From Island Roots To The World: A Hawaiian B-Boy’s Journey

“You can’t protect what you don’t understand and you won’t if you don’t care, and you can’t do it by yourself.”

In 2017, Hawaiian master navigator Nainoa Thompson shared these words from his friend Col. Lacy Veach about protecting the Earth. Today, Jack Rabanal, better known as B-boy Hijack, shares the same quote as he speaks to me about fostering the next generation of Hawaiian breakers (“breakdancers”).

Passed down to Jack by a mentor, the quote is what comes to mind when he envisions the essence of what community and culture mean in breaking. Already a hometown hero and world-class b-boy at the age of 30, Hijack has been working hard, teaching the youth to understand, to care. By doing so, he hopes to empower them to preserve the culture that has given them so much.

Back in 2016, Hijack returned to his hometown of Honolulu after a stint in the Bay Area only to find that the breaking scene had dwindled. After this frustration, his mindset became, “let me just give, let me just teach, pass on everything that I know…the mentality back then was like, I can’t take it with me.”

So, along with a team of friends and 808 Breakers crew members, he started a youth crew. The crew, called Keiki Breaks, grew over time into a fully fledged after-school program, with classes, practices, competitions and all. With the time and energy mentors contributed, they saw the kids perform better in school and grow as individuals outside of dance.

A few young breakers have even graduated to join Hijack on the 808 Breakers, and recently, it all came full circle. Hijack and two of his pupils, Mana Breaks and Lev, recently won the Elephant Graveyard Crew Anniversary 3v3 competition in San Francisco, where Jack had moved back from eight years ago. Jack says, “It was just, to be honest, an honor to rock with them. So a real, real emotional time. And the energy was on point, you know, from the moment we did prelims all the way until we finished.” One can imagine his students would say the same.

Not only has Hijack found his groove nurturing the next generation of breakers at home, but he has also found competitive success while putting Hawaii on the map. A few of his accolades include winning the 2023 Red Bull BC One USA National Cypher in Philadelphia, the 2024 You Be ILL Invitational in Toronto, and 2024 Serial Kickerz competition in France. He’ll also be competing in this year’s edition of the Red Bull BC One USA Cypher, which takes place in Venice Beach on September 28.

Along with his powerful yet playful and musical dance style, Hijack’s calling card is his consistent representation of Hawaiian identity. Every time he battles, he makes sure to have “Hawaii on him” by dressing the part: a traditional pattern, team colors, any piece that shows his pride in where he comes from. Hijack is proud to prove that Hawaii can make it despite their distance and isolation from the continent, that “all the hard work that we do back home can be showcased.” He’s also mindful that not many Hawaiian breakers get the chance to represent on major platforms, so he makes it count when he finds those opportunities.

Finally, it’s not just his local scene that can learn from him—Jack has some advice for anyone who wants to get into breaking and learn more. He says history is the key. “Dive into everything…dive into the elements, understand the timeframe of where it came from, understand the struggle, learn about it, read about it, and really submerge yourself in the beginning process of where this beautiful dance now exists.” Looking at Martha Cooper photos from the 1970s through 1980s and watching old school movies are sources of inspiration for Hijack that also provide important context around the discipline that he practices.

And if there’s one last message to leave behind, it’s “have fun, listen to good music, and just dance.”