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The Pipe Slider (パイプスライダー) is the final obstacle of the Third Stage from SASUKE 2 (replacing the Hariyama) until SASUKE 17, where it was replaced in favor of the 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 from the pipe and slide it along a track. At the end of the track, competitors must gain enough momentum to make the transfer from the pipe to a landing platform. There are four versions of this obstacle.

The obstacle has a wire installed to the bar which is placed to an upper track, so that competitors would not drag the bar down with them if they failed. But in contrast, it caused 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 the SASUKE sections of Muscle Park Odaiba (closed in 2010) and Chitose.

A modified version of this obstacle, the Bar Glider, was used as the final obstacle of the Third Stage in SASUKE 27.

Version 1 (SASUKE 2-3)

This version of the obstacle consisted of two tracks with a resting bar between the tracks. Once competitors got to the end of the track, all they needed to do was step down to the landing platform. The landing platform itself was still placed away from the competitor (as was proven by Miura Eiichi, when he lost his balance on the mat in SASUKE 2). 

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 the Third Stage during this span. 

If the competitors pulled the bar off the rails, they would be disqualified, which happened to: 

  • Ebihara Masakazu in SASUKE 2, when he pulled the bar off the tracks and fell into the water, and 
  • Travis Allen Schroeder in SASUKE 4, which was similar to Ebihara's mistake, but managed to hang onto the bar and work his way onto the resting bar before being disqualified. 

Competitors' Success Rate

  • All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
2 2 9 22.22%
3 5 6 83.33%
Total 7 15 46.67%

Version 2 (SASUKE 4-13)

This version shortened 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.

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 fail. Cushions were added to the sides of the landing platform in the next tournament

KUNOICHI Version

KUNOICHI 10 Pipe Slider

Pipe Slider, KUNOICHI 10

This version of Pipe Slider appeared as the fifth and final obstacle in the BLACK Stage (Third Stage) from KUNOICHI 10 onward, with the green resting bar and the second track were removed entirely, leaving with just one track.  

In KUNOICHI 10, two competitors reached this obstacle, and all of them failed to complete it (including KUNOICHI 9 finalist Izumi Hikari). Also, both competitors showed struggles while sliding the pipe and locking the pipe at the end of the track.  

Competitors' Success Rate

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

SASUKE

SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
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%
Total 9 22 40.91%

KUNOICHI

KUNOICHI Clears Attempts Percentage
10 0 2 0%
11 1 3 33.33%
Total 1 5 20%

Version 3 (SASUKE 14-17)

The third version of the Pipe Slider contained only one track, as the first track was eliminated in favor of the Jumping Bars and Climbing Bars. In order to reach the track, competitors had to swing from the Devil Balanço and grab the pipe.

On two occasions, the competitors knocked the pipe away while still on the Devil Balanço, causing the obstacle to be nearly impossible (both failed). This happened to both:

In addition to these changes, both the track and the jump to the mat were lengthened.

Competitors' Success Rate

  • All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
14 0 0 N/A
15 0 1 0%
16 0 2 0%
17 2 3 66.67%
Total 2 6 33.34%

Version 4 (SASUKE 28-)

The Pipe Slider was brought back for SASUKE 28. Here, it was similar to SASUKE 14-17 version, with it having only one track. However, unlike SASUKE 14-17 version, there is no obstacle preceding it with no rest (the Devil Balanço directly preceeded the Pipe Slider in SASUKE 14 to SASUKE 17)

In SASUKE 33, the obstacle before it (the 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 the Pipe Slider. This change would be undone in the following tournament.

Unlike the other versions of the obstacle, at the end of the track, there was a stopper just like the Gliding Ring and Bar Glider, aiding the competitors for the jump. It seemed that because of this, only Morimoto Yūsuke had failed on this version of the Pipe Slider so far.

Competitors' Success Rate

  • All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
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%
Total 5 6 83.33%

American Ninja Warrior Appearances

ANW1 Pipe Slider

American Ninja Warrior 1's Pipe Slider

The Pipe Slider appeared as the fifth obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 1 during qualifying and semifinal. 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 had eliminated top competitors such as Brett Sims and Luci Romberg, as well as Brian Kretsch during semifinal.


Other Season Appearances

American Ninja Warrior 4

ANW4 Pipe Slider

American Ninja Warrior 4's Pipe Slider in Northwest region

The Pipe Slider 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 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.

Other Appearances

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia

SNWI Pipe Slider

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 5 competitors who attempted the obstacle, 3 of them (Putra Waluya, Muhammad Luky, and Angga Cahya) could complete it and later advanced to Mount Midoriyama Stage.


SASUKE Vietnam

Ảnh chụp màn hình (25)

SASUKE Vietnam 2's Pipe Slider

Ảnh chụp màn hình (18)

SASUKE Vietnam 5's Pipe Slider

During the first two seasons of SASUKE Vietnam, the Pipe Slider (called locally as Trượt Ống) appeared as the sixth and final obstacle in Stage 3, which was similar to one used from SASUKE 28 onward.

On SASUKE Vietnam 1, the obstacle eliminated future SASUKE Vietnam's champion, Lê Văn Thực, when he fell at the dismount to the landing platform.

On SASUKE Vietnam 2, 14 competitors was able to reach the obstacle, with 12 of them could complete it and later advancing to the Final Stage. Lê Văn Đại and Brian Wilczewski were the only 2 competitors who failed on the obstacle.

On SASUKE Vietnam 3, the obstacle was replaced by the Flying Bar.

Then, on SASUKE Vietnam 5, the obstacle made its return as the third obstacle in Stage 3. This time, there was a new mechanism that connected to the bar on the track, making the obstacle itself was extremely more slippery than the original SASUKE version. As the result, some competitors failed the dismount, including Le Vi Hua, Ben Polson and Fred Dorrington.

Trivia

  • With 12 competitors completing the obstacle and moving on to the Final Stage, SASUKE Vietnam 2 held the record for the highest amount of Stage 3's finishers on any SASUKE/Ninja Warrior international format, beating SASUKE 3 and SASUKE 24's Third Stage at 5 finishers each.

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