American Ninja Warrior 14's Kickboards
The Kickboards is an obstacle, firstly introduced as the fourth obstacle in the third episode of qualifiers and later appeared during the fourth episode of qualifiers during American Ninja Warrior 14.
It consists of two 50-pound boards with discs attached on the panel and a series of bars. The first board consists of two free-spinning discs with different sizes, while the second board consists of one free-spinning disc with parts of the disc removed. The middle of the disc has a soft material attached to make it safer for competitors to kick the board.
Competitors first have to jump off a mini-tramp to reach a trapeze bar. Then they must swing themselves to kick the middle of the disc to lock in the first board. Once the board is locked in, they must make a transition to the discs. They must then transfer to a series of bars. From there, they must hold on to another trapeze bar to kick the disc to lock in the second board. They must once again make a transfer to the disc and make a dismount to the platform.
During the third episode of qualifiers, it was shown to be difficult for women competitors, as Addy Herman and Jesse Labreck were the only two female competitors to successfully complete it. Notable women competitors eliminated by this obstacle were Abbey Steffl, Elizabeth Leslie, and Maggi Thorne. Other competitors who failed included David Womelsdorf, Logan Broadbent, Drew Marinelli, and Andrew East. It was revealed on American Ninja Warrior 17's Finale episode that the obstacle eliminated one-third of all competitors that attempted it that qualifier round. As such, 15 competitors failed the obstacle in Q3 out of 45 total attempts.
However, during the fourth episode of qualifiers, things turned out in opposite direction. There were less clears as only 28 competitors could complete it, thus being the cut-off for the top 30. But in contrast, five women competitors completed this obstacle, including Isabella Wakeham and Barclay Stockett. Notable competitors eliminated by this obstacle included Andrew Naquin, Jeremy Clark, and Ben Wilson. It is worth noting however, two female competitors that failed the obstacle, Megan Rowe, and Liv Hackmann, claimed the final two spots of the top 30 that round, which meant a total of seven female competitors made the top 30 that round and made history as the most female advancees to land in a top 30 qualifier leaderboard.
Other Season Appearances[]
American Ninja Warrior 17[]
The Kickboards returned after a three-season hiatus in American Ninja Warrior 17 as the seventh obstacle on the Knockout Stage of the National Finals with a similar modification to its previous appearance except with a t-bar added before the second swinging bar and the removal of a mini-tramp so the competitors had to jump straight to the handle.
Due to the nature of the obstacle being in a side-by-side course, there would be instances where competitors would fail the obstacle due to rushing.
It eliminated Evan White (who spun out on the final handle), Sam Folsom, Evan White, David Bergstrom-Wright (after Kai had already finished the course), and Max Feinberg.
Other Appearances[]
Ninja Warrior France[]
Ninja Warrior France 8's Kickboards (Les Bumpers)
In Ninja Warrior France 8, the Kickboards, locally called Les Bumpers (literally The Bumpers), appeared as the option (A) of the fourth obstacle, the Split Decision, of Qualification 1 of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany[]
Ninja Warrior Germany 8's Kickboards
The Kickboards, locally called Trittbretter, appeared in Ninja Warrior Germany 8 on Stage Two as the second obstacle. It was slightly modified, with the trapeze bars were replaced with stationary bars. No competitor failed the obstacle during its appearance.
Trivia[]
- The obstacle was originally named as the Ceiling Fans.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the NBC broadcast and external information found.
American Ninja Warrior[]
| ANW | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANW14 (QF EP 3) | 30 | 45 | 66.67% |
| ANW14 (QF EP 4) | 28 | 36 | 77.78% |
| Total | 58 | 79 | 73.42% |