Gliding Ring (グライディングリング) is a Third Stage obstacle that replaced Pipe Slider in the SASUKE 18 course redesign.
It is similar to Circle Slider, a First Stage obstacle from SASUKE 17. However, the track is shorter and the ring is smaller. Its function is similar to Pipe Slider, where competitors need to push the ring to the end position and swing off the ring over a fairly large gap onto the finishing platform to reach the Final Stage.
The ring is held in place by a stopper at the beginning to keep it from sliding down the track prematurely. There is only one track holding the ring, and the ring's final position also seems to be at the same height as the gap, making the jump needed for success quite difficult. The distance from the ring to the platform is not specified.
In SASUKE 21, this obstacle was firstly attempted by Nagano Makoto, the only competitor to attempt the obstacle in that tournament. However, an interesting quirk in design meant that he had to force the ring down the track rather than it simply sliding and locking into place. This was changed in SASUKE 22 and Urushihara Yuuji easily glided down along the track and became the first to clear it. To compensate for this, the distance between the ring and the platform was increased in the next tournament.
This obstacle ensnared Takahashi Kenji in SASUKE 23 when he failed to jump to the landing platform. However, both Nagano Makoto, who previously failed on the obstacle, and Kanno Hitoshi cleared it. In SASUKE 24, six competitors attempted this obstacle; of these, the first, Tajima Naoya, lost his grip when he failed to move the ring past the stopper prior to trying to start the ring down the track, while everyone who reached the obstacle after him cleared it easily. Ultimately, while the obstacle was designed to replace and be harder than the Pipe Slider, it did not prove to be a very difficult obstacle and was taken out of the Third Stage after Urushihara Yuuji's kanzenseiha and was replaced with Flying Bar.
Final Ring[]
Final Ring, SASUKE 20
Due to the difficulty of previous Third Stage obstacles, from SASUKE 18 to SASUKE 20, the final obstacle in the Third Stage was named Final Ring (ファイナルリング), but was not attempted.
Aesthetically, it looks identical to Gliding Ring, and thus it is not known if there were truly any differences between the two versions. In the Plug-and-Play game Kyoukyoku Kinniku Stadium! SASUKE Kanzenseiha however, the gameplay for the Final Ring requires the player to force the ring down the track; in his playthrough of the game, Urushihara Yuuji expressed shock at how the ring did not simply slide down as it did from SASUKE 22 onwards, implying that the initial design of the obstacle was indeed to force the ring down the track and fit it into the stopper before generating momentum to cross the final gap.
Urushihara Yuuji attempting the Final Ring in the SASUKE Plug-And-Play Game on his YouTube Channel.
Regardless of any modifications or differences there were in the obstacle's design, for SASUKE 23 and SASUKE 24, G4 used the name Final Ring once again.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 22 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 23 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| 24 | 5 | 6 | 83.33% |
| Total | 8 | 11 | 72.73% |
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