Members of T.I.P. Crew, which won the country preliminary for the 2008 B-Boy Unit World Championship last Saturday, will take part in the KB B-Boy World Masters this Saturday. / Courtesy of KB B-Boy World Masters

By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter

Fans of breakdancing will have a ball this Saturday, as the world’s top class B-boys gather at the Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul to show off their best skills. Top-notch b-boys will be present at the global breakdancing competition include B-boys Machine and Casper from the United States, who is highly respected and popular among Korean breakdancing fans.

Sponsored by Kookmin Bank, the KB B-Boy World Masters invited eight teams from around the world. They include frequent world champions such as Mind 180 and Rock Force Crew from the United States, Mortal Combat from Japan, Phase-T and Pockemon Crew from France, B-town Allstars from Germany, Extreme Crew and T.I.P. from South Korea.

Extreme Crew was included in the line-up from the beginning because of its several winning awards at local and international competitions. T.I.P., meanwhile, won the country preliminary for the 2008 B-boy Unit World Championship held last Friday and Saturday, which secured them the last ticket to the KB B-Boy World Masters as well. T.I.P. is also a star B-boy team that won several competitions and appeared in several TV commercials during its 12-year history. Last year, the team collaborated with North Korean-born dancer Paik Hyang-ju in the fusion dance performance ``The Code.’’

The Saturday event will take place in the form of a tournament. The jury comprises high-profile figures in the B-boying world, including CROS1, Storm, and Poe 1 from the United States as well as Lee Woo-sung of South Korea _ leader of Expression Crew who choreographed the last year’s hit B-boy performance show ``Marionette.’’ The total prize money this year amounts to $ 43,000, and the grand prizewinner will get $ 15,000.

Prior to the tournament, a warm-up party is scheduled at Club Circle in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on Sept. 6, to welcome participants and celebrate the gathering. At the Saturday event, pop star Lee Hyo-lee and dancer-turned-singer Poppin’ Hyunjun will appear as guests.

Tickets for KB B-Boy World Masters can be downloaded for free at www.kbb-boy.com. Audiences will be admitted on a first-come first-served basis.

saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr