Venezuelan breakdancer’s helmeted ‘head slides’ stop traffic

CARACAS (Reuters) – When the traffic light turns red on a busy Caracas street, Venezuelan dancer Kenyer Mendez seizes his chance — sliding headfirst between waiting cars to show off his daredevil breakdance moves.

Videos of Mendez performing the so-called “head slide” with an oiled helmet on the streets of Venezuela’s capital have gone viral, and the 27-year old dancer is dreaming big now: hoping to make the national breakdancing team for the Olympics as well as break the Guinness World Record for longest head slide.

“You need to be in good physical condition to perform each trick,” said Mendez. “Even for the easiest trick, you need to be in good physical condition. It is why it (break dancing) has to be admired and respected like the other sports.”

(Reporting by Johnny Carvajal, Editing by Deepa Babington)