ANW: Mt. Midoriyama Stage One

With all region finals completed, the top 100 (top 15 in 6 regions + 10 wildcard) ninja warriors in the country have convened in Las Vegas to take on Mt. Midoriyama which has been painstakingly relocated from Japan.   There are 8 obstacles in Stage One and a 2 minute, 10 second time limit.

• Step Slider
• Rolling Log
• Giant Swing
• Jumping Spider
• Half Pipe Attack
• Warped Wall
• Spinning Bridge
• Final Climb

With so many competitors trying to conquer Stage One, coverage of the runs was a bit choppy this week. We saw several runs through the course, while learning the fates of others during breaks throughout the episodes...

• Brent Steffensen: As expected, Brent destroyed the course finishing with plenty of time left on the clock
• Stephen Volcko: Perhaps a little caught up in the mental aspect of the course, Volcko made an error on the Jumping Spider as a terrible trampoline jump put him in the water below
• Bull Bullard: The Harlem Globetrotter was able to complete the course but not before time expired. Having just reached the cargo net on the Final Climb, the clock hit zero and his ANW dreams were dashed
• Kole Stephens: Focused throughout his run, 37-year old Stephens finished the course with over 25 seconds still on the clock.
• Jake Smith: Knowing endurance was a problem in the Region Finals, Smith worked tirelessly to try and improve his lasting strength. His hardwork did not pay off as fatigue left him unable to get to the top of the Warped Wall, an obstacle he has completed hundreds of times before.
• Ahmed Toure: Though we did not see his run, Toure put in a good effort as he finished the course in a timely manner.
• Danny Johnson: This lengthy ninja was not profiled this time around, but he turned in a great time, finishing just a second slower than Brent Steffensen.
• Elet Hall: The Maryland outdoorsman came to Las Vegas meaning business as he finished in 1:46.00
• Remi Bakkar: This acrobat quit his Cirque du Soleil job to compete. In perhaps the most stressful run to this point (his wife was shaking with nerves), Remi looked the part of American Ninja Warrior as he finished with just under 20 seconds left on the clock.
• Travis Rosen: The ANW veteran turned in a good time of 1:51.00, setting himself up for a chance to go far this year
• Nathaniel Spencer: The former pro golfer was the first to complete the course, finishing just as time expired with a time of 2:10.00

With some big names still to run (Flip Rodriguez, David Campbell, Tim Schieff) next week, we will surely add to our list of 18 finishers of Stage One.

Who disappointed you in Stage One? Who is your favorite to be the first American Ninja Warrior? Share your comments below.