It’s safe to say this year’s season has been anything but normal.
- From athletes boycotting the CrossFit Games season after the tragedy at last summer’s Games to the rise of the World Fitness Project (WFP) and CrossFit’s potential sale, it feels like the Games have taken a bit of a back seat.
Or have they?
We spoke to a few dozen gym owners to find out where their community stands and posed this question:
- Have the CrossFit Games lost relevance, or is the community as excited as always to set up the live stream in their affiliates and come together to cheer on their favorite athletes?
What the Affiliates Are Saying
The general consensus is that interest in the CrossFit Games is down.
Brian Strump, who opened CrossFit Steele Creek in Charlotte, NC, in 2009, said he guesses only 10-20% of his gym members even know what the CrossFit Games are.
- “Judging by our Open participation, I’d say it’s decreasing in excitement,” Strump said. “Certainly, I have a handful that will nerd out over it, but others have no idea it exists.”
Evan Derveloy, owner of CrossFit Ruston in Louisiana, agrees and says that many of his members “don’t even know they exist.”
- Dina Duy, the owner of CrossFit Supercell in Rockford, IL, echoed the sentiment: “My members don’t even know what days it will be taking place.”
Furthermore, Rudy Trevino, who witnessed Lazar Đukić’s death during Event 1 at last summer’s Games, also said there is “very little chatter” about the Games right now at his gym.
Why This Might Be the Case
Although interest in the Games might not be what it once was among many affiliates, gym owners say it has nothing to do with last year’s tragedy, frustration toward CrossFit LLC, or the WFP possibly taking some of the spotlight this season.
- “I don’t think anyone is boycotting or anything like that,” Trevino offered.
In his opinion, interest is down because “the sport is lacking heroes.”
- “CrossFit used to be really good at telling stories of our leaders, and there hasn’t been any of that [anymore]. We need a Mat Fraser or Rich Froning, and we need excitement,” he added.
There are other reasons why affiliate owners believe the community isn’t that excited about the Games this year.
Elite Athletes Are Less Visible in the Community
Monica Hagen, the owner of CrossFit Solano in Fairfield, CA, said she believes there has been a decline in interest because the big-name athletes are “no longer involved at the affiliate level.”
- In the early days, on the other hand, affiliate communities came out in large numbers to cheer on their athletes and teams at Regionals “because we really knew them.” Then their investment in following the season continued through to the Games.
The Cancellation of Quarterfinals
The absence of Quarterfinals this year is another reason some believe their community isn’t paying as much attention to the Games season this year.
- “Last year, with Quarterfinals, we had much more involvement since members were invested in our athletes that moved onto that stage, and then that led to more of them following along with the Games season,” said Eric Sugawara, the owner of CrossFit KEA in Surrey, B.C.
This year, however, only a handful of his members are following the Games season, and there has been “less chatter than usual,” he said.
The Live Feed Has Declined
In short, the live feed isn’t as good as it was when CrossFit had its media team produce it, and it doesn’t effectively help the audience get to know the athletes.
- “Now that there is no [CrossFit] media, I don’t know any of the athletes and don’t really care about them, which makes it hard to care about the Games,” Eric Fasciani told us. He owns three gyms: CrossFit Souhegan, CrossFit Nashua, and Primal Athletics.
Today’s CrossFit Enthusiasts Just Aren’t Into It
The CrossFit community has evolved since its early days, and the newer generation of CrossFit enthusiasts doesn’t focus on the elite aspect of the sport.
- “The people who come to me are different from those who came to me 15 years ago. It used to be that people would come to us because they were seeking out intensity. Now, my average client is less aware of CrossFit [as a sport]. I suspect that shift also has an impact on general interest in the Games,” said Justin Doran, the owner of CrossFit Nassau in Junction, NJ.
Albany Is the Problem
Regarding attending the Games in person this year, some affiliate owners say they’re not going (nor are their members) because Albany is not a major draw.
- “The location is just not good…It needs to go back to Madison. That was the perfect location for The Games in my opinion,” said Geoff Kessler, the owner of CrossFit Owasso in OK.
One Big Thing
Another theme that came up in discussions with gym owners is that excitement in their community has declined because gym owners themselves aren’t keeping up with the sport like they used to.
Doran admits this is the case for him.
- “I’ve gradually lost interest over the years. Obviously, I’m older, and as such, my values and interests have changed as well. As a result, how I present CrossFit to my members has changed,” he said.
Zia Rohrbaugh, owner of CrossFit Counter Culture in Encinitas, CA, agrees, although she falls on the other side of the fence as she is a huge promoter of the Games and will have the live stream on at her gym all weekend.
- “I’m a firm believer that your community’s interest and excitement over anything starts from the top. If the staff and affiliate owners are interested and make it a priority, the community will usually follow,” Rohrbaugh said.
She added, “Our community is always very into the Games. We also make a huge deal about the Open, so because of my interest and dedication to the Games, it bleeds down to my community.”
Some Diehards Remain Committed
While the general consensus is that interest in the Games has waned, a few dedicated fans remain, like Rohrbaugh, Sugawara, and Tiffani Arndt, owner of CrossFit Ground Up in Hastings, NE.
- “This is my ninth consecutive Games trip, and I find it rejuvenating. Last year sucked, but I am hopeful for this year,” Arndt said. “The same people are excited to watch as always. No one turned their back on CrossFit after the tragedy [last year].”
For Sugawara, although his members are less interested than usual, he said his excitement for the Games remains high and he will “still be watching every event and cheering on the Canadian athletes because I love the sport.”
The Big Picture
Ultimately, while the CrossFit Games still spark passion among dedicated diehards, it’s clear that interest throughout much of the affiliate community has diminished.
- And while this arguably doesn’t bode well for the future of the Games, perhaps if CrossFit does acquire new owners, the new leaders might be able to turn the ship around.
Until then, those of us who remain deeply invested in the CrossFit Games will be tuning in on August 1 and will be glued to our live feeds for three days. As always.
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Featured Image: @welcome_to_the_mill / Instagram
