Back in the day I was never
a huge fan of “wrestling”. I’m not talking about the collegiate type
competitions but the rock ‘em, sock ‘em, throw 'em across the ring, kick your
butt type wrestling that was on every Friday night. But, I will admit to
knowing who Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper & Haystack Calhoun were. J
In fact, I still remember
getting a kick out of one Mother’s Day telecast when the Junkyard Dog tried to
put a folding chair in the ring so his mama could watch him compete up close
& personal. The gimmicks & unbelievable stunts were pretty hard to
believe. At the risk of upsetting & offending anyone, I never really
accepted it as a legitimate sport.
For the past several years,
there has been a new, much more genuine competition called “American Ninja
Warrior” that has captured me hook, line & sinker. It is an obstacle type
course developed specifically to test the strength, agility & endurance of
athletic men & women. Apparently, there is a televised competition in Japan
I recall seeing it a few
times when Charley was just a tiny baby which makes that over three years ago.
The year before last I watched quite often. And last year, I was totally hooked.
The new season of American Ninja Warrior just started a couple weeks ago. Every
Monday evening I am glued to the TV anxiously awaiting the latest attempts of athletes
to conquer the various obstacles.
I don't know what it is but
there is something about this competition that is downright addicting. Although
many are quite flamboyant & have a range of gimmicks, these competitors are
regular people. There are ER doctors, ranchers, tax accountants & my
favorite - a TV weatherman.
The qualifying rounds in
several cities include six obstacles with names like the “salmon ladder”, the
“quintuple steps”, the “jumping spider” & the “warped wall”. The warped
wall seems to knock out the most competitors. It is a curved 14 foot vertical
wall that contestants must run up taking just a few steps, grab the top &
pull themselves over. Spectators chant, “Beat that wall, beat that wall,” to
encourage would be American Ninja Warriors.
The top qualifiers from
several cities move on to the regional finals where a few more obstacles are added
to the course. The developers are constantly adding new & different obstacles
while retaining the fan favorites. The winners of the regional finals move on
to the four stages of “Mt. Midoriyama ” in Las
Vegas
An interesting fact is that
men & women of all ages & sizes compete equally on the courses. Nothing is altered
or changed for the women. Until last
year no woman had ever made it up the “warped wall”. Remember this is 14 feet
straight up with a slight curve at the bottom. The commentators tell me it is
all technique but it seems pretty damn hard, too.
Last year the amazing Kacy
Catanzaro, a 24 year old, 5 foot tall, 100 pound former gymnast became the
first woman to complete the course & move on to the regional finals. Kacy is
the girlfriend of long time Ninja Warrior, Brent Steffenson. Brent was
eliminated early but cheered Kacy on like a real trooper.
The most incredible feat
came when Kacy also completed the course (with the added obstacles) in the
regional finals! I sat in front of the TV screaming like I do for football or
basketball. She became the first woman to make it to Mt. Midoriyama
