Battle of the Year
Encyclopedia
Battle of the Year, commonly referred to as BOTY, is an annual international b-boying
series that began in 1990. It is a crew
(as opposed to individual) competition. Regional qualifying tournaments, also known as preliminaries, are held worldwide culminating in the BOTY International, the world finals event which was held at the Volkswagenhalle in Braunschweig
, Germany
until 2009. In 2010 the world finals event will take place in Montpellier
, France
. Battle of the Year is widely regarded as the premier b-boying tournament in the world, frequently referred to as the "World Cup of B-Boying". Battle of the year creates "spaces for a globalization at the bottom, bringing people together across the barriers of geography, language, and race". Benson Lee filmed a documentary on the Battle of the Year called Planet B-Boy
which gives a point of view on what type of people take part in the Battle of the Year. "BOTY becomes more and more international and that means more and more popular. So the capacity of the venues grows and every year there are some more key men in the BOTY-team. One of their aims is to integrate young and motivated people. And it's necessary to do it because it is getting harder and harder to fulfill all the claims". BOTY audiences increased over the years - in 1997, 4000 people watched the finals. The BOTY finals in 2000 held in Hannover, Germany had the largest audience, with 10000 people watching the finals. In 2001, "A change of direction" was added to the BOTY logo as decisions were made to change the format due to the increased popularity and to make it more manageable.
1 Until 2006, one battle was held solely for first place and one battle was held solely for third place. Starting in 2006, 2 semifinal battles are held, with the winner of each battle advancing to the finals. The losers of both battles do not battle each other; therefore, there is no fourth-place award.
Vagabonds
Mortal Combat
All Area
Top 9
Turn Phrase Crew
Vagabonds
Following the showcase round, the top four crews are selected to take part in a crew-vs-crew battle playoff
. In the semifinals, the top-ranked crew battles the 4th-ranked crew and the 2nd-ranked crew battles the 3rd-ranked crew. The winner of each semifinal then battle each other for the championship.
An award, "Best Show", is also given to the crew that had the best-scoring showcase.
, music
, synchronicity
, and choreography
, among others. The technicality element includes toprock
, uprock
, footwork
, and power moves
, among others.
Qualification is moving towards a two-step system consisting of individual country preliminaries followed by regional preliminaries. Historically, each country had an individual preliminary and sent one crew to the world finals; however, countries have become more and more region
alized over the years. For example, starting in 2007, there is a new BOTY Asia regional preliminary that will send the top 3 finishers to the world finals; in 2006 and years prior, Asia region countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan had their own preliminaries and sent one crew each to the world finals.
The following is a chart showing the regions and countries in the region, as well as number of crews sent to the world finals, for the 2007 season.
* Winner of BOTY India will participate in BOTY asia from 2011
* BOTY North East Europe regional preliminary was canceled. On July 10, 2007, it was announced that BOTY North East Europe member countries would be allowed to enter BOTY Scandinavia.
** On September 7, 2007, the BOTY USA 2007 qualifier was announced; however, it was canceled less than one month later.
system was not used. Instead, there were only two battles: two crews would compete for first place, while two other crews would compete for third place. While a "Best Show" award was still granted based on showcase performance, the judges would also rank the crews as to who they thought should participate in the championship battle. This resulted in frequently-occurring situations where the crew that received the "Best Show" award was not even able to compete for the championship, as they were picked for the third place battle instead of the championship battle. Examples include three "Best Show" winners in the final five years under the old format: Break the Funk (2004), Fire Works (2003), and Visual Shock (2001). The change to the playoff
system also brought the world finals format into line with some of the qualifier formats, such as the BOTY Korea Preliminary, which has been using the four-crew playoff
system for years.
Starting in 2004, a strict 6-minute time limit per crew on the showcase was enforced for the world finals, with scoring penalties assessed for going over time. This was enacted so that the world finals event would finish in a shorter time period. The 6-minute limit was quickly adopted at preliminaries.
In 1990, when the event was known as the International Breakdance Cup, there were only shows and no battles. From 1991-1996, there were battles resulting in a crowned champion, but no "Best Show" award was given.
documenting the event is usually released a few months after the tournament. It is a perennial best seller on breaking and hip-hop media retail web sites.
Several documentaries have been produced based on the competition, including the 2007 feature-length documentary Planet B-Boy
. The film premiered at the 2007 TriBeCa Film Festival
and was released on DVD on November 11, 2008.
On occasion with the annual competition, a CD/LP
titled "The Official Battle Of The Year Motion Soundtrack" is released. It features some of the leading B-Boy Funk artists such as DJ Nas'D, Def Cut, Cutmaster GB, and DJ Phantom.
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
series that began in 1990. It is a crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
(as opposed to individual) competition. Regional qualifying tournaments, also known as preliminaries, are held worldwide culminating in the BOTY International, the world finals event which was held at the Volkswagenhalle in Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
until 2009. In 2010 the world finals event will take place in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Battle of the Year is widely regarded as the premier b-boying tournament in the world, frequently referred to as the "World Cup of B-Boying". Battle of the year creates "spaces for a globalization at the bottom, bringing people together across the barriers of geography, language, and race". Benson Lee filmed a documentary on the Battle of the Year called Planet B-Boy
Planet B-Boy
Planet B-Boy is a 2007 documentary film that focuses on the 2005 Battle of the Year while also describing B-boy culture and history as a global phenomenon. This documentary was directed by Canadian-American Korean filmmaker Benson Lee, shot by Portuguese-American filmmaker Vasco Nunes, and...
which gives a point of view on what type of people take part in the Battle of the Year. "BOTY becomes more and more international and that means more and more popular. So the capacity of the venues grows and every year there are some more key men in the BOTY-team. One of their aims is to integrate young and motivated people. And it's necessary to do it because it is getting harder and harder to fulfill all the claims". BOTY audiences increased over the years - in 1997, 4000 people watched the finals. The BOTY finals in 2000 held in Hannover, Germany had the largest audience, with 10000 people watching the finals. In 2001, "A change of direction" was added to the BOTY logo as decisions were made to change the format due to the increased popularity and to make it more manageable.
Past Battle of the Year results
| Year | First place | Second place | Third place 1 | Fourth place | Best show |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Vagabonds |
 Battle Born |
Nine Stages B-boyz TPEC |
No third-place battle held | Vagabonds |
| 2010 |  Jinjo |
Mortal Combat |
Gamblerz La Smala |
No third-place battle held | Mortal Combat |
| 2009 | Gamblerz Gamblerz Gamblerz, formerly known as Gambler, is a South Korean b-boy crew formed in 2002. They are best known for winning first place at Battle of the Year 2004 & 2009, the R-16 Korea Sparkling in 2008, and CYON Bboy Championships 2010 along with many other major competitions across the world... |
Top 9 |
All Area Phase-T |
No third-place battle held | All Area |
| 2008 | Top 9 |
T.I.P. |
Formosa Smokémon |
No third-place battle held | Top 9 |
| 2007 | Extreme Crew |
Turn Phrase Crew |
Legiteam Obstruxion  Funk Fellaz |
No third-place battle held | Turn Phrase Crew |
| 2006 | Vagabonds |
Last For One Last For One Last For One is a b-boy crew that formed in 1997. With their win in the 2005 Battle of the Year, they have been recognized as a worldwide known name and a contributor to the Korean wave, their fans respectively calling them the 'Dancing Taeguk Warriors.' They were heavily featured in the film... |
Drifterz B-Town Allstars |
No third-place battle held | Vagabonds |
| 2005 | Last For One |
Ichigeki |
Gambler |
Phase-T |
Ichigeki |
| 2004 | Gambler |
Fantastik Armada |
Stuttguard |
 Break the Funk |
Break the Funk |
| 2003 | Pockémon |
Expression Crew Expression crew Expression crew is a South Korean b-boying crew that is famous for winning Battle of the Year 2002, making it the first ever Korean crew to win the title. The crew is also famous for its "Marionette" performance, a show it used to tour around the world performing.-History:Expression Crew was formed... |
Gambler |
Fire Works |
Fire Works |
| 2002 | Expression Crew |
Vagabonds |
 Deep Trip |
Top 9 |
Vagabonds |
| 2001 | Wanted |
Team Ohh |
HaviKoro |
Visual Shock |
Visual Shock |
| 2000 | Flying Steps |
Waseda Breakers |
Scrambling Feet |
 South African Allstars |
Waseda Breakers |
| 1999 |  Suicidal Lifestyle |
Rock Force |
 Bag of Trix |
The Family |
/ Spartanic Rockers |
| 1998 | Rock Force |
The Family |
Phase 2 |
Suicidal Lifestyle |
Spartanic Japan |
| 1997 | Style Elements |
South Side Rockers |
Black Noise |
Suicidal Lifestyle |
South Side Rockers |
| 1996 | Toys in Effect |
Enemy Squad |
Wedding B-Boys & Flying Steps |
Passo Sul Tempo |
None awarded |
| 1995 | / The Family |
Enemy Squad |
 Out of Control |
Phase-T |
None awarded |
| 1994 | Vlinke Vuesse |
Enemy Squad |
Always Rockin Tuff | Crazy Force Crew |
None awarded |
| 1993 | Always Rockin Tuff | Fresh Force |
Enemy Squad |
TDB |
None awarded |
| 1992 | Battle Squad |
Second 2 None | Enemy Squad |
TDB |
None awarded |
| 1991 | Battle Squad |
TDB |
Enemy Squad |
Fresh Force |
None awarded |
| 1990 | / TDB |
Crazy Force Crew |
City Rockers |
None awarded | None awarded |
1 Until 2006, one battle was held solely for first place and one battle was held solely for third place. Starting in 2006, 2 semifinal battles are held, with the winner of each battle advancing to the finals. The losers of both battles do not battle each other; therefore, there is no fourth-place award.
2011 World Finals results
Best Show: Vagabonds Crew List for 2011 World Finals
| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Jinjo |
Champions, BOTY International 2010 |
 Dead Prezz |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2011 |
 CT Group |
Winner, BOTY Vienna 2011 |
 Vagabonds |
Winner, BOTY France 2011 |
| Nine States B-Boyz |
Winner, BOTY Japan 2011 |
| TPEC |
Winner, BOTY Taiwan 2011 |
 Kosher Flava |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2011 |
 Simple System |
Winner, BOTY Kazakhstan 2011 |
 Guatemaya Crew |
Winner, BOTY Central America 2011 |
| Maximum Crew |
Winner, BOTY Korea 2011 |
| Battle Born |
Winner, BRAUN BOTY USA 2011 |
 Amazon B-Boys |
Winner, BOTY Brazil 2011 |
| Ruff'n'X |
Winner, BOTY Switzerland 2011 |
 Fusion Crew |
Winner, BOTY Algeria 2011 |
 Flavaz Army |
Winner, BOTY Tunisia 2011 |
| Reckless Bunch |
Winner, BRAUN BOTY Germany 2011 |
 OnePiece UD Town |
Winner, BOTY South Asia 2011 |
 Hoochen Crew |
Winner, BRAUN BOTY Benelux 2011 |
| De Klan |
Winner, BRAUN BOTY Italy 2011 |
 Over Boys |
Winner, BRAUN BOTY Middle East 2011 |
| BMT & Mafia 13 |
Winner, BOTY Russia 2011 |
2010 World Finals results
Best Show: Mortal Combat Crew List for 2010 World Finals
| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Gamblerz |
Champion, BOTY International 2009 |
| Jinjo |
Winner, BOTY Korea 2010 |
| Mortal Combat |
Winner, BOTY Japan 2010 |
| Top Coalition |
Winner, BOTY Taiwan 2010 |
| La Smala |
Winner, BOTY France 2010 |
 Big Toe |
Winner, BOTY SEA 2010 |
| De Klan |
Winner, BOTY Italy 2010 |
| 2DR Squad |
Winner, BOTY Switzerland 2010 |
| Predatorz |
Winner, BOTY Russia 2010 |
| / Team Shmetta |
Winner, BOTY Benelux 2010 |
 PRODIGY |
Winner, BOTY South East Europe 2010 |
| Bio All Stars |
Winner, BOTY Brazil 2010 |
| Simple System |
Winner, BOTY Kazakhstan 2010 |
| Dead Prezz |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2010 |
| Flowjob |
Winner, BOTY Germany 2010 |
| Chapin Crew |
Winner, BOTY Guatemala 2010 |
| Unstopabullz |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2010 |
| Kamikaz Crew |
Winner, BOTY Algeria 2010 |
 La Halla King Zoo |
Winner, BOTY Morocco 2010 |
2009 World Finals results
Best Show: All AreaCrew List for 2009 World Finals
| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Gamblerz |
2nd place, BOTY Asia 2009 |
| Soul Mavericks | Winner, BOTY UK 2009 |
| Phase T |
Winner, BOTY France 2009 |
| Prodigy Crew |
Winner, BOTY SEE 2009 |
| Breakers Without Fear |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2009 |
 Belarusian B-Boys |
Winner, BOTY CIS 2009 |
| Team Shmetta |
Winner, BOTY Benelux 2009 |
| Top 9 |
Champion, BOTY International 2008 |
| Formosa |
3rd place, BOTY Asia 2009 |
| All Area |
Winner, BOTY Asia 2009 |
 Myztikal |
Winner, BOTY Caricom 2009 |
| Unstopabulls |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2009 |
 Octagon |
Winner, BOTY Scandinavia 2009 |
| De Klan |
Winner BOTY Italy 2009 |
| Funk Fellaz |
Winner BOTY Germany 2009 |
| Ubuntu B Boyz |
Winner BOTY Africa 2009 |
| Knuckle Head Zoo |
Invited Directly |
| Ghost Rockz |
Winner BOTY Switzerland 2009 |
| Amazon B Boyz |
Winner BOTY Brazil 2009 |
2008 World Finals results
Best Show: Top 9Crew List for 2008 World Finals
This list is in chronological order by date qualified.| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Extreme Crew |
Champion, BOTY International 2007 |
| Bad Taste Cru | Winner, BOTY UK 2008 |
 Groove Kingz |
Winner, BOTY Benelux 2008 |
| Smokemon |
Winner, BOTY France 2008 |
| Dead Prezz |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2008 |
| Crazy Twisting Tribal Team |
Winner, BOTY South East Europe 2008 |
| Top 9 |
Winner, BOTY Russia 2008 |
| La Halla King Zoo |
Winner, BOTY West Africa 2008 |
| T.I.P. |
Winner, BOTY Asia 2008 |
| Formosa |
2nd place, BOTY Asia 2008 |
| Kaiten Ninja |
3rd place, BOTY Asia 2008 |
| Now or Never |
Winner, BOTY Canada 2008 |
| Unstopabulls |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2008 |
| Ghost Rockz |
Winner, BOTY Switzerland 2008 |
| Tsunami Allstars |
Winner, BOTY Brazil 2008 |
| TNT Crew |
Winner, BOTY Germany 2008 |
| Octagon |
Winner, BOTY Scandinavia 2008 |
 Fallen Angels Crew |
Winner, BOTY Iberica 2008 |
| Furious Soldiers |
Winner, BOTY USA 2008 |
2007 World Finals results
Best Show: Turn Phrase CrewCrew List for 2007 World Finals
This list is in chronological order by date qualified. Preliminaries that have not occurred yet have a colored background.| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Hoochen |
Winner, BOTY Benelux 2007 |
| Sick 7 |
Winner, BOTY South East Europe 2007 |
 Plastic Def Squad |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2007 |
| Legiteam Obstruktion |
Winner, BOTY France 2007 |
| Rapid Soul Moves |
Winner, BOTY Italy 2007 |
| Fallen Angels Crew |
Winner, BOTY Iberica 2007 |
| Extreme (Obo Wang) Crew |
Winner, BOTY Asia 2007 |
| Turn Phrase Crew |
2nd place, BOTY Asia 2007 |
| Ground Scatter Crew |
3rd place, BOTY Asia 2007 |
| Breakerholics |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2007 |
| Ultimate Desperados |
Winner, BOTY Scandinavia 2007 |
| Funk Fellaz |
Winner, BOTY Germany 2007 |
| Ruff'n'X Crew |
Winner, BOTY Switzerland 2007 |
| DF Zulu Breakers |
Winner, BOTY Brazil 2007 |
| Vagabonds (withdrew) |
Champion, BOTY International 2006 |
| Last Minute Crew (withdrew) |
Winner, BOTY South Africa 2007 |
2006 World Finals results
Best Show: VagabondsCrew List for 2006 World Finals
| Crew | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Last For One |
Champion, BOTY International 2005 |
| Vagabonds |
Winner, BOTY France 2006 |
| Electric Force Crew |
Winner, BOTY Balkans 2006 |
| Octagon |
Winner, BOTY Scandinavia 2006 |
| Top 9 |
Winner, BOTY Russia 2006 |
| Moving Shadows |
Winner, BOTY South East Europe 2006 |
| Ormus Force |
Winner, BOTY Italy 2006 |
 Camelot |
Winner, BOTY North East Europe 2006 |
| Mortal Combat |
Winner, BOTY Japan 2006 |
| Fallen Angels |
Winner, BOTY Iberica 2006 |
| Lions of Zion |
Winner, BOTY Israel 2006 |
 STO |
Winner, BOTY China 2006 |
| Knuckle Head Zoo |
Winner, BOTY USA 2006 |
| Ground Scatter Crew |
Winner, BOTY South East Asia 2006 |
| Ubuntu |
Winner, BOTY South Africa 2006 |
| HRC |
Winner, BOTY Taiwan 2006 |
| B-Town Allstars |
Winner, BOTY Germany 2006 |
| Ruff'n'X Crew |
Winner, BOTY Switzerland 2006 |
| Drifterz Crew |
Winner, BOTY Korea 2006 |
| Floor Burning |
Winner, BOTY Benelux 2006 |
World Finals Format
The format comprises firstly a showcase round in which all crews perform a routine of no more than six minutes in length demonstrating their ability in the different styles of breakdance. Judges rank all competing crews by evaluating certain criteria based on the shows.Following the showcase round, the top four crews are selected to take part in a crew-vs-crew battle playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
. In the semifinals, the top-ranked crew battles the 4th-ranked crew and the 2nd-ranked crew battles the 3rd-ranked crew. The winner of each semifinal then battle each other for the championship.
An award, "Best Show", is also given to the crew that had the best-scoring showcase.
Scoring Criteria
Judges evaluate the showcase round on two main elements, artistry and technicality, each of which includes several criteria. The artistry element includes themeTheme (arts)
In the visual arts, a theme is a broad idea or a message conveyed by a work, such as a performance, a painting, or a motion picture. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a work. Themes are usually implied...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, synchronicity
Synchronicity
Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance and that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner...
, and choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
, among others. The technicality element includes toprock
Toprock
Toprock is a major element of b-boying. It generally refers to any string of steps performed from a standing position, relying upon a mixture of coordination, flexibility, rhythm, and most importantly, style. It is usually the first and foremost opening display of style, and it serves as a warm-up...
, uprock
Uprock
Uprock, or Rocking as it was originally referred to, also known as Rock, is a soulful and competitive urban street dance, performed in synchronization to the beats and rhythms of soul, rock and funk music, but was mostly danced to a specific and exclusive collection of songs that contained a hard...
, footwork
Footwork (dance)
Footwork refers to dance technique aspects related to feet: foot position and foot action.The following aspects of footwork may be considered:*Dance technique: a proper footwork may be vital for proper posture and movement of a dancer....
, and power moves
Power moves
Power moves are the most powerful part of the dance form with speed momentum and acrobatic elements of bboying. They are often the centerpieces of b-boy routines featuring the other elements—toprock, Bottomrock aka downrock, suicides, and freezes—that make up breakdancing...
, among others.
Qualification and Preliminaries
The champion of the world finals is always invited directly to the following year's world finals to defend their title. All other crews qualify via preliminary tournaments, although historically there have been a few instances of directly-invited crews (usually when there is no preliminary in that crew's region).Qualification is moving towards a two-step system consisting of individual country preliminaries followed by regional preliminaries. Historically, each country had an individual preliminary and sent one crew to the world finals; however, countries have become more and more region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
alized over the years. For example, starting in 2007, there is a new BOTY Asia regional preliminary that will send the top 3 finishers to the world finals; in 2006 and years prior, Asia region countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan had their own preliminaries and sent one crew each to the world finals.
The following is a chart showing the regions and countries in the region, as well as number of crews sent to the world finals, for the 2007 season.
| Region | Crews Sent | Member Countries |
|---|---|---|
| BOTY Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population... |
3 | ,  Indonesia, , ,  Laos, , , , , , ,* |
| BOTY Balkans Balkans The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe... |
1 | , , , , , , , , , |
| BOTY Benelux Benelux The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany... |
1 | , , |
| BOTY Iberica Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar... |
1 | , |
| BOTY North East Europe* | 0 | Belarus,  Estonia, Latvia,  Lithuania, |
| BOTY Scandinavia Scandinavia Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,... |
1 | , , , ; also, BOTY North East Europe member countries are invited to participate* |
| BOTY South East Europe | 1 | Austria, ,  Independent State of Croatia, Hungary,  Slovenia, , ,  Slovakia |
* Winner of BOTY India will participate in BOTY asia from 2011
* BOTY North East Europe regional preliminary was canceled. On July 10, 2007, it was announced that BOTY North East Europe member countries would be allowed to enter BOTY Scandinavia.
** On September 7, 2007, the BOTY USA 2007 qualifier was announced; however, it was canceled less than one month later.
World Finals Format History
Prior to 2006, the current championship playoffPlayoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
system was not used. Instead, there were only two battles: two crews would compete for first place, while two other crews would compete for third place. While a "Best Show" award was still granted based on showcase performance, the judges would also rank the crews as to who they thought should participate in the championship battle. This resulted in frequently-occurring situations where the crew that received the "Best Show" award was not even able to compete for the championship, as they were picked for the third place battle instead of the championship battle. Examples include three "Best Show" winners in the final five years under the old format: Break the Funk (2004), Fire Works (2003), and Visual Shock (2001). The change to the playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
system also brought the world finals format into line with some of the qualifier formats, such as the BOTY Korea Preliminary, which has been using the four-crew playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
system for years.
Starting in 2004, a strict 6-minute time limit per crew on the showcase was enforced for the world finals, with scoring penalties assessed for going over time. This was enacted so that the world finals event would finish in a shorter time period. The 6-minute limit was quickly adopted at preliminaries.
In 1990, when the event was known as the International Breakdance Cup, there were only shows and no battles. From 1991-1996, there were battles resulting in a crowned champion, but no "Best Show" award was given.
Media
An official DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
documenting the event is usually released a few months after the tournament. It is a perennial best seller on breaking and hip-hop media retail web sites.
Several documentaries have been produced based on the competition, including the 2007 feature-length documentary Planet B-Boy
Planet B-Boy
Planet B-Boy is a 2007 documentary film that focuses on the 2005 Battle of the Year while also describing B-boy culture and history as a global phenomenon. This documentary was directed by Canadian-American Korean filmmaker Benson Lee, shot by Portuguese-American filmmaker Vasco Nunes, and...
. The film premiered at the 2007 TriBeCa Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and was released on DVD on November 11, 2008.
On occasion with the annual competition, a CD/LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
titled "The Official Battle Of The Year Motion Soundtrack" is released. It features some of the leading B-Boy Funk artists such as DJ Nas'D, Def Cut, Cutmaster GB, and DJ Phantom.
External links
- Battle of the Year official website
- Battle of the Year TV special at MixeryRawDeluxe.TV