Bye bye CrossFit? Man dies during CrossFit games

[DigDug 1,667]

4 hours ago, Da Fino said:

Nope. They took a vote and it’s proceeding. Apparently the brother said it’s what he would have wanted. Whoever is in charge must have a great attorney. 

I’m guessing he also would have wanted someone to jump in and save him.

He’s 1 for 2.

[closetohumping 17,433]

I knew a CrossFit owner in houston. He mentioned how financially successful the business was.  Then his house flooded and his friend started a gofund me for them to get a new house

[High Plains Drifter 11,026]

10 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

My oldest son is a lifeguard for City of Austin. He is getting his open water certification this fall so he can guard at Barton. 
 

I will be shocked if these “lifeguards” from crossfit event had that certification (or any training)

 

He'll be swimming in pussy soon enough. 

 

[Snake Diggity 4,619]

I have developed a huge pet peeve for people who hype sports that nobody gives a fuck about.  CrossFit is top of the list.  Sorry you’re not an actual good athlete, and I’m glad you’re staying active, but no I don’t give a fuck about the idiotic “sport” you’re into.  Pickleball has moved into 2nd place.

 

Anyway, it sucks that dude died.  Those people should be punished.

Edited August 9 by Snake Diggity

[conVINCEd 21,469]

Somewhere an insurance underwriter is placing their personal belongings into a cardboard box and being escorted out of the building by security guards.

[Deej 76,752]

37 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

I have developed a huge pet peeve for people who hype sports that nobody gives a fuck about.  CrossFit is top of the list.  Sorry you’re not an actual good athlete, and I’m glad you’re staying active, but no I don’t give a fuck about the idiotic “sport” you’re into.  Pickleball has moved into 2nd place.

 

Anyway, it sucks that dude died.  Those people should be punished.

Throw in anyone doing distance running, triathlons, Tough Mudder, etc. who isn't competing at an elite level.

I don't want to hear how hard you train and where you finished in your age bracket. Cool t-shirt, I guess. 

[texasdago 7,566]

11 hours ago, 'stache said:

His corpse is probably still talking nonstop about Crossfit.

Beat me to it. 

We go to Barton Springs relatively regularly and we see lifeguards rescue people on a pretty frequent basis. That looks like a really, really hard job. 

[Snake Diggity 4,619]

13 minutes ago, Deej said:

Throw in anyone doing distance running, triathlons, Tough Mudder, etc. who isn't competing at an elite level.

I don't want to hear how hard you train and where you finished in your age bracket. Cool t-shirt, I guess. 

There is no “elite level” of a fucking Tough Mudder.  

[Deej 76,752]

Just now, Snake Diggity said:

There is no “elite level” of a fucking Tough Mudder.  

Try telling them that. 

[Prepuce of Doom 21,052]

15 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

There is no “elite level” of a fucking Tough Mudder.  

The number of stickers on their vehicle functions as a proxy for expertise. 

[closetohumping 17,433]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

I have developed a huge pet peeve for people who hype sports that nobody gives a fuck about.  CrossFit is top of the list.  Sorry you’re not an actual good athlete, and I’m glad you’re staying active, but no I don’t give a fuck about the idiotic “sport” you’re into.  Pickleball has moved into 2nd place.

 

Anyway, it sucks that dude died.  Those people should be punished.

10 years ago it was huge.  Don’t see as much these days. Love the enthusiasm and some of them look to be in crazy shape but they are nauseating 

[Your Mom 4,805]

It sucks for this guy but I don’t see one death moving the needle much.  There have been over 100 deaths in triathlons in the last decade, 3 of them in the last month.  Open water swimming with masses of people is risky.  Shits gonna happen.  Everybody knows about Sam’s dad because he was a local guy but it happens a lot more than that and the events go on.  

Edited August 9 by Your Mom

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2,731]

Dang.  Looks like he was very close to shore too.  

[Captainant 27,625]

40 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

It sucks for this guy but I don’t see one death moving the needle much.  There have been over 100 deaths in triathlons in the last decade, 3 of them in the last month.  Open water swimming with masses of people is risky.  Shits gonna happen.  Everybody knows about Sam’s dad because he was a local guy but it happens a lot more than that and the events go on.  

I mean, there were lifeguards RIGHT THERE that would not render aid. That's some real "what would you say you do here" shit

[crash_davis 23,096]

2 hours ago, texasdago said:

Beat me to it. 

We go to Barton Springs relatively regularly and we see lifeguards rescue people on a pretty frequent basis. That looks like a really, really hard job. 

I was there when they didn't save a dude. Well, I guess the life guards performing CPR on the side of the pool constitutes as trying to save. The dude drowned in the pool 15 yards directly in front of the life guard stand. 

Oddly enough, one of the lifeguards on duty at the time later drowned in Barton Creek.

[Deej 76,752]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Oddly enough, one of the lifeguards on duty at the time later drowned in Barton Creek.

Thanks, Nicole. 

Edited August 9 by Deej

[Herbie Hancock 7,343]

I mean, there were lifeguards RIGHT THERE that would not render aid. That's some real "what would you say you do here" shit

Yall gotta quit calling them lifeguards. These were volunteers with no certifications of any kind and no formal training at all. Literally some schmuck from the crowd that said “yeah I’ll play lifeguard” about 30 minutes before the event started.

[Deej 76,752]

1 minute ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Yall gotta quit calling them lifeguards. These were volunteers with no certifications of any kind and no formal training at all. Literally some schmuck from the crowd that said “yeah I’ll play lifeguard” about 30 minutes before the event started.

So CrossFit has their 12th Man, too? 

[Trey3216 15,343]

2 hours ago, Deej said:

Try telling them that. 

It would be like trying to argue with the guy that insisted putting "100% plant based" on a cereal box that "Grain cereals?  Plant Based?  No shit!!!!" is the only real response.  

[Pancho 44,692]

I thought the CrossFit bros started to level out about 5 years ago after being made fun of by everyone else. I don’t see nearly as many dudes doing CrossFit shit at the gym anymore compared to what I saw back in say 2015-2020. I wonder if the increase of gym advice on places like TikTok has had an impact here?

I tried it once in 2012, and never again. It’s not for me. You could feel the toxic masculinity the minute you walked into the gym. I alway took the CrossFit bros to be those who felt they could showcase how masculine they were because of what they were doing instead of just really focusing on fitness, muscle growth, or whatever your goals were.

I’m willing to bet that a.) there wasn’t really a lifeguard on duty and b.) if there was, the bro “masculine” mindset of “you have to fight, get thru it!” Was prevalent among a lot of those who saw what was happening, and by the time they realized he was dying, they freaked the fuck out and didn’t know what to do. 

 

I lift 6x times a week and get asked for advice all the time (and I just say “stay disciplined” and leave it at that) and if people ask me should they do CrossFit or stick to a shitty LA Fitness, I’d tell them I’d rather you say at LA and never re-rack your weights than to ever do CrossFit. Let that shit die. 

[Wally Pryor 5,261]

4 minutes ago, Pancho said:

I’m willing to bet that a.) there wasn’t really a lifeguard on duty and b.) if there was, the bro “masculine” mindset of “you have to fight, get thru it!” Was prevalent among a lot of those who saw what was happening, and by the time they realized he was dying, they freaked the fuck out and didn’t know what to do. 

Yep.

[Goredho 17,394]

17 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Absolutely no reason those "lifeguards" should not have been on that guy like surlyites on South Austin's mom

 

If someone tried to rescue someone who had already entered South Austin's mom, they're both going to be lost to the abyss.

Also, dumb question, and sorry if its already been asked...

If these people are so fit, why can't they swim?

Edited August 9 by Goredho

[wutang75 440]

I thought the CrossFit bros started to level out about 5 years ago after being made fun of by everyone else. I don’t see nearly as many dudes doing CrossFit shit at the gym anymore compared to what I saw back in say 2015-2020. I wonder if the increase of gym advice on places like TikTok has had an impact here?
I tried it once in 2012, and never again. It’s not for me. You could feel the toxic masculinity the minute you walked into the gym. I alway took the CrossFit bros to be those who felt they could showcase how masculine they were because of what they were doing instead of just really focusing on fitness, muscle growth, or whatever your goals were.
I’m willing to bet that a.) there wasn’t really a lifeguard on duty and b.) if there was, the bro “masculine” mindset of “you have to fight, get thru it!” Was prevalent among a lot of those who saw what was happening, and by the time they realized he was dying, they freaked the fuck out and didn’t know what to do. 
 
I lift 6x times a week and get asked for advice all the time (and I just say “stay disciplined” and leave it at that) and if people ask me should they do CrossFit or stick to a shitty LA Fitness, I’d tell them I’d rather you say at LA and never re-rack your weights than to ever do CrossFit. Let that shit die. 

I was going to ask for the #TLDR for what CrossFit is to those of us that never really found out - but this is probably a pretty good summary.

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

2 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

There is no “elite level” of a fucking Tough Mudder.  

What about the mudders who get splattered with paint?

[wutang75 440]

It sucks for this guy but I don’t see one death moving the needle much.  There have been over 100 deaths in triathlons in the last decade, 3 of them in the last month.  Open water swimming with masses of people is risky.  Shits gonna happen.  Everybody knows about Sam’s dad because he was a local guy but it happens a lot more than that and the events go on.  

WTF?!? 100 in a decade? How is that not more widely known. That’s a huge number.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,508]

I watched the CrossFit founder in interviews  with relation to training gym owners/trainers and supporting the gyms. His attitude was that poorly planned gyms or bad trainers would naturally get weeded out as they fail. It wasn't his job to help with their success. He's very much a "survival of the fittest" leader.

Wouldn't surprise me if this attitude is carried over with games mgmt. Not that they want to see a competitor die but that the game hosts will get weeded out if competitors get hurt or even die.

It reminds me when I've heard some libertarians talk about the desire to eliminate all housing codes and regulations. If a new house collapses on someone, the builder won't get new build orders. Simple.

Edited August 9 by Nice Guy Eddie

[cmontexas 3,270]

Its mostly rich white dudes. And no one cares when rich white dudes die unless they are the parent of a popular athlete

[Parliament 14,233]

And fit chicks. Some of them are rather attractive.  Sadly though, as the sport got more “professional” and the PED’s came it, the attractiveness fell.  Still some out there. 

[texasdago 7,566]

55 minutes ago, Pancho said:

I lift 6x times a week and get asked for advice all the time (and I just say “stay disciplined” and leave it at that) and if people ask me should they do CrossFit or stick to a shitty LA Fitness, I’d tell them I’d rather you say at LA and never re-rack your weights than to ever do CrossFit. Let that shit die. 

But slap tears and rabdo are so cool, bruh

[Captain Ron 12,864]

42 minutes ago, wutang75 said:

WTF?!? 100 in a decade? How is that not more widely known. That’s a huge number.

Is it really a huge number? Looking at the underlying numbers, I am seenig 117. let's call that 12 a year.  Across how many Triathlons and how many entrants?

https://www.thetemponews.com/p/analysis-safe-triathlons

[High Plains Drifter 11,026]

2 hours ago, crash_davis said:

I was there when they didn't save a dude. Well, I guess the life guards performing CPR on the side of the pool constitutes as trying to save. The dude drowned in the pool 15 yards directly in front of the life guard stand. 

Oddly enough, one of the lifeguards on duty at the time later drowned in Barton Creek.

 

When was this?

 

[closetohumping 17,433]

2 hours ago, Pancho said:

I thought the CrossFit bros started to level out about 5 years ago after being made fun of by everyone else. I don’t see nearly as many dudes doing CrossFit shit at the gym anymore compared to what I saw back in say 2015-2020. I wonder if the increase of gym advice on places like TikTok has had an impact here?

I tried it once in 2012, and never again. It’s not for me. You could feel the toxic masculinity the minute you walked into the gym. I alway took the CrossFit bros to be those who felt they could showcase how masculine they were because of what they were doing instead of just really focusing on fitness, muscle growth, or whatever your goals were.

I’m willing to bet that a.) there wasn’t really a lifeguard on duty and b.) if there was, the bro “masculine” mindset of “you have to fight, get thru it!” Was prevalent among a lot of those who saw what was happening, and by the time they realized he was dying, they freaked the fuck out and didn’t know what to do. 

 

I lift 6x times a week and get asked for advice all the time (and I just say “stay disciplined” and leave it at that) and if people ask me should they do CrossFit or stick to a shitty LA Fitness, I’d tell them I’d rather you say at LA and never re-rack your weights than to ever do CrossFit. Let that shit die. 

Are you in pain or are you hurt!!!!

[Beau Vine 54,205]

4 hours ago, Deej said:

Throw in anyone doing distance running, triathlons, Tough Mudder, etc. who isn't competing at an elite level.

I don't want to hear how hard you train and where you finished in your age bracket. Cool t-shirt, I guess. 

Y'all are some angry bitches.  Anything that gets people to get in shape is awesome in my book.  

[Beau Vine 54,205]

1 hour ago, Goredho said:

If someone tried to rescue someone who had already entered South Austin's mom, they're both going to be lost to the abyss.

"Buddy, if I could find my keys, we could drive outta here!"

[Beau Vine 54,205]

13 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

Wait. This shit was being televised?

[closetohumping 17,433]

3 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

"Buddy, if I could find my keys, we could drive outta here!"

Had no idea the astrodome had natural grass back in the day

[High Plains Drifter 11,026]

2 hours ago, Goredho said:

If someone tried to rescue someone who had already entered South Austin's mom, they're both going to be lost to the abyss.

Also, dumb question, and sorry if its already been asked...

If these people are so fit, why can't they swim?

 

Technique, flexibility, and comfort in the water are more important than upper body strength for distance swimming. That guy had none of those things. Add in low body fat (fat floats, muscle sinks) and its no surprise that dude tired out and sank. 

Also, open water swimming is a hell of a lot harder than lap swimming, because you have to lift your head to see what's in front of you and make sure you are swimming in a straight line. I'm betting what little swim training that guy did was in a lap pool. 

 

edit to add: Looking at the video again, the first three out of the water, especially the first guy, had decent technique: Head up every couple of strokes to sight ahead then back down, long strokes, arms out of the water on the recovery part of the stroke, horizontal body position. 

Drowned dude: vertical body position, head up the entire time, arms dragging through the water on the recovery. Like I said before-- textbook distressed swimmer. 

 

 

Edited August 9 by High Plains Drifter

[crash_davis 23,096]

22 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

When was this?

 

Barton Springs dude was in June 2013. I watched the a life guard perform CPR on the guy. I remember that day because it was the last day of school for AISD. I took my middle school daughter and her friends there after school. They saw the body as he was being pulled out. They saw the CPR attempt. The pool was closed shortly after.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2013/06/07/man-pulled-from-barton-springs-pool-remembered-for-positive-attitude/9998887007/

 

The life guard who later died was in 2016.

https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-ems-medics-respond-two-barton-springs-rescue-calls-one-day-0

I remember him standing next to the other life guards while one of them performed the CPR on the Barton Springs guy.

Edited August 9 by crash_davis

[Parliament 14,233]

And a leg cramp from the 5k he just ran.

[crash_davis 23,096]

1 minute ago, Parliament said:

And a leg cramp from the 5k he just ran.

Obviously a "Selfish Teammate".

[High Plains Drifter 11,026]

6 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Barton Springs dude was in June 2013. I watched the a life guard perform CPR on the guy. I remember that day because it was the last day of school for AISD. I took my middle school daughter and her friends there after school. They saw the body as he was being pulled out. They saw the CPR attempt. The pool was closed shortly after.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2013/06/07/man-pulled-from-barton-springs-pool-remembered-for-positive-attitude/9998887007/

 

The life guard who later died was in 2016.

https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-ems-medics-respond-two-barton-springs-rescue-calls-one-day-0

I remember him standing next to the other life guards while one of them performed the CPR on the Barton Springs guy.

 

Yeah, that was after my time. I was a guard in 1990 when a guy drowned, but I wasn't working that day, or maybe I had already left for the day-- I don't remember. That was kind of a shit show, and the guard who didn't see the guy go under really fucked up. 

 

His brother said Thursday that Guerra was not a fan of swimming and suffered a near-drowning incident as a child.

 

That is some Final Destination shit right there. 

 

[drt 638]

My significant other used to do several tri’s a year when we first started dating. She talked me into doing one with her that was an open water swim in the ocean.   I’m a decent swimmer but not at a competitive level.
 

The day of the swim was relatively choppy, which I wasn’t looking forward to. Then as I was headed to the start to jump in the water, she decided to tell me about keeping your head up above water, so you can see other swimmers and not get kicked in the head and drown.
 

I think I was one of the slowest guys in my age cohort, as I basically swam head up the whole way. Freaked me the fuck out. I’ve done one more since but it was a way smaller race that was better organized and in Canyon Lake. 

[RDCanecutter 26,379]

2 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Y'all are some angry bitches.  Anything that gets people to get in shape is awesome in my book.  

I arch an eyebrow. If they aren't fencing epée, they are merely peasants sweating in the fields.

[Trey3216 15,343]

4 hours ago, Goredho said:

If someone tried to rescue someone who had already entered South Austin's mom, they're both going to be lost to the abyss.

Also, dumb question, and sorry if its already been asked...

If these people are so fit, why can't they swim?

 

2 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Technique, flexibility, and comfort in the water are more important than upper body strength for distance swimming. That guy had none of those things. Add in low body fat (fat floats, muscle sinks) and its no surprise that dude tired out and sank. 

Also, open water swimming is a hell of a lot harder than lap swimming, because you have to lift your head to see what's in front of you and make sure you are swimming in a straight line. I'm betting what little swim training that guy did was in a lap pool. 

 

edit to add: Looking at the video again, the first three out of the water, especially the first guy, had decent technique: Head up every couple of strokes to sight ahead then back down, long strokes, arms out of the water on the recovery part of the stroke, horizontal body position. 

Drowned dude: vertical body position, head up the entire time, arms dragging through the water on the recovery. Like I said before-- textbook distressed swimmer. 

 

 

This...

A lot of these people are incredibly strong, with horrific flexibility and true endurance.  They can do 100 pullups, but I rarely run and can beat many of them in a 5k...or play pickup basketball for 90 minutes and they're asking to be subbed out after 15 minuts of running up dna down the court.  They train for burst energy rather than endurance.  Why most of them are terrible boxers as well.  They don't have the endurance for shit like open water swims.

 

I trained for triathlons for a while.  I quit because...while I'm a good swimmer, I'm not built for distance/open water swimming.  I have a long torso and long arms, but I also used to squat 650 lbs, so I have a huge ass.  Took a lot of extra stamina just to keep my body horizontal in the water, and that didn't equate to me being able to keep good pace for long enough.   And I hated swimming open water to boot.  

 

 

These folks shouldn't be swimming more than 250 meters tops, and damned sure shouldn't be doing it after they run.  

 

[BearMace 2,193]

3 hours ago, drt said:

My significant other used to do several tri’s a year when we first started dating. She talked me into doing one with her that was an open water swim in the ocean.   I’m a decent swimmer but not at a competitive level.
 

The day of the swim was relatively choppy, which I wasn’t looking forward to. Then as I was headed to the start to jump in the water, she decided to tell me about keeping your head up above water, so you can see other swimmers and not get kicked in the head and drown.
 

I think I was one of the slowest guys in my age cohort, as I basically swam head up the whole way. Freaked me the fuck out. I’ve done one more since but it was a way smaller race that was better organized and in Canyon Lake. 

Holy shit she wanted you to drown. Sight like every six strokes but trying to do an entire swim with your head up sinking your hips? Jesus.

[drt 638]

Eh she told me just to do it for the first 20 yards or so until I was out of the crowd, I was just so freaked out I took it to the max. It was only a 1000 yard swim or something short, and I’m comfortable in the water even though I’m not fast. I had just never considered the possibility of drowning because of things outside my control. The other tri I did was a staggered start, which makes way more sense from a safety perspective. 

[conVINCEd 21,469]

2 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I arch an eyebrow. If they aren't fencing epée, they are merely peasants sweating in the fields.

CSB: my MIL was the #1 rated fencer in the world for a couple of years.

[F250 28,762]

7 hours ago, wutang75 said:

I was going to ask for the #TLDR for what CrossFit is to those of us that never really found out - but this is probably a pretty good summary.

It's basically a circuit training program designed by someone with severe ADHD.

[RDCanecutter 26,379]

1 hour ago, conVINCEd said:

CSB: my MIL was the #1 rated fencer in the world for a couple of years.

I was about the 5th rated fencer at my club for a while, if some of the really good guys stayed home.

[hayden_horn 11,362]

I once took fencing at texas. had to q drop because bellmont was way out of the way from the rest of my classes but fuck that was fun. 

I could still epee riposte your ass with a simple turn of my wrist and step forward