Flying Chute

Flying Chute
A tester demonstrated the Flying Chute, SASUKE 18
SASUKE Competitions
Stage	First Stage
First	SASUKE 18
Last	SASUKE 21
Total	4 competitions
First Attempt	SASUKE 18, Kobayashi Shinji
First Clear	SASUKE 18, Suzuki Naohiro

The Flying Chute (フライングシュート) is an obstacle introduced with the course redesign after Nagano Makoto's kanzenseiha in SASUKE 17.

The objective of the Flying Chute is to slide down a 6.3m slide, grab onto a rope placed a certain distance away from the slide, and use momentum to reach a net placed underneath the slide, if the competitor fails the obstacle another net located just above the water helps make the obstacle safer, as the velocity that they travel means that if the net were not there the competitor would be severely injured.

This obstacle was proven to be one of the hardest obstacles in Shin-SASUKE's First Stage, and eliminated top competitors such as:

• Nagano Makoto,
• Iketani Naoki,
• Nagasaki Takamasa,
• Nagasaki Shunsuke,
• Shiratori Bunpei (timed out),
• Urushihara Yuuji, and
• Yamamoto Shingo (twice).

The obstacle was changed multiple times in the four tournaments that it was in the First Stage, throwing off competitors each time.

SASUKE 18 Version

Suzuki Naohiro attempted the Flying Chute, SASUKE 18

The first version of this obstacle was rather basic. Competitors would slide down the chute, catch the rope underneath the arms, and reach for the net underneath the chute. This version required none of the timing, speed, or strategy required in future versions, and as such, only five competitors failed here.

SASUKE 19 Version

Yamada Koji attempted the redesigned Flying Chute, SASUKE 19

By far the hardest version of the Flying Chute. To make the obstacle harder for the competitors, the producers raised the rope and put it farther from the chute. In order to pass this obstacle, competitors needed great speed in order to gain enough momentum to reach the net and great timing. If they mistimed their jump:

• Jump too early and they would slide down the net and lose balance.
• Jump too late and competitors wouldn't be able to hold onto the rope and fall into the water (as Nagasaki Takamasa and Nagano Makoto did).

On top of that, competitors also needed to only hold the rope with their bare hand, otherwise they would not be able to reach the net. Because of the great speed required to gain momentum, many competitors tried to reach the net on the first rebound (however, this was proven to be fatal). This version of the obstacle was so hard, that only four competitors cleared successfully. 

SASUKE 20-21 Version

Okuyama Yoshiyuki attempted the redesigned Flying Chute, SASUKE 20

Because of SASUKE 19's extreme difficulty, the producers toned down the Flying Chute in order to make it a little easier for the competitors to pass. To do this, the producers moved the rope vertically down so it was at the same height as the SASUKE 18 version but also the same distance away from the net as the SASUKE 19 version.

With the obstacle modified once again, this obstacle became one of the only five obstacles to be modified in three consecutive tournaments, along with the Jumping Spider, Vertical Limit, Sidewinder R, and Fish Bone.

While more competitors did beat the obstacle, this version required more strategy than its predecessors. The following strategies to take on the obstacle were that:

• Competitors could go fast, trying to endure the whiplash, and made  it to the net on the first rebound.
• Competitors could go slow and tried to land on the rope with enough force to get the necessary momentum to reach the net.

This design also created several interesting and unique failures, as some competitors flipped over the rope (as Haga Tomoya and Iketani Naoki did). It also eliminatedYamamoto Shingo, when he failed to generate enough momentum and was left dangling until he finally dropped into the water. It has since been taken out of the First Stage and was replaced in SASUKE 22 with the Slider Jump.

Competitors' Success Rate

• All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found

SASUKE	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
18	9	14	64.29%
19	4	13	30.77%
20	9	13	69.23%
21	11	22	50%
Total	33	62	53.22%