On September 17, the world’s largest, most esteemed breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, will host the USA National Finals in Los Angeles. Winners of the regional cyphers held in Philadelphia, Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle will take the stage at Eden Hollywood to battle it out for the National Championship title and to represent the country at the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York this November.
Shining a light on the thriving breaking communities across the U.S., the nation’s top 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls will compete in a knockout bracket, judged by a panel of respected figures within the breaking and hip-hop community, including b-girl legend Asia 1 and Red Bull BC One All Star Neguin with Rakaa, of Dilated Peoples hosting the evening. Joining the regional finalists are wild-card invites of top US breakers including Hijack, Mace, Snap1, Rascal Randi, Sunny, and more. Only one b-boy and one b-girl will go on to represent the USA at the Last Chance Cypher during the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York on November 11.
B-girl Pep-C, an Olympic hopeful who will be competing in Los Angeles, took home the win at the Red Bull BC One Cypher East in Philadelphia last month. She shares, “The Red Bull BC One National Final is an exciting opportunity to put my training and skills to the test against the best b-girls across the country. With the Olympics around the corner, this prestigious competition is a stepping stone on the road to Paris..”
The 2022 Red Bull BC One season celebrates the communities that have helped push break forward to reach new milestones in the sport’s history: Hip-hop’s upcoming golden anniversary in 2023 and the highly anticipated debut of breaking at the 2024 Paris Games. Honoring these pivotal timestamps, the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Final will return to New York, paying tribute to breaking as an intrinsic element of hip-hop culture.
While breaking has its roots in the Bronx, it was also ubiquitous in the west coast hip-hop mecca of South L.A. and on the city’s east side. West Coast Dancers have shaped breaking’s evolution since the 1970s, fusing California-native dance styles like popping and locking with the ground-level gymnastics of New York B-Boys. The West Coast is also home to legendary breaking crews such as Air Force Crew, Radiotron Wizards, and Shake City Rockers, which trace back to intramural battles in L.A.
Emerging in the late 2000s, Squadron, a SoCal breaking crew, ignited a modern west coast breaking revolution. Brought together by breaking icon David “Mex One” Alvarado, Squadron was one of the first independent West Coast Crews made “by and for the scene”, which added a distinct West Coast flavor to the sport by merging it with capoeira moves, house dance, and other techniques. Its members include Red Bull BC One All Stars Omar “RoxRite” Delgado, who was a founding member, and Victor Montalvo.
“Generations of West Coast b-boys and b-girls from San Diego to Seattle have influenced what we know as breaking today. Being a member of Renegade Rockers and to represent the Red Bull BC One All Stars, two crews that are crucial to breaking’s proliferation, I am proud to carry the torch for the breakers who came before me while nurturing the next generation,” shares RoxRite.
Leading up to the competition, Red Bull BC One will host Breakalicious @ Delicious, a celebration of west coast hip hop and break, on Friday, August 26 from 7-9PM PT at Delicious Pizza, a neighborhood pizzeria and local community hub from the founders of the iconic hip-hop label Delicious Vinyl, which helped launch seminal artists such as Tone Lōc (“Wild Thing”), Young MC (“Bust a Move”), The Pharcyde and more.
Breakalicious @ Delicious will feature an open jam session and the unveiling of a limited edition Squadron pizza box. The event will kick off a four-week photo exhibition exploring the west coast break scene and a limited time offering from Delicious, the Pizza Break special, which includes a 12” pizza and two cans of Red Bull.
Tickets to the national final are $10. Secure your spot at the Red Bull BC One Cypher USA here.
