Derek Nakamoto

Derek Nakamoto is an Asian-American Musician who competed in American Ninja Warrior 4 (his first time on American Ninja Warrior) and he beat the qualifier and placed 8th, then he cleared the Southwest Regional Finals fast enough to make the top 15 despite struggling on the Warped Wall. In Las Vegas Nakamoto cleared Stage 1 with the fastest time and in Stage 2 he kept up his pace, but he fell on the Metal Spin when he gripped the bungee chain with his hands above his head.

In American Ninja Warrior 5, he was expected to do well due to his performance the previous competition, but shocked many when he failed the fourth obstacle in the qualifiers, the Floating Chains, when he grabbed the chain too low and his downward momentum pulled him off the chain and into the water.

He came back to compete in American Ninja Warrior 6. This time, he was able to complete the qualifying course. He failed Cannonball Alley in the city finals but was fast enough to qualify for Las Vegas. In Vegas, he was one of the many to fail the new obstacle, the Silk Slider when he slipped off the silk as it started declining.