Ask anyone their favourite memory of the Lair and most will say something related to the Open.
You may have been hearing this around the gym and if you’re newer here you may be thinking, what the heck is the OPEN?!
The Open is a 3 week long world-wide competition put on by CrossFit HQ that takes place in house at your local affiliate. This is the first step for the athletes to earn their spot at the Games, but for us average folk, we make it all about YOU, celebrating what each of us accomplish and about having a good time!
We put a spin on the CF Open with the Fitness Lair Intramural Open to use this time to come together as a community, show you what the power of a group can do, and create some of your most cherished memories. The time leading up to it and the 3 weeks of the competition are super fun. Your team will be scheming fun ways to show their spirit, the atmosphere will elevate your effort and show you what you are really capable of, and your friends, classmates, and coaches will be cheering you on. The whole thing is SUCH A VIBE that you don’t want to miss! This will take over the gym so you definitely want to be a part of it!
Our goal at the Lair is to guide you, educate you, and inspire you. Everything we do is around that focus and coming Feb 16th is the event of the year that is meant to inspire!
Some people like to compete. Other people like to play. The Intramural Open combines the two: It looks like competition but remains fun. This is for everyone!! Yes, everyone! Momma’s, Ladies class, Men’s, at home, PT, you name it! There are divisions and scaling options that make it possible for everyone to participate.
So this is what it will look like for you as a participant:
REGISTRATION
Get signed up with the Lair! In the past we had encouraged members to register with CrossFit HQ to participate in the Open and doing so this year is entirely up to you. If you do, you can log your scores on the CrossFit Games site and see where you stack up in the world. CrossFit has never sent any of this fee back to the affiliates who run these events so this year, there will be a $20 registration fee to participate in the Fitness Lair Intramural Open. The purpose of this registration fee is to help cover extra staff and event costs associated with this 3 week long event.
Again, We’re not out here trying to make the CrossFit Games. We’re just out here trying to do some really awesome things, with some really awesome people =). You have until February 8th to be Draft Eligible!
DRAFT DAY
Together, our Team Captains will select their team from the people registered. Once the initial teams are established, the Team Captains will head out to recruit others to their team, so if you don’t sign up, you may find yourself on a team anyway! You may as well, get your name on the list for draft day!
SCORING SYSTEM / POINT SYSTEM
Points can be earned by anyone, you do not need to be a top athlete! You can earn points for your team by completing the workout, showing up for Friday Night Lights, showing spirit, etc.
When the Open is all said and done, we’ll tally up the points and announce our winner, which will come with annual bragging rights and prizes!
WORKOUTS
Starting on the week of February 16th, every Thursday night, CrossFit HQ will release the workout for the week with a live demo. A link will be released with a heat sign-up sheet, and your Team Captains will help you get that sorted and make sure you’re signed up for a time slot!
On Friday night, come join your friends to complete your workout! Be inspired by the power of community and the atmosphere that the Open creates, and challenge yourself to achieve new things! This year we are returning the Friday Night Lights! We are going to have everyone compete Friday night in heats. This atmosphere is electric and so much fun! If you cannot make the FNL, you can complete the workouts earlier on Friday in class or arrange to do it on the weekend
RX & SCALED DIVISIONS
In the past if you have participated along with us, you know that the Open offers you a very black-or-white approach. You either complete the workout “RX” or “Scaled” and that was it. Because we are about our community and not about comparing ourselves worldwide, you will see our in-class programming come into play! You can choose to do the workout as it’s written and given to us by HQ, or, approach your workout like it’s any other day you’re at the gym, adjusted to your level. Follow our instructions and whiteboard brief on what the intention is supposed to be for the workout, and pick loads/movements that work for you. We only care that you are doing the best for YOU. We just want to see you challenge yourself and most importantly, enjoy yourself. If you’re injured but still come on a normal day, this applies to you as well! Scale and modify as needed!
THE FOCUS OF 2023
Our focus is to continue to make the Lair your favourite place to go, a place and program that lights you up and adds value to your life. We are excited for a great year ahead. This open, we are expecting a large participation from all avenues of our programs – our regular members in the gym, our PT clients, our ladies and men’s resistance training classes, or Mommy & Me’s, our Online/At-Home members, and maybe we can even recruit the odd upstairs gym goer! We would absolutely love to beat our registration PR from last year! We’ll bring everyone together and show you the power that this time of year has. It will make you fitter, you’ll collect more fist bumps, you’ll be inspired by all kinds around you, and meet new friends along the way.
Cheers to the 2023 Intramural Open at Fitness Lair!
You in?? Register at the sign-up sheet in the waiting room, in our Fitness Lair Community Facebook group, or send one of your coaches a message!