Yes, it looks different every year, and yes there’s been some controversy around signing up this year, but as a gym, CrossFit DireWolf took on The CrossFit Open 2025, and we actually had a LOT of fun doing it.
By way of getting our members involved with this most meaningful aspect of training CrossFit, and light a fire under those who are competing, we brought back Friday Night Lights. While all our classes on a Friday during The Open are programmed to accommodate the workouts announced, our PM classes on a Friday have extra party vibes, plus we introduced the intramural Open to the pack this year…
Introducing Intramural Teams
Those who signed up were “allocated” to either Coach Mark (Team Blue), Coach Sam (Team Orange), or Coach Libby (Team Black), and invited to score points for their team by meeting different criteria. These range from participation and supporting one other, to the weekly task. It’s all in the name of good fun, but defo appeals to many CrossFitter’s competitive sides!
Coaches’ Head-To-Head
This year, we also introduced the coaches’ head-to-head. Taking place at the gym immediately after CrossFit’s live announcement on Thursday, we thought it only fair that members got the chance to watch the coaches suffer in a workout for a change!
Coach Mark and Coach Sam were joined by Coach James, and Ed Moore for their go at 25.1
25.2 was a repeat of 22.3, and Mark, Sam, and James were joined by Coach Harry for this one
To round off the competition, the boys were joined by Coach Jodie doing it for the girls in 25.3!
The CrossFit DireWolf Open Wrap Party
With the gym due to close to host the CrossFit Gymnastics Level One course, we needed absolutely no further excuse to go BIG the night before for the Open Wrap Party. 60 people for a team workout, and a load more for the food and drinks afterwards meant the gym was buzzing for Topsy’s Memorial Workout…
GC McCoy “Topsy” Turner
In Pairs – 25AMRAP
42x KB walk lunge
38x burpee
38x KB gtoh
400m KB run
In memory of McCoy Tuner who sadly took his own life on 08.03.25 at the age of 42
After totting up points for our in-house Head-To-Heads, Social Media challenges, and rather embarrassing Cornhole efforts, Coach Mark presented Team Blue with their winners’ packs, with Coach Libby’s Team Black in a close second place, and Coach Sam’s Team Orange in a respectable third.
The team captains were obviously proud of everyone in all teams, as well as supporters outside of teams, whether they’d entered The Open or not. Yes, doing well during a competition is the focus, but getting everyone together, and encouraging effort, welcoming participation, and celebrating being together is a huge part of why we do what we do, and the reason The Open felt extra special this year.