DREW TAYLOR
BIRTHDAY: 25TH JULY 1994
How did you get into parkour and meet the rest of the team?
I first met Benj at school, aged 11. I had done some trampolining at that point, and when I saw him backflip off a climbing frame in the park I pretty much just switched from one to the other. As we got more involved in the community, Benj, Max and I began to travel around the UK. We soon came across Toby, Callum and Sacha, and then Josh a bit later.
What do you most appreciate about being part of STORROR and about your team mates?
It’s just fun, and very funny. We’ve achieved an awful lot working as a team, I doubt any one of us could have done that alone. I really appreciate everyone’s dedication to progression in all senses. We have such a variety of personalities and skills, which all complement each other, but mainly it’s a great bunch of mates to be a part of.
What do you think makes STORROR unique among parkour teams?
We work really hard, and have been for almost a decade. That makes a bigger difference than anything else. Seven seems to be a special number.
What are your best parkour skills and what are your other talents or interests?
I hate this question. I’m good at flips, but I don’t really train them much these days. Since breaking my ankle I have broadened my style a lot. Recently I’ve been trying to put a twist on some more fundamental movements by adding spins, that seems to be particularly fruitful in recent sessions.
As for other talents and interests, I’m responsible for designing all our clothing, and photographing it. I have been into graphic design since a really young age and the clothing has been a great output for that. It can be very stressful, and sometimes I’m forced to spend weeks at home on the computer to get stuff out on time, but I love it. It’s the best feeling in the world when I can press upload on the final lookbook of a new release. I also have my own personal photography projects, and I spend a lot of time drawing and painting.
What’s your diet like and what training or exercise do you do to improve fitness?
When we’re home I eat well most of the time, but when we’re on the road it’s super difficult. My favourite cuisine is Middle Eastern food. I go through phases of going to the gym, I try to keep it fairly natural. The overwhelming majority of my training is just parkour itself. I try to do rehab stuff, stretching and foam rolling most days.
What’s your taste in books, films, music?
I read a lot of politics, but also art and cultural theory. Recent favourites include Steal As Much As You Can by Nathalie Olah, 24/7 by Jonathan Crary, and Culture by Terry Eagleton. My favourite films are Boyhood and Before Sunrise, both directed by Richard Linklater, Roma and Children of Men, both by Alfonso Cuarón, and Love by Gaspar Noé. My musical taste is hugely varied, and ranges from classical, through old school hip-hop, to electronic. I have a particular soft spot for Ethiopian Jazz.
At school, what subjects were you best at and worst at?
To be honest I was pretty good at most subjects, apart from PE, surprisingly. I hated sport at school. I ended up doing A-levels in business studies, media studies and English. I dropped out of university a week before starting my course.
If you weren’t a professional parkour athlete, what would you be doing for a living?
I would be completely disillusioned with society, and travel the world with no money taking photos.
What places would you like to visit that you haven’t yet and which are your favourites so far?
I’d like to go to Iran, Greenland, Mongolia, South Africa and Chile. Iceland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. France has the best memories. USA was the best road trip. Tunisia was the biggest surprise. And Rio in Brazil is the perfect balance between nature and city.
What advice would you give someone starting out in parkour?
Make sure you’re having fun, it’s easier with friends. Push yourself and enjoy the process of overcoming challenges.
DREW TAYLOR
BIRTHDAY: 25TH JULY 1994
How did you get into parkour and meet the rest of the team?
I first met Benj at school, aged 11. I had done some trampolining at that point, and when I saw him backflip off a climbing frame in the park I pretty much just switched from one to the other. As we got more involved in the community, Benj, Max and I began to travel around the UK. We soon came across Toby, Callum and Sacha, and then Josh a bit later.
What do you most appreciate about being part of STORROR and about your team mates?
It’s just fun, and very funny. We’ve achieved an awful lot working as a team, I doubt any one of us could have done that alone. I really appreciate everyone’s dedication to progression in all senses. We have such a variety of personalities and skills, which all complement each other, but mainly it’s a great bunch of mates to be a part of.
What do you think makes STORROR unique among parkour teams?
We work really hard, and have been for almost a decade. That makes a bigger difference than anything else. Seven seems to be a special number.
What are your best parkour skills and what are your other talents or interests?
I hate this question. I’m good at flips, but I don’t really train them much these days. Since breaking my ankle I have broadened my style a lot. Recently I’ve been trying to put a twist on some more fundamental movements by adding spins, that seems to be particularly fruitful in recent sessions.
As for other talents and interests, I’m responsible for designing all our clothing, and photographing it. I have been into graphic design since a really young age and the clothing has been a great output for that. It can be very stressful, and sometimes I’m forced to spend weeks at home on the computer to get stuff out on time, but I love it. It’s the best feeling in the world when I can press upload on the final lookbook of a new release. I also have my own personal photography projects, and I spend a lot of time drawing and painting.
What’s your diet like and what training or exercise do you do to improve fitness?
When we’re home I eat well most of the time, but when we’re on the road it’s super difficult. My favourite cuisine is Middle Eastern food. I go through phases of going to the gym, I try to keep it fairly natural. The overwhelming majority of my training is just parkour itself. I try to do rehab stuff, stretching and foam rolling most days.
What’s your taste in books, films, music?
I read a lot of politics, but also art and cultural theory. Recent favourites include Steal As Much As You Can by Nathalie Olah, 24/7 by Jonathan Crary, and Culture by Terry Eagleton. My favourite films are Boyhood and Before Sunrise, both directed by Richard Linklater, Roma and Children of Men, both by Alfonso Cuarón, and Love by Gaspar Noé. My musical taste is hugely varied, and ranges from classical, through old school hip-hop, to electronic. I have a particular soft spot for Ethiopian Jazz.
At school, what subjects were you best at and worst at?
To be honest I was pretty good at most subjects, apart from PE, surprisingly. I hated sport at school. I ended up doing A-levels in business studies, media studies and English. I dropped out of university a week before starting my course.
If you weren’t a professional parkour athlete, what would you be doing for a living?
I would be completely disillusioned with society, and travel the world with no money taking photos.
What places would you like to visit that you haven’t yet and which are your favourites so far?
I’d like to go to Iran, Greenland, Mongolia, South Africa and Chile. Iceland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. France has the best memories. USA was the best road trip. Tunisia was the biggest surprise. And Rio in Brazil is the perfect balance between nature and city.
What advice would you give someone starting out in parkour?
Make sure you’re having fun, it’s easier with friends. Push yourself and enjoy the process of overcoming challenges.
For more insight into the seven characters that make STORROR the biggest name in parkour, take a look at their individual profiles.
BEST SELLERS
While the team has been honing their skills in both parkour and filmmaking for over a decade, they’ve also developed their own line of clothing and training shoes.
This has proved a powerful combination, establishing STORROR as the iconic parkour brand.
