Global street culture takes centre stage at V&A Waterfront
Breakers from around the world lit up the V&A Waterfront as Cape Town hosted the high-stakes qualifier for the Undisputed World Final in Tokyo.
Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Newspapers
Cape Town owned the spotlight on Saturday night as the V&A Waterfront became the heartbeat of global street culture for the FUJIFILM Instax Undisputed Breaking World Championship.
With the city’s skyline setting the tone, breakers from across the world converged on the Mother City for a night packed with high-pressure battles, heavy footwork and the unmistakable pulse of Hip Hop.
Project Lead Tyrone van den Meer said bringing the event back to Cape Town was an easy call. “After the success of our first event in Cape Town earlier this year, there was no doubt we would return to the Mother City,” he said. His words landed with weight, underscoring the city’s growing reputation as a home for global breaking.
Global breakers converged on the V&A Waterfront as Cape Town hosted the Undisputed qualifier for a coveted spot in Tokyo.
Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Newspapers
Japan’s Hiro10 delivered one of the standout performances of the night. Explosive, sharp and composed under pressure, he cut through the Solo Men’s division before locking into a high-intensity final against Gravity of the USA. He closed with a decisive 3-0 win, stamping his ticket to the world final in Tokyo. South Africa’s own talent also rose to the occasion, with The Curse, Bashi, Toufeeq and Shady reaching the top eight — a strong signal of the scene’s growing depth.
In the women’s category, India of the Netherlands reminded the Waterfront why she is a three-time world champion. She swept Karla (REN) 2-0 to reach the final, then edged Ukraine’s Stefani in a tightly fought contest to claim the title. Her technical control and battle awareness carried her through every round.
Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront transformed into a battleground of power moves as dancers fought for their path to the Tokyo world final.
Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Newspapers
Crew battles added another layer of intensity. CPT Elite fought hard into the semi-finals but fell to Breaknation (WORLD), the team that ultimately won the final. Breaknation’s roster — Hiro10, Stefani, Gravity and Johnny Fox — proved almost impossible to shut down. Cape Town still found a point of pride: local breaker Toufeeq is part of Breaknation and will now head to Tokyo with the squad.
South African organiser and breaking legend Vouks James said the international competition is vital. “Bringing international breakers to Cape Town gives our local scene exactly what it needs: exposure, inspiration and higher competition. The aim is to strengthen breaking in the country well beyond this event.”
South Africa’s rising breakers stood tall as international stars lit up the Undisputed stage in the heart of Cape Town.
Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Newspapers
DJs Grandmaster Ready D, Nobunaga, Eazy and Azuhl shaped the soundtrack while judges Renegade, Storm, Mark Kaweesi, Vee and Menno kept the scoring sharp. MC Mario Bee and MC Mel drove the energy from the first qualifier to the final battles.
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