Montreal's Parkour Jam 2014: a few words with traceur Dustin Ng!

Montreal's Parkour Jam has always brought many traceurs from all around town and even across borders. The event is open to all: beginners and advanced athletes are all just there to have a good time and train together, while hitting tons of spots. Dustin Ng has been training for 3 years and organizing this jam for the second time now. Parkour is to him a physical and mental liberation.

I myself started parkour last january at The Spot, with Steven Leblanc. Labour Day weekend was my first outdoor training ever. I took some time to talk with Dustin, who kindly answered my questions.

33mag: Where did the idea of a parkour jam come from?
Dustin Ng: Parkour jams had started long before I started doing parkour. The first time I did parkour was at the Montreal parkour jam. I only organized the jam this year and last year. Before that, it was Steven Leblanc, who is now the owner of the parkour gym in Montreal, The Spot. In general, the idea for jams just came from traceurs wanting to meet other traceurs to learn new things and discover new places.

33mag: Is this something you would like to keep going every year?
D.Ng: If the interest is there, yes, it would be great for this to keep on going annually. It's always great to see new faces and old ones you hadn't seen in awhile. It gives a big enough reason for people to just come out and play.

33mag: What is your relation with security/police kicking you out of spots? How do you react to that?
D.Ng: We very rarely have altercations with the police. We butt heads a little more often with security guards, but most of the times there is no real problem. In the Montreal community a least, there is a notion of respect, as in respecting the environment we train in, people just passing by, other people training. So, if a security guard is respectful towards us, we understand that it is their job to ask us to leave. If one comes out with an aggressive disposition, we tend to respond less cooperatively. One of the most odd things that I hear is "you aren't allowed to jump here"... now when you think about it, isn't that just a ridiculous thing to say?

33mag: Your advice to anyone wanting to start training?
D.Ng: My main advice would be to go to your own rhythm. We all have different skill levels and come from different backgrounds. Don't try to progress too fast and do something you aren't ready. Know the proper techniques and base skills. You are better off doing it correctly and slowly than fast and sketchy. That's not to say to not push yourself if you know you are able to do it, but know your limits and then WORK to push them further.