Athletes from around the state competed Saturday in an interisland CrossFit competition hosted by a Hilo gym.
CrossFit Huakai in Hilo hosted the Huakai Triple Threat Classic for CrossFit competitors from 10 different gyms on the Big Island and Oahu. While gyms often host events for members only, this competition was the first of its kind in Hawaii since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We used to have three to four every year, so everyone had a chance to come together. It was a bigger community,” said CrossFit Huakai co-owner and trainer Kapua Sawyer “We’re trying to ramp it up and get everybody back into CrossFIt competitions, which are mostly just for fun.”
CrossFit brings fitness to a high-intensity level as athletes train step-by-step under their coaches every time they come in. The workouts are difficult, bringing in elements of interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, calisthenics and several other exercises.
One hundred and nine athletes competed in 36 teams in divisions RX Men, RX Women, Scaled Men and Scaled Women. Those in the RX division have competed in competitions before and can complete the circuits without modifications. The Scaled division allows modifications and is for teams new to competitions.
For the Triple Threat Classic, the teams competed in Wobbly, 3-2-1 Lift Off and Triple Threat, which are all scored differently.
In Wobbly, the reps are shared by the athletes as they attempt to burn the most calories through a circuit of biking, rowing, one-arm lifting and biking again.
In 3-2-1 Lift Off, teams must find the heaviest combined weight from three front squats, two clean lifts and one jerk lift. In the Triple Threat, each athlete must complete three sets of nine toe-to-bar knee raises, nine power snatches and nine shuttle runs, which is scored by the fastest time.
“For a lot of members who do CrossFit four to six times a week, this is their sport — why not take it to a place where you can ultimately test it?” Sawyer asked. “It’s fun doing these in teams, because you can lean on each other’s strengths. We have a little swag and medals, but we’re really competing to see who is the fittest.”
Wes Stewart from Jump Ship CrossFit-Kailua traveled from Oahu to compete in the RX Men’s division and visit the Big Island for the first time.
“I’ve done these competitions before, and they’re always a great way to test yourself and meet people,” Stewart said. “I also haven’t been to this island before, and I’ll have time to explore a bit before heading back Sunday.”
CrossFit has attracted people from all walks of life from across the world as a fitness training program. Gyms create tight-knit communities as the athletes push each other and sweat together.
“There is a lot of shared suffering, which creates a cool community,” Sawyer said. “(CrossFit is) hard. You’re going to get your heart rate up, you’ll get to a place where you want to stop, but the community keeps you coming back and makes you want to keep going.”
After finishing the Wobbly competition, Christian Markt from CrossFit AllStar Waimea felt the energy in the air and was excited to participate in a large event once again as a way to test himself against others while getting to know more of Hawaii’s CrossFit community.
“You can’t mimic this in practice. The competition setting is the perfect way to push yourself to see how much you can really do,” Markt said. “I missed these events. It’s always great to come together as a community for a fun time. I’m hoping these continue to grow after this first post-COVID competition.”
The overall winners from Saturday were, Respect the Corners from Kailua-Kona with 508 points in RX Men, Jump Ship CrossFit-Kailua with 522.2 points in RX Women, Barbel Monkeys, which were independent from a gym, with 511 points in Scaled Men, and CrossFit Waipio from Waipahu, Oahu, with 536 points in Scaled Women.
There are 12 CrossFit gyms on the Big Island, and they are all open for anyone at any fitness level. Locations can be found at crossfit.com/map.
“The best way to learn more about it is to just come in,” Sawyer said. “It’s a very welcoming community, and we’re always open to new people.”
For those interested in trying a workout at CrossFit Huakai, schedules, staff and more information can be found at crossfithuakai.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
