Vancouver b-boy Phillip Kim — known as “Phil Wizard” — made history Saturday after he won the first-ever gold medal in men’s breakdancing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Kim’s former coach Jheric Hizon, also known as “B-Boy Twist,” says he knew the 27-year-old breaker would win when he realized his former pupil was set to face off against Parisian b-boy Danis Civil in the final competition.
“Just because going into the top four who Phil competed against — they have all beaten Phil in some other competitions. And going into this it was pretty much any of those four would take first, second, third, and fourth place.”
Kim was first exposed to breakdancing when a community dance program called A Star Society visited his school as a child. Shortly thereafter, he started attending Vancouver’s Boogaloo Academy and training with Hizon — a pioneer in the Vancouver street dance scene and member of the Now Or Never Break Dance Crew.
“We knew there was always something special about Philip, just because of how hard the guy works,” Hizon told 1130 NewsRadio.
Boogaloo Academy co-founder Anita Perel-Panar says Kim still practices at their studio to this day.
“When he got his World Championship, he gave us a plaque, and we framed it above the room that he favours, that he trains in. He’s at our studio every day that he’s in Vancouver training,” Perel-Panar said.
Philip Kim’s former coach Jheric Hizon, also known as “B-Boy Twist,” says he knew the 27-year-old breaker would win when he realized his former pupil was set to face off against Parisian b-boy Danis Civil in the final competition. (Supplied)
The pair of mentors flew to the Paris 2024 Summer Games to watch their former pupil, who they describe as family, take gold. The pair said it was a “surreal experience.”
“We’re pretty excited over here standing in the warm air of the Paris evening,” said Perel-Panar.
The duo described electric energy at the final competition and said Parisian b-boys had arranged an after-party that ran on Saturday from 12 am until 6 am Paris time.
Jheric says the breakdancing scene in BC is unique because breakers from across the Lower Mainland — including Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, and Delta — all practice together as well as compete.