Parkour

Parkour runner Norwin Stuffer on leguano barefoot shoes

Norwin Stuffer prefers to run barefoot. When he does his acrobatic training outside, he prefers to be protected in leguano barefoot shoes.
Norwin Stuffer studies sports science at the sports university in Cologne. Together with a friend, he developed a movement concept called "Natural Athletes". The concept is simple: natural training in the fresh air, no matter where. He tells us why he likes to do this in leguano barefoot shoes when we accompany him to the former Zeche Zollverein.

leguano: What can you imagine as a parkour sport?
NS: Parkour is a word creation from the French “Parcour”. People who do parkour are called traceurs (French: le traceur "the one who draws a line"). The sport developed from a group of young French people called Yamakazi. It is the art of overcoming obstacles, mainly in urban areas. This means you have to deal with objects such as walls and walls and try to get around optimally within the environment. Nevertheless, there are also mental obstacles that have to be overcome. Parkour is also a form of dealing with yourself.

leguano: What movements are there in parkour? How often do you have to train them?
NS: There is no requirement on how often you should exercise. Many build exercises and moves into their everyday life and practically practicing at any time.

leguano: How long have you been doing this sport?
NS: I've been doing parkour for over 10 years. I probably did it before, but it wasn't called that at the time.

leguano: Are there (official) championships?
NS .: Organized structures are coming more and more to the parkour scene. It will soon become an Olympic discipline too. Everyone can think of what they want. For me, a fixed structure with hierarchies within this sport is not necessary.
leguano: Do you do parkour professionally?
NS: Professionalism is difficult to define in parkour, but I think that due to my many years of experience and my training, I am one of the people who do this passionately and, yes, professionally.
leguano: What widths and heights do you overcome?
NS: There are heights and heights that I don't want to jump or reach. This is certainly a central part of parkour to determine your own limits and, if necessary, to overcome them.
leguano: Are there comparable communities in other sports?
NS: There are strong similarities to other scenes, for example the skater scene. This scene is also very self-designed, that is, people meet within the groups, are freely structured, are not members of clubs. So you can practice the sport completely independently and are not bound by fixed regulations. The threshold to enter this sport is therefore very low and enables new members to participate directly. Just put on your shoes and training clothes and you're ready to go.
leguano: Do you incorporate parkour into your everyday life?
NS: I often find myself using Parkour in everyday life. On the way to the train, I prefer swinging over the barrier rather than running around outside. When I walk up stairs, I always take several steps at a time. Overall, you develop a completely different eye for urban space, you see opportunities to use parkour everywhere.

leguano: With which model do you complete Parkour?

NS: I am currently using the new go: model. The high-cut shaft encloses the ankle, therefore offers protection against injuries to the ankle and gives a secure feeling when stepping on. The sock models are also ideal.

leguano: What makes leguanos so special for you?
NS: So feeling of the ground and contact with the ground is of course a very big topic in parkour, because we are constantly on our feet. No matter whether we run, jump or balance. A feeling for the ground is so important because we don't just walk over flat ground as we do in everyday life, but sometimes we want to stand, balance and land on completely unfamiliar surfaces. A firm stand is very important.