On March 5^, 2008 the Oregonian published a prominent article in the Living section about Parkour. The article was written by Nancy Dow and featured Oregon Tracer Adam Dunlap. Below is a copy of the article as well as a link to the online copy.

http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/living/120466410921710.xml&coll=7

Demanding parkour keeps him moving

Adam Dunlap – The OSU grad says the sport has helped him get healthier than ever

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

NANCY DOW, The Oregonian Staff

Who: Adam Dunlap, 21, Portland.

Stats: 5 feet 10 inches, 155 pounds.

Life so far: Dunlap was born and raised in Portland and graduated from Westview High School. He zipped through Oregon State University in three years and came out with a degree in business administration. By night, he delivers pizza for Garlic Jim’s.

Fitness history: He was active from a young age and basketball was his life. He wanted to play in the NBA, but he was a short, scrawny kid. At around 10 he watched a short feature on parkour (pronounced par-koor), and it stayed in the back of his mind. Two years ago he took up the discipline in earnest.

What is it?: Also called free running, parkour began about 20 years ago with a Frenchman named David Belle. Practitioners are called tracers or, in London, where it’s popular, traceurs. In Dunlap’s words: “Tracers interact with their environment using only their bodies to overcome obstacles in their path. Whether it be a 12-foot wall, a 10-foot drop, cars, rails or other natural or man-made obstacles, a tracer learns the appropriate techniques to overcome even the most difficult terrain.” He also talks of the focus and concentration he’s learned and the opportunity to overcome fear and doubt. “The rooftop to rooftop jumps are visually interesting but it’s not all big jumps. Anybody can do this.” For further information, and videos: www.misterparkour.com or www.urbanfreeflow.com.

Current workout: His goal is to work out four hours a day, six days a week. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes not. He can practice on school playground equipment or just use the curb. He says, “All the resistance you’ll ever need is your own body. Play like a kid on a jungle gym.” He prefers to be outside, but during the winter he works out at Adapt Training, where he finds a similar philosophy and plenty of indoor equipment. “Since starting this, my whole body has changed. I haven’t lifted weights in two years, but I’m more fit than I’ve ever been.” He hasn’t forgotten his first love, though; he still plays pickup basketball now and then.

Nutrition: As a freshman in college he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, and he had to change his diet drastically. He eats no sweets, processed food or fast food, not even the pizza he delivers. He’s big on produce, chicken, eggs, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, whatever’s whole and natural. “It was hard at the beginning,” he says. “But now it’s good, it gets easier. I’ll take an apricot over a Snickers any day.” He takes supplements that include capsules as well as powders that he mixes with water. He drinks no alcohol or coffee. He sticks to water and juice and has cut back on milk.

Earth to swoosh: Dunlap wants to see his sport accepted and knows that corporate involvement will help. K-Swiss has a shoe already on the market and Adidas sponsors a team and a Web site in London. “I see where it’s going,” he says, “and I think it’s going to explode into an industry. I see it as where skateboarding was 20 years ago. People will catch on. Even if nothing commercial develops, it’s still a fitness revolution.”

In the future?: Though he has yet to make any money from parkour, Dunlap will soon begin giving lessons. And he’s pretty pumped about it. He’s spent a lot of time promoting the sport, and he’s prepared to take it as far as he can. X-Games? Olympics? Who knows, maybe soon he can give up the pizza gig.