Breaking
Phil Wizard is one of the most creative breakers alive. Here’s how he keeps his head when all around is spinning.
Phil Wizard admits that he had trouble staying focused on lessons at school. He would often find excuses to leave the classroom to bust out headspins, freezes and flares in the echoey corridors. “Nothing else grabbed my attention in quite the same way as breaking,” he says. Fortunately for the kid who grew up to become one of the world’s best breakers, that proved to be his perfect vocation.
It all began on the streets of his hometown of Vancouver in 2009, when the 12-year-old Philip Kim (Wizard’s real name) witnessed local hip-hop crew Now or Never running their slick moves. One of them became his first breaking teacher. “In the beginning, having my own crew and mentors was vital,” he reflects. His own b-boy name came from the first crew he joined: The Wizards.
Since then, the physical maestro – known for his creative flair and effortless, explosive power moves – has gone on to win Red Bull BC One cyphers in Canada and Los Angeles. He also became the Undisputed World B-Boy Masters winner in 2018; and in 2022, Wizard joined the Red Bull BC One All Stars – a crew of some of the planet’s best breakers. Then he took top spot at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile, which also secured him a place in Paris this summer.
Social media is not good for my mental health
Why Phil Wizard wipes social media apps off his phone
So, with his new-found fame, does he still have trouble staying focused? “Social media is a huge part of any athlete’s work these days,” says Wizard, who has more than 70,000 followers on Instagram. “The more online presence you have, the more opportunities there are. But it’s not great for my mental health.”
So he takes enforced tech breaks. “In the run-up to a big event, I’ll delete the socials from my phone.” This ultra-disciplined approach frees up about 25 hours a week for training. “I get into a meditative state before each competition. It’s about trying to stay present in the moment.” At this moment, Wizard has never been more present. He sums it up with a simple philosophy: “I stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready.”
