With the huge surge of popularity in the past few years, more people than ever are being exposed to CrossFit. Some find it through the discovery of the sport of CrossFit. Others find it through word of mouth – family, friends, and colleagues who espouse its benefits, joys, and pains. This latter group may only have a tenuous understanding of what the sport of CF is, or may not know it at all. For this growing group, here is a short primer from the CF Games website:
The 2014 season begins with the worldwide Open competition. Everyone in the world is invited to compete in five workouts over five weeks, posting their scores online in real time. Last year, almost 140,000 athletes competed in the Open.
Every Open workout needs to be validated to count. Competitors will have two options to validate their performances. They can work out at a local affiliate, where they will be judged in person, or they can submit video evidence of their performance to the entire community. There is no limit to the number of attempts an athlete can make, provided the score is submitted prior to the close of each week.
Competitors will be ranked both worldwide and by region. The fittest 48 men, 48 women, and 30 teams from each region will earn invitations to one of 17 Regionals. This is the first chance athletes will have in 2014 to establish their international standings.
The CrossFit Games stand alone as the ultimate test of fitness. No test, regardless of its lofty claims, can grant legitimate title to the best without first providing access to all. The Open is a truly “open” competition. Anyone from anywhere can participate.
After the Open, the fittest from each of 17 regions around the world move on to the next phase of the season—Regionals. Athletes and spectators will gather in masses to watch CrossFit competition in a live format. Under the critical eye of Level 1 judges and in front of hundreds of cheering spectators, each region’s best athletes will battle for a few precious Games-qualifying spots.
Unfortunately, they haven’t bothered to update their description for 2015. There are a few changes, including the inclusion of Scaled and Teen divisions. Additionally, the regions used in past Opens will be combined in to 8 “super regions.” This will change the competition significantly for high level competitors. For the casual athlete, there will be few changes.
We’re hoping to have some fun with the CrossFit Open workouts here at The Zone. Each week of the Open we will host an informal Open workout party, where athletes can come in, try their hand at the WOD, get judged by an official judge, and cheer on other competitors.
Further information will be forthcoming.
