The thrilling world of parkour, or free running as it is often known, hit the streets of St Andrews at the weekend.
Enthusiasts, named traceurs, from across Scotland gathered for the one-day “St Andrews Jam” where they carried out incredible leaps and flips from objects around town.
Some of the spectacular stunts caught the attention of passers-by, including along the beach front where traceurs were bridging enormous boulders with apparent ease.
Parkour has its roots in France and is a non-competitive, physical discipline where runners attempt to pass obstacles in the most efficient way.
Critics say it is a dangerous activity that could lead to copycat stunts from others less experienced resulting in serious injury. There are also accusations that it is an act of vandalism.
But the founder of the Dundee PK (Parkour) team, which boasts around 20 members, Rustic Bodomov, disputed this.
He says parkour is only as reckless as the individual makes it.
“The people I train and practice with all understand the importance of progression, discipline, knowing your limits, and most importantly respect for the people who directly or indirectly let us train on their ‘equipment’,” said Mr Bodomov who is studying architecture at Dundee University.
Mr Bodomov, who first got interested in the discipline around three years ago in his native America, said describing free running as vandalism is a common misconception, which “upsets the respectable members of the community.”
“It’s just common sense that if we damage the places we train at, we will have no where to train,” he said.
Parkour is often associated with death-defying leaps over rooftops but according to Mr Bodomov this is not the reality in the Dundee PK scene where he teaches two classes a week to those keen, and brave enough, to give it a go.
“We are trying to educate the general public about our sport, and for them not to be afraid of us causing damage.
“You don’t need rooftops or dangerous stunts to practice balance, strength, and speed, in fact I have never trained, or trained anyone, even near a roof, and we can spend days just practising balance on simple rails, and practicing wall-runs and just doing some tricking on grass,” he said.
Parkour is now falling into the mainstream with TV adverts, documentaries, music videos and even Hollywood blockbusters employing the impressive talents of free runners-most memorably in the opening sequence of the James Bond film, Casino Royale.
In Scotland there is evidence that popularity around the sport is growing according to Chris Grant (26), from Glasgow.
He teaches over 100 people every week in the art of free running.
Also at St Andrews was the head of the Fife Street Devils, Stuart Wilson (22).
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* Photo credit: BombDogon Flick.