In Thai, ‘Farang’ is the generic Thai word for Westerner.
However, Team Farang is no foreigner to Thailand. What they are, are Freerunners.
What on earth are Freerunners, you might ask. Watch this part 1 of a series of 3 videos (2 yet to be released) to find out. Read on after adjusting your eyeballs back into their sockets to find out who they are.
Made up of 4 lads consisting of Anan Anwar (Thailand), Shaun Wood (Australia), Rhys James (Australia) and Jason Paul (Germany), Team Farang’s purpose is to push the art of Freerunning to new levels, in their home countries, globally and notably, Asia. And this they are, as they have literally jumped around from country to country in the region and judged in Freerunning Championships in Malaysia and Indonesia, for example.
v.a.u.l.t is STOKED to present to you…Team Farang.
#1 Shaun Wood
When Shaun first found Parkour and Freerunning at the age of 15, he discovered his love for movement and he hasn’t looked back since.
He didn’t need to, because he kept at his passion Shaun quickly became a leading figure in the Australian Parkour community and competed actively.
Not just known for his talent on the run, his creativity behind the camera helps tremendously in steering the vision of the videos . His jovial nature is pretty evident, one which aptly characterizes the spirit of Freerunning.
In 2009 Shaun become the first Australian to represent his country at the Barclay World Freerunning Championships, and also later competed in the Red Bull Art of Motion in Sweden.
#2 – Rhys James
As part of the Australian Parkour Association, Rhys is no stranger to the sport.
In a previous interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, it states his belief for what the sport really embodies – how a ‘real parkour was a philosophy that combined body and soul.’
“It’s about being motivated to better yourself, not just in a physical way, but to develop your mind as well. It helps you make choices in your life,” he said, likening it to martial arts.
#3 – Jason Paul
Jason started training Parkour since he was 14. Today, he is the leading figure for German Freerunning and is world renowned for his skill and prowess.
#4 – Anan Anwar
Our spider senses tell us that Anan was the dude that possibly brought Team Farang together. Probably, just possibly…it had to do with the fact that he is born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, with Indonesian-Scottish descent. Oh, he also is popularly known as a star who has sung, danced and acted since he was the age of 12.
Anan and his 2 brothers, Didi and Joni are sponsored riders in the Thai wakeboarding scene. “Because of my brothers i always had a huge appetite for sports,” said Anan. In 2006, he discovered Parkour while studying in Sydney and the rest, they say…is history.
“i always loved extreme sport growing up but this required a level of physical and mental discipline like nothing i’d ever done before. And the feel of total freedom in your environment really changes the way you look at the world.”
Anan is now back in thailand leading the charge in helping the local community to progress and grow and connecting them to the wider world community.
Although similar in a physical genre, Parkour and Freerunning both embody varying mindsets and objectives. Generically, Parkour is a discipline which is more focused on efficiently getting from Point A to Point B; whereas Freerunning is about the freedom of maneuvering and movement.
These topics are best left to the experts – and we’re glad to announce that v.a.u.l.t has Team Farang on board our team of contributors, to continually share their insights, spread the awareness and create a platform for existing and aspiring Freerunners to pursue their passion of this very, very cool sport and lifestyle.
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