The 9th most exciting Parkour story of the decade was the return of David Belle….kind of. It’s complicated. You’ll have to hear this one explained.
To set the stage, the founder of Parkour, and the widely considered greatest Traceur of all time (the GOAT) is David Belle. His vision not only created Parkour, his example and leadership brought about the likes of the Yamakasi and La Releve which spawned some of the most influential Traceurs and subsequent media in history. Belle’s videos hitting YouTube in the mid-2000s and Belle’s blockbuster film “District B13” ushered in a new era of Parkour and the start of the worldwide Parkour movement we see today. And skill wise? The man was no joke. Some of his jumps were so big that to this day they have never been duplicated.
Belle was an icon to say the least – some even call him “the God of Parkour.” Yet in spite of the fandom, at the beginning of the decade people were wondering, “Where is David Belle?”
He was nowhere to be found with no active involvement in the Parkour scene and seemingly no interest in being involved at all! His name would spring up from time to time via some stunt work, consultation for a big film (Babylon A.D., Prince of Persia, and Colombiana), or an occaaaaaaaaasional workshop, but beyond this, a fair assumption would have been that Belle didn’t want to be found by anyone. He was that quiet.
What made this even more shocking was that at the beginning of the decade, Parkour had found a real foothold in the world such that you’d think the founder would be thrilled! Countless organizations around the world were boasting massive followings including Urban Freeflow, Parkour Generations, and American Parkour, and country level and state level organizations were springing up around the world. Not to mention Parkour teams, Parkour gyms, and Parkour brands were being formed at an accelerating rate. It spite of it all, Belle was a mystery and wasn’t even on the Parkour radar.
But then he emerged.
I happened to be at the forefront of the emergence, and it was especially cool to see first hand. In the late 00s I sought David out and formed a relationship with him with the intent of ‘bringing him out of retirement’ so to speak. The details of all that isn’t for this story, but suffice it to say I moved to France in 2011 to work directly with him. When his close friend and manager of sorts passed away tragically that same year, I stepped into the role and became Belle’s business manager and right hand guy.
In August 2011, I convinced Belle to emerge from his seclusion by launching a website and opening social media channels. His sites took off! He conducted LIVE Twittter Q&A’s; he’d frequently post old photos on his Facebook page with lengthy descriptions about their origin and his ideas about Parkour; and he started posting videos on his YouTube channel as well. All of a sudden the world had access Belle, and Traceurs worldwide were thrilled.
Worth noting, not everyone was actually “thrilled” at Belle’s return. Some felt like he had abandoned and betrayed Parkour by being gone so long, and some thought he didn’t have a place in the community anymore. More than a few debates sprung up in this regard, and some were even championed by some very prominent pros. But by and large, the community was happy to have Belle back, and the joy around his presence was undeniable.
In no time flat Belle had over 50,000 followers on Facebook. He launched a name brand clothing line through Take Flight, he got back into films (co-starring with Paul Walker in “Brick Mansions“), and by 2017 he had over 1 million Facebook followers with his YouTube and Twitter were growing quickly as well. He even found sponsors including HD3 watches. I was also working with him to plan Parkour workshops. “The Belle” as many called him, was back.
However, all the excitement was relatively short lived as the return of the legend wasn’t really a return at all. Truth be told (and I know this from being on the inside of it all) David doesn’t have any real interest in being on the internet, he doesn’t have an interest in being a public figure, and he doesn’t have any interest in working the way most people do to create a brand or make money. He never has had an interest in any of this. He’s an introvert and an artist. His art was Parkour, and he never followed that path to be famous or make a discipline for others or lead a community. He made Parkour out of the love for his father, and that was enough for him.
In 2015 David and I stopped working together. He proceeded to delete all the posts on his Facebook page (he has made more since), he stopped using his Twitter, under new advice he copyright-claimed his own YouTube page (go figure), and he demanded a stop to his David Belle clothing line. And that was about the end of his return.
A couple years ago David opened an Instagram that is now his main point of public contact. He has gathered more than 60,000 followers. Just a few weeks ago he went back and deleted all his posts, but now he has made a few new ones.
In the beginning of the decade, countless Traceurs were clamoring to have David Belle involved with the Parkour community. By the end of it, I think everyone has realized he will most likely never be an integral part of it. But you know what? That’s ok. And take it from me, I think that’s how he prefers it. One time he said to me something like…
What my father showed me about Parkour is less than what I’ve shown the world. If I can become what I did based on that, then anyone can. All the information is out there.
David Belle
I think that as much as Belle is disinterested in being involved in the Parkour scene, he has an equally ardent desire for people to have the freedom to follow their own path. That goes for individual Traceurs and for the community. Him staying out the PKFR scene allows that to happen, and in my opinion, as frustrating as that has felt, that way is a respectable thing .
What is David Belle up to now? Well, I’m no longer working with him, but he is pursuing acting and he seems to be making films consistently in China. He has also publicly endorsed FIG and shows up at the FISE event sometimes, although what real connection/involvement he has there is not clear (and my guess is it’s more in name than in action). He also now has two sons. If you make a visit to Lisses you might even see him walking around with them. He seems happy, and that’s the most important thing.
I’m wishing David the best for the coming decade. He launched Parkour, and the community can take it from here in 2020 and beyond.
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