Parkour practitioners, also called traceurs, will have an event just for them on Saturday July 20. Enthusiasts from all over France will come to find out: how do we do parkour in Chaumont?
Parkour is an urban discipline that is little known in Haute-Marne. The League of Shadows, a Chaumontese parkour association, is organizing a jam session on Saturday July 20 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Quesaco? It’s a gathering of parkour enthusiasts where the “tracers” will wander around the city with jumps and other acrobatics.
The “tracers” come from cities like Dijon, Aubagne, Reims, Strasbourg, and even Lyon. “We brought friends from all over. The interest is that they discover our city and how we practice discipline. For example, there are very specific instructions depending on the city. In Chaumont, we are not allowed to go on the roofs for this type of event,” explains Quentin Bena, president of the League of Shadows.
He continues: “Yes, there is parkour in Haute-Marne, that’s what we want to show too.” Fun, while respecting safety rules, will be the key word. The organization, he promises, is intended to be quite basic. “You just need your shoes and the street,” he says.
A first parkour show in Haute-Marne
This event, which is a first in Haute-Marne, will have several highlights with the start of activities at 9 a.m. at the Voltaire skatepark. On the program: warm-up, sale of derivative products and welcome around a coffee. At the end, the various enthusiasts present will head towards the city center to show their practice.
Throughout the route, the curious will be able to admire the acrobatics performed by the fifty “tracers” present. They will notably pass through the Place des Droits de l’Homme, Cours Marcel-Baron or even old Chaumont.
At 11 a.m., the League of Shadows will offer 1 km of quadrupedics, meaning “a movement on four legs with overcoming obstacles. Physically and mentally, it’s quite difficult,” adds Quentin Bena. The lunch break is also planned in a historic setting, that of the park adjoining the keep of the Counts of Champagne.
At 6 p.m., to close the event, the Chaumont Béhourd association will offer a small show at the en Buez washhouse. It is a form of medieval combat where teams face off in full armor, with steel weapons, neither pointed nor sharp. This promises a grand ending.
Currently the association is in full preparation and working on promoting the event. This July 20 will be an opportunity to discover and rediscover the city. Parkour will no longer have any secrets for you like Chaumont.
J.V.
