Right after Jason Wu Bergeron announced his return to competition with Fakaw Paris, another bombshell has dropped. Amos Rendao, the strategic architect behind last two World Championship victories, is leaving Hollywood Freerunners to join Parkour59.
The move comes just weeks before WCT7 Worlds in Évry-Courcouronnes, France.
Rendao confirmed the transfer in a statement released this morning.
« I Saw What Jason Did and It Made Sense »
Rendao’s decision follows the same logic that brought Wu Bergeron back to competition with a French team.
« I’ve been watching the European scene closely, » Rendao said. « The ranked sessions, the infrastructure, the depth of talent coming through the Academy. France is building something that the US haven’t been able to. I want to be where the sport is going. »
He continued: « When Jason announced he was joining Fakaw, I called him that same night. We talked for two hours. He told me about the culture and project. I knew I had to make a move. »
Rendao will slot into Parkour59’s already stacked roster alongside Gabin Pariel, the Squared™ world number one who recently impressed at the Dexterity Depot Chase-Off™.
« Gabin is the future, » Rendao said. « I want to help build that future. »
Hollywood Responds
Kyle Soderman, team captain and the only remaining original member of Hollywood Freerunners, released a brief statement.
« We thank Amos for everything he’s done for this organisation. One World Championships. Countless memories. He changed how we think about the sport. »
Soderman paused before adding: « That said, I found out about this on Instagram. So. »
Ky Baldwin, Rendao’s teammate at Hollywood, was more direct.
« I’m not going to lie, this one hurts. We had something special and the next trophy was right there. Now he’s chasing it with someone else. »
When asked if Hollywood could still win Worlds without Rendao, Baldwin said: « We’ll see in June. »
Parkour59’s Response
Naïm Street, team captain of Parkour59, confirmed the signing.
« We’ve been building towards this moment for years. The infrastructure, the Academy, the culture. When Amos reached out, it was obvious. He understands what we’re trying to do. »
Naïm added: « People think Parkour59 are underdogs. Three finals in four official championships. Two wins. We’re not underdogs. We just haven’t won Worlds yet. With Amos, we will. »
The move places Rendao in Group B aka the Group of Death. If both teams advance, they could meet in the semi-finals or final.
The Threepeat Question
Rendao’s departure raises questions about his pursuit of history.
He won WCT5 Worlds with APEX ETH as the team’s strategist. He won WCT6 Worlds with Hollywood. A third consecutive title would make him the first person since Greg Ball to achieve the threepeat.
Now he’s attempting it with a third different team.
« That makes it more meaningful, » Rendao said. « Anyone can win with the same roster. Building something new, proving the system works anywhere? This has never been done and I’m here for it. »
What This Means for WCT7
Hollywood lose their strategist weeks before the biggest event of the year. Parkour59 gain one of the most accomplished minds in the sport.
Group B just got significantly harder. Group A may have just gotten easier.
As per usual, Amos Rendao changed everything.
One More Thing
Before publication, we reached out to Rendao for final confirmation.
His response: « Poisson d’avril. »
For our non-French readers: April Fools.
Happy 1st April from Quadside. See you at Worlds. The real one.
