CrossFit competition set to test elite athletes

Hundreds of men and women will push themselves to their physical limits at New Zealand's biggest ever CrossFit competition, held in Tauranga this Labour Weekend.

The 70 team entries to the Mount CrossFit National Team Competition were snapped up by elite athletes from around the country in two weeks.

CrossFit is an exercise regime that combines endurance, weight-lifting, gymnastics and more into a high intensity workout.

The team competition event was created when Tim Paton-Tapsell of Village PR & Marketing approached Mount CrossFit directors, John Templeton and Luke McGruer, after the trio competed in an Australasian regional CrossFit competition earlier this year.

"There is huge demand for this competition format here in New Zealand,'' Paton-Tapsell said.

"Other CrossFit competitions in New Zealand are for individuals only so this is the only teams event of this scale. Also the timing of this competition means it will provide the perfect build-up to other national and international events.''

During the two-day event, held at the TECT Arena at Baypark, there will be an area set aside where event organisers will be testing the crowd to find the fittest spectator.

Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Rhys Arrowsmith said the event had all the right ingredients to be a massive success.

"Mount Maunganui is the perfect destination to come for a long weekend. The new Baypark TECT Arena is an outstanding venue, and CrossFit is a brilliant spectator sport.

"With demand from the New Zealand CrossFit community for an event of this scale, it's exciting to see it all come together. We are very proud to have this new national competition here in the Bay of Plenty,'' he said.

Mount CrossFit is regarded as being one the best equipped `boxes' in the country.

Its owners _ Luke McGruer and John Templeton _ are both ex- New Zealand Army soldiers and among the top 10 CrossFit athletes in the country.

An inaugural teams competition was organised by Mount CrossFit last year but on a much smaller level.

Entry tickets to the Mount CrossFit National Team Competition are available at the door for $10 per adult, $5 per child or $20 for a family pass.