Le Parkour: Urban Street Culture and the Commoditization of Male Youth Expression

This article considers the global distribution and commoditization of an extreme sport, Le Parkour, which was popularized by working class Parisian teenagers from the marginalized suburban projects. It examines the transformation of a localized phenomenon associated with the subversive use of urban space into a globalized and dynamic cultural form practiced on the street, in films and theatrical productions and in on‐line communities. The authors study the discourses surrounding le parkour ‐‐ the origin stories, myths, movements, and philosophies of practice that attract followers. Analysis of Le Parkour offers a unique vantage point from which to understand transnational cultural flows, the construction of hybridized identities and the commoditization of youth expression.