Video by Noe Magaña.
In the largest competition yet hosted by Crossfit San Benito, four Hollister teams placed among the best in their divisions during the Granite Games throwdown on Sept. 14. The facility is co-owned by Hylie Thompson, fourth place finisher at the Crossfit Games earlier this year in Madison, Wisconsin.
Of the 38 three-member teams in the event, 16 were from Hollister. Teams from Ridgecrest, Patterson and Madera also competed. Thompson said there were 33 teams during the first event hosted by the gym in August 2018, and 22 at the second event in January.
“We had to cut the registration off because we had to make sure we had the right amount of space and things were set up properly,” Thompson said.
The Crossfit San Benito team WOD Broads ranked best in the scaled female division. Scaled male division teams Snatching Souls and Waist Management took second and third place, respectively. NorCal Stallions from Cold Storage Crossfit, the only other crossfit gym in Hollister, placed second in the intermediate male division. With throwdowns being held worldwide, the best 20 teams in each division automatically qualified for the 2019 Championship Games.
With the opportunity to compete against teams from around the world, Waist Management member Teddy Bynum said what attracts him to these events is the camaraderie.
“I like hanging out with my friends actually,” Bynum said. “I’m not really competitive. My friends always talk me into joining.”
Joining wasn’t without some risk, however, as he jokingly said that his wife, also a competitor, tried to sneak a laxative in his dinner the previous night.
“But I made it,” He said laughing and giving a thumbs-up.
For others like Stacie Phillips from Crossfit Ridgecrest, local events provide a community feeling and allow those at the beginner levels to compete.
“Any level can do it,” Phillips said. “Any person, different sizes, shapes, ages so I think it’s just great for that.”
Thompson said that’s exactly the goal of Crossfit San Benito when it comes to hosting throwdowns.
“I’m so proud when beginner athletes and intermediate athletes from all over, not just my gym, come and they prove to themselves that they are strong and that they can do this,” Thompson said. “They get the opportunity to believe in themselves.”
Thompson said she wanted the Hollister community to recognize that fitness is important and that anybody, regardless of age or ability, can do crossfit because all workouts are scaled. She said she helped a 76-year-old woman who attended a free Saturday class.
“She was a little intimidated, but we got her through and she did movements that were appropriate for her.”
After placing fourth in the Crossfit Games in July, Thompson will return to competition as part of a four-member team at the two-day Crossfit Cascade Classic in Seattle on Sept. 21.