Report: Battle of the Year UK

Saturday 18th April 2009 at

O2 Academy Islington

Words: David Barros

Soul Mavericks

Was it the milestone anniversary - 20 years of Battle of the Year - that made this year's UK qualifiers seem even more packed than the last?

If so, the fans turned out in greater numbers than before, expecting to see their favourite b-boys. But despite the list of crews announced to take part, only four showed up, taking the qualifiers automatically to the semi finals.

Without the defending champions, BadTasteCru, the question of who would get the all expenses paid trip to the finals in Germany was up in the air. Trinity Warriors were last year's finalists, Soul Mavericks had their reputation of representing UK at the B-Boy Championships under their belt, while Sin Cru were fresh out of training from Cambridge Hip Hop Week. For up-and-coming Dynamite Souls, it was time to show and prove.

Semi Finals:

Trinity Warriors may have the dopest b-boy under the age of 12, but Sin Cru didn't show any sign of relenting against their rivals by commanding the circle, stealing Trinity Warriors' rounds several times.

Meanwhile, Soul Mavericks scored points with their musicality, making Dynamite Souls look inexperienced, sometimes falling out of their freezes.

Finals...

The final battle between Sin Cru and Soul Mavericks was arguably a tight one. Soul Mavericks are more experienced, while Sin Cru had a younger cast of breakers in their squad, all with their own style. Both dealt blows to one another with routines, but once again the final decision would have come down to who had that edge and adhered best to the beat.

The winner was Soul Mavericks, by the judges' "popular decision," who will compete against other regional winners in Braunschweig, Germany on October 17th.

Image: Soul Mavericks MySpace