Inner city becomes stage for agile leapers

Levon Baird leaps his way through Aotea Square. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Parkour has hit the streets of central Auckland.

Its agile players use concrete steps, park benches and even rubbish bins as gym equipment for their leaps, vaults, drops and somersaults.

Parkour has sprung from the suburbs of Paris to a world-wide following glamorised by films of participants leaping from building to building.

Less-dangerous but thrilling moves were executed by a score of youthful Aucklanders yesterday in a demonstration on the hard concrete structures of Aotea Square.

"It's about trying to find your way around your environment using your body," said sixteen-year-old Levon Baird of Takapuna. "You can do it anywhere."