On December 17th, 2022, the Parkour community was shaken by the news of the closure of The Motus Projects. On Instagram, brand-owner Giles Campbell Longley, announced his decision to close the business, but added a positive note that the core staff will join STORROR to aid in the growth and representation of the longer-standing brand.
The Motus Projects has been a pillar in the parkour community, pushing the limits of movement and the fashion of the sport. Emerging hot onto the scene in 2015, with “Origins” and shortly after, with “Resurgence”, Motus show-cased the younger, up-and-coming athletes who were dominating the sport. “Resurgence” consists of some crazy moments. Like Max Barker, only a young teenager at the time, sending one of the first side-flip precisions to a rail and nailing the cat-pass (kong) precision at the famous IMAX spot in London.
There’s no debating that The Motus Projects have made an impression on the culture and community of Parkour and Freerunning. They never ceased to adapt to the always-evolving parkour clothing industry. Their style and quality of clothing was monumental in driving the growth of the industry for a majority of the sport’s existence. Their ability to put their own touch on the current ‘look’ of the culture, and even spark new trends, is a testament to their origin and everlasting influence on the sport.
Another key hallmark that The Motus Projects has spearheaded, is the mainstreaming of payment for longer-form content. “Sole
“Sole Destroyer, premiering in mid-2020, coupled with the associated clothing release, broke ground to show how athletes are still finding ways to push the movement by “leaps and bounds”
Destroyer, premiering in mid-2020, coupled with the associated clothing release, broke ground to show how athletes are still finding ways to push the movement by “leaps and bounds” (pun-intended), the grueling process of ‘breaking jumps’, and the mental hurdles that must be overcome to achieve greatness.
There are so many feats that cannot go unmentioned; the Youtube documentary series “Spitting in the Wind”, over 100 streaming episodes of the “Motus Prodcast” podcast, the annual Motus Film Festival, and most recently, the feature-length film “S.O.L.” The list of accolades and projects go on and on, but ultimatly, Giles knew the end had come. “It’s been no secret that Motus hasn’t had an easy couple of years,” Giles states, “Motus shouldn’t have ever made it this far, and it’s a testament to the strength of the parkour community that it did.”
Although the news may be heartbreaking for long-time followers and patrons of the brand, this doesn’t mean the brilliant minds and talent behind these projects are leaving the community. Their core staff including Giles, Kelan Ryan, and David ‘Bloggy’ Blogg will be joining STORROR, an incredible brand, and perhaps the tallest pillar in the Parkour community for well over a decade. “It’s honestly just a weight off my shoulders, and so much excitement for the future,” Giles remarks in his latest Youtube video, “I don’t feel like I’ve failed.” As reported by Giles himself, this transition to STORROR is truly exciting and gives him new purpose, especially being taken by the STORROR crew as a unit, with Kelan and Bloggy finding their own positions on the team.
Giles will be taking a management role behind-the-scenes developing Ecommerce, clothing production and manufacturing, and website development.
Kelan will take over much of the videography and editing of STORROR’s weekly Youtube vlogs and other projects, and Bloggy will continue to thriv
e in his domain of Product Design. It seems to be just what STORROR needed, as the seven members have found they struggle with devoting time to the website and clothing side of the brand when they allot most of their time to weekly vlogs and other future projects. It’s the perfect fit.
While goodbyes can be a bummer and “parting can be such sweet sorrow”, big developments and brighter futures are on the horizon.
Huge congratulations to Giles and crew on their new adventure. We wish you the best, and who knows, maybe we’ll see Motus again. “This might not be the end,” Giles hinted, “I’m incredibly excited for the future, but for now, it’s goodbye from The Motus Projects.”