Fitness Unlimited hosts waterfront CrossFit competition
Published 5:02 pm Thursday, August 4, 2016
- MUSCLE UP: Manny Vidal (left) instructs Joey Woolard as he does CrossFit rings “muscle up” at Fitness Unlimited. Vidal is heading up BOCO CrossFit’s Summer Slam, a competition on the Washington waterfront, on Saturday. (Vail Stewart Rumley/Daily News)
WOD, AMRAP, Pistols, Wall Balls and more. For those who’ve never been in “The Box,” the words might not mean much. But for 134 CrossFit competitors, they’re a part of a daily vocabulary — one that will be heard loud and clear on the Washington waterfront this weekend.
Saturday, Fitness Unlimited hosts BOCO CrossFit’s Summer Slam, a competition that will bring in 67 teams to Festival Park from across the state. For 15 heats, teams will compete in a variety of fitness tests based on functional movement, the basis of CrossFit workouts, such as barbell work, bodyweight work and cardio. Teams are defined by gender and category: Rx, for the top tier of competitors; master’s, for competitors ages 40-plus; and the scaled division, for those unable to do the workouts as written, but are there to compete.
“That’s so everybody feels comfortable competing,” said Amy Thomas, owner of Fitness Unlimited. “Some people are intimidated by CrossFit, but if you look out there, at who’s doing it, you’ve got all kinds of people.”
Thomas said CrossFit appeals to a broad range — among the Fitness Unlimited faithful are several women in their 60s— and a sense of community defines the workouts and the competitions.
“It’s probably the only sport where the team that’s finished first gets done and is cheering for the team that’s coming in last,” said Manny Vidal, director of BOCO CrossFit.
![IN THE BOX: CrossFitters practice in the box at Fitness Unlimited on Wednesday. The box refers to facility set up for CrossFit workouts, which can range from barebones facilities or more elaborate setups.](https://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2016/08/NEWS_FEATURE_SUMMER-SLAM_WEB-EMBED.jpg)
IN THE BOX: CrossFitters practice in the box at Fitness Unlimited on Wednesday. The box refers to facility set up for CrossFit workouts, which can range from barebones facilities or more elaborate setups.
Vidal started the program at Fitness Unlimited two years ago. Since he regularly participates in CrossFit-based competitions, he decided it was time to give local athletes a chance to compete, as well as introduce CrossFit to the public. Spectators are welcome at the Summer Slam, he said. The $5 admission fee to come into Festival Park proper will be donated to Ruth’s House, Beaufort County’s only domestic violence shelter, as part of an event that Thomas said is all about community.
“One of our main goals was to do something not just for us, but for the community,” Thomas said. “Fitness Unlimited is not just about fitness.”
Thomas said with teams and their friends and family coming from Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington, Fayetteville and more, Washington hotels and restaurants will get a boost, as well as Ruth’s House, which in addition to receiving 100 percent of admission, will also receive 30 percent of all sponsorship money raised.
While holding the event on the Washington waterfront means Thomas, Vidal, Fitness Unlimited COO Christina Jackson and many volunteers will be hauling substantial equipment to the park, Thomas said they chose the location to highlight Washington.
“Most CrossFit competitions are in the Box or in a convention center. This is Washington’s appeal,” Thomas said. “We’re just trying something new and different.”
Vidal said he hopes the Summer Slam becomes an annual event and encouraged the public to attend.
“They’re going to see something they probably haven’t seen,” Vidal said. “Plus it’s really cool.”
The Summer Slam starts at 8:15 a.m. Saturday and will run until approximately 5 p.m., Thomas said.