Date: 12/18/2005
Place: Freeway Park (Seattle)
Time: Noon

Great, lots of great advice, new faces (including me ), the PI was there, and of coarse, it was at freeway park, one of my favorite places to do Parkour. Lots of great places to cat and there where some great places to vault.

augh!!! details!?!

I was happy to see so many people there, and also so many photographers! One from the PI, Serge and his friend (I already forgot his name...), PhotosRUs, and other people just busting out digital cameras, video cameras and even cell phone cameras. There's sooo much media of this jam, I can't wait to see some of it!

I got a chance to talk to Athima, the PI reporter and I hope to see the article soon, when it comes out! I'm very excited to see what she puts in print for us.

Also, Serge sounds like he really wants to get very serious about Parkour photography. He mentioned that he's setting up a website for it soon and it sounds like he really wants to get into the scene. I'm so excited about how everything is developing!

And of course, there was a HUGE turnout! I think we had something around 20+ people in attendance, the biggest WA jam so far! I'm really glad to see the word getting out about PK and seeing people getting interested enough in it to come and check it out. Man, I have to say, I think I had forgotten how fun it is to play around in Freeway Park. I feel kinda bad for not having had another jam there until now. I think I need to go make it out there myself more; there were things I didn't do that I did last time, but also things I did this time I didn't do last time, so it was still a growth experience. Also, now with over a year's more experience, coming back to Freeway Park, I definetely saw it in a different light. I can't wait to see how things get in the spring.

very awesome! pissed that I had to miss it....

so, is the gym jam moved to another day or what's the deal with that?

Awesome jam one of the best we have had, freeway park provided a superb playground, it was awesome to see so many people and so many new places. To all the newbies impressive show, you guys were picking stuff up super fast.

Some very impressive techniques were performed, Unduanted is totally mental. Though I can't wait to see the photo of that back to the drop handstand.

One of the nicest things to see at this jam was the implementation of runs it was cool to see people going out and stringing runs together and organizing little mini runs. I think the understanding of parkour is really growing around here.

It was cool to have people there just to take media and for the most part. I think its important that if we are going to start getting more media attention we remain true to our own goals and commitment to safety. Don't be tempted to push yourself farther just for the camera's. I think at this jam we did that pretty well.

Props to all the guys from portland for coming up this far to represent the discipline.

Ya I have to say that was one of the coolest things I've ever been to, the entire day was amazing, hell that entire week was amazing (did a lot of climbing and parkour). So great that so many people came out, especially the new people, they really rocked! Good job Sam, first parkour experience and he gets in the paper !

I've already taken a look at some of the 700 pictures that Serge and Kevin shot while at the jam, some are really amazing, as in totally fricken amazing. When he's picking out which ones to send to Corbis, I'll need some help naming people in them and getting model releases to everyone but we've got time. Trust me this is worth it

Yeah, I was glad to finally meet Serge, he seems like a really great guy and I'm glad we were here to meet him at a time like this in Parkour's development and growth so he can be with the sport for a long time coming.

Where are Serge's pictures anyway?

He has agreed to let us use them as well, but have to wait a bit, I'm working on it don't worry.

Yeah my mom was all excited
I'm totally hooked, I've never found a sport I enjoyed that much (including racing my 500 hp Buick down the 1/4 mile). I'm gonna be a regular at all the jam sessions. However, I think I'm gonna work on my conditioning a little, I woke up Monday morning and could hardly move I was so sore. In fact, I was so sore that the knee I smashed into the wall was the least of my parkour induced pain
Still worth it!

It was fun to meet you all, great bunch of folks (thumbs-up)

I'm glad you had so much fun Sam, and I'm happy PK has found a place in yet another person's interests ^_^

sam, look in to taking ice baths (or as cold as you can at least) after hard workouts.
Google around for 'DOMS', 'cold bath therapy', 'post-workout soreness', etc. I think Pavel is the one who talks about old school russians dunking themselves in water barrels outside - now that's hardcore.

Basically by immersing in cold water for about 15 minutes within a half hour of your hard workout, when you get out of the water your body 'kicks the furnace on' and helps flush all the toxins out of your system.
This is more effective then hot showers, alternating hot & cold packs, etc.
It sucks at first, but if you're jamming a lot you get used to it pretty soon and cold baths feel quite good.
After you jump out of the bath, don't get all bundled up and sit in front of the heater or anything, that will cancel out the effects.

Yeah, it's been awhile since I've done them (I do tend to do them less in the cold weather), but I used to dump 2 bags of ice from the store in the bath and use that after heavy jams. I did take my first cold water (no ice) bath in a while last night, and damn it felt good.

Thanks that's good to know.

I ended up taking a hot Epsom salt bath on Monday night and that helped a ton. . .but I'll give the cold bath a try next time. . .

And make sure when you do the cold bath, you don't jump in front of a fire or heater or something. The point is to make your body heat *itself* up, so you get a similar effect to a hot bath or heat compress, but it's coming from inside, so it hits the tissues more deeply. So after you climb out and dry off, put on some warm clothes (I usually put on my usual night time relaxation gear, sweatpants and sweatshirt/jacket) and go about your usual business.