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Morning Chalk Up

February 7   |   POWERED BY

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up premium subscriber edition.

In today’s edition:

  • What are the top storylines to watch this 2022 CrossFit Games season?
  • We’re giving away weekly prizes during the CrossFit Open.
  • CrossFit is now programming two of the workouts for each semifinal event.
  • Can Monster help professionalize CrossFit with its deep pockets?
  • In case you missed it, Matt O’Keefe is now the CEO of Mat Fraser’s HWPO.
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY + Send us a Quote

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” - Martha Graham

 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  Top Storylines to Watch in the First Post Dave Castro CrossFit Games Season  

Top Storylines to Watch in the First Post Dave Castro CrossFit Games Season

It’s less than 20 days away from the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Open and with it the 16th season of the CrossFit Games. With a full off-season of competitions and no shortage of news, here are some storylines to keep an eye out on as we begin the new season.

  1. A new Games regime: the shock has subsided, Dave Castro is no longer a part of the Games, so what does Justin Bergh, the new general manager of sport and his staff have in store for the community and athletes? The Open may not answer that question initially but I wouldn’t expect any major changes from the format and programming but rather the presentation.
  2. Paid like professionals: last season athletes were not happy with the pay structure of the season, especially when it came to Semifinals and the lack of payouts for the Quarterfinals. With former CEO and current Board Chairman Eric Roza vowing to make the sport more professional can we expect those things to change this season?
  3. The final two: speaking of Semifinals, there were two glaring omissions from the Semifinal announcement two weeks ago. With less than five months till the beginning of the Semifinals, who will be the final two North American Semifinal hosts? Will the Granite Games and the West Coast Classic return or will we see new hosts?
  4. The Medeiros Era: we caught some flack for proclaiming that the Justin Medeiros era has begun after winning his first “Fittest” crown in 2021. After seeing his performance at the Rogue Invitational and hearing he’s hitting PRs in all his weightlifting metrics, he could be preparing for a long run as the Alpha of the men’s division.
  5. Vellner’s time? Medeiros will no doubt be challenged by Patrick Vellner who is coming off a successful off-season, finishing second to Medeiros at the Rogue Invitational before winning his third-straight Wodapalooza. Will this be the year the Canadian stands atop the Games podium?
Continue Reading...
 
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SPEED READS

…17 days until the 2022 CrossFit Open kicks off. Register today.

  • Want to see where you stack up against our Morning Chalk Up peeps when it comes to the 2022 CrossFit Open? You can join our leaderboard and also compete for prizes each week. 💪

CrossFit Open workouts to expect? The Bottom Line with Lauren Kalil has you covered as they discuss the best, the worst and the ugly to come. 🥵

Tickets, get your Tickets! On Monday, March 28, tickets for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games will go on sale to the public. Affiliates that have 12 or more athletes sign up for the 2022 Open will receive early access during the affiliate presale, March 24-27. And, there are discounted hotel accommodations available.

Emma McQuaid, who just crushed it at Wodapalooza, has just signed on for another year with Puma.

MUST READ piece detailing how CrossFit continues to work to maintain gender equality in the sport:

  • “Looking at the CrossFit Games alone, the same number of women are invited to the CrossFit Games as men. Women are awarded the same amount of prize money as their male counterparts. Women compete in the same types of events as the men. And women are breaking all-time records for both divisions.”

Out with the Globe, in with the NOBULL. The title sponsor of the CrossFit Games has moved into the old Boston Globe building, which is a whopping 96,000 square feet.

 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  Top Storylines to Watch in the First Post Dave Castro CrossFit Games Season  

Semifinals Athletes Will Do Two Workouts Programmed by CrossFit

The announcement that Eric Roza would transition from CEO to Chairman of the Board for CrossFit dominated the news this week, but “The Hopper” email sent out on the same day dropped a few important details about the 2022 Games season.

In case you missed it: CrossFit will program two individual and two team events across all 2022 CrossFit Games Semifinals.

Tell me more: At the end of the 2021 season, CrossFit asked for community feedback and among other suggestions, consistency across competitions was one of the key responses.

  • From the email: “In response to that feedback, CrossFit has decided to program two individual and two team events for all 2022 CrossFit Games Semifinals. Additionally, CrossFit has provided specific parameters for the remaining workouts that will be programmed by Semifinals event organizers. We will work closely with each event team to review and amend their programming before the workouts are finalized.”

Why this matters: Between 2009 and 2018, athletes qualified for the CrossFit Games through the Regionals system. During this time, athletes who advanced from the Open competed against one another in the same workouts (although they were spread out across several weekends around the globe). By creating shared workouts across the Semifinals, CrossFit is returning to a system that more closely resembles Regionals.

  •  From the email: “[The common workouts] will increase consistency and support cross-competition comparisons in the Semifinal stage of the CrossFit Games season. The change is designed to create a more level and comparable test for all athletes hoping to qualify for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games.”
 
INDUSTRY
  Can Monster Help Professionalize CrossFit?  

Can Monster Help Professionalize CrossFit?

Brows furrowed across the CrossFit community when the multi-billion dollar drink company Monster Energy showed up as a sponsor at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games

The main problem: Monster Energy—a company that is 19.3 percent owned by Coca-Cola—is generally associated with sugary beverages perceived to be at odds with CrossFit’s emphasis on improving health.

Undeterred, Monster Pushes Forward

Despite not being given a warm welcome from the CrossFit community, Monster didn’t shy away after last summer’s Games. Instead, they spread their tentacles deeper, and recently revealed they have signed an A-list of Games athletes.

Continue Reading...
 
NEWS
  Matt O'Keefe Announces 'Next', Joins HWPO as CEO  

Matt O'Keefe Announces 'Next', Joins HWPO as CEO

Matt O’Keefe announced he is joining Mat Fraser’s HWPO Training as CEO. The announcement comes on the heels of his recent departure from his long-time role as President of Loud and Live Sports, the company that owns and operates major CrossFit events including Granite Games, West Coast Classic, Madrid CrossFit Championship, and Wodapalooza. The announcement on January 20 came shortly after the 10th anniversary of Miami’s Wodapalooza Fitness Festival.

  • Mat Fraser: “I couldn’t be happier and more proud to have O’Keefe in my corner, again. He was in my corner for seven years of competing; he was a huge support to me during those years. Now, we get to work together on growing this business. The support and the work ethic from my competition career is the same, we just get to put that into the HWPO Training and our community.”
  • O’Keefe: “I am excited to continue to do that and put my energy into a business and brand that perfectly aligns with these values. Show Up. Work Hard. Hard Work Pays Off.”

One big thing: O’Keefe is coming on to position the HWPO brand as a cross-sports training platform beyond just CrossFit with the potential to partner with big box training facilities and more boutique at-home training like Peloton. Their first order of business will be to build their own mobile and web app to bring the HWPO community together into one place which they have slated for an April 1 launch date.

    • Currently, HWPO Training encompasses multiple verticles: a training platform for both everyday athletes and competitors, a boutique training camp that coaches just two athletes (Mal O’Brien and Jayson Hopper), a book, and a limited edition NIKE clothing line, most of which can be consolidated into one single branding house.
    • O’Keefe will now be able to consolidate the HWPO community into a single location.

The big picture: Mat Fraser is the most followed CrossFit athlete in the world with more than 2.4 million Instagram followers, more than twice that of the CrossFit Games. He is also the five-time Fittest Man on Earth with one of the largest platforms for expanding functional training under the HWPO banner.

 
THINGS TO...
 

...MASTER

The Turkish Get-Up

Mike Aidala lifted 13,823 Pounds in an hour to set the Turkish Get-Up World Record last week. Planning on making a run at the record? You’ll need this masterclass from former Games athlete Marcus Filly.

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...LEARN

The Five Basic CrossFit Movements

First time in the Open and wondering why to expect from the unknown and unknowable programming? These five movements (and their variations) are a perfect place to start.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

🎂 Happy birthday Danielle BrandonStreat HoernerPaige PowersLindsey JohnsonSean Woodland, and Emily Beers.

  • Congratulations to Sarah Schmalbruch from CrossFit Greenpoint in Brooklyn, NY on your first chest-to-bar pull-up.
  • Anikha Greer lifts 220 pounds/100kg for a clean pull + power clean complex.
  • Alireza Yousefi from Iran unofficially broke the Junior World Record at 18 years old with this 540 pound/245kg clean and jerk.
  • Roman Khrennikov puts 308.5 pound/140kg overhead for a power clean and jerk.
  • Jorge Fernandez of CrossFit Invictus in San Diego, CA hit a 375 pound/170kg squat clean PR.
  • Kari Pearce celebrates a 285 pound/129kg split jerk.
  • Katherine Nye of USA Weightlifting stands up a 300 pound/137kg pause front squat.

CrossFit Timoro in Hillsdale, MI is hosting a workout and fundraiser on Saturday, February 19th on behalf of 9-year member Eric Potes and his wife Emily. Eric was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, and has a long recovery road ahead.

  • GoFundMe Page has also been started for the Potes family to assist with hospital bills, travel costs, food, and expenses while Eric is out of work.
  • “Eric’s Row to Beat Cancer”
    As a 3 Person Team:
    Accumulate a 10,000m Row
    Athletes must row in 250m increments. In order to get back onto the rower athlete must perform 6 burpee box jump overs.
 
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4/6 - 4/7: Landifornian Battle (Seignosse, France)
4/6: Two Peas in a Pod: Mixed Gender Partner Comp (Burlington, MA)
4/6 - 4/7: SeaDog Summer Showdown (Jupiter, Florida)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Minnesota (Austin, Minnesota)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Kentucky (Richmond, Kentucky)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Ohio (Lancaster, Ohio)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, Alabama)
4/6: Best Babes 608 (Janesville, Wisconsin)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beufort, South Carolina)
4/6: Best Babes Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
4/6: Best Babes Wyoming (Cheyene, Wyoming)
4/6: War Off I-4 (Deland, FL)
4/6 - 4/7: No Pain No Game (Legnano, Italy)
4/6 - 4/7: Shack Team Edition (Rome, Italy)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beaufort, SC)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, AL)
4/6: Best Babes Houston (Houston, Texas)
4/13: Queens of Oly East Tennessee (Bulls Gap, TN)
4/13: Queens of Oly Rockledge (Rockledge, FL)
4/13: Fittest on Main (Boaz, AL)
4/19 - 4/21: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/20: Barbells For Bullies: Community Workout Savannah (Savnnah, Georgia, US)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, NY)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Masiphumelele (Kommetjie, Cape Town, South Africa)
4/20: Festivus Games (Goderich, Canada)
4/20: Festivus Games (Clermont, FL)
4/20: Festivus Games @ The Gym – CrossFit Kilo (Cedar Falls, IA)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CBM Sirens (Caledonia, MS)
4/20: Festivus Games @ Coyote Valley (San Jose, CA)
4/20: The Fittest 4 (Sunshine Coast, Australia)
4/20: Embrace the Challenge (Mentor, Ohio)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Pagosa (Pagosa Springs, CO)
4/20: First EVER Adaptive Festivus Games Competition (Waterford, United States)
4/20: Festivus Games (WAUKESHA, WI)
4/20 - 4/21: BGR Contest Spring Edition (Bergerac, France)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia)
4/25 - 5/12: Raised by Grace (Virtual, )
4/26 - 4/28: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/27: Cap Crown Throwdown (Gladstone, Australia)
4/28: 249 Spring Throwdown (Sittingbourne, Kent, England)
5/4: CHLKDUP Classic (Nashville, TN)
5/4: Masters Equalizer Co-Ed Team of 4 Comp (Oceanport, United States)
5/4: The Battle on Bedford (Lynchburg, VA)
5/4 - 5/5: Pavia Spring Challenge ’24 (Pavia, Italy)
5/4 - 5/5: Italian Bulls Games (Lido di Ostia, Italy)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
5/4: The Strong and Courageous (Cullman, Alabama)
5/11 - 5/12: Finest City Weightlifting Open – Presented by The Strength Tank (San Diego, CA)
5/11: True Fitness Trials (Cherry Hill, NJ)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hawaii (Wailuku, Hawaii)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hudson (Hudson, NY)
5/11: Queens of Oly Philadelphia (West Chester, Philadelphia)
5/18: Thrive Throwdown (Lynchburg, VA)
5/18: Imperial CrossFit’s Spring Fit Fest (Kent, WA)
5/18 - 5/19: The Rainhill Spring Trials (Manchester, UK)
5/18: Luminate the Day (Nonprofit comp for Windy Willow Foundation) (Grand Rapids, MI)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Chicago (Alsip, Illinois)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
5/18: Girls Gone RX Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
5/18: Code 3 Clash (Eagle, ID)

See all upcoming events

 
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