Phil Wizard wearing the Lululemon x Team Canada kit for the Paris 2024 Games.
Lululemon (via UEG)
27-year-old Phil “Phil Wizard” Kim is one of the world’s top breakers, with multiple World Championship titles and sponsorship deals from Red Bull, Toyota, Visa, and more. The Vancouver native will represent Canada in the first-ever Olympic breaking competition.
I had the chance to chat with Phil about several topics, including his preparations for Paris 2024, his thoughts on competition wear and the Canadian National Team uniform, and his hopes for Breaking.
The beginning of history
For Phil, having breaking at the Olympics is a huge milestone and opportunity to shine a spotlight on this lesser known art and sport. Understanding the pressure of representing himself and his country, he has trained harder and more frequently as breaking’s first Olympian. He believes the mental aspect is “the hardest part when you’re training consistently, like six days a week, and pushing yourself every day.”
Phil Wizard’s never-ending passion for breaking drives him every day. He loves the community, the competition, the energy and the possibilities. The freedom of individuality is what differentiates breaking from other Olympic sports. “It’s not always the fastest or strongest guy who wins.” It’s the guy who executes and resonates with the judges and the audience.
“I feel like I’m living in a really fun game,” he says with a smile.
Looks fresh
Fashion has always been an integral part of hip hop as a means of self-expression, so it’s no surprise that Olympic breakers show off some of the coolest outfits around.
While shoes may be a breaker’s most iconic piece of clothing, Phil Wizard pays close attention to pants. “I think the silhouette of your pants often determines how comfortable and fresh you feel, which translates to performance and mental confidence when you go into a fight.”
Lululemon ambassador Phil was one of the first to try on the Lululemon x Team Canada athlete kit that will be worn in Paris, and he was impressed. In a fashion-forward city like Paris, he predicts “there will be a little competition between countries to see who has the best fit…and Canada will definitely be at the top.” He also loved the Podium tracksuit he tried on for the Outshine Gold campaign, saying it was comfortable, breathable and “feels right at home” for Breaker.
Canadian B-Boy Phil Wizard will compete at the 2023 World Breaking Championships in Leuven. [+] September 24, 2023. (Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)
AFP via Getty Images
leave his mark
Phil Wizard wants to give it his all on the Olympic stage. “I want to show all my tricks. I have a lot of content and I want to show it all. It’s just a matter of what the content is going to be.” The Canadian is known in the breaking world as a unique and eccentric breakboy who matches his technical ability. Tricks like the “zombie walk,” “swimming” and “neck break” are some of his trademarks.
Phil is confident in his strengths, such as his wide vocabulary and ability to improvise, but he also knows that his Olympic rivals are the best. Of the 15 competitors, he would love to see Dutch B-Boy Lee (Le-Lou Diouf Demiaire) compete for gold. Lee recently won both Olympic qualifying series and qualified for Paris, so Phil’s wish may well come true. According to Phil, the two are good friends, and “if I go up against Lee in the final, it’ll be like, we’re the two best breakers in the world right now, competitively.”
Beyond Gold
The 2024 Paris Olympics are important, but Phil isn’t losing sight of the bigger picture: the world of breaking is not just about one event, and it’s poised to grow even more as the Olympics bring in new audiences.
“I want kids to see it, get hooked, and want to make it big, and I want this community to grow. Hopefully people will get hooked and want to keep watching even after the Olympics are over. ” Phil hopes people will get involved in any way they can, whether that’s attending local events, helping to organize events, or supporting kids who might be interested in learning more.
Winning gold or not, breaking is a skill that Phil Wizard continues to hone. He asserts, “There’s always something to add to breaking… always a lesson to learn, always growing… always being humble, always being challenged.”
