The Steeple Chase, Parkour's Distant Cousin?
You're running across an empty stretch of ground, come upon a barrier and leap it without breaking stride. A little further up you see another obstacle; a short wall with a pond extending past it. With ease you pounce onto the wall then explode off of it, clearing most of the water and leaving only a small splash and footprint behind as evidence of your adventure.
Sounds like the epitaph of a Traceur no? It's actually an order of events that commonly take place in a track and field event called the Steeple Chase. Joining us is Olympic Steeple Chase competitor Simon Vroemen for a discussion regarding the Steeple Chase and some similarities with Le Parkour.
Paul: Hello Simon, first off I would like to thank you for finding the time aside from your training to engage in this little chat and also congratulate you on your recent 5'th national indoor title!
Simon: Thanks for that. Hey, new things are always exciting to participate in.
Paul: The Steeple Chase is an extraordinary event to watch and must take great skill to compete in. Where did the event originate and has its obstacles always been as they are today?
Simon: I wrote a nice story on this topic on www.simonvroemen.nl. There used to be Oxford University students who wanted to race a horse out in the fields, over hedges / barriers and little water streams / water pits. They originated the event. The event was first held on the track in the London Olympics (I think) and the barriers were likely the same as today. They don't fall over if you hit them!
Paul: How do athletes usually come to take up the Steeple Chase? Is it usually something one knows they are interested in from the instant they see it or are they taken by the sport later on in training after being exposed to it a little more?
Simon: It is not the most logical event to choose, I'd say they get slowly drawn into it after they have seen it a few times and when they feel they may possibly be good at it (at the jumping rhythm changes, toughness). Even then, it takes many years of training before you master the event well!
Paul: When you decide you want to become a dedicated Steeple Chase competitor, what are some of the principals you must keep in mind that are unique to the this event as opposed to other track and field events?
Simon: Most importantly the ability to cope with rhythm changes all the time. You also require more flexibility and coordination skills to become a good hurdler. And you have to be physically and mentally very tough not to break down from fatigue at the later stages of the race. being able to learn to hurdle without spending a lot of energy requires good motor skills, guts, and additional leg muscle power.
Paul: Sometimes Traceurs are perceived as rebels to the general public. This is due mostly to a sometimes overzealous spirit to explore or seek out adventure. How are Steeple Chase competitors perceived in the track and field community and do you see any possible common personality traits?
Simon: Steeple chasers are not as 'wild' as some other extreme sports people like the skateboarding or extreme biking competitions, or Traceurs. This has partly to do with the fact that steeple chasers have to train very many miles to get an outstanding endurance, and consequently resemble to some extent the shyer marathon runner type of guys (they spend many hours in solitude training). But on the other hand, the chase takes guts and great sprinting / jumping capability, and characters tend to be somewhat alternative, with tattoos etc, so there is some resemblance as well to the Traceurs.
Paul: Upon reviewing some footage of Parkour, what is your take on the newly emerging discipline? Do you see any similarities and possible future steeplechasers in Parkours current grasp? ;)
Simon: There is certainly the element of guts; you have to dare a lot to jump closely over solid objects and do dangerous water jumps. Parkour seems to take even more guts I guess, as the obstacles are continuously different and more dangerous. The main difference is that the endurance element is less in Parkour I guess, and the stunt element is higher. So there is quite a difference, but I'd certainly see people moving from one of the events to the other and back. Watch me come to Parkour! ;-)
Paul: What are some common injuries seen in your event? Which stretches/exercises are commonly performed to prevent them?
Simon: Overuse injuries from overtraining can occur anywhere in the joints and muscles mostly legs and specifically for steeple also hips. Acute injuries on ankles (landing in water pit on a tilted slope!) and knees, bruises etc when you hit a barrier and fall on the synthetic track, are also common. Don't remind me about them! ;-)
Paul: Do you think Parkour could one day evolve to become a competitive event? Maybe the Freestyle Moguls to the Steeple Chases Slalom?
Simon: I think it will certainly become competitive, in the same way as these extreme freestyle mountain bikers do their jury-guided competitions on artificial circuits with all kinds of obstacles. I can deliver some barriers and water if you want! ;-)
Paul: Anything else in general you would like to say at all? This might be a good place to plug your website.
Simon: I hope Parkour will develop well. And also that there will remain interaction and cross-fertilization between Parkour and steeple chase. If there is a Parkour event near my home, I'd like to visit! Keep on checking my site www.simonvroemen.nl for everything on the steeple chase!
Paul: Thanks for your time, much luck and continued success to you. Hope you break up those Kenyans in Beijing 2008!
Simon: I'll do my best - you too good luck!
In conclusion I�d like to remark that aside from the obvious elements (timed competition, set obstacles etc..) separating it from Parkour, some fundamental similarities cannot be denied and it can easily be argued that there are some Traceurs out there that were first instilled with this adventurous spirit while watching the Steeple Chase take place whether on television or at track events. Regardless, I think its important to keep an open mind and observe things around you, as all Traceurs could defiantly learn a thing or two by taking notes on techniques used today which have evolved over decades through competitive sportsmanship.
-Paul