Origins
Established in 2003, Urban Freeflow (UF) was founded by Paul Corkery (known as Ez), a former boxer who saw an opportunity to monetize the fledgling movement of parkour. As the first mover, they managed to capitalise on the momentum of parkour as its popularity grew. The reputation built at this time allowed them to grow to be the most prominent group within the scene and it has allowed them to continue to enjoy success today, much to the dismay of many practitioners within the scene. The corporate structure of the group was compromised in 2005 when Companies House dissolved the trading company for failing to meet their statutory filing obligations. At this time, Ez and former partner Mark Toorock (M2) split and Ez formed a new company, Urban Free Flow.
The company has a well established website, although the popular forums have been shut since 2010. Through the website they also sell branded clothes, many of which feature the Urban Freeflow glyph logo. On the company's online store, it is described as the 'first EVER brand of Parkour & Freerunning,' as well as claiming 'The Glyph logo has since become recognised globally as the symbol of Parkour & Freerunning.' Claims such as these have been known to offend and frustrate other traceurs, as Urban Freeflow are seen to exert dominance and influence on the scene thanks to clothes sales rather than involvement in pioneering the scene.
Read more about this topic: Urban Freeflow
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