“It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.”- Blaise Pascal
CROSSFIT GAMES
What’s It Like to Have CrossFit HQ Invade Your Gym? CrossFit Bison Tells All
The CrossFit Bison community, which consists of 300 members, was electric this past Thursday as they hosted the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open 23.2 announcement, but it didn’t come without the cost of displacing members for a week as CrossFit HQ took over the space.
However, co-owner of CrossFit Bison, Chris Tafaro, spoke for his gym in saying it was well worth it.
Remind me: CrossFit Bison is located in Midland Park, New Jersey and hosted 23.2 on Thursday. The gym has the second highest registration for the Open in the U.S. with 275 members signed up.
Tafaro said a lot of thought went into the gym being the right fit as a host and it didn’t come without sacrifice for his members. He adds, CrossFit HQ forewarned him of what would need to happen, but who could say no to hosting the pinnacle event of the sport?
“[CrossFit HQ] They warned us of that. They were like, you know, your members are going to be displaced, they’re not gonna be able to workout here for the week and that was our biggest concern, but they also are so detailed down to even the screws in the rig,” said Tafaro.
It came down to logistics, he adds, “they wanted to do it in the northeast and we happen to be a gym that’s primed for that because of the affiliate leaderboard and because we’ve been in business now 10 years.”
“It was amazing. It was just one of the coolest things I’ve ever been part of.”
When asked about CrossFit Bison’s secret to its impressive Open registration, Tafaro said he and co-owner David Syvertsen love the competitive nature, but really encourage members to do it to see individual progress being made.
He and Syvertsen are both big on the Open and for different reasons, but for Tafaro it’s about the members, the everyday crossfitter.
“As a coach, like seeing people get their first pull up or whatever it is, that’s the big thing for me,” said Tafaro.
“That’s why we do this because it will force an athlete to stand up at the pull up bar, and get their first pull up for five minutes whereas in the workout they may scale out and do ring rows.”
“I think when you look at the scores it’s sometimes the bigger gyms that are beating us in the beginning, but by week three we pull ahead because I feel like a lot of people just don’t finish the Open if they’re not doing well and there’s no incentive,” said Tafaro.
Another way he engages his members to sign up is by having teams with coaches as captains and doing some in-house competition. Each team can tally points by doing the workout or judging for someone.
The entire gym will now take on 23.2 just like the rest of the affiliates across the globe. However, Tafaro says being asked to host an Open announcement is a “big honor” and a testament to his members.
“It’s almost like justification for our members who are so big on Bison and they promote Bison to their friends and their family and they get members and they may have not been to another gym to compare, but now someone else is telling them we’re doing the right thing,” he said.
“They know they’re in the right hands now. It’s justification to them and us that they’re in the right spot.”
SPONSORED
Shuttle Runs = Knee Pain
23.2 welcomed back the shuttle run and if you experience knee aches and pains, you know they’ll be hurting after those shuttle runs.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you: use the MOVE+ on your knee for 15 minutes per day to reduce pain and inflammation.
After all that work, we all know we’re going to have some serious recovery ahead of us. Use the MOVE+ within 15 minutes of your workout to drastically reduce creatine kinase levels which means, less muscle soreness! So you can hit the gym the next day, or re-do the workout (if you’re crazy).
The final showdown: The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open’s final workout, 23.3 is going down this Thursday and it’s going to be Danielle Brandon against Mal O’Brien at CrossFit Omaha at noon PT.
Interesting: CrossFit HQ has published a piece with some in-depth analysis concerning workout 23.1 from Jonathan Kinnick of btwb.
Amazing: Watch Noah Ohlsen, who has had quite the time lately what with getting married and dealing with hearing loss, take on 23.2.
Get some: Still a bit nervous about the CrossFit Open? Here’s some tips from Men’s Health UK for beginners as we head into the final week.
COMPETITION
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
What is the Future of Scoring for CrossFit Competitions?
When you’re watching the CrossFit Games or Wodapalooza, it’s easy to critique the broadcast.
The rep count is wrong.
Why isn’t the leaderboard updating?
But a look behind the scenes exposes that creating an entertaining broadcast with real time data and live scoring is a lot more complicated, and full of a lot more moving parts, than you might have imagined.
23.2 CrossFit Open Livestream Numbers Continue Upward Trend
For the second week in a row, the live Open announcement this week set a post-pandemic record for livestream views.
In its second year at the new time slot (12 PM PT, 3 PM ET), the 23.2 CrossFit Open announcement live stream showed fantastic growth in viewership. Even with non-elite athletes taking on the workout first, the livestream amassed many more concurrent views than previous years.
One big thing: Both maximum concurrent views (how many people were watching at once) and overall livestream views (after 24 hours) for 23.2 increased from last year. Furthermore, the total views after 24 hours for 23.2 further eclipsed the average views (after 24 hours) for all three announcements from 2022 (versus 23.1).
The details: The 23.2 announcement recorded a maximum concurrent viewership of 120,336 and a total view count (after 24 hours) of 649,774.
How does this compare?
The max concurrent average for the 2022 Open was 96,048, far below what we saw this week with 23.1 and 23.2. It’s also important to note that trends in previous years have shown that viewership increased each week of the Open, and so far, 2023 is following that trend.
The total views per week average for the 2021 Open was 530,463, while total views (after 24 hours) for 23.2 came in at 649,779.
What they’re saying:
Justin Bergh, General Manager of Sport at CrossFit: “We’ve really tried to highlight our core values within these shows. That starts with the methodology and the incredible difference that CrossFit coaches and affiliates make for athletes at all levels. Competition has a special way of bringing us all together, and in those moments we want to honor our community.”
Let’s go back further: While the above numbers only include YouTube viewership, our 2020 data includes both YouTube and Facebook. Even so, the average total views after 24 hours for each of the five weeks was 367,857. With a total or almost 650,000 views over the past 24 hours, the 23.2 statistics blow previous years out of the water.
The big picture: These numbers show positive growth and continue the trend we’ve seen over the past two years. We will continue to track viewership through the Open this year.
LIFESTYLE
Reebok is “Pumped” for its New Weightlifting Shoes
There may be no more iconic shoe technology than that of Reebok’s “pump technology” which first came out back in 1989. Kids could be seen on the basketball court, or anywhere for that matter, reaching down to pump up their shoes for some extra umph in a pop culture moment that has stood the test of time.
Remind me: On the 32nd anniversary of National Basketball Association player Dee Brown’s historic “no-look” dunk contest performance that launched the brand’s “Pump” technology into stardom, Reebok has unveiled “Pump Universe”, a revisionist footwear collection that reimagines its most iconic archival sneakers, which now includes The “Pump Universe” Legacy Lifter III Pump along with two other shoes.
Tal Short, a Senior Product Manager of Performance Footwear for Reebok talked about the new weightlifting shoes, which CrossFit athletes will surely look to get their hands on, and a bit about the iconic technology getting an upgrade for 2023.
Q: Reebok’s Pumps are very iconic and well known. What were some of the challenges in transferring the tech to a weightlifting shoe?
When we began to explore adding in the Pump technology to the Legacy Lifter franchise, the only problem we came across was figuring out why we didn’t think of adding it into earlier versions! We had this industry changing customizable fit technology sitting there the whole time that could be transferred easily to the upper of a lifting shoe. Once we made the move to the Pump, we made sure to do a ton of testing to make sure the Pump provided the same amount of the locked down feel as a traditional multi-strap lifter.
Q: When it comes to weightlifting shoes, what is the latest you guys are hearing from that community, and also the CrossFit community, in what they want in a good lifting shoe?
Stability is always #1 in lifting shoes. Grip is another key factor that can never be overlooked, but we are seeing that consumers are caring more about the style/look of their lifters than ever before. Look good, lift good.
Q: There’s obviously some serious nostalgia with the pump for older people who remember when it first came out. How are you guys updating and transferring this cultural moment to 2023?
Pump has always been a huge part of Reebok’s heritage and our Classics team has done a phenomenal job of managing the bring backs of the iconic Pump models for the older generations while also introducing Pump to our newer generations in a strategic, cool way. We are lucky that we were able to use this technology in a performance product and the hope is we add it into future performance models where it makes sense.
More intel from Reebok: Legacy Lifter III Pump (HR0428, $220): No two feet are alike. Whether three pumps or ten, PUMP technology applied to Legacy Lifter III offers a customizable and locked-in fit ensuring confidence when it’s needed most, before stepping up to that big lift. Classic color blocking remembers Pump’s past, while an innovative midfoot strap, injected TPU underfoot, and a rigid midsole together provide best-in-class support.
COMMUNITY
Join Barbells for Bullies in Sit-Ups for Pups, starting March 1st. All through the month of March accumulate as many sit-ups as possible with your besties at the gym to raise awareness for shelters dogs!
I need it for my next lift! Where is it? Times up. Stop digging around for your gear in that dirty old bag. The new Haven Organized Duffel is designed for grab-and-go access. See all your gear in plain sight when you open it.
Are you ready for the trust fall of fashion? Then you need to shop LSKD’s Trust Us packs before they sell out (and they’re close). The LSKD team has picked their favorite looks, exclusives and some cheeky surprises that are delivered right to your door. Treat yourself to a nice little surprise!
Make your caffeine addiction a healthy one with Strong Coffee. They make your coffee easy in a premixed powder that includes instant organic coffee, grass-fed collagen protein, and MCT oil powder to fuel your mind and body for hours so you can spend more time and energy on the important things in life. Use code “MORNINGCHALKUP” for 15% off! No brewing. No blending. No bullsh*t.
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.
🎧 DJ Lucky Lou from Los Angeles, CA (DJ for the CrossFit Games) created a 15-minute mix to give you an extra boost through Part A of CrossFit Open Workout 23.2. Available for stream or download on SoundCloud.
7-year-old Carter Mohammed from Boynton Beach, FL and his 4-year-old brother take on a ski-erg workout together.
CrossFit Games teen Kaiden Hogan from Training Think Tank in Atlanta, GA shares his progress from a 160 pound/72.5kg clean to 305 pounds/138kg.
Congratulations to the Core City CrossFit Kids crew from Detroit, MI that took on their first competition last weekend—the online Cub Games for kids age 7-15.
Congratulations to semifinal athlete Hattie Kanyo from CrossFit Greater Heights in Houston, TX on the PR squat snatch of 195 pounds/88.5kg.
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