Extreme London – trying out parkour with GoPro #goproextremeldn

Brushing up on my spiderwoman skills in the city. Annie and I tried a beginner’s parkour lesson with London’s Parkour Generations, and Currys PC World and GoPro kitted us out so that we could film our escapades.

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I’ve been a huge fan of GoPros since I watched my snowboarding friends shoot and create incredible footage of their flips and tricks. I’ve borrowed these indestructible sports cameras umpteen times from my more hardcore mates, usually to shoot underwater photos, but I had yet to give filming a try.

In a bid to get us out of our comfort zone, GoPro and Currys PC World kitted Annie and I out with the GoPro Hero 4 and chest harnesses and set us free on the streets of London.

London is most definitely an inspiring space – a bustling sprawl, a cultural hot spot, a foodie’s delight. But a mecca for extreme sports? Perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind. But GoPro and Currys PC World are on a mission to shake up the capital with their #goproextremeldn campaign. The city holds amazing adventures to seek out, from ice climbing and rib rides on the Thames to beginner’s parkour classes designed to make you see the urban jungle as an adventure playground.

In our female-only beginner’s class, instructor and action woman Shirley taught us the basics of freerunning, including properly warming up, how to fall correctly and some elementary jumps. We tried scaling some smallish walls and watched her effortlessly demonstrate how to leap over a traffic barrier. Parkour is a lot harder than it looks, but it’s also an incredible workout and huge fun, especially with a gang of like-minded active ladies.

I filmed our class on the GoPro Hero 4 with a chest strap. Since then I’ve taken my camera climbing in Mallorca and kayaking in Finland and I’ve grown much better at filming with it, understanding angles and how to shoot better stories (like anything, good filming is all about trial and error) but it was still a joy to use whilst trying freerunning, as the camera and mount are so light and comfortable you’ll forget you’re wearing them.

Editing footage is easy, too. The GoPro App I Desktop can be downloaded to PC, to enable easy offload of content and editing, or GoPro Quik can be used for speedy edits, via tablet or phone. Both apps are free and GoPro provides tons of advice for better shooting and editing. Happy filmmaking!

Image via Parkour Generations

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