Parkour's Normally Lame, But This Run in an Ice City Is Simply Insane

YouTube/Redbull
YouTube/Redbull

As physically challenging as parkour may be, there's just something inherently uncool about making a hobby out of ambling up, down, and over random obstacles. However, this mesmerizing video of pro freerunner Jason Paul leaping from perch to perch like a badass action hero inside a gorgeous city made entirely of ice has us wondering whether we've had it wrong all along.

The stunt, which was produced by Red Bull, was shot on location in the Chinese city of Harbin, which hosts an annual festival where artists from all over the world gather to construct an entire mini "kingdom" made of massive ice blocks, complete with elaborate palaces and sculptures. The whole setup is insane, and both Paul's moves and the structures he's sliding down, flipping over, and jumping from look like they were conjured by some CGI master. But everything you're seeing is most definitely real, and very, very cold. To get the shots, Paul braved sub-zero temps in nothing but sweats and a pair of spiked sneakers.

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Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. He is clumsy and would have most definitely died attempting this.