When we decided we were going to try to plan a competition, we first asked ourselves: “What is the goal?”
It wasn’t simply to host a throwdown, but we wanted to provide the competitors with things that we noticed have been missing from the CrossFit competition market. These were things that once were major draws to these throwdowns, that seem to have gone by the wayside with the modern day big tent competitions. We wanted to bring back true test of fitness, carefully thought out programming, all presented with an element of surprise and suspense. We also wanted to execute the timeline in an appropriate manner, without waiting around for hours in between 5 minute amraps.
Perhaps the biggest goal of this competition was to resurrect the lost feeling of camaraderie among CrossFitters. There was a time where athletes of different boxes, complete strangers, would cheer each other on as if they were their own family members. As many of you would agree, the feeling at times in the gym was simply electrifying.
I’m proud to say that I feel as though we achieved our goals with this weekend’s Left Coast Rumble.
Throughout the day, we saw moments of greatness, moments of heart and fortitude, moments of teamwork, and moments of camaraderie. Although 72 athletes from 3 different gyms, 5 different locations were competing, there was a sense it was all one family.
I want to thank EVERYONE that participated and volunteered to make this happen. I’ve said it several times, but none of this would have been possible without those involved and their dedication.
Thank you to all judges and volunteers for your precious time. This includes the set up, take down, and efforts throughout the day.
Thank you to CrossFit La Jolla and Mighty CrossFit for not only participating, but embracing the intended nature of this throwdown. You all represented your boxes well and I know Ace and Brandy are proud of you. Hell, I’m proud of you.
And thank you to all CrossFit 858 athletes. You are the heart of the gym. You are my heart. I cannot emphasize how proud I am of you, because of the way you represented us. I don’t just mean how you represented us on the competition floor, but the way you welcomed our guests and encouraged them. That is our culture and I’m so happy to see you carry that torch forward.
Edit: A note on scoring. We went by the original CrossFit Games scoring system. After each division went, they were ranked in order from 1st to last. Each position was assigned a point value. 1 for 1st, 2 for 2nd etc. This was repeated for three events. At the end of the competition, the person with the LOWEST points assigned was first. This is why consistency was important. A person with two first place finishes, with a 20th place finish in one event would end the day with 22 points, vs say a person with three 5th place finishes would end with 15 points, beating out the person who wasn’t consistent. To win, you need to be good at EVERYTHING. Here are the final standings: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Rz7X099Q1_lRKw4BmNn3TCikySoLPNaRmU8xazuqt-o/edit?usp=sharing
So what’s next?
Well first, as always, I’m looking for feedback. There will be a next time. But we always believe in making things better than before. Please take a moment to fill out this short survey and let us know your thoughts. This is open to ALL participants from yesterday: https://goo.gl/forms/KhnkcIoFIQjsfC982
Moving forward, we will be holding these competitions twice a year to prevent overkill and “jumping the shark”. Expect the next one to be in the May timeframe. Expect them to be small and intimate to preserve the intense, electrifying environment. Expect the element of surprise. Expect thoughtful programming that test you. And as always, and as what I told many competitors prior to yesterday: expect greatness. Expect greatness from within you as these competitions will try to coax that out of your every time.
See you at the next Left Coast Rumble.
-Mark