AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR

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, called “Sasuke”, of which “American Ninja Warrior” is a spin-off.

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 but was eliminated in Stage 1 along with the majority of her male counterparts.

I highly recommend checking it out if you are even a little bit interested in competition or just vegging out in front of the TV - but be warned - you may become addicted. Here in Sacramento “American Ninja Warrior” is on Mondays at 8 PM on NBC. There is something about this show that sucks me in, then snatches me up to where I have become a huge fan & just can’t miss it.