How Many People Watched the CrossFit Games?

August 24   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Fundraiser for frontline Ukraine CrossFit athletes kicks off
• How many people watched Sunday’s CrossFit Games finale?
• Saxon Panchik dives into the full-time CrossFit athlete debate
• Reebok set to tame outdoor workouts with new Nano X2 shoe

“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” - Leo Tolstoy

Battle for Ukraine Fundraiser Proceeds Will Go To Frontline Ukrainian CrossFit Athletes

On February 24, 2022, as thousands of CrossFit athletes woke up anticipating the 22.1 CrossFit Open workout announcement, Ukrainians rose to the sound of explosions as Russia invaded their country.

All of a sudden, instead of preparing for wall walks, dumbbell snatches and box jumps, Ukrainian CrossFitters set off to the frontlines to defend their country.

Maxim Kvapysh, a young CrossFit athlete in his 20s, was one of them. He was tragically killed on May 31.

His death is part of what led Ivan Maksakov, the owner of Kvapysh’s gym—PROWOD in Kyiv, Ukraine—to take action to help soldiers who do CrossFit.

“I realized that I cannot force the Russian invaders not to shoot and go home…but I can make a contribution so that those who defend our country are better equipped and have a better chance of returning home alive,” Maksakov explained.

This became the impetus behind Maksakov’s fundraiser Battle for Ukraine—an online competition, open to anyone, that starts today—the goal being to raise as much money as possible for equipment for Ukrainians who, “just yesterday held a barbell in their hands and today are holding arms, protecting our country and freedom,” he explained.

Competition details: Battle for Ukraine runs for three weeks and includes four workouts.

• Currently, CrossFit athletes from 18 different countries have registered for the various divisions: Rx, scaled, masters 35+ and military. Further, there’s an at-home option for those without access to equipment.
• Registration is open and costs $10. Donations can also be made on Competition Corner.

The big picture: Maksakov is urging the global CrossFit community to sign up and support Ukrainians through the tragedy that is happening right in front of them.

“This is a hurricane that is literally erasing cities…There is nothing worse than people buried alive in their homes or children killed by a shell in playgrounds,” he said.

And while an online competition is but a small way to show support, Maksakov is hoping it will unite people the way the CrossFit Open usually does. In this sense, he’s hoping to give Ukrainians the Open they missed in 2022.

“I want Battle for Ukraine to unite people so that anyone from our community knows that if they need help it will definitely come,” he said.

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In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to Chyna Cho about the difference between competing in the masters division as compared to individual:

• “You don’t necessarily have to die for points.”

Miami bound: Want to hang out at TYR Wodapalooza and help the event crush it again for another year? Online registration for the 2023 event is now open. 😎

Dino-shoes: Jurassic Park themed Reebok Nano X2 shoes? Okay, these are pretty slick, but do they make you run like a Velociraptor?

Words of wisdom: CrossFit talks the “art of good training“, and what it takes to help people reach their fitness goals:

• “The most successful CrossFit trainers recognize that a long, slow trajectory of advancement in skill and capacity toward a distant horizon is most effective both in terms of athlete development and retention.”

Raw takes: Check out the final episode of Team CrossFit Reykjavik’s documentary covering their final preparations and time competing at the 2022 CrossFit Games.

How Many People Watched the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games Finale?

CBS Broadcasting Inc. reported that 608,000 people tuned in to watch coverage of Sunday’s final workouts of the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games in August, a number a CBS representative told the Morning Chalk Up was “solid.”

• “The broadcast produced by the CrossFit team was so well done,” the spokesperson added.

How this compares: When you compare this number to any given PGA tournament—such as the recent CBS broadcast of the PGA Golf Wyndham Championship—this number doesn’t look quite as impressive, as 1.8 million people tuned in to watch a golf tournament that isn’t even one of the four majors of the year.

• Similarly, when compared to any given MLB regular season game, the 608,000 CrossFit Games viewers looks even more bleak. For example, ESPN’s coverage of a recent game between San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers had nearly three times the viewership (1.68 million) as the biggest show of the year in the sport of CrossFit.
• That being said, when compared to a less mainstream sport—such as a recent CBS broadcast of Pro Bull Riding, which had 711,000 viewers—the CrossFit Games is comparable. Similarly, the CrossFit Games had in and around the same viewership as ABC’s coverage of the WNBA final series, where 599,000 people tuned into the first game and 762,000 into the second.

Worth Noting: 608,000 viewers this year was considerably more than the 2020 CrossFit Games, which had 380,000 people tune in to the CBS broadcast.

The big picture: While the sport of CrossFit still has a long way to go in terms of generating a mainstream fan base, 608,000 people is still 608,000 people, and exposure on a major network like CBS has to be seen as positive for the continued growth of the sport and its potential to attract thousands, hopefully hundreds of thousands, of new people into the community.

Saxon Panchik: “Anyone who's making this a full-time career is going there to win.”

It’s been a big year for Saxon Panchik. He moved to Tennessee to train with the PRVN crew at the beginning of the season and followed that up by winning the Open and his Semifinal. Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil sits down with Saxon to recap his Games season, discuss some positive takeaways, although he didn’t place where he wanted on the leaderboard, and what his plans are for the 2023 season.

Reebok Heads Outdoors With Nano X2 TR Adventure

The Reebok Nano has long been the shoe choice for fitness enthusiasts trying to conquer workouts in the gym or CrossFit Games athletes pursuing the title of Fittest on Earth. Now a new variation is available that will help them accomplish their goals whether they are on the trail, at the park, or on the city streets.

The details: The Nano X2 TR Adventure features new improvements to help athletes achieve fitness in unique environments. There is a Nylon Ripstop Upper for added breathability and improved protection; Floatride Energy Foam for comfort and responsiveness; and a Rugged Lug Outsole for outdoor traction and durability.

• The new shoes, which are currently available for Unlocked members, will go on sale for the general public on August 24. They will be available for the price of $140 USD.
• There are three color schemes available in the first drop – Pure Grey 3/Bold Purple/Orange Flare; Pure Grey 5/Core Black/Classic Teal; and Pure Grey 3/Bold Purple/Orange Flare.

Tal Short, Senior Product Manager at Reebok Design Group: “Throughout the design process we received great feedback from our Reebok athletes, along with a range of other fitness enthusiasts. One of the most consistent notes we received from our athletes was that they loved to wear the original Nano X1 Adventure both inside and outside of the gym. So, when designing the new Nano X2 Adventure we worked to upgrade the upper to be more breathable while still delivering top performance needs for in and out of the box performance.”

“The Nano X2 Adventure continues to tout our goal of providing the top versatile training shoe option on the market as it excels both inside the gym, while also being tough enough for a variety of terrains and outdoor training demands.”

Why this matters: One of the biggest reasons for doing CrossFit is to make improvements in daily life. Posting the best time in “Manion” is one thing, but it’s also important to be able to enjoy adventures in the outdoors, easily complete physical tasks, or simply just live life to the fullest.

• Introducing a new shoe with the focus on comfort and durability provides the opportunity to join some friends for a hike or other form of physical activity without worrying about going home and changing.
• Parents, in particular, could use these outdoor-focused shoes. They could easily take part in a workout at the park while still keeping an eye on their children.

Enjoying exercise in the great outdoors is one benefit of the Nano X2 TR Adventure. Another is the ability to hit up a workout in the driveway. 2020 forced flocks of people to set up gyms at home, and many never went back to a traditional facility. The new drop from Reebok provides another piece of equipment that will support them.

“The outdoor fitness trend is here to stay,” Short said. “The training demands of athletes continue to evolve, and more and more athletes are enjoying the benefits of taking their workout outside. We were the first to jump onto the outdoor trend from a training shoe perspective and we have big plans for the Nano Adventure franchise moving forward.”

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

• 🎂 Happy belated birthday to Games athlete Bethany Shadburne and Olympic Weightlifter Mattie Rogers.
• Braden Footer from CrossFit Krypton in Chesapeake, VA hit a 275 pound/125kg clean and jerk PR.
• Lindsey Grasis, owner of CrossFit 1977 in Charlton, MA puts 210 pounds/95kg overhead in this heavy clean and jerk complex.
• Derek Nance from Ocean State CrossFit North in Smithfield, RI back squatted 305 pounds/138kg for a PR.
• 🥵 No A/C in your gym? Charlotte Sparacino from North Carolina shares this all-too-relatable reel of CrossFitting in the summer.
• Martin Feiferlik, owner of CrossFit GTPS in the Czech Republic calls this a “dynamic warmup”— can you take on the kneeling plate jump challenge?

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