Parkour is thriving on college campuses across the US.

For many, the college campus is a space that fosters curiosity, presents opportunity and offers growth. The architectural spaces are an invitation to students, student organizations and the greater college community. It is not surprising that a college campus would become the home for parkour athletes to flourish.
Throughout the week, the collegiate parkour community sees the campus in new ways. Late on a Tuesday, college athletes gather in the modern concrete courtyard of the School of Dentistry at the University of Michigan and circle up for a group stretch before creating beautiful lines of movement through the space. On a Friday afternoon, you can wander across the old grounds of the ‘academcial village’ designed by Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia and see college parkour athletes practicing vaults and precisions on the Jeffersonian neo-classical brick architecture. On a Saturday morning, the modern architecture of the Geisel Library, School of Engineering or Central Hall inspires the college parkour athletes at the University of California – San Diego.

2016 marks the fifth year of the USA Parkour – College Division, known commonly

as ‘USAP College,’ formerly known as ‘College WFPF’ and is shaping up to be the year with the most support from the community. In fact, the college parkour community’s support for USAP College has doubled since last year.

USAP College was founded to mentor college parkour clubs on college campuses in the United States. USAP College is led by current and former leaders of the college parkour community and is dedicated to addressing the most relevant and crucial issues for the future of collegiate parkour. Through our college parkour club membership USAP College currently provides practical tools like insurance, constitutions and by-laws, hands-on club-building support, sponsorship and fundraising guidance, and event sanctioning.

USAP College membership was designed to provide critical organizational support for parkour training on college campuses across the United States.

USAP College membership brings college parkour clubs together and gives them access to the resources of USA Parkour and WFPF. USAP College is excited to share the fast growing list of USAP College member clubs for the 2016-17 academic year:

• Auburn University, AL (Auburn Parkour -AUPK)
• University of Texas – San Antonio, TX (UTSA Parkour)
• University of Michigan, MI (Michigan Parkour – MIPK)
• Louisiana Tech University, LA (LA Tech AGM)
• Champlain College, VT (Champlain Parkour)
• Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN (The Parkour and Free Running Club – MNSU Parkour)
• University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN (University Parkour and Free Running Enthusiasts)
• East Central University, OK (East Central University Parkour Club)
• University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, IL (Parkour Illinois)
• University of Virginia, VA (Parkour and Freerunning at UVA)
• University of Wisconsin – Platteville, WI (Avialae Parkour)
• Washington State University, WA (Freerun WSU)
• California State University – Fullerton, CA (CSUF Parkour/Freerunning)
• University of Connecticut, CT (Husky Pack Parkour – HPPK)
• University of Buffalo, NY (UB Parkour)
• University of Mary Washington, VA (UMW Parkour)
• University of Maryland, MD (UMD Parkour)
• University of California – San Diego, CA (UCSD Parkour)
• Michigan State University, MI (MSU Parkour)
• Carnegie Mellon University, PA (Tartan Parkour – TPK)
• Wichita State University, KS (Wichita State Parkour and Freerunning)
• San Diego State University, CA (SDSU Parkour)
• Kent State University, OH (Kent Parkour Klub)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA (Parkour and Freerunning at VT)
• Pennsylvania State University, PA (PSU Parkour)
• Colorado School of Mines, CO (Colorado School of Mines Traceurs Parkour Club)

USAP College member clubs come from 18 different states. Active members of each parkour club range from 10 to over 50 members in some of the oldest most established clubs. Parkour clubs across the country receive funding, can reserve space to practice on campus, hold regular training times, participate in on campus showcases and festivals, hold events on campus, travel to other campuses and more.

USAP College member clubs include some of the oldest and most established parkour clubs in college parkour community. Parkour and Freerunning at UVA, is a founding member of USAP College and was founded at the University of Virginia in 2007. Auburn Parkour (AUPK) was founded at Auburn University in 2006. Parkour and Freerunning at VT (VTPK), was founded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2005/2006. Michigan Parkour (MIPK) was founded at the University of Michigan in 2005/2006.
College campuses host parkour events each semester.

College parkour events

In September of 2015, the University of Wisconsin – Platteville and the on-campus parkour club, Avialae Parkour, hosted the first ‘USAP College Parkour Invitational’, including the first ever intercollegiate parkour competition sponsored by Know Obstacles, insured by USA Parkour and sanctioned by the World Freerunning Parkour Federation.

The invitational is a weekend long celebration of the college parkour community including an organized jam and competition. The USAP College team is currently working towards finding a college campus that will host the next USAP College Parkour Invitational. Conner Hjellming, a current student and president of Avialae Parkour at the University of Wisconsin, and Asa Krueger, alumn and founder of Avialae Parkour, have joined our team as Event Directors of USAP College. They will work with parkour clubs who wish to host the USAP College Parkour Invitational as they were the first to host the Invitational.

Each semester, college parkour clubs host demonstrations for new members, workshops for beginners and jams for active members and visiting athletes. UTSA Parkour, the parkour club at the University of Texas –San Antonio participated in the annual Movement Arts Jam for UTSA students interested activities like acro yoga, juggling, slacklining, dancing, acrobatics and parkour. This past September, the Michigan Parkour at the University of Michigan hosted the 11th annual state-wide parkour jam, organized by the parkour club on campus and heavily attended by parkour athletes from across the Midwest.

The Parkour Association at UVA held a fall parkour jam at the University of Virginia attended by five different college parkour communities with special guests, Greg and Matt Milano, directors of USA Parkour – College Division.

Also this fall, parkour athletes at the University of Connecticut and members of Husky Pack Parkour competed in the first ever Team Ninja Warrior – College Madness, filmed in Los Angeles and aired on the Esquire Network in November 2016.

Look out for college parkour jams held in the spring semester at Auburn University (Auburn Pakrour), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA (Parkour and Freerunning at VT), University of Maryland (UMD Parkour) and MORE!

College parkour scholarship sponsored by Know Obstacles

The KO College Parkour Scholarship was created during the 2016-17 academic year for the benefit of future college parkour athletes. The scholarship is currently being funded through a percentage of each purchase made by college parkour athletes using their Know Obstacles discount code at checkout at www.knowobstacles.com.

For college parkour news, video, pictures, events and more follow their pages below:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/USAPcollege
Twitter: twitter.com/USAPcollege
Instagram: @collegeparkour
Website: www.usaparkour.org/college
OR
Email USAP College at: college@usaparkour.org