B-Boy Phil Wizard) Kim is in Paris this week for the Red Bull BC One World Final. Before that heB次元官网网址檚 not so sure.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been the busiest year of travel for me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t has been a lot but itB次元官网网址檚 been good.B次元官网网址�
Breaking, better known as breakdancing, takes the 26-year-old from Vancouver around the world. And Kim is in demand.
He was in Leuven, Belgium, last month to defend his title at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) World Breaking Championship, finishing runner-up to American B-Boy Victor who booked his ticket to the Paris Olympics with the win.
After Paris, he heads to Santiago, Chile, for the Pan American Games where an Olympic berth awaits the winner. It will be his second visit to Chile this year after winning the WDSF Pan American Championships there in May.
And before Paris?
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of all jumbled up to be honest,B次元官网网址� Kim said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know where I was before Belgium. What month are we? October?B次元官网网址�
Upon reflection, he recalls being in France in August, as well as the Netherlands and Slovakia. There was also a business trip to Toronto earlier this month.
B次元官网网址淐onstantly on the road,B次元官网网址� he said.
So does that make Kim a world-class packer?
B次元官网网址淵ou would think so,B次元官网网址� he lamented. B次元官网网址淏ut actually I always forget something every time I travel.B次元官网网址�
Kim always comes complete with a bucketload of moves. The breakdancing maestro is a muscular spinning top, ready to cheerfully take on all-comers.
The Red Bull BC One World Final, whose main event is scheduled for Saturday, is a favourite stop.
Kim is a Red Bull-sponsored athlete. Plus this yearB次元官网网址榮 event is taking place at Roland Garros, home of the French Open tennis tournament. And with breaking making its Olympic debut next year in Paris B次元官网网址� at the iconic Place de la Concorde, which will also host Olympic BMX freestyle, skateboarding and 3xs basketball B次元官网网址� the event has more eyes on it.
While some like defending champion B-Boy Victor have opted to skip this yearB次元官网网址檚 event due to a busy schedule with Olympic qualifying coming into play, Kim says B次元官网网址渁 lot of heavy hittersB次元官网网址� will still be competing.
Kim points to such top contenders as South KoreaB次元官网网址檚 Hong 10, American Jeffro and FranceB次元官网网址檚 Dany Dann as well as B次元官网网址測oung gunsB次元官网网址� like PolandB次元官网网址檚 Wigor and JapanB次元官网网址檚 Issin.
B次元官网网址淭he level is very high. ItB次元官网网址檚 a very, very cool lineup this year,B次元官网网址� said Kim, who grew up watching the event and counts it as B次元官网网址渢he most prestigious one-on-one event in the world.B次元官网网址�
The five-foot-seven 160-pounder, with guns that a man twice his size would envy, has his eye set on the Olympics and Paris.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a city that figures prominently for him. He has been there four times in the last year.
B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 always fun for me to goB次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓specially this week. BC One is always a gathering of the entire community. They always invite every major player in the game and a lot of people just to come spectate, so itB次元官网网址檚 always a great time.B次元官网网址�
Kim was gracious in defeat at the world championships in Belgium, lifting Victor in the air when the result was announced.
It was a competition that started badly for him, Kim said.
B次元官网网址淧rior to the top eight (round), I felt horrible. I just was not in it mentally,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 happy that from the top eight onwards, I kind of flipped the switch and was able to come back. I think I put on a good showing.
B次元官网网址淚 had a very difficult lineup with Menno (in the) top eight, Shigekix top four and then Victor in the finals. All people that I kind of looked up to growing up and people that I compete against regularly B次元官网网址� So if was definitely tough competition. But Victor won fair and square. The better man won that day. But it was still a good battle and I feel I put on a good showing. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 a landslide or anything (the final score was 2-1). And IB次元官网网址檓 happy for Vic.B次元官网网址�
Kim notes that the same three competitors stood on the podium as last year, albeit in a different order. It was Victor, Kim and Shigekix this year. Last year it was Kim, Shigekix and Victor.
Breaking sees competitors go one on one, riffing off the DJB次元官网网址檚 music in short bursts of about 30 seconds as their rival looks on. Repeating a competitorB次元官网网址檚 signature move is frowned upon although there is a bushel of general moves that everyone uses.
But there can be an healthy element of swagger on offer from the sideline, with the athlete not in action using body language for a silent review of what heB次元官网网址檚 seeing.
Kim said it was hard to forget what was on the line at the worlds.
B次元官网网址淵ou could feel a lot more pressure that day, for sure.B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut as always I try to enjoy it and just have fun. But I definitely felt the pressure as well, especially in the finals because itB次元官网网址檚 just three rounds and it can decide whether you go to the Olympics or not.B次元官网网址�
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 breaking team at the Pan Am Games also includes TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Onton (B-Boy Onton) See and Tiffany (B-Girl Tiff) Leung and Emma (B-Girl Emma) Misak of Surrey, B.C.
While itB次元官网网址檚 a first go-round for breaking at both the Olympics and Pan Ams, Misak won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. For the time being itB次元官网网址檚 a one-off at the Olympics with the sport not on the agenda for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Kim sees the weekend Red Bull event as excellent preparation for the Nov. 3-4 Pan Am competition which serves as the Americas qualifier for the Olympics.
He can also book his ticket to Paris via the Olympic Qualifying Series, set for March to June. Kim is already pre-qualified for the series, which will settle the final seven spots in each of the 16-athlete menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 Olympic fields.
Kim cheerfully says his schedule is not about to get any lighter.
B次元官网网址淚 think IB次元官网网址檝e learned in the last few years that IB次元官网网址檓 a workaholic and itB次元官网网址檚 easy to be a workaholic when you love what you do and also you get to do cool things,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a very good year but very, very long,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淚 am quite exhausted to be honest. But itB次元官网网址檚 also just a learning process, especially because itB次元官网网址檚 the first time ever for us to go to the Olympics, to do the Olympic qualification, as well as still do things like (Red Bull) BC One, shooting content, working with different brands, whatever the case may be.
B次元官网网址淎ll good things. But definitely exhausting.B次元官网网址�
He also is a champion sleeper on planes, saving up his frequent flyer points for an upgrade when travelling to important competitions.
B次元官网网址淚t does spoil you. Once you go business class, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to go back to economy to be completely honest,B次元官网网址� he said with a giggle.
B次元官网网址淚 can sleep pretty much anywhere but obviously if youB次元官网网址檙e able to lie down, itB次元官网网址檚 going to be way more comfortable,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淏ut IB次元官网网址檓 pretty good. ItB次元官网网址檚 actually become so good that it is detrimental. I canB次元官网网址檛 do anything else on a plane. Like if I try to read or watch a movie, I start falling asleep, because my body is so conditioned to fall asleep on a plane. I pretty much just eat or sleep on planes.B次元官网网址�
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