The Fittest in Cape Town and the Granite Games are the next Semifinal events to go live.
The newest Buttery Bros documentary, “Resurgence,” has a trailer and release date.
VIDEO: Granite Games Preview with Brian Friend | The Bottom Line.
Drew Wayman is tuned in and ready to conquer the Granite Games.
A car plowed into Owen Canavan’s gym pinning him to a wall. Four years later, he’s back and has worked to thank the team of first-responders and trauma doctors who saved him.
We love seeing your story tips, quotes and PRs roll in. Keep sending them to [email protected].
Equipment Sale: Get a Rogue Fitness Echo Bike or a Torque Tank at the Granite Games.
WATCH: The trailer for the Buttery Bros new documentary, “Resurgence,” available July 20.
Huge Congratulations to Morning Chalk Up Editor-in-Chief, Justin LoFranco who summited Mt. Denali this week. It’s the tallest mountain in North American at 20,310 feet above sea level.
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Granite Games Preview: Legacy and Opportunity
The second of four North American Semifinals is set to take place in Eagan, Minnesota from June 4-6, and it’s an event with quite a storied history.
The Granite Games’ first year of competition was 2011 as the Cloudytown Throwdown. It grew and evolved over the years to become one of the largest, most inclusive CrossFit competitions in the world. At its peak in 2018, the Granite Games hosted nearly 30 divisions and almost 3000 athletes through a grueling, challenging, and rewarding weekend of competition.
As the competitive landscape shifted, Granite Games adapted to remain relevant. It was one of fifteen Sanctionals in the inaugural Sanctional season (2018-2019), and was slated to return last year prior to the global shutdowns that cancelled more than half of the competitive season. As the outline of the season changed again for 2021, Granite Games followed suit and became one of only four Semifinals in North America. Though it won’t have the incredible stable of divisions and athletes they are known for, the caliber of organization and entertainment directed towards the elite divisions this season should be unmatched and will undoubtedly result in an epic battle in all three divisions.
The Men:
Seven former individual Games athletes lead a tightly contested group of men here. Chandler Smith, Saxon Panchik, Roy Gamboa, R. Paul Castillo and Streat Hoerner all have at least two years of Games experience, while Scott Tetlow has been once (2020).
Win-and-In for Athletes Competing at The Fittest in Cape Town
After almost two years away, the Fittest in Cape Town makes its return to the CrossFit competition space but this time with more on the line than ever before. The Semifinal for the continent of Africa will just send just one athlete from each of the two individual divisions and one from the teams to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games. It’ll be cut-throat action from the Woodmill Lifestyle Market in Stellenbosch, South Africa June 4-6.
What’s on the line: Along with a Games invite, the top-five finishers in each division will take home prize money from a total prize purse of $45,000 USD. Male individual athletes who finish 2-4 earn a spot to the Last Chance Qualifier that will be held online June 28-July 4.
Official Trailer For Resurgence Drops, Three Big Takeaways
The official trailer for the latest CrossFit Games documentary by the Buttery Bros titled Resurgence has dropped, delivering three action packed minutes about the chaos that was the 2020 CrossFit Games season.
Check out the full trailer below as well as three major takeaways from our first look at the new movie.
1. The Movie Drops July 20
Why this matters: The official release date of the film is slated for one week before the listed start date for the 2021 CrossFit Games — July 27 — on the CrossFit Games website. The weeks leading up to the Games are a prime window to showcase the film.
The community’s antennas for CrossFit content are up in anticipation of Games, and given the name of the film — Resurgence — and the stark contrast of the two seasons, the film should serve as a reminder of the treacherous waters that CrossFit and the sport has managed to navigate in order to stay afloat. Collectively being reminded of the obstacles we have overcome should allow us to better celebrate where we are when we step foot onto the ground of the Alliant Energy Center a week later in Madison.
CrossFit Athlete Drew Wayman Is Tuned In and Ready To Conquer the Granite Games
In 2018, CrossFit athlete Drew Wayman missed booking a trip to the CrossFit Games by three seconds. Three years later, he has another opportunity. Wayman will compete in the Granite Games on June 4-6 in Eagan, MN. His goal will be to have his name near — or at — the top of the leaderboard at the end of the weekend.
Remind me: Wayman originally began his CrossFit journey as a student at Ohio Northern University. He joined a small club — Polar Fit — and fell in love with the training methodology. He transferred to the University of Cincinnati after his freshman year, helped start a CrossFit club, and then began training to reach Regionals and then the Games.
Wayman has made strides in his CrossFit career, going from 7374 in the 2016 Open to 61st in the 2018 Open (worldwide). He has since finished Quarterfinals 91st in the United States and set up a trip to the Granite Games. This Semifinal event is the lone obstacle remaining before he can book a trip to the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
A size advantage: Wayman only knew one of the Granite Games workouts at the time of the interview — a couplet consisting of 70-pound dumbbell thrusters and 200-meter runs. There were numerous reactions to this first individual workout, as well as the size of the equipment, but Wayman expressed considerable excitement. He saw how this specific couplet would fit well with his skill set.
Car Plows Into CrossFit Breakthrough Critically Injuring Owen Canavan, He Returns Two Years Later Determined to Get Stronger
34-year-old Owen Canavan spent four years trying to get back into shape after joining CrossFit Breakthrough in 2012. But, on April 7, 2017, Canavan almost lost his life during an 11:30 AM class after a car plowed through the walls of the gym.
What happened: Located in a strip mall in Nashville, TN, an elderly woman parked in a handicap spot thought her foot was on the brake pedal when she accelerated 50 feet into CrossFit Breakthrough, blowing through the ergs, rigs, and equipment in the gym before pinning Canavan against the back wall.
“I didn’t see her coming but I remember the moments right after...my leg was completely destroyed…I had never broken a bone, I’ve never even been to the hospital,” he said.
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Cole Sager Discussing Training, Semifinals, and Becoming a Father
Tommy Marquez caught up with seven-time Games athlete Cole Sager just before the first Semifinals. Find out Sager's thoughts on the new format, how fatherhood is treating him, and how he always reacts so well to major leaderboard shake-ups during competition.
Chalk Up Highlights is our section dedicated to celebrating our community’s wins in the gym. Follow @ChalkUpHighlights and submit your highlight to [email protected] to be featured.
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