B-Boying Then and Now

In the early '80s, we still called it "breaking" and you couldn't find a Bay Area mall without an improptu gathering rocking to Kraftwerk's "Numbers" or "Tour de France." Our little crew always sat at the back of the bus with a roll of linoleum and boombox in tow. It was our intention to have a uniform too, but head-to-toe Nike nylon wasn't cheap enough for 4th graders to buy with lunch money, and parents were still trying to figure out whether or not this breaking stuff was a bad thing. I remember my mom asking if I'd joined a gang. Everyone in the crew had their specialty. Jomart had the most revolutions on his backspin, Ronald was the only one that could flare 10 different ways, and all I could do was pop, barely.

Today's scene is less of a craze and doesn't attract as much mainstream attention, but it's better organized and internationally inclusive. While we don't see it taking over schoolyards and garages anymore, B-Boys from all over the world are honing their skills. The innovation and athleticism is as impressive as ever. Anyone that's attended or seen a BC One competition knows B-Boying is still going strong on a worldwide scale.

And, there's still a healthy appreciation for the past, and we see homage in music, choreography and fashion associated with B-Boy culture. Every time I see Alife's ripstop nylon kicks "Planet Rock" breaks start playing in my head.

Speaking of back in the day, we recently ran into Crazy Legs from the legendary Rock Steady Crew at a canned food drive at Mighty this past week. Check out the collage below!