April 2018 – American Ninja Warrior

Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten

With so much emphasis being put upon conquering Mount Midoriyama, it may be surprising that only two ninjas have completed the entirety of the American Ninja Warrior course. This is not an indictment on the ninjas or their dedication, rather it shows how volatile the sport can be. The ninjas only have one chance to complete the course, with one mistake deciding their fate. One missed handhold or a jump that is just an inch too short is the difference between reaching the next stage and having to wait an entire year for another chance to compete. ANW is a sport of precision, so it is not surprising that there have only been two competitors to reach Stage 4 of the National Finals.

A picture of the ninjas after their Stage 4 runs

Stage 4 is a simple stage. There is only one obstacle, a climbing rope. This 75 foot rope must be climbed within 30 seconds. By itself, this is a relatively easy obstacle, but what makes this obstacle especially difficult is that it must be completed after the previous three stages. When most athletes fail to complete Stage 3 because of mistakes due to exhaustion, adding a 75 foot rope climb onto the end borders on cruel. The competitors likely find some motivation through the prize of a million dollars and the title of American Ninja Warrior.

The absolutely staggering size of the rope climb

The first time that anyone reached Stage 4, two reached it at the same time. These two ninjas are Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten. Isaac Caldiero is one of the best rock climbers in the country with an uncanny knack for making any obstacle that he takes on look easy. Geoff Britten is another rock climber with forearms that would make Popeye jealous (seriously, they are the size of his biceps).

Taking on the obstacle first, Geoff Britten climbed the rope in 29.65 seconds. Finally, someone had completed the course! It was, in fact, possible. Now, all eyes set on Isaac Caldiero. Caldiero managed to climb the rope in only 26.14 seconds, a full three seconds faster than Britten.

Who knew Jesus dabbled in rock climbing?

Now, the people who run ANW faced a unique question: what do you do with the prize money when two people win? The show had no plan for this situation, so they decided that Isaac Caldiero, having completed Stage 4 faster, should receive the prize money and title of American Ninja Warrior. While Geoff Britten may be the first American Ninja Warrior, Isaac Caldiero managed to be the American Ninja Warrior with an extra million dollars to his name.

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Team Ninja Warrior

Based on everything that has been written, it may seem that Ninja Warrior is a solitary sport. The opposite is actually true; the community around Ninja Warrior is extremely active. Unofficially, there are many teams that compete and train together such as the Wolf Pack. These teams, however, are only unofficial. What if these teams were official and competed against one another?

In 2016, ANW decided to answer this question with Team Ninja Warrior. Team Ninja Warrior showcases teams facing off across multiple rounds. Consisting of three ninjas each (with two men and one woman), the teams would race against one another through a course. Within each round, the ninjas would compete against one another, earning points for completing the course faster than the other team.

Team Golden Hearts, consisting of (from left to right) Neil “Crazy” Craver, Grant McCartney, and Natalie Duran

The implications of this different format are intriguing. In this format, ninjas are able to test how fast they are able to go. Some notable ninjas always run at full speed, such as Lorin Ball, Drew Drechsel, and Flip Rodriguez. For other, more methodical ninjas, however, we are never sure just how fast they could go. While the ninjas only have one chance on American Ninja Warrior, there are multiple attempts at each course for every athlete on Team Ninja Warrior. The potential for extreme, extraordinary results is greater in this alternate format.

Flip Rodriguez, one of the fastest ninjas in the sport

In one of my previous posts, I touched on the differences between gymnasts and rock climbers. These two groups of ninjas specialize, with considerably different strengths and weaknesses. Even within these two groups, however, there is further specialization. Brian Arnold is probably the strongest ninja in the sport. Lorin Ball, as inconsistent as he may be, is probably the fastest ninja. Drew Drechsel and Daniel Gil are the most naturally athletic ninjas. What is special about the format of Team Ninja Warrior is that, with a possible expansion, there is potential for even further specialization.

Lorin Ball, one of the best ninjas whenever he avoids making a simple mistake

The future of the ninja sport depends on the expansion of the competition, and Team Ninja Warrior is the natural progression of the sport. American Ninja Warrior is a fun and compelling sport, but there is so much potential for the ninja world to expand and specialize. Team Ninja Warrior allows ninjas to test how quickly they can complete courses. Future competitions could allow athletes to specialize within certain roles or create new roles entirely. Team Ninja Warrior is an amazing sport, and its success shows that American Ninja Warrior will succeed for years to come.

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