Derek Nakamoto is an Asian-American Musician who competed in three American Ninja Warrior competitions.
American Ninja Warrior[]
He first competed in American Ninja Warrior 4 where he was able to beat the qualifier and placed 8th, then in the Southwest Regional Finals, despite struggling on the Warped Wall, he was able to clear the course fast enough to make the top 15. In Las Vegas, Nakamoto cleared Stage One with the fastest time and on Stage Two he kept up his fast pace, but he fell on the Metal Spin when he gripped the bungee chain with his hands above his head, ending his rookie season.
In American Ninja Warrior 5, he was expected to go far due to his performance during 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 didn’t move onto the city finals this time around.
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.
On August 16th 2024, Derek posted a submission video for American Ninja Warrior 17 on his YouTube channel. Derek is set to return in American Ninja Warrior 17 and since he last competed in 2014 and is going to return in 2025 he is set to be tied with Curtis Tran with the longest hiatus after eleven years.
ANW Results[]
| ANW | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Failed Metal Spin (Stage Two) | ||
| 6 | Failed Silk Slider (Stage One) |