not landing on your face :-)

[Mark Toorock]

EKK - sorry to hear about your injury!

No worries about thread title, it's something I'm starting to advocate, you'll see it on other threads to.

It is unfortunate that your learning experience has been stalled - just as I suggest "learning for yourself" I also suggest "looking for god info and help" wen it comes to technique and things that may not be easily discovered by yourself. There is a fine balance

[Casper]

just as I suggest "learning for yourself" I also suggest "looking for god info and help"

Uh oh, we're getting religious in this thread? 

[Brian Belida]

just as I suggest "learning for yourself" I also suggest "looking for god info and help"

Uh oh, we're getting religious in this thread? 

Hahaha, M2 makes typos in all the right places.

[Gregg HIPK]

For both sand and grass, look beneath the surface.

Because they're both soft, they can hide hard things underneath. Make sure that grass isn't hiding tree roots, or nuts, or something else that could mess you up.

Here in Hawaii, it's pretty common to have a thin layer of sand over a thick layer of jagged rocks or coral. One storm can rip a foot off the beach, and totally change your landing area.