"Unknown and Unknowable." A hopper containing any imaginable physical task is one of four theoretical pillars upon which CrossFit's definition of fitness is built. Ditch digging, equipment transportation and buddy carries are all scenarios that an individual may face in their lifetime. As such, they are fair game for a CrossFit challenge.
The sledge hammer/row event came out of the hopper this year, to the dismay of some top athletes. "This event here might just end my day," Josh Everett joked seconds before entering the stadium.
After a 500m row, athletes were tasked with driving a stake (4' long, 1.25" diameter) until no more than six inches remained above the ground. That area of the stadium had been dug out and repacked to a consistent density. The event was completed with another 500 meter row on the Concept 2 rower.
Tommy Hackenbruck of UTE CrossFit demonstrated how a past in carpentry could lend itself to proficiency with a sledge hammer, setting the bar for men with a best time of 4:36, just seconds ahead of Jeff Leonard and Moe Kelsey.
The fastest female was Sarah Dunsmore from CrossFit Durham (5:33), followed closely by Katie Hogan from Valley CrossFit (5:43).
3 comments on this entry.
1. J.T. wrote...
November 18, 2009 6:45 AM
Quite a few people, myself included, had concerns about whether or not a sledge hammer event belonged in a GPP athletic contest. Be that as it may, HQ CF definitely went the extra mile to make sure the conditions for this WOD were uniform and fair for all of the participants. That's awesome!
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2. tucker wrote...
November 18, 2009 10:31 AM
I think that WOD was by far the coolest I had seen. I had always taken it for granted that as a youth I was taught to use things like an axe, or wedge, or sledge hammer... That was one fun WOD to watch as it spoke volumes to folks about what is a skill when applied to a GPP.
For what it is worth - some of these workouts are about survival... meaning how to survive in the real world. Can I climb over that wall? Can I climb that rope, and I swing that axe?
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3. J.T. wrote...
November 18, 2009 10:55 AM
How about adding another twist...something like the sledgehammer event, filling sandbags with an entrenching tool (military foldable shovel), chopping firewood...but you can't use a dominant limb as a primary mover, e.g. if you're right-handed, you have to use the left arm. THAT would shake things up, and it's another facet of GPP...and can you imagine how many people would pull muscles that they never knew they had because their bodies had to compensate for many years of habit?
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