Sunday

When our son Michael was about 8 years old he would come to the Box with us from time to time and make up his own WODs. Can anyone figure out this one?

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Blogcast#9. A quick history of the Games, Regionals, Sectionals, the Open and our part in it all.

Good Morning CrossFit Pittsburgh!

With the 2017 CrossFit Games Open underway I wanted to share a few thoughts with you but first I thought it would be cool to take a look at the history and evolution of the Games.

2007 - The first CrossFit Games were held on June 30 and July 1 at The Ranch in Aromas, CA. The Ranch is the family home of Dave Castro. The first Men’s Champion was James Fitzgerald. The Women’s Champion was Jolie Gentry, and the Affiliate Cup was won by CrossFit Santa Cruz.

2008 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 5-6. The Men’s Champion was Jason Khalipa. The Women’s Champion was Caity Matter, and the Affiliate Cup was won by CrossFit Oakland.

2009 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 10-12, 2009 at The Ranch. The Men's competition, with a field of 74 competitors, was won by Mikko Salo. The women's, with a field of 72, by Tanya Wagner. The team competition by Northwest CrossFit. This was also the first CrossFit Games to include separate team based events, regional qualifiers for individual competitors, and steroid testing.

This was the year that we sent three Athletes to the Regional Qualifiers in Virginia Beach. Blake Schaub, Mike Donatucci and Danny Rodgers represented us that year.

2010 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 16–18 at the Home Depot Center (now known as the StubHub Center) in Carson, California. The men's competition was won by Graham Holmberg. The women's by Kristan Clever. This was the first time for the CrossFit Games to include a Master’s competition for male and female participants over the age of 50. This was also the first time that regional qualifiers were required for all games participants including individuals, affiliate teams, and masters. To qualify for regional competitions individual athletes had to compete in local sectionals, a precursor to the online CrossFit Open introduced the following year.

This was the year that Blake Schaub, Rick Mann and I competed in Sectionals at CrossFit King of Prussia. It was also the year that Panter CrossFit (the University of Pittsburgh student Affiliate) was represented by Zach Miller, Michael Lamanna and Andrew Mandarino all of whom would graduate and come to Coach at our Box.

2011 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 29-31 at the Home Depot Center. The men's competition was won by Rich Froning and the women's by Annie Thorisdottir. This was also the first year of the "CrossFit Games Open" as the first stage of the qualification process.

This was the year that we had two of our Coaches qualify to compete at Regionals in the Men’s Individual bracket. Zach Miller would go on to compete in the Men’s Individual competition and Andrew Mandarino would choose to compete as a member of our CrossFit Pittsburgh Affiliate Team. We sent one individual and a Team to Regionals in 2011.

2012 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 11-15 at the Home Depot Center with some events taking place at Camp Pendleton. The men's competition was won by Rich Froning, the women's by Annie Thorisdottir, and the Affiliate Cup by Hacks Pack UTE. Both Froning and Thorisdottir were repeat champions from the previous year.

2013 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 24–28 at the StubHub Center. The men's competition was won by Rich Froning, the women's by Samantha Briggs, and the Affiliate Cup by Hacks Pack UTE.

2014 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 22–27 at the StubHub Center. Rich Froning Jr. was the men's winner, winning his fourth consecutive competition. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet of Canada won the women's event, and CrossFit Invictus won the Affiliate Cup.

2015 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 21–26 at the StubHub Center. Ben Smith was the men's winner. A Games competitor every year since 2009, this was his first win (he placed third in 2011 and 2013). Smith secured the win in a dramatic final event by holding off 2014's second-place finisher Mat Fraser who many had predicted would be the 2015 champion. Iceland's Katrin Davidsdottir, making her third Games appearance, was the women's winner, overtaking countrywoman Ragnheiður Sara Sigmundsdottir, who led for much of the competition, in the final event. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom from Cookeville, Tennessee, captained by four-time individual men's champion Rich Froning Jr., won the Affiliate Cup.

2016 - The CrossFit Games were held on July 19–24 at the StubHub and on The Ranch in Aromas, California, United States. The men's competition was won by Mathew Fraser, the women's by Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir and the Affiliate Cup was awarded to CrossFit Mayhem Freedom.

2017 - The Games Open is in it’s first week. We are proud to be hosting several members of Panther CrossFit. Since their inception we have had a long and proud history with the young men and women who train at the University Affiliate and we’re glad to have them with us again this year.

Who the fuck turns down a University Affiliate?

It’s been an amazing journey to watch this event evolve the way it has. It’s been even better to have been a part of it. What amazes me the most though is this; there are still some out there so easily swayed off their course as to believe that the key to fitness lies in specialization. If it’s not functional, if it doesn’t make you faster, stronger and allow you to go longer why are you even doing it?

Here’s the only answer; because it’s easier. That’s all and that’s it.