Wave-O-matics in World Championship Finals

The Remarkable Dance Group from Greece Named Themselves After Niko

"Wave-O-matics" is a dance group based in Athens. They chose their name as a living tribute to Niko whose advice and inspiration deeply motivated the 14 dance members of the group. In the official program of the world finals of the "Best Of The Year (BOTY) 2013" held in Germany, they wrote that Niko had become a close friend of the Greek Dance Community teaching, giving advice and sharing his passion for the dance.

They said the "Wave-O-matics" Crew took his advice to heart claiming their success as champions of BOTY Balkans would not have been possible without his ideas and inspiration. Each member is an accomplished and proven dancer winning numerous individual battles in Greece. Their dream from the very start was to be in the BOTY finals in Germany and to compete against the best dance groups from 11 nations. They achieved their goal with their remarkable drive and talent.

The "Wave-O-matics" performance in the Germany finals is moving and exciting. They enter the stage carrying a candle in remembrance of Niko while Niko's voice is heard over the loudspeakers. Then they perform their imposing and exhilarating dance. It is seven minutes of absolute poetry in motion. They conclude their performance by raising their banner high, a banner that has Niko's photograph. The audience explodes into a thundering applause.

Bravo, Wave-O-matics! You are magnificent!

Please see their performance in the BOTY 2013 finals in Germany on:

WAVEOMATICS (GREECE) - BATTLE OF THE YEAR 2013 - SHOWCASE The Battle Of The Year has come a long way. Who would have thought that BOTY would go from starting out in 1990 in a local youth culture centre with 500 hard-core fans to an arena packed with more than 12,000 roaring spectators and b-boy crews from all over the world?

Wall Mural of Niko Unveiled in Long Beach, California

Mural of Niko by Hector Rios on Display

On the first anniversary of Niko’s passing the City of Long Beach (California) Homeland Cultural Center unveiled a wall mural by famous muralist Hector Hex Rios. “Our Brother, Nicholas J. Birakos, Waveomatic, Lives On…” writes Rios on the giant mural.

The acclaimed artist is a professional muralist who has been working as a teacher and counselor for the City of Los Angeles producing murals throughout the county.

Rios said that it was an honor for him to paint Niko. “He inspired so many,” he said. “Niko taught our youth and he was very instrumental in starting the Next Generation.”

Regarding Life

Niko talking about life---"It is like a roller coaster ride"

   Life is an amusement park......after all, isn't that what we strive for?
We walk around, purchasing tickets to different rides, some we just are not old enough for yet...but they give us hope, because one day we will be able to achieve our goals.
   Some of the rides scare us, we almost have to be talked into going on them....and a lot of times, it works.
   The scariest of all--yet the most fun--are roller coasters.
They're not really meant for kids. Yet kids are the most fond of them.
Its a long way up, such a fast way down, even the line we have to wait just to get on them sometimes is 100 times longer than the ride itself. Yet we wait...
   We finally get on. Wow!  It is such a long way up, and such a fast way down, but in a short moment of time we take flight. You get a feeling that no other ride can simulate the sensation of the roller coaster ride. That feeling, as short as it is, can stay with us a lifetime. For some that feeling starts to fade, to numb, as they get older. Later, some even pass up roller coasters and find more thrill at the food court, hehehe...

   The difference is....we need food to live...we need roller coasters to keep experiencing life...

   Roller coasters have so many ups, so many downs, so many twists, loops, turns, spins.......each one thrilling us more than the last one.   No matter how scared you are before you get on, no matter how scared you are while you are on, no matter how scared you were when it finally came to an end, the fear gets replaced, taken over by the THRILL of it all, the recollection of the ride. No matter how scared you were, when the roller coaster comes to a stop, often you wish it was going to start all over again.

   The roller coaster is like the experiences we have in our lives. All of the twists, loops, turns and twists are the bigger and faster roller coasters of our lives. That's what we remember and that's why we should always seek to build life's  bigger and faster roller coasters.

The number one attraction in life are like twists, turns and loops we experience on the roller coaster--these are the sensations we never forget. Our life is like a fast ride on a roller coaster.

-Niko "Wave-O-Matic"  Birakos