American Ninja Warrior 3

American Ninja Warrior 3 was the third season of American Ninja Warrior, which was served as the American qualifiers for SASUKE 27. For this season, Matt Iseman returned as the host for his second season, Jimmy Smith returned as the co-host for his second season, and Alison Haislip returned on her third season as the sideline reporter. The season premiered on July 31st, 2011.

This season was notable for being the last American Ninja Warrior season to hold qualifiers for SASUKE, as the competition format on the next season was drastically changed.

Qualifying
In qualifying, competitors would face 6 obstacles and no time limit to complete the course. The 30 fastest competitors who completed the course would advance to semifinal. If less than 30 competitors completed the course, the competitors who got the furthest and fastest round the course would advance to semifinal.

Obstacles
① *Quad Steps

② ^Log Grip

③ *Bridge of Blades

④ ^Jump Hang

⑤ *Jumping Bars

⑥ Warped Wall

^ - New Obstacle in American Ninja Warrior Course

* - Modified Obstacle (Compared to Previous American Ninja Warrior Seasons)

Semifinal
In semifinal, competitors would face 9 obstacles (in which the first 6 obstacles were the same as in qualifying) and no time limit to complete the course. The 15 fastest competitors who completed the course would advance to Boot Camp finals. If less than 15 competitors completed the course, the competitors who got the furthest and fastest round the course would advance to Boot Camp finals.

Obstacles
① Quad Steps

② +Log Grip

③ Bridge of Blades

④ Jump Hang

⑤ +Jumping Bars

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Salmon Ladder

⑧ ^Unstable Bridge

⑨ Cargo Net

^ - New Obstacle in American Ninja Warrior Course

+ - Modified Obstacle (Compared to American Ninja Warrior 3's Qualifying Course)

Competitors
Boot Camp finals was held in a remote mountain area in California. 15 competitors who advanced to Boot Camp finals were divided into three teams: Red Dragons, White Tigers, and Blue Monkeys. Each team consisted of 5 competitors, with the first competitor to represent each team was one of the top 3 competitors during semifinal (Ryan Stratis for Red Dragons, Chris Wilczewski for White Tigers, and Paul Kasemir for Blue Monkeys). Then, each of them would select the other 4 members for his respective team in a schoolyard pick fashion.

Prior to competing on Boot Camp finals, Michael Zernow suffered an injury while training and withdrew from the competition. Therefore, Jake Smith (who finished in 16th place during semifinal) took his place.


 * Ryan Stratis
 * David Campbell
 * Travis Rosen
 * James McGrath
 * Alan Connealy


 * Chris Wilczewski
 * Brent Steffensen
 * Brian Orosco
 * Drew Drechsel
 * David Rodriguez


 * Paul Kasemir
 * Travis Furlanic
 * Jake Smith
 * Brandon Douglass
 * Dustin Rocho

Competition Format
There were 3 rounds used during Boot Camp finals:
 * Pressure Challenge
 * The Pressure Challenge consisted of an obstacle, in which each team must send one member to compete.
 * The competitor who had the worst performance would earn punishment for the entire members of his respective team.
 * The punishment consisted of bringing heavy objects to the Team Relay course, which would reduce the team's training time and energy for the Team Relay.
 * Team Relay
 * The Team Relay consisted of an obstacle course, just like in SASUKE.
 * Each competitor would run the course by bringing an heavy object (which was usually brought by the losing team from the Pressure Challenge) to the obstacle, and then attempting the obstacle. After that, he must repeat those two processes to the next obstacle, and then brought that object to the finish line.
 * Each obstacle had a maximum number of attempts to complete the obstacle. If the competitor failed to complete an obstacle within the allowed number of attempts, he would receive a time penalty added to his Team Relay time. The amount of time penalty for each obstacle may differed for each day of Boot Camp finals.
 * At the end of Team Relay, the completion time for each competitor (including the time penalty) would be accumulated among the other members of his respective team. The team who completed the Team Relay course in the slowest time must elect 2 of their members to face the Heavenly Ropes.
 * The number of obstacles faced by the competitors during the Team Relay may differed for each day of Boot Camp finals.
 * Heavenly Ropes
 * The Heavenly Ropes consisted of a side-to-side Rope Climb, with a bell at the top of each rope.
 * Each competitor must climb up the rope, in order to reach and ring the bell. Whoever did this in the fastest time (or made the highest, in case of none of the competitors could reach and ring the bell) would continue the competition, while the loser would be eliminated from the competition.

Those 3 rounds were used during the first 3 days of Boot Camp finals, except on the fourth and final day, in which:
 * There was no Pressure Challenge (as well as no punishment), so the teams would be more focused on the Team Relay.
 * At the end of the Team Relay, the team who completed the Team Relay course in the fastest time (including the time penalty) would send all of their members to represent Team America in SASUKE 27, while the two losing teams must elect 2 members each from their respective team to face the Heavenly Ropes.
 * At the end of the Heavenly Ropes, the 2 competitors who reached and rang the bell in the fastest time (or made the highest, in case of less than 2 competitors could reach and ring the bell) would represent Team America in SASUKE 27, while the losers would be eliminated from the competition.
 * The 2 losing teams whose members didn't face the Heavenly Ropes would automatically represent Team America in SASUKE 27.

Pressure Challenge
The Pressure Challenge's obstacle for the first day of Boot Camp finals was called the Net Climb, which consisted of a cargo net with 25 flags attached around the cargo net. Each competitor from his respective team was given 60 seconds to collect as many flags as possible. If the flag dropped to the ground below, it didn't count. If the competitor touched the ground below, his turn would automatically be over. The competitor who collected the fewest number of flags would earn punishment for the entire member of his respective team, in which each member of the losing team must bring several logs from one side of mountain area to the training ground (Team Relay course).

Team Relay
The Team Relay's obstacles for the first day of Boot Camp finals were the:
 * Ultimate Cliffhanger
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 2 minutes
 * Warped Wall
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 1 minute

Each competitor must also bring several logs (which were brought by Blue Monkeys, due to losing at the Pressure Challenge) to the obstacle before attempting the obstacle. On each team, the first competitor to run the course would bring the lightest logs, the next competitor to run the course would bring heavier logs than the previous competitor, and the last competitor to run the course would bring the heaviest logs.

Heavenly Ropes
Since Blue Monkeys lost on the Team Relay, they must elect 2 of their members to face the Heavenly Ropes, which were Brandon Douglass and Dustin Rocho.

Pressure Challenge
The Pressure Challenge's obstacle for the second day of Boot Camp finals was called the Hang Move, which consisted of 4 chains with a foothold at the bottom of each chain. Each competitor from his respective team must swing across the chains from the starting platform to reach the landing platform, without touching the ground below. To add the difficulty, each competitor also wore a heavy backpack (40 pounds in weight) while attempting the obstacle. The competitor who reached the landing platform (or swung across the fewest number of chains, in case less than 2 competitors could reach the landing platform) in the slowest time would earn punishment for the entire member of his respective team, in which each member of the losing team must bring several tires from one side of the mountain area to the training ground (Team Relay course).

Team Relay
The Team Relay's obstacles for the first day of Boot Camp finals were the:
 * Roulette Cylinder (SASUKE 26 version)
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 3 minutes
 * Balance Tank (SASUKE 10-17 version)
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 2
 * Time penalty: 2 minutes

Each competitor must also bring a tire (which was brought by Red Dragons, due to losing at the Pressure Challenge) and roll it to the obstacle before attempting the obstacle.

Heavenly Ropes
Since White Tigers lost on the Team Relay, they must elect 2 of their members to face the Heavenly Ropes, which were Chris Wilczewski and Brian Orosco.

Pressure Challenge
The Pressure Challenge's obstacle for the third day of Boot Camp finals was called the Bungee Rope Climb, which consisted of 9 ropes and 5 bells placed between several of the ropes. Each competitor from his respective team must traverse the ropes, and then rang the bell in order back and forth. If the competitor fell to the ground below or skipped several ropes/bells, his turn would automatically be over. The competitor who rang the bells in the fewest number of times would earn punishment for the entire member of his respective team, in which each member of the losing team must bring several heavy ropes from one side of the mountain area to the training ground (Team Relay course).

Team Relay
The Team Relay's obstacles for the first day of Boot Camp finals were the:
 * Double Salmon Ladder and Unstable Bridge (counted as one obstacle)
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 3 minutes
 * Warped Wall
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 2 minutes

Each competitor must also bring a heavy rope (which was brought by Blue Monkeys, due to losing at the Pressure Challenge) to the obstacle before attempting the obstacle.

Heavenly Ropes
Since Blue Monkeys lost on the Team Relay, they must elect 2 of their members to face the Heavenly Ropes. However, in an unpredictable twist, the producers decided to let the team who won the Team Relay (White Tigers) choose two members of Blue Monkeys to face the Heavenly Ropes, which were Brandon Douglass and Travis Furlanic.

Team Relay
The Team Relay's obstacles for the fourth and final day of Boot Camp finals were the:
 * Double Salmon Ladder and Unstable Bridge (counted as one obstacle)
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 2 minutes
 * Balance Tank (SASUKE 10-17 version)
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 1 minute
 * Ultimate Cliffhanger
 * Number of maximum attempts allowed: 1
 * Time penalty: 2 minutes

Unlike the first 3 days of Boot Camp finals, on the fourth and final day of Boot Camp finals, competitors would no longer bring any object to the obstacles.

Heavenly Ropes
Since Red Dragons and White Tigers lost on the Team Relay, each team must elect 2 of their members to face the Heavenly Ropes, which were Alan Connealy and Travis Rosen (Red Dragons), and Drew Drechsel and Brian Orosco (White Tigers).

Mount Midoriyama (SASUKE 27)
On this season, one competitor who could achieve total victory would receive the prize of US$500,000 K-Swiss endorsement deal. Also, American competitors' run in this tournament was aired on August 22nd, 2011 (6 weeks before the official air date of SASUKE 27).

Notes: The obstacles' name used here was based on the name used during G4's broadcast.

Obstacles
① Step Slider

② Rolling Escargot

③ Giant Swing

④ Jumping Spider

⑤ Half Pipe Attack

⑥ Warped Wall

⑦ Spinning Bridge

⑧ Final Climb (Tarzan Rope + Rope Ladder fusion)

Time limit: 125 seconds.

Obstacles
① Slider Drop

② Double Salmon Ladder

③ Unstable Bridge

④ Balance Tank

⑤ Metal Spin

⑥ Wall Lift

Time limit: 90 seconds.

Obstacles
① Arm Bike

② Flying Bar

③ Ultimate Cliffhanger

④ Jumping Ring

⑤ Chain Saw

⑥ Rope Climb

⑦ Bar Glider

Obstacles
① Rope Climb (20 meters)

Time limit: 40 seconds.