All posts by Donny Grover

2016 CrossFit Judges Course

The 2016 CrossFit Judges Course is available at oc.crossfit.com/judges.

The course offers an introduction to the skills a judge will use during any CrossFit competition. It includes general information on competition rules, regulations and common movements. Once the movement modules have been reviewed, the aspiring judge will test their skills on the final exam.

Anyone who intends to manage an affiliate, judge an aspiring regional athlete, or review Open video submissions must take and pass the 2016 CrossFit Judges Course. It’s also required for Masters Qualifier, regional and Games judges. It costs $10.

The skills covered in the course should be practiced and maintained regularly. Upon successful completion of this course a Certified CrossFit Trainer may claim 2 CEUs toward their continuing education.

Regional Volunteer Registration Has Begun

Volunteer registration has begun on Games.CrossFit.com!

To apply, go to the blue Volunteer Registration block on the lower right-hand side of the Games home page. Select your regional and click “volunteer.” You will then be led through the application.

Schedule and Locations

MAY 13-15

California Regional
NorCal + SoCal
Del Mar, Calif.
Del Mar Arena

South Regional
LatAm + South Central + South West
Dallas, Texas
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center

Pacific Regional
Australia + Asia
Wollongong, Australia
WIN Sports & Entertainment Centre

MAY 20 – 22

West Regional
North West + Canada West
Portland, Oregon
Moda Center

Atlantic Regional
Mid Atlantic + South East
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia World Congress Center

MAY 27 – 29

Central Regional
Central East + North Central
Columbus, Ohio
Greater Columbus Convention Center

Meridian Regional
Europe + Africa
Madrid, Spain
Caja Mágica

East Regional
North East + Canada East
Albany, New York
Times Union Center

March & April: Spring season for Kiawah visits

As the only five-star hotel on an island that has been named the #1 Island in North America by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, The Sanctuary is the perfect spot for your visiting guests… or for your own getaway!

To celebrate the spring, The Sanctuary is offering 25% off accommodations on the select dates listed below.

Snapshot of The Sanctuary special

Select March dates:	March 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20
Select April dates:	April 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 26, 27
Special:	25% off accommodations on the dates above
Reservations:	800.654.2924

Like Kiawah, The Sanctuary has been the recipient of numerous awards. In 2015 alone, Travel + Leisure named it one of the top three Best Beach Resorts in the World, the Forbes Travel Guide endowed the hotel and its spa with its Five Star Award, and AAA awarded it Five Diamonds. In the same year, The Sanctuary’s Ocean Room was named one of only five Forbes four-star and AAA four-diamond steakhouses in the US.

“Though it’s only a short trip from downtown Charleston, this small barrier island on the Atlantic coast can feel like it’s a world away—whether you’re planning a day on the links or a day at the beach,” write the editors of Condé Nast Traveler about Kiawah.

Right they are.

April 15: Heaven for rare car buffs

While April 15th has become a day to dread for many US taxpayers, this year could be different… at least for car buffs.

That’s because April 15th is the day the Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat will roll into Ocean Park on Kiawah’s eastern edge. Turning the date’s traditional dread on its head, the event will celebrate a different kind of heritage: that of fine vintage automobiles.

One of the most exclusive events on the Concours calendar, the event will let participants do good while feasting their eyes on the cars’ gleaming contours and painstakingly restored interiors: proceeds will benefit three Lowcountry charities.

The motoring retreat will benefit the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic, the Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding Program at Brickhouse Equestrian Center, and the Kiawah Conservancy.

Collectors and automobile enthusiasts will enjoy viewing, close up, 200 classic and antique automobiles from across the globe, and attending automotive seminars. One hundred rare cars will compete for Best in Show, to be awarded on the closing day of the event: Sunday, April 17th.

Family members and friends of avid collectors need not despair; the weekend will also feature several thoroughly pleasant distractions, including a reception at The Ocean Course, a traditional Lowcountry oyster roast, a motoring tour through the coastal Lowcountry, an open house of stunning Kiawah homes, and a Taste of Charleston event with taste-bud-tantalizing delights from local celebrity chefs.

Click here to view a photo gallery of past motoring retreats, and click here to reserve your tickets. For local recommendations, too, feel free to contact a member of the Kiawah Island Real Estate team.

March 24: Kiawah’s Spring Tour of Homes

Don’t miss your chance to walk through some of Kiawah’s most beautiful homes during Kiawah Island Real Estate’s annual Spring Tour of Homes from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 24th.

Eleven spectacular homes representing a wide range of architectural styles and Kiawah Island vistas—ocean, river, creek, marsh, and golf course views—will be featured.

Local artists and design experts will be stationed at select homes to enhance the tour experience, offer inspired decorating and design ideas, and lend their professional insights into the remarkable qualities and appointments of tour homes.

2016 Spring Tour of Homes snapshot

Date:	Thursday, March 24th
Tour time:	1-5 p.m.
Reception time:	5-7 p.m.
Reception location:	On the lawn at Watson Cottage behind the Cassique Clubhouse (RSVP required)

In addition, seasoned Kiawah Island Real Estate experts will be on hand to help guests explore the floor plans and answer questions regarding Kiawah Island’s distinctive properties, world-class amenities, and inimitable lifestyle.

Following the tour, guests are invited to gather on the lawn at Cassique’s Watson Cottage for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and the chance to win a beautiful 40” x 30” framed photograph entitled View from Bass Creek taken by Kiawah Island’s award-winning photographer Patrick O’Brien, who will also be our featured artist at the March 2016 Charleston Gallery Association Artwalk in historic downtown Charleston.

To enter the raffle, guests must visit six homes on the tour. Also, please note that guests must RSVP for the reception, since space will be limited.

March 4: Charleston Gallery Association Artwalk

Kiawah’s award-winning photographer, Patrick O’Brien, will be featured at the Spring 2016 Charleston Gallery Association Artwalk in historic downtown Charleston.

Patrick’s career began 15 years ago in Washington D.C., where he served as assistant to National Geographic photographer Steve Uzzell. After that, he established himself as a leading photographer for developers, landscape architects, and golf course designers… and five years ago, he joined Kiawah Partners to help it further establish Kiawah’s brand as the best in its class.

2016 Spring Artwalk snapshot

Date:	Friday, March 4th
Time:	5-8 p.m.
Location:	Kiawah Island Real Estate office at 12 Queen Street

View Patrick’s stunning work and meet the photographer himself during Charleston’s next downtown art walk, when galleries throughout the French Quarter and nearby areas open their doors, inviting passersby to view their artwork and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres. Patrick’s photography will be displayed at Kiawah Island Real Estate’s downtown office at 12 Queen Street.

The Charleston Gallery Association Artwalk is free and open to the public.

March 3: Kiawah’s newest neighborhood launches

Marsh Walk video with community designer Mark Permar

Ocean Park’s first built-for-you neighborhood, Marsh Walk, will make its official debut on March 3rd.

The neighborhood will offer its homeowners a simple, streamlined way to enjoy the natural beauty, parkland, and shoreline views of Ocean Park: the only place on Kiawah where residents can enjoy a view of the marsh, rivers, creeks, beach, ocean, and golf.

A park inspired by golf course living… and other insider details

The designers who created Marsh Walk weren’t afraid to innovate. From planning a central park based on the way non-golfers use golf courses to incorporating the latest international trends in the design of its home plans, there’s more to Marsh Walk than meets the eye. Learn more from a true insider—Mark Permar, one of Kiawah’s most respected community designers—in this video.

With a Marsh Walk selection, homebuyers can enjoy a personalized version of one of four distinctive, modern home plans in a fraction of the time required to close on a homesite and custom-build a home independently.

A majority of Marsh Walk’s homesites overlook broad marshland and the front nine holes of The Ocean Course; the remainder border parkland. All will enjoy coastal breezes influenced by the Stono Inlet, and all are located near Ocean Park’s new gathering spot, The Marsh House, enhancing a warm sense of community.

Learn more about Marsh Walk here, including an insider’s video, an interactive exploration, home plan renderings, and floor plans… or for the greatest level of detail, contact a member of the Kiawah Island Real Estate team.

2016 Games Ticket Pre-Sale Qualification

We’re giving affiliates the first shot at tickets to the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games.

It’s simple. Get 12 or more members from your affiliate to sign up for the Open and you’ll be given a code that grants access to the ticketing website six days before it opens to the general public.

How It Works

Get 12+ members to sign up for the Open.
Your Affiliate Manager will receive a code in early April.
Use the code on April 22 to purchase up to 8 tickets through AXS.com

The remaining tickets will go on sale April 28.

Rent “Froning” Documentary for 99¢ (Feb. 15 – 29)

“Froning: The Fittest Man in History” was one of the best-selling documentaries on iTunes for the year 2015.

Now’s your chance to watch it for just 99¢. The deal ends February 29, 2016.

Plot Summary

Rich Froning Jr. entered the 2014 CrossFit Games competition with three consecutive victories, a feat that no other athlete had accomplished. After finding CrossFit in 2009, Froning began a history-making career, finishing second at the CrossFit Games in 2010 and dominating the competition for the next four years. His four titles, five trips to the podium, 16 event wins, 35 top-five event finishes and 45 top-10 event finishes are all records, and he’s revered in the community. Froning’s athletic prowess has been under the microscope for five years, but there’s much more to the man from Tennessee than snatches and pull-ups. In this in-depth documentary by Heber Cannon, take a look into the life and childhood of the fittest man in history, follow his quest to a fourth straight CrossFit Games championship, and see him as a son, a husband and a new father. [Trailer]

Buy Games Tickets Early in the April 22 Affiliate Pre-Sale