🔥 Countdown to Copenhagen: Why Mesa Matters

August 27th, 2025

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 🗺️ The road to Copenhagen runs through Mesa — every second counts, every rep matters.

  • 🚨 The imbalance that’s quietly killing CrossFit gyms (and how to fix it).

  • 💥 Heavy lifts, long grinds, and big storylines. The Age Group Games delivered in Columbus.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

At the [2025] Games, we set up the judges and athletes for success by keeping programming simple and straightforward.”

Dave Castro in his most recent Week in Review (8/25/25).
COMPETITIONS

Showdown in the Desert: World Fitness Project Tour Stop II Storylines You Can’t Miss

Credit: Scott Freymond

The temperature of the World Fitness Project season is rising, both literally and figuratively, as Tour Stop II arrives in Mesa, AZ this weekend. Tour Stop I in Indianapolis set the tone for this inaugural season last May, and as we approach the Tour Finals in Copenhagen in December, the pressure is mounting. 

  • For some, Mesa offers a chance to build momentum toward a WFP Championship. For others, it’s a must-win opportunity to extend their season. 

Get the full scoop on Mesa’s shakeups, dark-horse contenders, and the road to Copenhagen.

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SPEED READS

🛒💪 BarBend’s Labor Day Sale Buying Guide: Big names like Nike, Reebok, NOBULL, and Hyperice are running can’t-miss deals. With up to 60% off select equipment, the long weekend is prime time to stock your gym.

🔥🛍 CF Gear Blowout: Northern Spirit just dropped its Final Sale with up to 80% off the CrossFit® collection — last pieces only, no restock. Stack code ‘NSMCU10’ for an extra 10% off across the site. Shop the sale.

💡🏋️ The Future of CrossFit Affiliates: On the Best Hour of Their Day podcast at the 2025 CrossFit Games, Marcus Gerszi and Jason Fernandez dug into what veteran gym owners are facing — burnout, succession planning, and the tricky math of selling an affiliate. Their message: build systems, think long-term, and run a gym that’s not just “fine” but sellable and fun to own.

☄️ How CrossFit Changed the World: What started in a gymnast’s garage — backed by a rocket‑scientist dad — grew into a global fitness phenomenon built on the “constantly varied functional movements at high intensity” methodology. Learn the history here.

🏋️‍♂️🏈 McCaffrey x While On Earth: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey teams up with Mat Fraser, Brooke Wells, and Todd Meleney to grow performance brand While On Earth. Get details here.

⚡️🚨 Gym Giant in Hot Water: The FTC is suing LA Fitness parent company for allegedly making it nearly impossible for members to cancel. The complaint accuses the chain of deceptive practices and hidden hurdles — and if the case is successful, it could reshape how fitness contracts are handled nationwide.

ICYMI: 🌵 WFP Tour Stop II lands in Mesa with Finals spots for Copenhagen on the line.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Coaching vs. Business: The 50/50 Model for CrossFit Affiliates

Credit: @besthouroftheirday / Instagram  

What's the real game you're playing as an affiliate owner?

If you're like most owners we work with, you're stuck in a constant tug-of-war – spending countless hours refining your marketing funnels, optimizing operations, and chasing sales targets, while also trying to deliver exceptional coaching on the floor.

  • Here's the uncomfortable truth: most affiliates fail because they focus too much on one part of this equation while neglecting the other.

I want to introduce you to a framework we developed years ago that has revolutionized how successful affiliates manage their businesses. We call it the “50/50 Model,” and it's the secret to steady growth that doesn't sacrifice coaching quality.

CROSSFIT GAMES — AGE GROUPS

2025 Age Group CrossFit Games – Results and Recap

Credit: @stutters.media / Instagram

The Masters and Teens wrapped up their weekend at the 2025 Age Group CrossFit Games in Columbus, OH, hosted by Legends and PIT Prodigies. 

  • The four-day championship marks the second year the age groups have separated from the individual and team divisions. 

Athletes across 20 individual divisions, including both men and women, fought for podium spots all weekend. There was a cut on Saturday, with only the top 15 (out of 30) moving on to Sunday’s final workout. 

  • Among the age group rookies and some returning athletes were notable CrossFit Games veterans from the elite divisions, including Carolyne Prevost, Rebecca Voigt Miller, Scott Panchik, Marquan Jones, Khan Porter, and Sam Dancer.

From record-breaking title runs to teen breakthroughs, the Age Group Games brought it all. Check out more after the jump.

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

  • 🎂Happy birthday to Chad Schroeder, Dave Estrada and Eddy Fraser.

  • Check out this 149-kilo/330-pound split clean and jerk from Sam Dancer at the Age Group CrossFit Games last weekend.

  • ICYMI, watch 14-year-old Thalia Vosaki clean and jerk 117.9 kilos/260 pounds at the Age Group CrossFit Games.

  • And another one - watch Khan Porter clean and jerk 155-kilos/340 pounds at the Age Group CrossFit Games.

  • ⛳️Take a look at what Mat, Sammy and birthday girl Eddy are getting up to on their weekends.