Earlier this year, Red Bull BC One, the world’s most prestigious one-on-one breaking competition, returned to India for its fifth straight year in the country. Since the debut edition in 2015, the competition has grown in leaps and bounds, with cyphers being held in six cities last year. This year, the competition expands even further, with cyphers set to be held in nine cities and the addition of zonal cyphers in each region of the country.

First up was the east zone, with city cyphers being held in Guwahati and Kolkata, followed by the Red Bull BC One Cypher East Zone. The north zone was next, with city cyphers in Jalandhar and Delhi, followed by the Red Bull BC One Cypher North Zone. Over the past week, it was the turn of the south zone, with city cyphers being held in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru followed by the Red Bull BC One Cypher South Zone in Delhi on Saturday evening. Two B-Boys from Chennai, one from Hyderabad and 13 from Bengaluru qualified for and competed in the Cypher South Zone, with three ultimately making it through to the Cypher India – B-Boy Shawn and B-Boy Shane from Bengaluru, and B-Boy Black from the Cypher Chennai. Red Bull BC One All Star Wing was the judge for the south zone, conducting workshops and judging the cyphers in all three cities.