Huge Roof Gap Jump
Swanson's video of him stunting off a building currently has over 1 million views. (Don't try this at home!)
Ethan Swanson, better known as The Swan or The Daredevil, is a data analyst and current stuntman from the Chicago area. Since American Ninja Warrior 9, Swanson has also acquired the nickname "The Swan". Because of this, Swanson commonly has his own celebration move where he flaps his arms up and down. He started the backflip every day challenge which many of his fellow ninja competitors do.
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 6[]
He first competed in St. Louis on American Ninja Warrior 6. He had been able to breeze through all six obstacles in qualifying with ease. However, as a shocker, it was shown he was disqualified on the Rolling Log for splashing the water, which his foot just barely touched. During his run, ANW host Matt Iseman mentioned that he tried to compete on American Ninja Warrior 5 as a walk-on, but he was not selected at that time.
American Ninja Warrior 7[]
He returned to compete on American Ninja Warrior 7 in Kansas City. His his run in qualifying was all cut, but he finished the course without disqualification this time, placing 21st. In the city finals, his run was also all cut, but it was shown in the next season that he failed the Flying Shelf Grab. Since 16 competitors completed the obstacle, it was not good enough to advance to the Las Vegas national finals.
American Ninja Warrior 8[]
He returned to compete on American Ninja Warrior 8 in Indianapolis, now much stronger than ever. His run in qualifying was once again all cut, but he finished the course, placing 11th. In the city finals, he put up a very impressive run, becoming the first competitor of the night to conquer the Hourglass Drop. He then cleared the new Circuit Board, and made it all the way to the Invisible Ladder where struggled and eventually he ran out of energy and failed. He placed 5th overall, earning him his first trip to the Las Vegas national finals.
In the national finals, his run on Stage One was digested, but it was shown that he finished with 2.10 seconds left. His run on Stage Two was also digested, but it was shown that he failed the Down Up Salmon Ladder.
American Ninja Warrior 9[]
He once again competed in Kansas City on American Ninja Warrior 9, where he now is known as his new nickname, "The Swan". He completed the qualifying course, placing 5th, and even did the "Swan" celebration with many competitors with even Akbar joining in on his celebration. He was one of only 10 competitors to finish the Kansas City qualifying course.
Unfortunately, in the city finals, while he made short work of the first two obstacles, he shockingly failed the Broken Pipes, when he hopped past the spring and misstepped on the second pipe. He placed 27th overall, and didn't make it back to the Las Vegas national finals.
American Ninja Warrior 10[]
Ethan Swanson at the Indianapolis City Finals - American Ninja Warrior 2018
He returned to compete in Indianapolis on American Ninja Warrior 10. His run in qualifying was digested, but it was shown that he fell on the Spin Hopper, which placed him 11th overall. This actually marked his first time failing to reach the buzzer in qualifying (albeit under normal circumstances this time around, as this even counts American Ninja Warrior 6, where although he was disqualified, he still finished the course). In the city finals, after seeing all his fellow Windy City Warriors fall that night, he got revenge on the Spin Hopper and later had no problem with the back half of the course. After barely missing out two years ago in Indianapolis, he battled the final obstacle, the Spider Trap, and punched his first city finals buzzer in his career. He placed 1st overall, beating Trevor West's time by almost 4 seconds.
On Stage One, his run was digested, but it was shown that he had a close call on the dismount of Jeep Run but scrambled through the course with 21.21 seconds to spare. His run on Stage Two was also digested, but while he made short work of the first four obstacles, he was one of many to fail the dreaded Wingnut Alley, where he failed the transition to the second wingnut and even did a dive into the water.
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
He returned to compete on American Ninja Warrior 11 in Cincinnati. He revealed that this season, he did more of his dangerous stunts to train his nerves much more this season.
In qualifying, his training seemed to pay off, as he blazed through the course without hesitation and getting the fastest time of the night and becoming one of two to face the Power Tower. At the Power Tower, he and Jackson Twait were neck and neck with Jackson in the slight lead. Eventually, Ethan managed to speed his way for the win and automatically qualifying for Vegas.
During the city finals, he sprinted through the course and once again finished with the fastest time, once again moving on to the Power Tower, this time racing against his buddy Michael Torres. Swanson was initially in the lead, until eventually, Torres got the edge and won against Swanson.
On Stage One, he powered through the course, finishing with the second fastest time right behind Mathis Owhadi. His Stage Two run was digested, but he was shown to have a smooth run, completing the course and advancing to Stage Three for the first time. On Stage Three, he cleared the first three obstacles with ease. But on the Ultimate Cliffhanger, he was able to make the second ledge transition, but he seemed to get tired near the end on the last ledge and came up a few feet short, barely touching the dismount platform, ending his breakout season. This remains Ethan's best performance yet.
American Ninja Warrior 12[]
He returned to compete on the modified season, bringing along Jack McCallie and Cameron Baumgartner. In the second qualifying episode, he cruised through the course, earning the second fastest time and a spot on the Power Tower. He went against Jake Murray, with the two of them trying to save their teammates. They were even until they got to the ascent, where Ethan used only one pole and struggled, while Jake used both poles and made the climb with ease. Jake ultimately won the match.
However, Ethan did not compete in the semifinals. He revealed on Reddit and Instagram that he came in contact with a competitor that tested positive for COVID-19, and was sent home because he could not get tested fast enough to compete. He was still seen on the virtual sideline cheering on some of his friends.
American Ninja Warrior 13[]
He returned to compete on American Ninja Warrior 13. In the fourth qualifying episode, he shared that he has moved to the Denver area and spent time training with Jake Murray. When he reached Split Decision, he was one of very few who chose Block Run over Log Runner. He completed the course with ease, finishing with the third fastest time. In the fourth and final semi-finals episode, his run was digested, but it was shown that he made it all the way to the Crazy Clocks, when he could not dismount onto the landing platform. Unfortunately, since 17 competitors completed the obstacle, it was not good enough for him to make the top 15 by the end of the night, as he placed 18th. With that, he did not advance to the national finals for the first time since American Ninja Warrior 9.
American Ninja Warrior 14[]
He returned for his ninth season in the third qualifying episode. His run in qualifying was digested, but he did a backward dismount on the Kickboards after getting slightly hung up there and he later once again cleared the course, once again doing so with the 3rd fastest time. He later competed in the third semifinals episode, where his run was also digested, but he made it past the eighth obstacle this time around, clearing the Box Office. Then, at Split Decision, he went for the Diving Boards, which he failed. He placed 8th overall and he advanced to the Las Vegas national finals for the fourth time after missing out last year.
His run on Stage One was digested, but it was shown that he successfully took The High Road and finished the course with the fastest time and kept his perfect record on the stage. On Stage Two, however, similar to American Ninja Warrior 10, he failed the fifth obstacle, this time being Hornet's Nest, ending his season. Ironically, this was the second time his season ended on a fifth obstacle of Stage Two, which was a super-sized lache obstacle.
He announced in March of 2023 that while he did receive the call to compete on American Ninja Warrior 15, he is taking an indefinite break from the show, primarily to focus on Ninja Sport Network as well as his own gym, Big Time Ninja Gym.
Trivia[]
- He was one of four to compete on the Power Tower twice in American Ninja Warrior 11, with the others being Drew Drechsel, Daniel Gil, and Dave Cavanagh.
Team Ninja Record[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team: Midwest Muscle | ||||||||
| 3 | 2 (Qualifying) | First Matchup | 1 | Dark Horse | Karson Voiles | Loss | 0-1 | |
| 3 | 10 (Wildcard) | Round One | 3 | Lizard Kings | Kyle Soderman | Loss | 0-2 | |
Relay Showdown Record[]
| Season | Episode | Competitor (Obstacle Attempted) | Opponent Team | Opponent (Obstacle Attempted) | Result | Notes | Relay Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team: Midwest Muscle | |||||||
| 3 | 2 (Qualifying) | Kirsti Pratt (1-2) Tyler Yamauchi (3-4) Ethan Swanson (5-6) |
Dark Horse | Tammy McClure (1-2) Karson Voiles (3-4) Lance Pekus (5-6) |
Win | 1-0 | |
| 3 | 2 (Qualifying) | Kirsti Pratt (1-2) Tyler Yamauchi (3-4) Ethan Swanson (5-6) |
Dark Horse | Tammy McClure (1-2) Karson Voiles (3-4) Lance Pekus (5-6) |
Loss | Ethan fell at the Spin Cycle. | 1-1 |
| 3 | 10 (Wildcard) | Kirsti Pratt (1-2) Tyler Yamauchi (3-4) Ethan Swanson (5-6) |
Lizard Kings | Sarah Schoback (1-2) Hunter Guerard (3-4) Kyle Soderman (5-6) |
Loss | 1-2 | |
Power Tower Record[]
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | City Qualifiers (Cincinnati) | Jackson Twait | Win | Won the Speed Pass. | 1-0 |
| 11 | City Finals (Cincinnati) | Michael Torres | Loss | 1-1 | |
| 12 | Qualifiers | Jake Murray | Loss | 1-2 |
American Ninja Warrior Results[]
| ANW | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Failed Down Up Salmon Ladder (Stage Two) | Digest. | |
| 10 | Failed Wingnut Alley (Stage Two) | Digest. Transition to the second wingnut. | |
| 11 | Failed Ultimate Cliffhanger (Stage Three) | Won Speed Pass in Cincinnati Qualifiers. | |
| 14 | Failed Hornet's Nest (Stage Two) |