World Freerunning & Parkour Federation
Encyclopedia
The World Freerunning & Parkour Federation (WFPF) is an organization that was established in 2007. It is an organization that hopes to bring together patrons of parkour
and freerunning and aims to bring the sport and philosophy to the mainstream audience. On the WFPF website, the organization’s mission statement
reads as follows:
, and eight of the world’s most respected Parkour
and Freerunning athletes. The athletes, Daniel Ilabaca, Ryan Doyle, Tim Shieff, Oleg Vorslav, Victor Lopez, Gabriel Nunez, Paul Darnell and Richard King
, and the company principals, Victor Bevine, David Thompson and production partner Francis Lyons came together with the stated purpose of bringing the sport and philosophy of Parkour to mainstream American audiences through television and other media and live formats. Other member athletes of the WFPF include Brian Orosco, King David, Michael Turner and Daniel Arroyo from the U.S. Pip Andersen, Philip Doyle, Ben Jenkin from the U.K., Marcus Gustafsson and Filip Ljungberg of Sweden, and Justin "Jet" Sheaffer from the U.S.
On May 6, 2010 the first of 12 live Episodes of Ultimate Parkour Challenge aired on MTV. Each week the competitors will be put in a new environment to compete, with the first episode taking place on the historic Queen Mary Hotel, in Long Beach, California.
, a charitable organization founded by Tony Hawk, Lance Armstrong and Mia Hamm among others, to facilitate opportunities for athletes to serve as role models for underserved youth around the U.S. WFPF athletes have donated their services to events at the Harlem Children’s Zone as well as at the New York Fresh Air Fund.
The WFPF website is a social-networking site similar to facebook, the first such site targeted specifically at the parkour community and dedicated to its interests and concerns. The website currently has profiles posted from every U.S. state and over 60 countries worldwide.
Parkour
Parkour is a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Originally developed in France, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping...
and freerunning and aims to bring the sport and philosophy to the mainstream audience. On the WFPF website, the organization’s mission statement
Strategic planning
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues...
reads as follows:
History
The World Freerunning & Parkour Federation (WFPF) was founded in January 2007 as a partnership between Ruff Magic Entertainment, a New Jersey limited liability companyLimited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, and eight of the world’s most respected Parkour
Parkour
Parkour is a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Originally developed in France, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping...
and Freerunning athletes. The athletes, Daniel Ilabaca, Ryan Doyle, Tim Shieff, Oleg Vorslav, Victor Lopez, Gabriel Nunez, Paul Darnell and Richard King
Richard King
Richard King may refer to:*Richard King , founder of the King Ranch in South Texas*Sir Richard King, 1st Baronet , British admiral, Commodore Governor for Newfoundland and Labrador...
, and the company principals, Victor Bevine, David Thompson and production partner Francis Lyons came together with the stated purpose of bringing the sport and philosophy of Parkour to mainstream American audiences through television and other media and live formats. Other member athletes of the WFPF include Brian Orosco, King David, Michael Turner and Daniel Arroyo from the U.S. Pip Andersen, Philip Doyle, Ben Jenkin from the U.K., Marcus Gustafsson and Filip Ljungberg of Sweden, and Justin "Jet" Sheaffer from the U.S.
MTV
The WFPF partnered with MTV to develop and produce MTV’S ULTIMATE PARKOUR CHALLENGE, a one-hour competitive format special starring WFPF member athletes Daniel Ilabaca, Ryan Doyle, Tim Shieff, Pip Andersen, Brian Orosco, King David, Michael Turner and Daniel Arroyo.On May 6, 2010 the first of 12 live Episodes of Ultimate Parkour Challenge aired on MTV. Each week the competitors will be put in a new environment to compete, with the first episode taking place on the historic Queen Mary Hotel, in Long Beach, California.
Other projects
The WFPF has also partnered with Athletes for HopeAthletes for hope
is a nonprofit organization that works to educate professional athletes about philanthropy, connect them with charitable causes, recognize these efforts and inspire others to get involved in the community. AFH emphasizes that its focus is on the athlete's time and not their money.The CEO of...
, a charitable organization founded by Tony Hawk, Lance Armstrong and Mia Hamm among others, to facilitate opportunities for athletes to serve as role models for underserved youth around the U.S. WFPF athletes have donated their services to events at the Harlem Children’s Zone as well as at the New York Fresh Air Fund.
The WFPF website is a social-networking site similar to facebook, the first such site targeted specifically at the parkour community and dedicated to its interests and concerns. The website currently has profiles posted from every U.S. state and over 60 countries worldwide.