Tempest Freerunning

Wondering if you were going to checl out the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation movie this weekend?

Here’s one awesome reason to go:

Our very own Albert “Spider” Valladeres covered not only 100 percent of the freerunning and parkour moves for lead character Flint (played by DJ Cotrona), but was also one of three stunt doubles for Snake Eyes (played by Ray Park). Stop what you’re doing and go get tickets to see this badass film (with some badass stunts from our brother!).

Put your action figures aside: It’s time to hang with some real G.I. Joe’s.

Not only are we excited to announce the upcoming premier of a serious action flick, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but we’re also pumped to tell you that our very own Tempest Teammate, Albert “Spider” Valladeres, had a crucial role in bringing some of the film’s best action to life.

The only stunt double for Flint (played by DJ Cotrona), Spider took this character’s freerunning and parkour moves to entirely new levels, executing all of these movements for Cotrona. Additionally, he also was one of three stunt doubles working on the intense stunts for Snake Eyes (played by Ray Park). According to Spider, he “lived my dream to be Snake Eyes in a movie” in this particular project.

A follow-up to the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was directed by Jon M. Chu. In this film, the team continues their battle against COBRA, while also dealing with threats from the government that could terminate the team for good. Check out the trailer below and get your tickets to see Spider in action! Here’s a sneak peek of both of his characters:

The best freerunners from across the globe will be at the Tempest Pro Takeover. See who’s coming via our Facebook app, and get your tickets now so you don’t miss the chance to be a part of the top freerunning event of the year!

More details below…

The Tempest Pro Takeover brings together the best parkour and freerunning athletes in the world for a week-long event you can’t miss. Teams from around the globe will join Tempest Freerunning in a brand-new format emphasizing collaboration, creativity and the collective drive to make our disciplines better than ever.

While some events are invitation only, many events in the Pro Takeover are open to the public. Stay tuned for further details and dates!

It’s coming…

The North American Parkour Championships are on their way. And Tempest will be there in full-swing.

Hosted by our very own Michael “Frosti” Zernow, Paul “Diddy” Darnell, Gabe “Jaywalker” Nunez, Victor “Showtime” Lopez, Luci “Steel” Romberg, Brian “NoSole” Orosco, Cory DeMeyers, Josh “Gingerbeast” Yadon, and Jesse La Flair will be competing for a shot at the top spot in North American parkour.

The competition takes place at the Origins Parkour & Athletic Facility facility in Vancouver, British Columbia on February 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:30, and tickets are only $10.

Come and cheer us on!

Jesse La Flair, one of the newest members of Team Tempest, isn’t new to the amazing freerunning community on YouTube. With more than 6 million video views, he’s helped people all over the globe improve their technique and skillset.

Recently, he released his 100th YouTube video, with a particularly special gift to his subscribers: a brand-new move he invented called the Knee Loser.

“When I first started, I used my number of subscribers to help push me to train more often and harder,” he writes. “At some point, I promised that the moves I would do would get bigger as the rate of subscribers goes up. Well, I still feel the same way today.”

The video also features a compilation of recent highlights and favorite moments:

“This year I got asked to join the incredible Team of Tempest Freerunning. It is my brothers on the team that have pushed me the furthest,” he continued. “They set a bar of movement so how I am blinded by what should be normal. They are my family and I just wanted to say thanks for everyones help on pushing me harder and making me stronger.”

Check out his video, and subscribe to Jesse La Flair’s YouTube page, and check out Tempest Freerunning too!

Recently on Conan, a few NCAA mascots showed up that probably won’t ever hear the roar of the crowd in a packed basketball arena. A Pumpkin Knight, Non-Dairy Creamer, and a host of others tried their luck in a slam-dunk contest.

The champion of the evening was the lowly Star Wars Nerd Who’s Already Camping Out for Tickets – the only one during the show to make the shot and achieve Team Coco Mascots Who Should Never Dunk fame.

Not only was this mascot a hero for Star Wars nerds everywhere, but he was also our own Dan “Shooter” Mast. After the crew at Team Coco called needing a stunt professional for an entertaining (and safe) stunt, Dan couldn’t refuse the chance to take the shot. Watch the video of the clip here, or check out the full episode!

The next time you turn on the TV, take another look at the actors that grace your screen. They are experts at fitting their roles, and often, this means intense training regimens and routines to fit the physical profile of their characters.

Stephen Amell makes looking tough, well, easy, in his new role on the lead of the CW’s “Arrow.” His character, Oliver Queen/Arrow, is a vigilante superhero dedicated to fighting the villains in society and in Queen’s own personal life.

Like the Arrow himself, Amell’s super powers weren’t created in a day. Tempest’s Paul “Diddy” Darnell worked with Amell to help develop the physique and skills Amell would need to accurately portray Oliver Queen.

“I showed Stephen the basics of parkour,” said Darnell. “Having a strong athletic base, he really adapted quickly to it. I taught him as much as I could before he had to leave for shooting in Vancouver. He learned a great base a skills to help make his character, the Arrow, even more badass.”

“Badass” is an apt word to describe Amell’s skills – if you haven’t yet, take a look at the video above and check out behind the scenes footage from a photo shoot for Emmy magazine. And don’t forget to tune into Arrow on Wednesdays at 8/7c!

The 2012 Red Bull Art of Motion (AOM) Santorini competition brought some of the world’s best freerunners together for a contest unlike any other.

According to Red Bull, “Art of Motion began in Vienna, Austria in 2007. World-renowned freerunning star and the victor in that first competition, Ryan Doyle, explains that each event is about the taking part more than the winning: ‘It’s more of an exhibition of different styles [...] but there are no losers. It’s not 25 freerunners competing against each other, it’s 25 freerunners competing against the course every time – almost like 25 different tournaments.’”

Hosted in picturesque Santorini, Greece for the second year in a row, AOM tested athletes’ creativity, flow and overall mastery of their moves. Across a grueling 260-meter course that dropped 70 meters in elevation, competitors spanned rooftops, church cupolas, terraces and more – in just under two minutes. Representatives from Team Tempest included:

- Josh Yadon, who placed third in Red Bull Art of Motion Nature to win his spot in Santorini
- Cory DeMeyers, who placed first in the Santorini qualifiers to earn his chance to run
- Luci “Steel” Romberg, who was an official invitee
- Victor “Showtime” Lopez, an official judge responsible for assessing athletes’ creativity

The 21 total competitors came from around the world, including friends of Team Tempest like Marcus Gustafsson of Sweden’s AirWipp and the talented Timothy “Livewire” Shieff, to name a few.

Throughout the preliminary and finals rounds, athletes demonstrated fearless and inspired runs through the course. Although they had solid preliminary runs, DeMeyers and Yadon did not make the final round. However, Romberg qualified for the finals, and toasted the competition to place 7th overall, winning top female as well. The final standings were:

1. Pasha Petkuns (LAT)
2. Markus Gustafsson (SWE)
3. Jason Paul (GER)
4. Yoann Leroux (FRA)
5. Luis Alkmim (POR)
6. Alexander Zyulev (RUS)
7. Luci Romberg (USA) 
8. Ryan Doyle (UK)

If you missed the official competition, watch it on demand, courtesy of Red Bull. And for an inside perspective, read about Santorini from the perspective of our top finisher, Luci Romberg.