"... I can't wait until next year"

At the beginning of November B-Boy Wing in Paris was crowned Red Bull BC One Champion 2008. In an interview the Korean talks about body language, life as a B-Boy in his country – and dance lessons of a different kind.

Wing, congratulations on your Red Bull BC One victory in Paris! How, where, and with whom did you celebrate your triumph at the world's most important one-on-one B-Boying contest?

I hung out with my family and my crew. We had lots of food and drinks … Nothing too crazy.

What does this success mean to you?

It means I have to train harder now, I guess …

It was your first Red Bull BC One – and many predicted that you only had underdog chances. What made you the best B-Boy of the night?

I don't believe that I was necessarily the best B-Boy … I think I did the best I could. I was very tired at the end, but I really tried to push myself and be as strategic as possible. I'm just glad I won, and I can't wait until next year.

Are there also tactical or psychological games played in a B-Boy battle? If yes, what sorts of tricks are sometimes used to psyche out opponents? Or as a B-Boy do you exclusively concentrate on your own performance?

I really try to concentrate on my own performance. I know a lot of B-Boys use a certain type of body language; they try to ridicule and intimidate an opponent like this, but I feel that those things are important because it shows confidence and strength to the people watching the battle just as much as it is used to psyche out an opponent. It’s all about their character and style. I just do what I can as best as I can.

Each B-Boy has his own, very personal style. How would you describe your style in five words?

Swift, flowing, complex, full of finesse, stealthy.

How do you actually prepare for such an important contest as Red Bull BC One? Please briefly describe a normal training day. How many hours a day do you train?

I don’t necessarily have a set time for practice, but I do practice about four to five hours every day. Sometimes more sometimes less. I stretch, do a lot of image training. I also try to do as much work as possible on my stamina and flexibility and come up with new moves by practicing what I know and seeing what else my body can do. As well, I draw a lot of inspiration from my brother and my crew.

It's well known that, particularly in your country, there's a lively B-Boy scene. What's it like being a professional B-Boy in Korea? Do you get recognized walking down the street? Do people ever come up to you asking for autographs?

Yes, we do have a very strong B-Boy scene and community in Korea, but it's not like we’re celebrities in any way. At B-Boying events, yes, we do get some love, but that’s about it. Even some of the more famous B-Boys in Korea are relatively unknown, but we are still loved by the nation as a whole. We and what we do as B-Boys gets a great amount of respect and consideration. And at the least everyone in Korea, old or young, man, woman and child, knows what a B-Boy is and what it is we do. That says a lot and gives us hope.

Please tell us bit about the person Kim, Heon Woo aka B-Boy Wing. Besides B-Boying, what do you love the most? And what can't you stand?

I'm just a normal young guy who loves B-Boying. I'm still learning, still trying to find myself. I’m open to a lot of things and there’s nothing I really can’t stand.

How will you spend the next few weeks? Will you be touring with your Jinjo Crew? Have you got any other contests planned for this year?

Do some shows, train with my crew … nothing big. It’s almost the end of the year – time to relax a little and spend some time with my friends and family.