Interview with Stephane Vigroux

This interview was made in collaboration with Deviants team. Stephane Vigroux represents the old-school of parkour.

Stephane, how did you get involved in parkour?

- The story is very short and simple. I used to live very close to Lisses, the village where it all began. My friends brought me over to the training wall, which was built by David and his followers. I got really inspired by the philosophy of parkour. One thing led to another, and soon I became as dedicated as the rest of tracers.

Which other kinds of sport do you enjoy?

- Skiing, probably. In all honesty, when I’ve met David Belle, I did not have any legitimate physical training behind my belt. I did not know anything; David had to teach me step by step.

What is your relationship with Urbanfreeflow?

- I’ve participated in the shooting of their documentary on parkour in 2006. Those guys are definitely serious about what they are doing. Yes, they do have their own professional team of athletes. Yes, they did design and produce their line of parkour clothing which they sell through their web-site. Those people know how to make money with the help of their passion, it impresses me.

What do you think is most important during the training?

- Before starting to learn how to fly one has to learn how to land. When you jump, never bend your knees more than 90 degrees. All the movements should be synchronized; otherwise you will immediately lose your balance. Never underestimate the importance of the warm up, pay particular attention to stretching. Some people are too impatient to spend as much time on stretching as necessary; such childish attitude can lead to serious trouble.

What was your biggest injury?

- It might sound strange, but I’ve never had a serious injury while training. The sprained ankle is probably the worst thing I had so far. I know it is pretty weird, especially knowing that so many tracers are injuring themselves every day.

What would you like to say to new generation of tracers?
- Be safe, guys! Remember, if you are scared to do the jump, it means that you are simply not ready to do it yet. Be smart, be quick and be careful!

***

Voila, Vigroux in action