Breaking
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B-Boy Victor: Top career highlights in breaking
Take a look at B-Boy Victor's standout breaking moments, from major wins to career-defining battles, and see how he became a breaking icon.
Breakdancing, or breaking, has been an essential part of hip-hop culture since its invention. Watching b-boys and b-girls perform has always been mesmerizing, from the acrobatic flips to dramatic dropping go-downs.
Victor mid-air at the Red Bull BC One World Final 2022
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
As breaking is recognized more and more in international athletics, athletes such as B-Boy Victor are proving there’s still plenty of room left to innovate. His original style has earned him global recognition and prestigious titles galore — but if you ask him, those aren’t the things that motivate him. He says he lives by the words of his number one influence.
“My dad always told me that ‘whatever you do, give it 100 percent and be the best at it,’” he says.
Today, Victor continues to put 100 percent into breaking, from getting creative with his form to winning competitions around the world.
01
Early years and introduction to breaking
B-Boy Victor was born Victor Montalvo in Kissimmee, Florida. His passion for breaking was passed down by his father, Victor Bermudez, who fell in love with the art form in the mid-1980s. His dad never had the chance to go pro but always dreamed of sharing the joy of breaking with his children. Bermudez tells Red Bull how rewarding it is to see his son’s massive success today.
Victor before the 2012 Red Bull BC One World Final in Rio de Janeiro
© Romina Amato / Red Bull Content Pool
“I didn’t have a chance to do it, so it means everything to watch my son live his dreams — and through him, I can live my own,” he says. "Everything I wanted to do, he’s doing now.”
B-Boy Victor first saw his father break at the age of 6 and instantly realized he wanted to follow in his footsteps. By age 10, he was determined to get serious about breaking. He entered his first battle at age 14, but it would take a lot more experience and hard work for him to start winning. Victor saw the short-term losses as an opportunity for long-term gains, however.
“I loved losing because it pushed me to do more,” he tells Red Bull. “The more I lost, the better I got.”
02
Breakthrough moment: 2011 Red Bull BC One
Victor at the 2011 Red Bull BC One U.S. National Qualifier in Chicago
© Marv Watson / Red Bull Content Pool
Victor spent a lot of time with his first dance crew, Flip Style, studying Red Bull BC One break competitions. For a kid who’d never left Florida, seeing breaking in the spotlight on larger stages opened his eyes to what was possible. Those videos, along with other international contests Victor could now access with the explosion of YouTube, had a profound influence on Victor’s unique dance style.
Paying attention to what the pros were doing paid off big time in 2011. At age 16, Victor claimed his first big win in Tampa at a Red Bull BC One cypher. The win also qualified him for the U.S. national final in Chicago, where he’d finally take his talent outside the Sunshine State.
03
Major career milestones
Two-time Red Bull BC One World Champion
Victor celebrates at the 2015 Red Bull BC One World Finals in Rome
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Content Pool
Victor snatched major victories nationally and abroad, including his first Undisputed World B-Boy Series win in France. (He’d win first place again in 2017.) One of his greatest spotlight moments happened at the 2015 Red Bull BC One World Championship in Rome. In a poignant full circle moment, Victor gave the championship belt from his self-described “most important” win to his father. His journey to the gold medal win was chronicled in the short documentary "Remember the Name: Victor Montalvo."
30 min
Remember the Name: Victor Montalvo
For some, b-boying is a hobby. But for b-boy Victor, it’s both a passion and a pathway to a better life.
That wouldn’t be his only time as Red Bull BC One World Champion, though. In 2022, he took home the gold once again after starting every battle in each round. This time, he was surrounded by friends and family in New York, which made the win extra special. Victor tells Red Bull why the location added meaning to his win.
“I think this is the most special one because New York is where hip-hop came from,” he says. “Plus, it was a really good feeling to have all my friends come out and support me. I rarely have that when I travel internationally.”
B-Boy Victor wins the 2022 BC One World Final in New York City
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship
In 2023, Victor further cemented his place as one of the best b-boys out there with another notable international win. His gold medal victory at the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) World Breaking Championship in Belgium came as a shock, though. He already had a WDSF win under his belt from 2021. But the 2023 event had been preceded by a string of bronze medals, so Victor went in feeling slightly discouraged.
He followed his dad’s long-time advice, though, and put 100 percent into each round. By the end, Victor was at the top of the podium. Even as the number-one ranked b-boy in America, Victor’s lifelong philosophy of using losses as motivation to fight for the next win still holds true.
Breaking crews
Victor isn’t just a star in one-on-one battles. He’s also a member of some prominent dance crews, including the Red Bull BC One All Stars and MF Kidz. He’s also been a part of Squadron, an elite dance crew based out of Southern California, since 2014. He was handpicked for the crew by David “MexOne” Alvarado, the late-breaking icon who was one of Victor’s early mentors. Victor says he still feels MexOne’s influence today.
Victor and the Red Bull BC One All Stars in Paris, France
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
“He made me believe in myself,” Victor says. “He was the main person that really subconsciously put it in my head without me knowing. He really brought that side out of me. Even after his passing, I still use what he told me till this day."
World stage
Victor secured his spot at Paris 2024 by winning the WDSF 2023 World Championship, in Leuven, Belgium, and went on to win the bronze medal in a thrilling battle against fellow Red Bull BC One All Star Shigekix.
04
Signature moves and style
Victor’s notoriety isn’t just about the titles he’s won. His unique breaking style has been described as hypnotic, as if the music plays to fit his movements and not the other way around. One of his most well known moves involves transitioning into a flare, a fundamental breaking technique, from a backflip.
Victor’s ability to seamlessly blend old-school and new-school influences is what makes his performances so captivating to witness. One of his fellow Red Bull BC One All Star and Squadron members, Ivan “Roxrite” Delgado, explains Victor’s success.
4 min
Train like a Pro: B-Boy Victor
B-Boy Victor has a big year ahead of him. Join the two-time Red Bull BC One champion for his training session, get inspired by his core exercises and finish with a breaking freestyle.
“He’s probably the most dominant B-Boy of all-time in terms of competitive breaking,” Ivan says. “He takes what has already been done to new levels and adds his own twist.”
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05
Overcoming adversity
Like much of the world, Victor felt a strong need to re-evaluate his priorities when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. With his greatest passion on hiatus, Victor started to lose motivation. He tells Red Bull about losing the excitement for breaking during early 2020.
“I lost the love of it,” he says. “I was like, ‘Man, I gotta stay away from breaking.’ Maybe it was the events, maybe the music, but it didn’t feel the same.”
He took the forced sabbatical as an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and broaden his horizons with other athletic disciplines. During that time, he explored cycling, running, snowboarding, and even Muay Thai fighting.
The time away provided much-needed restoration. By July 2022, Victor had returned to being a gold medal breaker, taking the top spot on the podium at the World Games in Alabama.
B-Boy Victor claimed the gold medal at the 2023 USA National Breaking Championship, proving his dominance in the competitive scene. His victory marked a key milestone in his journey toward the world stage in Paris. B-Boy Victor earned the bronze medal, scoring 3-0 win against Shigekix, one of Japan's top breakers. This performance solidified his place among breaking's elite and marked a historic moment in the sport's debut on the world stage.
06
B-Boy Victor: building his legacy
Victor at a Red Bull BC One Cypher breaking workshop in Mumbai, India
© Ali Bharmal / Focus Sports / Red Bull Content Pool
Victor’s mission in life isn’t just to win titles for himself. He’s determined to pass on breaking to the next generation and elevate the discipline globally. Victor has found success by adding his own unique take to breaking, and he encourages future breakers to do the same. He says that spreading the word about breaking is all about helping others find inspiration.
“It’s always a good thing for more people to know about breaking, but we have to make sure to teach the foundation,” he says. “This is about finding your own identity and style. It’s about being creative and trying to bring something new to the table to create a legacy.”
Whatever’s in store next, from inspiring new breakers to appearing on the world stage, the legacy Victor’s building is sure to have a lasting impact.
