The Rope Glider (ロープグライダー) is an obstacle introduced into the First Stage in SASUKE 18, with the redesign after Nagano Makoto's kanzenseiha in SASUKE 17.
Competitors must slide down a track holding onto a rope, letting go to land on a 3.5-meter long mat floating in the water.
It was introduced as the first obstacle in Shin-SASUKE's First Stage, and its difficulty showed, as the first eight competitors who attempted it, failed to complete the obstacle. It continued to take out competitors all day, as competitors either missed the mat by letting go at the wrong moment, or landing on the mat and sliding off.
Due to the high velocity involved with the obstacle, six competitors were injured. Most notably was comedian Kosugi Ryuichi, who suffered a shoulder injury that needed six months to heal. Because of the injuries, the Rokudantobi was brought back in the next tournament.
American Ninja Warrior Appearance
American Ninja Warrior 5's Rope Glider in Stage One
The Rope Glider appeared as the third obstacle in Stage One on American Ninja Warrior 5, replacing the Giant Swing from the previous season.
However, unlike in SASUKE 18 (where this obstacle was considered as brutal), the obstacle was proven to be very easy (likely due to the landing platform was made bigger than the one in SASUKE 18), as only one competitor (Camilo Brokaw) failed on this obstacle.
Therefore, it was replaced by far more brutal obstacle (the Silk Slider) on the next season.
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS/NBC broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE/ANW | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 52 | 100 | 52% |
| ANW5 | 71 | 72 | 98.61% |
| USA vs. Japan | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Total | 128 | 177 | 72.31% |