STEPR Partners with CrossFit Semi-Final Legends Championship in Califo

Three days. One arena. A few hundred of the fittest athletes on the planet. And a couple STEPR VPR™ machines that pushed them harder than ever before.

That was Del Mar, April 24 to 26, 2026. The Legends Championship. One of the most respected in person Semifinal events on the CrossFit calendar, rolled into Southern California, and STEPR Performance came with it. What followed was three days of competition, community, and some pretty loud reactions to the CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ on the floor. Here's what went down.

The Setup:

The Legends Championship isn't just a competition. It's a massive event, the kind where elite athletes and everyday fitness obsessives collide in a shared space, feeding off the same energy, sweating under the same California sun. Del Mar, right on the Pacific coast, has a way of making everything feel a little more electric.

STEPR Performance came in as the official cardio equipment partner. The CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ were set up on the competition floor and from Day 1, athletes were curious. By Day 2, they were hooked.

What It Looked Like On The Floor:

When you put world class athletes on world class equipment, you find out fast what that equipment is made of. The Legends Championship is a Semifinal, meaning the people competing aren't just good CrossFitters. They're some of the best in the world, pushing output that most machines weren't designed to handle. Over 100 virtual gears and VPR™ technology means the CYCLE XL VPR™ scales to whatever the athlete brings. Nobody hit a ceiling. Nobody ran out of resistance. The machines just kept up.

The SKI XL VPR™ told a similar story. Upper body conditioning at the Semifinal level is brutally revealing. Any machine that's sloppy, inconsistent, or rough under real load gets exposed quickly. Every division attacked WODs on the VPR™ platform, and the machines didn't flinch.

One response that captured the feeling perfectly came from the Sentinel Training crew, who got on the equipment during the weekend and summed it up in three words: "These machines are SICK." Hard to argue with that.

100 Virtual Gears With VPR Cycle Performance Range Resistance

Day 2 Energy (aka things got real):

If Day 1 was the introduction, Day 2 was the main event. The arena was louder. The divisions were deeper into competition. The stakes were higher. And the CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ were in the middle of all of it.

All divisions came through, not just the elite field. Every athlete who stepped onto a VPR™ machine got the same experience: a resistance range wide enough to meet their output, a feel that's clean and consistent under pressure, and a machine that holds up when the intensity ramps. That's not a small thing. At an event where equipment runs through hundreds of athletes across multiple heats, reliability isn't optional.

Day 2 was exactly the kind of proving ground VPR™ technology was built for.

The Community Aspect:

Here's what makes the Legends Championship more than just a competition: the people who show up just to be part of it. CrossFit draws a community that doesn't just watch, they want to do. Members of the broader San Diego and Southern California fitness scene had the opportunity to get on the machines themselves through community workouts during the weekend, and the response was the same whether someone was a first-timer or a seasoned competitor.

VPR™ technology doesn't play favourites. The same resistance range that lets an elite athlete push 300% of traditional output also gives a beginner exactly the right amount of challenge. That's the whole point. The Legends Championship community got to feel that firsthand, not just watch it from the sidelines.

What This Means For STEPR Performance:

The Legends Championship was STEPR Performance's first time on a CrossFit Semifinal floor, and it wasn't a soft launch. The equipment was in active competition, under real conditions, used by real athletes across every division, from the elite to the community. That's not a demo. That's a real life stress test and the CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ passed. And then some.

For gym owners in the market for commercial grade cardio equipment, this matters. Performance equipment either holds up at that level or it doesn't. There's nowhere to hide on a competition floor. Del Mar proved that VPR™ technology belongs there and that the athletes who used it weren't just impressed, they were asking questions about where they could find one back home.

The Bigger Picture:

Elite competition and community access are two things that often exist separately in fitness. The Legends Championship does something interesting, it brings them into the same arena, for the same weekend, under the same roof.

STEPR Performance fits that model. The VPR™ platform wasn't designed just for elite athletes. It was designed for anyone who wants equipment that responds to their output honestly, gives them a real resistance range, and holds up over time. Del Mar was a reminder of what that looks like when it's tested at the highest level and what it feels like when everyday athletes get their turn.

The machines are already heading to their next chapter. But Del Mar? That one stays with us. Every step and every rep counts.

From Rehab to Athlete VPR Ski Performance Range Resistance

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the Legends Championship?

The Legends Championship is one of the premier in person CrossFit Semifinal events in North America, taking place annually in Del Mar, California. It attracts elite athletes competing for placement at the CrossFit Games, alongside multiple age group and community divisions. The event is well-regarded in the CrossFit community for its organisation, athlete experience, and high production value.

What STEPR equipment was used at the Legends Championship?

STEPR Performance brought the CYCLE XL VPR™ and the SKI XL VPR™ to the competition floor at Legends Del Mar. Both machines feature patented VPR™ (Variable Pitch Resistance) technology, which allows for a significantly wider and more precise resistance range than traditional air based equipment, supporting outputs of up to 300% of conventional machines.

How is VPR™ technology different from a standard air bike or ski erg?

Traditional air based machines use fan resistance, which creates a fixed relationship between effort and output. VPR™ technology changes that. By optimising resistance at any cadence, the CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ deliver a smoother inertia profile, a broader resistance range with over 100 virtual gears, and a more controllable experience regardless of how hard or easy an athlete is pushing. It's the difference between a machine that responds to your output and one that just spins faster.

Can STEPR Performance equipment handle commercial and competition environments?

Yes. Both the CYCLE XL VPR™ and SKI XL VPR™ are built with dual belt drives and reinforced stiff frames specifically for high use, high output settings. At the Legends Championship, the machines ran through hundreds of athletes across multiple divisions and heats over three days with no issues. That durability is built into the design, not an afterthought.

Where can I see STEPR Performance equipment in action?

The best place to start is the STEPR Performance range at getstepr.com. You can explore the full VPR™ lineup, including the CYCLE XL VPR™, SKI XL VPR™, ROWER XL VPR™, BIONIC BIKE XL VPR™, and TREADSLED XL VPR™ and find out more about VPR™ technology and how it compares to traditional equipment.

STEPR Performance showed up to Del Mar ready to compete. The machines delivered. The athletes noticed. If you want to check out how the event went for yourself, you can check out the live stream action HERE. If you want to experience VPR™ technology for yourself, whether you're kitting out a commercial gym, a CrossFit box, or looking to understand what the Legends Championship athletes were working with, the full range is waiting for you.

Official Supplier of the Crossfit Games Semi Finals in Del Mar California