Before I Die

BBoy Hong 10 | Drifterz Crew, 7Commandoz, Jinjo, Red Bull BC ONE Allstars

ArtOfBboying: Bboy Hong 10; The winner of the Red Bull BC One 2013. Real name: Kim Hong-Yeol (김홍열). The nickname Hong 10 is intended as a “pun”. The second syllable of his name, “Yeol”, has the same pronunciation as the number ten in Korean. So saying “Hong 10” in Korean is the same as saying his real name. Despite this, his nickname is most often pronounced in English.  Hong 10 started to gain recognition in the bboy scene, in 2002, for being part of two winning crews Expression crew — with which he won the B-boy Battle of the Year 2002— and Project Korea (later re-named Project Soul) — with which he won the UK B-boy Championship in 2002 and then later again in 2004 and 2005 as Project Soul. Hong 10 later left Expression crew because, in his words, their “…visions and goals were quite different. I wanted to keep going and continue to improve but such an opportunity was not available to me in Expression crew”. He later joined Drifterz crew, of which he is still a member. Hong 10 later formed “7 Commandoz” crew, with recognized members such as Wing (Jinjo), Ronnie (Full Force) and Dyzee (Supernaturalz). He also represented Jinjo crew, in some competitions, a few times — due to the fact that some Jinjo members, such as Skim and Wing, are also in “7 Commandoz “— with which he won the BOTY 2010 and the R-16 Korea 2011. Hong 10 is also famous for having competed in past Red Bull BC One’s. In 2005, he made it to the Finals but lost against bboy Lilou. He later return in 2006, this time to win the tittle against bboy Ronnie, crowning himself as the Red Bull BC One’s 2006 Champion.  In 2007 he returned to the BC One to defend the tittle only to, once again, face Ronnie and lose to him in the Semi-Finals. In 2011 it was announced that Hong 10 would be serving the South Korean military for a couple of years — which would restrict his bboying time a lot — so he decided to go hard and win as many competitions as he could, as they might be the last. And so in 2011 he won 1st Place in “Temple O’Style” with 7 Commandoz crew, 1st Place in “Break The Floor” also with 7 Commandoz, the R-16 Korea with Jinjo and returned to the BC One only to lose in the first round against bboy Yan.

Hong 10 started to serve the military but still was able to participate in various bboy events — specially those that took place in Korea, such as the R-16, Road of Streets and World Bboy Fighterz — sometimes as a judge.

Hong 10 took his chance in the Red Bull BC One once again in 2013 — as the event was being held in Seoul, Korea — and won the tittle of the “Red Bull BC One Champion” once more in 2013.