Jump City: Seattle

Last updated

Jump City: Seattle
Jump wiki 2.jpg
Genre Reality
Sports
Directed byMatt Bartley
Starring Blair Herter
Brady Romberg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
ProducersGabe Landau
John Moore
Production location Seattle, Washington
CinematographySebastian Jungwirth
EditorsCarl Cramer
Paul Sadowski
Chris Sam
Eli Sentman
Stephen "Buzz" Wein
Camera setupMultiple
Running time48 minutes
Production companiesPro Parkour
Little Pond Television Inc.
Original release
Network G4
ReleaseFebruary 15 (2011-02-15) 
April 5, 2011 (2011-04-05)

Jump City: Seattle is an American television series that aired on G4 from February 15 to April 5, 2011. It featured four of the top freerunning and parkour teams in the United States participating in a parkour competition. Each week, the athletes competed in different parkour challenges spread out across the streets of Seattle. The series ran for eight episodes and was not renewed for a second season. Team Tempest, led by Levi Meeuwenberg and Brian Orosco of American Ninja Warrior fame, won the competition.

Contents

Background

Jump City: Seattle was promoted as the first American championship parkour competition. It was hosted by G4 correspondent Blair Herter and Parkour veteran Brady Romberg. Filming of the show was based in Seattle, and the show was produced by Fremantle Media, North America. The series premiere aired on February 15, 2011 with the season finale episode airing on April 5, 2011.

The show follows four teams participating in the Pro Parkour League (PPL), which was created specifically for the show. Four locations were used for the competition: Seattle City Hall, Freeway Park, Pioneer Square, Seattle Center, and Qwest Field.

After the show aired, several athletes competed in the subsequent season of American Ninja Warrior, which then aired on G4. One of the show's participants, David "Young Flip" Rodriguez, remain a top competitor to this day.

Format

Each episode featured two of the four teams competing in a parkour "match", which consisted of two rounds: the Speed round and the Freestyle round. Should the teams split the two rounds, a sudden death tiebreaker would be used.

During the Pro Parkour League regular season, the four teams competed in a round-robin format, with the second and third placed teams competing in the semifinal match for the right to face the first place team in the Championship match at Qwest Field.

Speed Round

Three of the four members of the team participated in a relay race through a pre-determined set of parkour obstacles. Each leg of the relay had several "fly zones"; the competitors were required to touch every "fly zone" in their leg but were allowed to use any means by which to reach them. The team would incur a five-second penalty for each missed "fly zone". The team that completed the course the fastest, after penalties, won the round.

Freestyle Round

Three of the four members of the team received 45 seconds each to perform a freestyle parkour routine, utilizing anything in the area. After their run, competitors were judged on a scale of 1 to 10. [1] Judging consisted of three elements:

The team with the higher sum of their three scores won the round.

Sudden Death

Should a sudden death tiebreaker be required, one member of each team would perform another parkour routine, this time lasting just 30 seconds. Judging worked the same as the freestyle round. The team with the higher score was declared the winner.

Teams

Team Tempest

Based in Los Angeles, Tempest Freerunning was founded in 2007. [2] Many of the team's members work as stuntmen in Hollywood.

NameNicknameBackground
Paul DarnellDiddyDarnell founded Tempest Freerunning in 2007 with teammates Rich King, Gabe Nunez, and Victor Lopez. The four also participated in the inaugural Red Bull Art of Motion competition. [2] He competed in the first season of American Ninja Warrior and subsequently qualified for the 23rd SASUKE competition.
Levi MeeuwenbergSkynativeMeeuwenberg worked as a stuntman and was considered one of the most elite freerunners in the world. He participated in only two matches, as he broke his wrist while warming up during the team's second match. He participated in three seasons of American Ninja Warrior and competed on SASUKE five times; in his first SASUKE appearance, he was the only man to reach the Third Stage. Meeuwenberg retired from stuntwork and returned to his home state of Michigan to take up permaculture. [3]
Brian OroscoNoSoleOrosco is a stuntman who is known for his handlebar mustache. Like Meeuwenberg, he is a frequent American Ninja Warrior and SASUKE competitor, competing on the former for each of its first six seasons.
Caine SinclairSinclair is known by fellow freerunners for his big drops and complexity. His style incorporates a variety of technical moves such as corkscrews and twists. He competed in the first three seasons of American Ninja Warrior, the first of which earned him qualification in SASUKE.

Miami Freerunning

Miami Freerunning emanates from Miami, Florida. The team members met in 2008. In order to become an official member, they have a ritual of being shot with a stun gun.[ citation needed ]

NameNicknameBackground
Adrian GonzalezGonzalez was a former Tribe member who later founded Miami Freerunning. He teaches kids and adults at his gym, Miami Freerunning and Parkour Academy.
David RodriguezYoung FlipRodriguez is known for his black and white half-masks, which he wears so he can remain emotionless in competition. As of 2024, Rodriguez has participated in every season of American Ninja Warrior since Jump City: Seattle ended and also appeared in one tournament of SASUKE, making it to the Second Stage.
Albert ValladaresSpiderValladares earned his nickname in his former career as a professional wrestler. He also competed in mixed martial arts before he became a stunt choreographer, performing various stunts for fight scenes. After the show, he became a member of Tempest Freerunning.
Jared WoodsJ.J.Woods, a former sprinter, is the fastest on his team. He incorporates both powerful vaults and a variety of handstand poses.

The Tribe

Founded in Washington, D.C., Tribe is America's first parkour team,[ citation needed ]. As Tribe founder Michael Zernow says, "This is art. This is physicality. This is being able to take your life into your own hands, so it wouldn't just be about kids on YouTube doing crazy stuff."

NameNicknameBackground
Travis GravesNobleGraves is very competitive and has the ability to combine speed with power.
Billy HughesSkipperHughes is a former competitive diver training for the Olympics, which he channels with his parkour and freerunning.
Jereme SandersSanders incorporates martial arts moves into his freerunning technique.
Michael ZernowFrostiFounder and team leader. A teacher of parkour, he has many years of experience. He also appeared on Survivor: China and three seasons of American Ninja Warrior.

Team Rogue

Team Rogue was specifically created for the show with the intent on highlighting up-and-coming freerunners.

NameNicknameBackground/Style
Dylan BakerAt 18, Baker was the youngest freerunner in the competition. He still remains in the competitive freerunning scene.
Drew DrechselDrechsel's style includes huge flips off high platforms. After the show, he became one of the top competitors on both American Ninja Warrior and SASUKE, competing on the former nine times and the latter eight times. He later became a member of The Tribe before becoming a full-time American Ninja Warrior trainer. He was arrested in 2020 for soliciting sex from minors.
Korey SarvasSarvas was a former soccer player who got into parkour because it challenged his mind and body. He died from a drowning accident in 2011.
Jake SmithSmith is an all-around trickster who is very creative in his freeruns. He also competed on American Ninja Warrior on several occasions and SASUKE once.

Episodes

Regular Season Matches

Week 1: Tempest vs. Rogue

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundWinning team
February 15, 2011Seattle City Hall
Freeway Park*
TempestTime: 56:27Orosco = 7.4
Darnell = 7.0
Meeuwenberg = 8.8
Total: 23.2
Meeuwenberg = 9.1Tempest
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundLosing Team
RogueTime: (52:85) 57:85*Baker = 8.3
Smith = 8.0
Sarvas = 8.4
Total: 24.7
Baker = 8.4Rogue
  • * The competition was moved from City Hall to Freeway Park in the middle of the Freestyle Round because of rain.
  • * A five-second penalty was imposed on Rogue when Sarvas missed a "fly zone" on the course.

Week 2: Tribe vs. Miami Freerunning

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundWinning team
February 22, 2011Freeway ParkTribeTime: 55:65Hughes = 7.9
Graves = 7.9
Zernow = 8.5
Total: 24.3
Tribe
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundLosing Team
Miami FreerunningTime: 56:52Woods* = 7.9
Valladares = 8.3
Gonzalez = 8.0
Total: 24.2
Miami Freerunning
  • * David Rodriguez removed himself from the freestyle round after suffering a leg injury in the speed round. Reserve, Jared Woods, replaced him.

Week 3: Rogue vs. Tribe

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundWinning team
March 1, 2011Downtown Seattle
(alleyway)
RogueTime: (43:25) 48:25*Smith = 8.2
Baker = 8.7
Drechsel = 8.5
Total: 25.4
Rogue
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundLosing Team
TribeTime: 50:25Zernow = 8.4
Sanders = 7.6
Graves = 7.8
Total: 23.8
Tribe
  • * A five-second penalty was imposed on Rogue when Smith missed a "fly zone" on the course.

Week 4: Tempest vs. Miami Freerunning

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundWinning Team
March 8, 2011Downtown Seattle
(alleyway at night time)
TempestTime: 50:33Orosco = 8.8
Sinclair* = 7.5
Darnell = 8.0
Total: 24.3
Tempest
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundLosing Team
Miami FreerunningTime: 55:89Rodriguez = 7.8
Gonzalez = 7.5
Woods = 8.3
Total: 23.6
Miami Freerunning
  • *Levi Meeuwenberg was forced out of the competition after injuring his left wrist while practicing on an elevated bar for the speed round. Later, it was revealed by a medic that he fractured his wrist and would be out the entire season. (Although commonly cited as the injury that kept him out of Sasuke 26, this was a separate injury.) Reserve player Caine Sinclair would take Meeuwenberg's place for the rest of the season. On another note Sinclair had come in with a broken toe on his left foot and injured his right ankle in the speed round.

Week 5: Tempest vs. Tribe

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundWinning Team
March 15, 2011Seattle Center (rooftop)TempestTime: 46:33Sinclair* = 8.3
Darnell = 8.1
Orosco = 7.8
Total: 24.2
Orosco = 9.0Tempest
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundLosing Team
TribeTime: 43:71Zernow = 7.7
Sanders* = 7.5
Hughes = 7.6
Total: 22.8
Hughes = 8.4Tribe
  • *Caine Sinclair competed with an injury—a broken toe on his left foot that he injured before the season began. He suffered through that and also "tweaked" his ankle in week 4.
  • *Perhaps from nerves, Sanders threw up before the speed round, but still managed to compete.

Week 6: Rogue vs. Miami Freerunning

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundWinning Team
March 22, 2011Seattle Center (rooftop)RogueTime: 44:51Drechsel* = 8.0
Sarvas = 7.8
Smith = 8.0
Total: 23.8
Rogue
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundLosing Team
Miami FreerunningTime: 47:20Woods = 7.6
Valladares = 8.6
Gonazlez = 7.5
Total: 23.7
Miami Freerunning
  • *Drew Drechsel competed with an injury to his toe popping out on his right foot that he injured during the speed round, but remained in the freestyle round.

Playoffs

Week 7: Tribe vs. Rogue

Original AirdateLocation(s) City HallParkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundWinning Team
March 29, 2011Seattle City HallTribeTime: 49.74Graves = 7.5
Hughes = 8.5
Zernow = 8.9
Total: 24.9
Tribe
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundLosing Team
RogueTime: 51.55Smith = 7.7
Baker = 8.2
Drechsel = 8.2
Total: 24.1
Rogue

NOTE: The course was entirely changed from its Week 1 set-up so as not to give Team Rogue an advantage.

Week 8: Tempest vs. Tribe (Championship Match)

Original AirdateLocation(s)Parkour TeamsSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundWinning Team
April 5, 2011Qwest FieldTempestTime: 1:32:10Sinclair = 8.5
Darnell = 8.1
Orosco = 8.5
Total: 25.1
Orosco = 9.0Tempest
Parkour TeamSpeed RoundFreestyle RoundSudden Death RoundLosing Team
TribeTime: 1:24:28Graves = 7.9
Hughes = 8.2
Zernow = 8.4
Total: 24.5
Zernow = 8.6Tribe

Season standings

Regular season

(After 6 Matches/Week 6)

TeamWinLoss
  Tempest (C)30
  Rogue*21
  Tribe12
  Miami Freerunning (X)03

(C) = Championship Berth / (X) = Eliminated / * = Eliminated in the play-offs

Championship Match
Championship final
   
 Tempest* 1
 Tribe 0

See also

Related Research Articles

Sébastien Foucan is a French freerunner.

<i>Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course</i> Japanese TV series or program

Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course, sometimes abbreviated to Viking: TUOC, is a Japanese obstacle course endurance game show using an obstacle course produced by Fuji TV and Monster9. The English version of Viking is produced by ESPN2 with two American commentators calling the action. In Europe it airs on Eurosport 2 with the American commentators in the first season and British commentator Colin Bryce in the second. In the Philippines, Viking was aired in TV5 and hosted by Brod Pete, Richard del Rosario, and Gabe Mercardo. In Taiwan on JET TV in its original form with Chinese subtitles and Thailand on Channel 9 MCOT in Thai program "แชมป์ เฉือน แชมป์" in 2009, later this program are broadcast other Japanese game show like Original Iron Chef, Unbeatable Banzuke and Sasuke Ninja Warrior. The entire show is broadcast from Tokyo Bay.

Kane Takeshi Kosugi is an American actor and martial artist of Japanese and Chinese descent.

Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment reality television show, airing since 1997, in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four-stage obstacle course. The show was renamed Sasuke Rising before reverting to the original name and then Sasuke Ninja Warrior.

Paul Anthony Terek is an American Olympic decathlete. He graduated from Livonia Franklin High School in Livonia, Michigan. His personal best in decathlon is 8312 points, achieved in July 2004 in Sacramento at the United States Olympic Trials. Terek won the bronze medal and was placed on the United States Olympic Team. Out of the ten decathlon events, Terek is strongest in the pole vault, and he is comparatively weak in the 100 m and 400 m sprints.

Makoto Nagano is a Japanese commercial fisherman, captain, and musician. He is captain of his vessel F/V Konpira Maru 50 (第50金比羅丸), and was previously captain of the F/V Konpira Maru 28 (第28金比羅丸). He is regularly seen on the Japanese television show Sasuke where he was one of the "SASUKE All-Stars," a group of favored competitors who were thought to possess the greatest potential in completing the obstacle courses. He can also be seen on the lesser known spinoff to Ninja Warrior, Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course, where he was one of few competitors to make it to the final round.

<i>Kunoichi</i> (TV series) Japanese TV series or program

Kunoichi is a women's obstacle course competition held in Japan and broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is a spin-off of Sasuke, another obstacle course series. Kunoichi is different from Sasuke in that the competitors are exclusively female. The show is re-broadcast as Women of Ninja Warrior on the American G4 channel. It originally ran for 8 tournaments between 2001 and 2009 with the first tournament held as Kinniku Banzuke special. In 2017, after an 8-year hiatus, it was renewed for a 9th tournament which aired on February 12, 2017. The 9th, 10th, and 11th tournaments took place on an indoor course at the Makuhari Messe Convention Hall, unlike past tournaments taking place at Mt. Midoriyama Studio City.

Kinniku Banzuke a.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke is a Japanese television program that aired weekly and was the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). Its successors were Taiiku Oukoku and Ougon Kinniku. They were succeeded by Muscle Musical. Several seasonal specials were also made, such as Pro Sportsman No.1 and Sasuke.

<i>American Ninja Challenge</i> American TV series or program

The American Ninja Challenge was a nationwide competition sponsored by G4 TV to send a number of American citizens to Japan to compete in the TBS hit TV show Sasuke. The American Ninja Challenge has been held since Sasuke 19 and currently merged into the TV series American Ninja Warrior that premiered on December 12, 2009 and succeeded the American Ninja Challenge.

<i>American Ninja Warrior</i> American competition television series

American Ninja Warrior is an American sports entertainment reality show based on the Japanese television reality show Sasuke, which also serves as a successor of American Ninja Challenge. It features a set of obstacle courses in various cities, which contestants attempt to conquer. The obstacle courses are divided into Qualifiers courses, Semifinals courses, and a four-part Finals course which is based at Las Vegas Strip. The contestant who finishes all the courses in the fastest time wins a cash prize of $1,000,000. Starting with season 10, if one remaining contestant fails on any of Finals course parts but has completed it more than the others in the fastest time, they win a consolatory $100,000 prize. The show is hosted by Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. To date, only Isaac Caldiero, Drew Drechsel, and Vance Walker have won the main cash prize. Furthermore, Geoff Britten and Daniel Gil are the only two runners-up who have achieved Total Victory.

The World Freerunning Parkour Federation (WFPF) is an international federation or organization that was established in 2007. Its focus is to bring together patrons of Parkour and Freerunning and aims to bring the sport and philosophy to the mainstream audience.

Luci Romberg is an American stuntwoman. She is also the co-owner of Tempest Freerunning, a parkour lifestyle brand that also operates multiple training facilities and is based in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Graff</span> American stunt performer

Jessica Lauren Graff is an American professional stunt woman, martial artist and athletics-based television personality. She is a black belt in Taekwondo, a black sash in Kung Fu, and is trained in five other styles of martial arts. She is also a championship pole vaulter and a competitive gymnast.

The fifth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on G4 on June 30, 2013, with subsequent shows airing on both G4 and NBC. Host Matt Iseman returned for his fifth season, while newcomers Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Jenn Brown replaced skier Jonny Moseley and Angela Sun. Similar to previous seasons, the winner receives $500,000 and the coveted title, "American Ninja Warrior". This also marks the second season Mount Midoriyama was held on U.S. soil.

The fourth season of American Ninja Warrior began on May 20, 2012, and aired on NBC and G4. This was a landmark season for Ninja Warrior, as the entire format was overhauled. For the first time, the finals took place on U.S. soil. In addition, regional qualifying and finals were added, taking place in the series' flagship location, Venice Beach, CA, Dallas, TX, and Miami, FL. New co-host Jonny Moseley replaced Jimmy Smith, while Angela Sun replaced Alison Haislip. Again, the winner would have received $500,000 and the coveted American Ninja Warrior title. Brent Steffensen became the first competitor to complete the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

The third season of American Ninja Warrior began airing on July 31, 2011, on G4. Tryouts took place in May 2011 at Venice Beach, California. After the tryouts, the top 15 competitors competed in Ninja Warrior Boot Camp with the top 10 moving on to Japan for the finals of the competition as a part of Sasuke 27 and a chance at becoming the first American to conquer the course and win a $500,000 endorsement deal with K-Swiss. No competitors made it beyond stage 3. This season was once again hosted by Matt Iseman and Jimmy Smith, with Alison Haislip as a sideline reporter. The final episode aired on August 22, 2011, as a two-hour primetime special on NBC.

The second season of American Ninja Warrior began on December 8, 2010, in Venice Beach, California where 300 competitors took on the course. The 15 semi-finalists moved on to the "Ninja Warrior Boot Camp" in the remote California mountains, where they competed in a series of team challenges. Then, the final moved on to compete in the season finale of American Ninja Warrior 2 as a part of Sasuke 26 at Mount Midoriyama in Japan. The series concluded on January 2, 2011, same as Sasuke 26 was aired in Japan. This season was hosted by Matt Iseman and Jimmy Smith, with G4's Alison Haislip as a sideline reporter.

Evan "The Rocket" Dollard is an American athlete and rock climber. He came to prominence during Season 1 of the rebooted American Gladiators, as the season 1 men's champion. He earned his nickname "Rocket" from his speed in Gladiator competition, taking it as his gladiator name, becoming a Gladiator for season 2 of the rebooted American Gladiators. He has since appeared prominently in the Ninja Warrior franchise; in American Ninja Warrior and the standalone American Ninja Warrior, also using his nickname. Dollard also hosts his own web series, "Ninja Quickies". He has also competed in local editions of Ninja Warrior.

The first season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on December 12, 2009, with the first four episodes of the season. The final four episodes were released on December 19, 2009. The season was hosted by Blair Herter and Alison Haislip and the finalists were sent to Japan to compete in Sasuke 23. All eight aired on G4, an American television network. Levi Meeuwenberg was the "Last Ninja Standing," meaning he made it the furthest of any American competitor on Sasuke 23. The season operated on a lower budget than any other season, and only two contestants who competed in the first season also competed in all thirteen other seasons: Brian Kretsch and David Campbell.

The thirteenth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on May 31, 2021 on NBC. The season contain 12 episodes. A spin-off from the Japanese reality series Sasuke, it is hosted by Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and Zuri Hall. As with the twelfth season, this season used a smaller number of filming locations with no audiences during taping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. "'Idol' producers land Parkour reality show at G4 -- EXCLUSIVE".
  2. 1 2 "Tempest Freerunning".
  3. "About Realize Homestead". January 14, 2013.