The Masters Take Over

March 23   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. In today’s edition:

• For the first time in Open history, masters registrations eclipse individuals.
• Athena Perez, DEI Council-member pushes NOBULL on extended sizing.
• BARx CrossFit Adaptive prepares teens for the Open.
• MEGA GIVEAWAY: Win a year’s supply of Chipotle and O2, plus every entrant gets an automatic 20% off their next purchase of O2. Enter to win.

We love seeing your story tips, quotes and PRs roll in. Keep sending them to [email protected].

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose -- it teaches you about life.” - Billie Jean King

• Here’s what the 21.2 leaderboard looks like as of 5 PM PT on March 22 (all scores unofficial):
  1. Stas Solodov (8:52) | Emma Cary (8:51)
  2. Scott Tetlow (9:06) | Kristin Holte (8:58)
  3. Alex Kotoulas (9:09) | Carolyne Prevost (9:02)
  4. Reggie Fasa (9:10) | Ellie Turner (9:03)
  5. James Sprague (9:12) | Mallory O’Brien (9:17)
  6. Luka Dukic (9:13) | Gabriela Migala (9:18)
  7. Jake Marconi (9:20) | Erica Ekelund (9:23)
  8. Andre Houdet (9:21) | Emma McQuaid (9:24)
  9. Patrick Vellner (9:27) | Emma Chapman (9:27)
  10. Taylor Self (9:27) | Helena Collins (9:31)
• Games athletes have been posting videos of their 21.2 attempts throughout the weekend. Here are a few we’ve seen:
  • CrossFit Mayhem athletes, including Haley Adams.
  • Katrin Davidsdottir, Amanda Barnhart and Emma Gardner.
  • Noah Ohlsen and Travis Meyer.
  • Patrick Vellner.
  • Roman Krennikov.
  • Kristi Eramo-O’Connell.
  • Lukas Hogberg.
  • Lauren Fisher.
  • Kara Saunders.
  • Dan Bailey.
• Do you know someone who has done an exceptional job embodying and capturing the essence of the CrossFit community? Find out how you can nominate them for a Morning Chalk Up Community Choice Award.

Here are a couple more Speed Reads:

• New York City gyms began opening yesterday with a cap at 33% capacity. Athletes are required to wear face coverings while working out.
• The Community Gyms Coalition issued a statement yesterday, to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congressional leaders urging them to pass the GYMS Act to provide targeted relief for community fitness centers. It read, in part:
  • “Today marks a small step towards recovery, but we still have a long way to go if we want to keep our industry strong and our communities healthy,” said Pam Brown, owner of Align Brooklyn. “While some of us are able to slowly allow customers and members back in, this past year has taken a serious toll on our industry. It’s not over yet. There are still tens of thousands of small gyms and fitness studios waiting for Congress to provide meaningful relief. More small business failure is unacceptable, which is why Congress, including Senator Schumer and New York’s members of Congress need to lead the effort to pass the GYMS Act.”
• The first case study in the Drop-In Doc’s Clinical CrossFit series dropped yesterday.
• The Bacon Beatdown, a large competition held in Daytona, FL announced that this year it would host four adaptive divisions in addition to its other divisions. The competition will take place in-person, June 18-20, 2021.

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Masters Eclipse Individuals for the First Time in Open Registration History

For the first time since the inception of the CrossFit Games Open in 2011, more athletes are registered in the Masters division than in the Individual division.

• 128,383 athletes 35 and over signed up to compete this year, compared to 127,693 athletes in the individual division. Overall, that means that masters comprise 48.7% of total registration while individuals comprise 48.4% (the remainder includes teens and adaptive divisions).

One big thing: That there are more athletes competing in the Open in the 35 and over categories than the 18-34 division suggests that aging adults are increasingly embracing CrossFit as a way to keep themselves healthy and fit, not just in their 20s and early 30s, but for life. This is a trend that has grown steadily, especially since the 2018 Open.

How we got here: Masters athletes were first included in the CrossFit Games in 2010 when it was moved from the Aromas, CA to the Home Depot Center (now the StubHub) in Los Angeles. That year, there was only one masters division, 50-plus.

• In 2011, the introduction of the Open led CrossFit LLC to increase masters divisions from one to four — 40-44, 50-54, 55-59 and 60-plus.

CrossFit DEI Councilmember Pushing NOBULL to Expand Size Options that Fit Larger Athletes

In the weeks since NOBULL signed their new multi-year partnership to replace Reebok as the official CrossFit apparel and footwear provider as well as CrossFit Games title sponsor, pockets in the community have derided the Boston upstart for what they argue is a poor track record on inclusivity and accessibility, specifically in terms of sizing for heavier athletes and a price point well above other brands.

One voice in particular is Athena Perez, a member of CrossFit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, who also runs the We Belong in CrossFit Instagram account dedicated to raising awareness around inclusivity and obesity in CrossFit.

BARx CrossFit Adaptive Program Prepares Teens for the Open

“Four-time Wodapalooza Champion” is an impressive title on its own, but even more so it belongs to Josie Portell, who is just 14 years old.

Since she joined BARx CrossFit with her dad in 2016, Portell has not only gotten years of experience traveling for competition under her belt before starting high school but has also acted as the catalyst that started the BARx Adaptive program, which now provides accessible, inclusive workouts for adaptive athletes in the St. Louis area.

The details: After Portell blew spectators, judges, and competitors away at a local comp for teens in 2018, her father, Robert Portell, worked hand-in-hand with BARx coaches Ed Lampitt and Monica Lohnes to create BARx Adaptive, a 501(c)3 organization. The program runs in conjunction with regular CrossFit classes at the gym, with extra volunteers on stand-by to help class run smoothly and get athletes the workout and community they came for, while also striving to keep athletes as independent and autonomous as possible.

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The Kang Squat for Quad and Hamstring Strength

If you've never heard of the Kang squat, now is the time to learn about it. It combines a good morning and squat for a movement that fires up both your quads and hamstrings. There are several variations to try with different loading strategies.

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A 30-Minute Advanced Rowing Challenge

If you need a great rowing workout to put you through your paces, look no further. This 30-minute interval challenge from Dark Horse Rowing is a great test and Shane Farmer provides some tips and cues that will help you become a stronger rower.

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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.

• Derrick Hamilton power cleans 225 pounds/102kg for a PR.
• Eris Faughnan overhead squats 245 pounds/111kg.
• Davis Smith front squats and jerks 343 pounds/156kg for a PR.
• Louise Vennekilde snatches 220 pounds/100kg.
• Erin Huss snatches 172 pounds/78kg for a PR.
• Max Lang snatches 308 pounds/140kg.
• Victor De Castro snatches 245 pounds/111kg for a PR.
• Eric Mitchell deadlifts 405 pounds/184kg for 6.

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