Calling all kettlebell drengir!!!
register now for the 2025 Twin Cities Kettlebell Open!
We are BACK for our 5th annual Twin Cities kettlebell competition!!!
North America's best will be here in the Twin Cities on Saturday September 14th, 2025 hosted by our friends Northbound Training located at:
3225 Country Dr. Suite 140, Little Canada, MN 55117
QUALIFY FOR YOUR NATIONAL TEAM
This event is an officially sanctioned American Kettlebell Lifters Union qualifier for the USA National Team, and our Canadian friends can also qualify for the Canadian National team through their reciprocity agreement with Canadian Kettlebell Alliance!
EVENT DETAILS
Events will include the standard GS lifts (jerk, snatch, long cycle) in 5, 10, or 30 minute lengths to earn rank based on AKLU rules & AKLU/WKSF ranking tables for these events.
Back again, the kids division is FREE of charge for any youth lifter under the age of 14!!!
Registration closes 23:59 (central time) Tuesday, September 2nd.
Official Kettlebell Sport Events (30 min, 12 min, 10 min, & 5 min)
1) Jerk (double bell for men and women)
2) Long Cycle (double bell for men and women)
3) Snatch (single bell)
4) Biathlon - Jerk double bells, Snatch single bell. *(Please note that Biathlon counts as two events)
5) One-Arm Long Cycle (single bell for men and women)
6) 1/2 Marathon Snatch, Half Snatch, Jerk, or Long Cycle
7) 12 Minute Military Snatch
Kettlebell Weights
Kettlebells will be provided, but you can also bring your own to have certified for use when you weigh in.
Men: 12KG*, 16KG, 20KG, 24KG, 28KG, 32KG
Women: 8KG*,12KG, 16KG, 20KG, 24KG, 28KG
*Men can compete with the 12kg and women with the 8kg, in the above events, but no rank will be awarded based on AKLU Ranking Tables
Please read and review the rules that the AKLU follows as those same rules will be implemented for our competition; Click Here for Competition Rules
victors' spoils-*in person only*
To the victors' go the spoils! We are proud to offer a cash purse for the top in person* performers in the competition!!!
$150 for Top Male Coefficient
$150 for Top Female Coefficient
$150 for Top Total
$50 for Best New Lifter
RAFFLE PRIZES
Last year we had over $2,500 worth of prizes from our incredible sponsors that we RAFFLED OFF among every paid registrant for the event whether they compete In Person or via Video submission! I will be updating the sponsors and prizes for this year as they are confirmed.
2024 Sponsors:
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Living Fit - $500 Cash Purse for the Victors!
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Pro Kettlebell - $200 gift card x 2, $100 gift card x 2, $50 gift card x 2
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CK Maceworks - 2 plate loadable mace or Indian clubs
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Morpheus Training - 2 M7 heart rate monitors
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Sorenson Strong - 1 pair of 1.5# Indian clubs
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Phoenix Wellness - $150 Gift Card
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Limitless Lifters - Custom lifting belt
In Person Lifters
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Weigh-ins Friday from 5:30-7 pm or Saturday 10am-noon.
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Rules overview Saturday at 12:00 pm.
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First flight begins at 1:00pm.
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Certificates will be handed out to in person lifters and e-mailed to remote participants
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Prizes will be awarded after all video submission & in person sets have been judged
video submission Lifters
To keep the competition as accessible as possible, we will be offering competitors to compete via video submissions. All live lifts will be done on September 13th, and we will be accepting video submissions beginning Saturday September 5th until 23:59 central time Friday September 12th (BEFORE the in person competition begins).
We will utilize YouTube for video submissions and have a private Facebook group which we will invite you to join. Once you have completed your lift we ask that you upload your video to YouTube and then post your video in this group and we will tag your assigned judge. Once judged, they will post your official result as a comment and tag you.
If you do not have Facebook, just let me know and you can send your video link via email.
Travel & lodging
The Twin Cities are very accessible by car, train, or plane. Northbound Training is centrally located ~20 minutes from downtown St. Paul or Minneapolis, just off I-694 and between I-35E and I-35W.
Recommended Hotels:
Hilton Garden Inn, Shoreview
Best Western Plus, Shoreview
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Vadnais Heights
Northbound Training is approximately 5-10 minutes from these hotels & 20-25 minutes from MSP International Airport.
Staying downtown: Northbound Training is about a $20-30 Uber/Lyft ride from either downtown where there are many hotels available. If you prefer public transit there are train lines and buses from the airport that will take you to either downtown.
explore the twin cities
Parks & Lakes (we have a LOT, this list is NOT exhaustive):
- Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park (5-10 minutes from The Athlete Lab)
- Chain of Lakes (3 connected lakes in Minneapolis!)
- Como Park Zoo (free entry)
Breweries & Distilleries (we have over 80 different micro breweries):
- Surly Brewing
- Fulton Brewery
- Summit Brewery
- Modist Brewing
- Fairstate Brewing
- Bauhaus Brew Labs
- Pyres Brewing
- Sociable Ciderworks
- Burning Brothers Brewery (gluten free!)
- O'Shaughnessy Distilling
- Du Nord Social Spirits
- Tattersall Distilling
Sports & Shopping:
- Mall of America
- US Bank Stadium (home of the Vikings)
- Excel Energy Center (home of the Wild)
- Allianz Field (home of the MN United Football Club)
- Target Field (home of the Twins)
Theater & Museums:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Walker Art Museum
- Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
- Guthrie Theater
- Mill City Museum
- Ordway Theater
- American Swedish Institute
- James J Hill House