Breaking
Canada’s Phil Wizard is known for energetic performances, outstanding creativity and winning gold at the Olympics. Read up on his journey to building a career as a professional breaker.
Phil Wizard was 13 years old when he saw a breaking street show in downtown Vancouver. Mesmerised, he went home and immediately searched breaking on YouTube. The first video that came up was Lilou vs Cloud in the final battle of the Red Bull BC One World Final 2009. He was blown away by what he saw and began his journey to becoming a b-boy.
01
He left university to pursue breaking
When Phil finished high school, he went to university to study psychology. However, he only lasted two semesters. “I was barely passing and was only there because my parents wanted me to be," he recalls. "But at that time, I was starting to travel for breaking and just started getting invites.” Realising that his heart was in breaking, he dropped out of university to put all his time and energy into dance.
It’s fun for me figuring out the business side and how to make a living doing what I love
Competing and doing dance gigs to pay rent while living at home, Phil wanted more consistent work as a b-boy so that he could live on his own. Then the pandemic hit, and everything began to shut down, pushing Phil to find online platforms through which he could teach and earn extra income.
“I have a Patreon. I run mentorship coaching programmes and teach through Zoom, helping people all over the world grow their craft," he explains.
Through his online work, a small number of dance jobs and competitions, Phil was finally able to get his own place. But he admits that living as a full-time breaker was still not easy, saying: “It’s that typical b-boy hustle. I have some months where I can barely afford rent and some months where I’m doing really well. It’s just making sure there is a balance in saving and being careful with spending money.”
But even with the uncertainty of income, Phil embraced everything that came with the journey. “It’s fun for me figuring out the business side and how to make a living doing what I love.”
02
Navigating mental states and pushing harder
While the energetic, title-winning b-boy now competes confidently with the best breakers in the world, there were plenty of days where Phil questioned whether he was good enough. “For the first 11 years, it was daily doubting if I can do it full-time,” he says. “Was I good enough? Will I ever be great? Some days I felt on top of the world, and other days I was like, ‘I don’t know why I’m doing this, I should have gone to school and got a regular job’.”
But again, Phil is all about the journey, and this mindset helped him to see his self-doubt as something to learn from. "It’s important to be able to climb out of those mental states and push past that to develop something great," he says. "It’s yin and yang. You need those lows to get to the highs, and you need the highs so that when you’re in the lows, you know there is something on the other side.”
03
The lonesome road to becoming a pro b-boy
Phil also faced the hurdle of being somewhat alone in his push to build a career. "There is no one that I really train with who is as motivated in the craft like me," he reveals. "I love my friends but understand that people have jobs, families and other responsibilities, whereas my sole focus right now is breaking.”
Phil’s internal drive and motivation come from always reminding himself that “as cheesy as it sounds, fun is key. I do this because I love it, so I do whatever I can to keep it fun each day". For Phil, this means “finding those little things that help keep me on track", like staying off his phone at practice or seeing how much he can push himself before having to take a break. “I don’t follow a structured path, and I think that’s what works for me, as I just do what’s fun in the moment.”
04
Things coming full circle
From being inspired to dance by watching the 2009 edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final on YouTube, Phil would compete on the world finals stage for the first time in 2019. Just two years later he would battle B-Boy Amir in the Red Bull BC One final. In 2023, Phil Wizard made it to the final once again, competing against friend and fellow Red Bull BC One All Star Hong 10, who took his third title that night.
In 2024, Phil Wizard made history by winning the breaking contest at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris.
With world titles, an Olympic gold medal and plenty of achievements under his belt, Phil believes that all of his accomplishments come down to simply being consistent. He says: “There are people that I grew up with who were way better than me when I started, but I’ve been the most consistent, and I think the most passionate.”
His drive and love for breaking has also seen Phil join the Red Bull BC One All Stars. Yet despite being recognised as one of the best breakers in the world, he remains grounded and continues to push and develop his craft. “I do this because I just love to create and dance every day, and I think that’s the kind of approach you have to have.”
You have to do this because you love it
Phil echoes those words in his advice for those also hoping to make a career as a full-time b-boy or b-girl. He says: “You have to do this because you love it. You have to do it because the journey is what you enjoy. That doesn’t mean every day you are happy. Again, I have ups and downs daily, but I know that in the end, it’s all worth it.”
Find out more about Phil's champion mindset in the podcast below.
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