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CrossFit competition, Tribal Games, returns to Suffolk Theater

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The third installment of a CrossFit competition dubbed The Tribal Games returns to the Suffolk Theater stage Friday night.

The even debuted in April 2015 and featured some of the top athletes from CrossFit gyms across the county in head-to-head matchups. Friday’s competition will feature 10 head-to-head matchups, two of which are the result of an online competition where athletes from various gyms had to qualify through a series of events.

“I believe it has become a premier event in the strength and fitness field,” said Justin Blair, an event organizer.

Eight of the matches were selected by organizers choosing top athletes of similar stature to face off against each other. The new twist was having a competition for the remaining matches. It started with what was called “The Ascent.” About 200 people signed up for the online competition, where the athletes posted their scores and videos for three workouts over a period of three weeks, Blair said. The top 16 men and women then advanced into a bracket, where the No. 1 was pitted against No. 16 and so on. The top two finalists earned a spot into the Tribal Games.

Mr. Blair said demand to participate in the event has only grown since the first Tribal Games.

“The energy surrounding it is really high,” he said. “In the beginning you’re just educating people about it. Now, we have a fan base that’s educated and we’ve had several athletes cycle through it who are generally leaders and trend-setters in their own gym and communities.”

Doors open at the Suffolk Theater at 6:30 p.m. Friday and the competition starts at 8.

Photo Caption: Competitors in the first Tribal Games in April 2015. (Credit: Bill Landon, file)

Watch a video from the first Tribal Games below: