Seventeenth Street

Street Culture and Sports

Street culture is becoming more and more popular these days. Being originated at the end of previous century, street culture and sports are becoming attractive for younger generation again. After living tech boom down and playing enough computer games, young people gradually return to the streets.

Street sports and other activities are distinctive with freedom and enthusiasm of participants, thanks to whom most of the events are organized. Municipal organs of governance are beginning to help with organizational aspects from time to time.

We can talk about it because number of sports areas is increasing, new street sport disciplines are appearing, competitions with prizes are taking place, and so on.

Street Events and Battles

Street culture and sport include demonstration of somebody’s skills and abilities. Some people attend exhibitions or theatres, and other people visit sports grounds and mass street events. Graffiti artists create their artworks in special areas; skateboard and BMX fans sharpen their skills in skate parks.

Battles between rap performers in front of audience are becoming new cultural trend. Special areas for them are being created, and videos of battles are being actively shared throughout Internet media.

Urbanization and Basic Components of Hip Hop

Basic components of street culture were originated during urbanization of large cities of USA in 80-s. African American people of America were struggling for their rights and looking for ways of self-expression. That’s how subculture of hip hop which is getting more and more popular throughout the whole world these days appeared. Hip hop street movement includes break dance, graffiti, DJing, and MCing. The latter was widely spread throughout the whole world. Russian musical performers added specific mentality into it.

Street culture doesn’t include just distinctive music and street art. Good physical strength and ability to perform difficult elements using gymnastic apparatuses are of great importance in street philosophy.

Body and Spirit Strength in the Movement

Workout movement is being providing an alternative to sports sections for young people for a long time. Special feature of this street gymnastics is lack of any limits or boundaries. The main places for exercises are sports grounds with horizontal and parallel bars.

Workout activists generally don’t have any exercise schedule and other mandatory aspects. Main goals of the movement are healthy lifestyle and body perfection, and main advantages are affordability and no need for financial investments.

Extreme lovers use street buildings and structures and also different features of the landscape for their exercises. Parkour and free running consider making acrobatic exercises in the city streets. This shows some connection, synthesis of both human and urbanized environment: human uses its features to achieve his own goals.

Main features of street culture and sports:

1. Freedom and respect of specific human rights;
2. Self-searching and searching of own place in the society;
3. Active public position;
4. Freedom of self-expression;
5. Lack of mandatory requirements, limitations or rules in any aspects;
6. Lack of stigmatization, prejudice, and discrimination;
7. Pursuance of self-perfection, etc.