Pipe Slider (パイプスライダー) is the final obstacle of Third Stage from SASUKE 2 (replacing Hariyama) until SASUKE 17, where it was replaced by Gliding Ring after Nagano Makoto's Kanzenseiha. It would eventually return in SASUKE 28, the tournament after Urushihara Yuuji's second Kanzenseiha.
Competitors must hang on to a pipe and slide it along a track 5.3 metres in length. At the end of the track, competitors must gain enough momentum to make the transfer from the pipe to the landing platform. There are four versions of this obstacle.
The obstacle has a wire attached to the bar, which is hooked onto an upper track, so that competitors would not drag the bar down with them if they failed. But in contrast, it could cause the bar to slip off of its tracks before competitors could successfully build up momentum for the dismount.
The obstacle became a staple of the course during its time and even well into its retirement, being used as the final obstacle in many replica courses, including SASUKE's sections of Muscle Park Odaiba (closed in 2010) and Chitose, and SASUKE Park in Toyosu in 2014.
This obstacle has proven to be very difficult, as half of the attempts on this obstacle ended in failure. It has also become the only obstacle in history to take down all six SASUKE All-Stars at least once throughout its numerous variations; its first elimination being an All-Star, Yamamoto Shingo, alongside eliminating all four SASUKE Grand Champions.
A modified, but distinctive, version of this obstacle, Bar Glider, was used as the final obstacle of Third Stage in SASUKE 27.
Prototype[]
Pipe Slider seen in Opening of SASUKE 2, with the landing platform being parallel with the course
Closer view of Pipe Slider before the filming of SASUKE 2 as illustrated from a book
Prior to the final version that was used in SASUKE 2, Pipe Slider was supposed to have three tracks with two resting bars in between the tracks, which were meant to be arranged in a square-wave formation, with the second track perpendicular to the first and third tracks, which both pointed in the same direction, with the landing platform thus being parallel to the overall course formation as opposed to being perpendicular to it. This version can be seen in numerous pieces of footage all the way up to the filming of Second Stage.
However, before official runs commenced, for unknown reasons, the producers decided to eliminate the third track, possibly deeming the formation too difficult. The landing platform was thus moved to the end of the second track and this would ultimately serve as the basis of Pipe Slider and all subsequent versions of it, along with its replacements during Shin-SASUKE.
First Version[]
Matsumoto Minoru attempting Pipe Slider in SASUKE 3
The first version of Pipe Slider was used in SASUKE 2 and 3. It featured two tracks with a resting bar in between the tracks. Once competitors got to the end of the track, all the competitor need to do was step down to the landing platform. The landing platform itself was still placed away from the competitor, as proven by Miura Eiichi when he lost his balance on the mat in SASUKE 2.
Ebihara Masakazu disqualified after pulling the pipe of Pipe Slider off the track in SASUKE 2. Note that the water pit is still extended.
If the competitors pulled the bar off the track, they would be disqualified, which happened to Ebihara Masakazu in SASUKE 2, when he pulled the bar off the second track and fell into the water.
Water pit and scaffolding for Pipe Slider's prototype as seen during Yoshizaki Hiroaki's run in SASUKE 2
In SASUKE 2, the plan for the original concept of the obstacle can still be seen due to the presence of an extension on the left side of the water pit relative to the position of the second track. This extension would then be removed the following tournament.
It was proven to be very difficult, as it took out eight competitors in two tournaments, whereas no one failed at any other obstacle in Third Stage during this span. However, due to SASUKE 3 having the highest number of finalists (which would eventually be tied by SASUKE 24 in the future) with five, whereas only one competitor failed the Pipe Slider, the producers decided to modify Pipe Slider in the following tournament to make it harder.
Second Version[]
Nagano Makoto was going to attempt the final jump of the modified Pipe Slider in SASUKE 9
The second version of Pipe Slider was used from SASUKE 4 until SASUKE 13. It featured a minor modification from the first version by shortening the second track, now requiring a jump to the landing platform. As tournaments went on, the landing platform was placed slightly farther away from the end of the track.
Travis Allen Schroeder disqualified after pulling the pipe of Pipe Slider off the track in SASUKE 4
The disqualification rule was still enforced, proven by Travis Allen Schroeder in SASUKE 4 when he made a similar mistake to Ebihara's, although he derailed the bar on the first track. However, he managed to hang onto the bar and even managed to clear the obstacle before being told that he was disqualified. To prevent further happenings such as this, the wire was now installed only on the left side of the bar starting from the following tournament in order to drop the competitor straight into the water, as evident by Urushihara Yuuji's failure in SASUKE 37.
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The sides of the landing platform that was now filled with water as seen from above the obstacle during Yamamoto Shingo's celebration after clearing Third Stage in SASUKE 7
In order to clear the obstacle, competitors must completely hold their balance on the landing platform. Yamada Katsumi landed on the landing platform in SASUKE 6, but he tipped off the landing platform to the side, causing him to be disqualified. The water pit was extended to the sides of the landing platform starting in the following tournament to prevent further injuries.
The landing platform itself previously caused havoc in SASUKE 4 as Akiyama Kazuhiko allegedly climbed to the landing platform using metal support below the platform, which was visible from competitor's point of view. While it actually should have been deemed illegal, the producers let him advance, but in order to avoid such a loophole happening again, the landing platform was fully covered in subsequent tournaments.
As tournaments progressed on, more and more competitors ended up clearing Pipe Slider as it was attempted less due to the difficulty of the obstacles before it. When Nagano Makoto got his third consecutive Final Stage attempt in SASUKE 13, the producers decided to redesign Third Stage in the following tournament.
Third Version[]
Yamada Kōji attempting modified Pipe Slider in SASUKE 16
Nagano Makoto was going to attempt the final jump of the modified Pipe Slider in SASUKE 17
The third version of Pipe Slider was used from SASUKE 14 until SASUKE 17. It contained only one track, as the first track was removed due to the introduction of Jumping Bars and Climbing Bars. Also, competitors could not directly attempt the obstacle, as competitors had to first swing from Devil Balanço to reach the obstacle. To add difficulty, the gap to the mat was lengthened, as well as the length of the track being increased to 7 metres.
During SASUKE 14, Devil Balanço was considered part of the obstacle, with announcer Hatsuta Keisuke omitting addressing the obstacle. The official name was verbally announced in the following tournament and until its removal after SASUKE 17, it was regarded as a separate obstacle.
On two occasions, the competitors knocked the pipe away while still on Devil Balanço, rendering Pipe Slider itself close to impossible to attempt. This happened to Kobayashi Shinji in SASUKE 14 and Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 16, and both of them ended up failing to grab the pipe. It would eventually be beaten by Nagasaki Shunsuke and Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 17, with the latter of the two achieving Kanzenseiha later that tournament.
Fourth Version[]
Modified Pipe Slider in SASUKE 28
Tada Tatsuya attempting modified Pipe Slider in SASUKE 37
The fourth and currently used version of Pipe Slider was brought back in SASUKE 28. It is similar to the third version, with it having only one track. However, unlike the third version, there is simply a resting bar preceding it. The track was lowered relative to the previous versions, thus reducing the amount of momentum necessary to dismount. A stopper was allegedly added at the end of the track, similar to its predecessor Bar Glider.
However, in SASUKE 33, the obstacle preceding it, Vertical Limit Kai, was connected with this obstacle with no resting point, as additional bars and netting were placed above the green resting bars, forcing competitors to directly use the green bars as a medium to transit to Pipe Slider. This change would be undone in the following tournament.
This version has proven to be not as difficult, but the first two competitors that have failed this version are those who achieved Kanzenseiha twice (Morimoto Yūsuke in SASUKE 29, when he failed the dismount to the platform and Urushihara Yuuji in SASUKE 37, when the left side of the bar was pushed off the track, forcing the bar to derail and dragging him down).
In SASUKE 40, the stopper was removed; thus, enabling back its true difficulties. A series of white LED lights was installed at the top of the obstacle for aesthetic purposes. Competitors struggled to control the bar to dismount, and it even claimed Yamamoto Keitaro as its first victim to fail the dismount since SASUKE 29.
KUNOICHI Appearance[]
Pipe Slider (パイプスライダー) would then appear as the fifth and final obstacle in BLACK Stage (Third Stage) from KUNOICHI 2017 Summer onwards. It only consisted of one track with no obstacle preceding it, similar to a combination of the second and fourth versions of Pipe Slider in SASUKE, or like the Pipe Slider in American Ninja Warrior 4.
It was proven to be lethal, as from five competitors that attempted this obstacle across two tournaments, all but one of them failed to clear it. Also, all of the competitors showed struggles while sliding the pipe and locking the pipe at the end of the track.
Oshima Ayano attempting Pipe Slider
in KUNOICHI 2018
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found.
SASUKE[]
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 9 | 22.22% |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 83.33% |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 20% |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| 12 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| 13 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| 14 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| 28 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 29 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 30 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 31 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 32 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 33 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 34 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 35 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 36 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 37 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| 38 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 39 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 40 | 3 | 4 | 75% |
| 41 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Total | 29 | 56 | 51.79% |
KUNOICHI[]
| KUNOICHI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 11 | 1 | 3 | 33.33% |
| Total | 1 | 5 | 20% |
Other Appearances[]
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 1's Pipe Slider
Pipe Slider appeared as the fifth obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 1 during the qualifying and semifinal rounds. However, unlike in SASUKE, this version required competitors to slide the bar across one track that had three drops in it. This obstacle was proven to be brutal, as several competitors slid the bar off the track or lost their grip, due to the drops from the track. During qualifying, the obstacle eliminated top competitors such as Brett Sims and Luci Romberg, as well as Brian Kretsch during semifinals.
American Ninja Warrior 4's Pipe Slider in Northwest region
Pipe Slider then returned as the fifth obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 4 during Northwest region qualifiers (during Northwest region finals, it was replaced by the Devil Steps). The obstacle consisted of a single track, much like SASUKE 14-17 and SASUKE 28- version of the Pipe Slider, but without a jump at the end. Also, the landing platform was placed slightly away from the end of the track. However, this obstacle was once again proven to be brutal, as several competitors got disqualified for sliding the bar off the track.
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia's Pipe Slider in Final Stage
On SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia, the Pipe Slider appeared as the sixth and final obstacle in Final Stage, immediately following the Salmon Ladder, and the obstacle was similar to one used from SASUKE 28 onward. Among the five competitors who attempted the obstacle, three of them (Putra Waluya, Muhammad Luky, and Angga Cahya) could complete it and later advanced to Mount Midoriyama Stage. It was replaced by the Flying Bar in the following season.
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Mongolia[]
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Mongolia's Pipe Slider in Stage Three
On SASUKE Ninja Warrior Mongolia, the Pipe Slider appeared as the fifth and final obstacle in Stage Three, with the obstacle similar to one used from SASUKE 28 onward. This would eliminate Battur in its first appearance in the competition where the bar would derail as he was preparing to dismount to the landing platform.
SASUKE Vietnam[]
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SASUKE Vietnam 2's Pipe Slider
During the first two seasons of SASUKE Vietnam, the Pipe Slider, literally translated Trượt Ống appeared as the sixth and final obstacle in Stage Three, which was very similar to one used from SASUKE 28 onward.
On SASUKE Vietnam 1, due to the brutally of the Cliffhanger Kai, only Lê Văn Thực attempted the obstacle, but he was eliminated when he failed the dismount to the landing platform, making the Stage Four tower was unattempted.
On SASUKE Vietnam 2, due to more competitors advanced to the Stage Three, 14 competitors was able to reach the obstacle, with 12 of them could complete it and later advancing to the Stage Four. Lê Văn Đại and Brian Wilczewski were the only two competitors who failed on the obstacle.
SASUKE Vietnam 5's modified Pipe Slider
After David Campbell, Nguyễn Phước Huynh and Lê Văn Thực's total victories, the obstacle was replaced by the Flying Bar in the next season as part of Stage Three redesign. However, on SASUKE Vietnam 5, the obstacle made its return as the third obstacle in Stage Three, making for the first time the Pipe Slider appeared in the first half of the Stage Three. This time, the resting bar was placed lower so that competitors can stand on it (similar to the green resting bar placed between Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger/Cliffhanger Dimension and Vertical Limit Kai/Vertical Limit Burst since SASUKE 35) and there was a new mechanism that connected the bar onto the track, making the obstacle itself significantly slicker than the original SASUKE version, as many competitors with great momentum at the resting bar had slid the bar very far on the track, even to the end. Also, the stopper was removed to enabling its true difficulties, making most competitors struggle to control the bar when dismounting. In addition, a rule was implemented on this obstacle, in which competitors could rest for only ten seconds before attempting the obstacle. As a result, this obstacle became very deadly, as seven out of 15 competitors failed on it, including Le Vi Hua, Ben Polson, Fred Dorrington, Nguyễn Xuân Tứ, Đỗ Văn Quang, Simon Winge, and most shockingly one of three SASUKE Vietnam 2's total victories, David Campbell.
Gallery[]
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