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- 🥇Scott Panchik Breaks “Podium Curse,” Reminds Us Why We Love CrossFit
🥇Scott Panchik Breaks “Podium Curse,” Reminds Us Why We Love CrossFit
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
🏆 Nine CrossFit Games, two Age Group runs — Panchik finally claims gold.
🤸 Beat the clock without breaking down. Why efficiency trumps sloppy speed.
🏜️ Desert duel: WFP Tour II brings stacked roster to Mesa. Schedule and streaming info below.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The experience had grassroots vibes…The age group athletes truly love and embrace everything our community is built on.”
CROSSFIT GAMES — MASTERS
“It Was Finally My Time” – Scott Panchik on Winning the 2025 Masters CrossFit Games
Credit: @stutters.media / Instagram
After competing at the CrossFit Games nine times as an individual and twice as an age-group athlete, Scott Panchik has finally done it. He has finally broken onto the podium. And in a big way.
Panchik won the 35-39 men’s division at the Masters CrossFit Games by Legends in Columbus, OH, on Sunday.
The details: The 37-year-old longtime owner of CrossFit Mentality in Ohio, racked up 680 points over three days and eight events, narrowly beating Marquan Jones by just 11 points.
Khan Porter, a five-time individual Games veteran, finished third, just three points behind Jones.
For Panchik, the entire weekend exemplified what made him fall in love with the sport in the first place.
It wasn’t the PRs or podium moments that stuck with him — it was the people, the shared grind, and the reminder of why the sport still matters.
Continue reading to find out why Panchik is convinced that events like this will shape the next chapter of CrossFit competition.
A MESSAGE FROM PACASO
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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 Business of Fitness: Take Two-Brain’s State of the Industry annual survey. It takes less than five minutes, and if you complete it before September 5, you will receive early access to the report, plus 19 free ebooks from Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper. See the 2024 report here.
🌎 🤝 WFP x Rehband: The World Fitness Project has announced that Rehband is its “Official Knee Sleeve Partner.” Rehband is the most recent new partner the WFP has announced; others include Adidas, Red Bull, Rogue Fitness, Concept2, Velites, 5.11, and more.
💡🏋️ 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.
ICYMI: 💥 Heavy lifts, long grinds, and big storylines. The Age Group Games delivered in Columbus.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
The Gymnastics Mindset: Balancing Speed and Skill in CrossFit
Photo Courtesy of Pamela Gagnon
As CrossFit athletes, we walk into the gym each day knowing that the workout of the day is going to be a grind and that we will try to beat the clock or our buddy next to us.
That might be fine in a boot camp-style workout, but CrossFit combines metabolic conditioning with higher-level technical skills.
So, how do we pursue speed while also striving for virtuosity? Can quality and quantity be achieved?
Let’s explore some answers to questions that may help you figure out how to achieve both in this world of “doing more in less time” to get fitter!
POLL
🏋️♂️ What’s the one piece of gear you can’t hit a workout without? |
Last week, we asked: 👟👟 If you could only wear one brand of shoe for your WOD, what’s in your gym bag?
Reebok Nanos (35.5%)
Nike Metcons (10.7%)
R.A.D One (12.7%)
NOBULL Outwork (6.8%)
Adidas Dropset (3.9%)
TYR CXT-1 (7.1%)
Velites Hybrid 1.0 (1.9%)
Born Primitive Savage 1 (5.3%)
Strike MVMNT Haze Trainer (5.9%)
Other (Tell us in the comments) (9.6%)
Some of the other brands you mentioned in the comments included: GORUCK Ballistic Trainers, INOV-8, Under Armour Tribase Reign, VIVO Barefoot, While on Earth, and New Balance Minimus.
COMPETITIONS
2025 World Fitness Project, Tour Event II: Full Schedule, Workouts, and How to Watch
Credit: World Fitness Project
The World Fitness Project Tour Event II rolls into the desert this weekend.
The WFP continues its inaugural season in Mesa, AZ, this weekend, from August 29 to 31. Hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, the event is the last stage of the season for the new professional league before its end-of-year Finals.
Pro Card holders, Pro Division Challengers, and Challenger Division athletes will battle for the opportunity to earn points on the season-long leaderboard, earn a berth in the Tour Finals, and ultimately, a guaranteed contract for the 2026 season.
Event details:
Location: Arizona Athletic Grounds
Dates: August 29–31, 2025
Tickets are available here.
How to watch: All Pro and Challenger workouts will be streamed live on the World Fitness Project website and archived there, allowing fans who cannot watch live to catch the events later.
Follow the leaderboard here.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
🔥Check out this snatch triple from Peter Ellis at 115 kilos/253 pounds.
Noah Ohlsen is hard at work on this power clean, getting ready to max out this weekend at the World Fitness Project Tour Stop 2.
⚡️Jayson Hopper is putting some finishing touches on his weightlifting as well, check out this heavy clean.
Take a look at this 170-kilo/374-pound jerk from Agustin Richelme.
💪Watch Mattie Rogers hit this snatch triple at 101 kilos/222 pounds.
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