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Breaking: Sheku and Stefani crowned Red Bull BC One Cypher UK champions

Sunday August 8th saw the men’s and women’s Red Bull BC One UK breaking finals take place at Electric Brixton, London. The competition was the first breaking event to host spectators in over a year and a half due to COVID 19 restrictions.

12 of the best B-Boys and B-Girls made the pilgrimage to London from the furthest reaches of the nation to compete for the chance to be crowned as the best breaker in the UK. The winning athletes also earn the opportunity to compete in the biggest one-on-one breaking event in the world, the Red Bull BC One World final in Gdansk this November.

This years’ competitors turned up the heat with a number of outrageous performances as two winners were crowned on the night. B-Boy Sheku and B-Girl Stefani wrote their names in the history books, becoming this years’ champions.

B-Boy Sheku

Sheku, 24, is a professional breaker, dance coach and barber from Devon who has now won the Red Bull BC One Cypher on three separate occasions and has amassed 28 breaking titles in his career.

He began breaking after seeing the first UK B-Boy Championships on TV in 2009. The athletes inspired him to go on and become a professional B-Boy.

Before 2021, his previous title was won at the Break Mission International one-on-one Breaking Championships in 2020, the last time spectators were permitted at a UK breaking event until now.

Speaking to Red Bull before the event Sheku said: “So far, my proudest achievement was 100% finding myself and my style. The feeling you get when you know you have that…

“I might have a bunch of titles, but my main focus in dance is to keep creating, exploring, and leaving a legacy. I treat every battle like it’s my last, so this weekend, expect to see a lot of complex movements and a real battle.” He said.

In the Red Bull BC One Final, Sheku came up against a tough opponent in AJ The Cypher Cat, an acrobatic London based B-Boy. But the Devonian breaker proved too skilful for his opponent, delivering on his promise to complete a challenging and athletic routine.

Among the breaking community Sheku has been nicknamed ‘Thready Kreuger’ for using so many threads (a technical floor move) in his performances.

In December of 2020 it was announced that breaking would be the latest sport to be included in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing were also approved for the Paris Games.

The decision may provide Sheku with the opportunity to represent Great Britain in 2024. The breaker will be 27 years old at the Games and he will be reaching the peak of his powers. Sheku is certainly in the frame to compete in Paris.

Explaining his excitement over breaking’s Olympic inclusion Sheku said: “That’s one of the reasons why I break – having something to work towards and expressing myself at competitions. It would be a dream come true.”

B-Girl Stefani

B-Girl Stefani, 27, originally from Ukraine, was inspired to take up breaking after playing a video game her father gifted her, in which one of the characters performed impressive Capoeira moves.

She witnessed performers exhibiting similar moves at a breaking event she snuck into as a child, and the rest is history.

After breaking success in Ukraine as a teenager she moved to London to make a name for herself in the UK breaking scene. Since then, she has become well known for her unique power moves and athletic tricks.

Stefani was victorious over B-Girl and actress Fidget in the final who put up a strong fight. Fidget has since encouraged both Stefani and Sheku to go on and win the Red Bull BC One World final in Gdansk.

The Ukrainian breaker performance in the UK Cypher final was full of energy and flare. She performed every move with a combination of accuracy and enthusiasm.

After winning the Red Bull BC One Cypher she told the crowd that this goal had been her priority as a breaker since arriving in the UK. Stefani confidently claimed her next priority is to win the World Championship and become the worlds best B-Girl.

The champion breaker has used her platform recently to voice her feelings on the disparity between how B-Boys and B-Girls are perceived.

“I still feel like when it comes to B-Boys, everything is more professional. When I see the competitions, and the prizes and sponsors, there is still more support for the B-Boys.

“In 2021, it’s a lot better for B-Girls than before, but still, there are situations where there isn’t a B-Girl category at an event or the prize for the B-Boy winner is $10,000 or more, and $1,000 for the B-Girl winner. That’s not motivating us.” Stefai said.

Red Bull BC One World Final

Winning breakers Sheku and Stefani have earned the right to represent the UK at the Red Bull BC One World Final in Gdansk, Poland. The competition takes place on the 5th and 6th of November 2021.

32 breakers will go head to head, competing in one-on-one battles but only one B-Boy and one B-Girl can be crowned as the champion.

Red Bull have hosted 17 World Breaking Finals since 2004, making it the most high profile and significant breaking competitions ever.

Over 60 qualifier events prelude the Finals in Gdansk with thousands of athletes competing for a place on the world stage.

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In 2021, breaking has arrived. B-Boys and B-Girls in the community are abuzz with anticipation for the Paris Olympic Games. If the UK Cypher final is anything to go by, the Olympic viewership are in for a treat in 2024.

For Sheku and Stefani, their first port of call will be preparations for the World Final in Gdansk where they will face off against breakers form around the globe.

 

Author

  • Nathan Frazer-Carroll

    Hi, I'm Nathan Frazer-Carroll. As Deputy Editor of the Sports Gazette I'm a lover of all things sport. My main areas of interest are Football, Athletics, Combat Sports and Snooker! I was born in North London and I'm a University of Manchester graduate with a BA in Philosophy and Politics.