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The Silk Slider (シルクスライダー) is a First Stage obstacle introduced in SASUKE 38, replacing Wing Slider. Competitors have to grab both ends of a curtain wrapping and slide it down the track 12.2m (40.03ft) long and land on a curved platform. Once the competitors land on the curved platform, they will move to the runway on their left to the next obstacle.

The obstacle originated from American Ninja Warrior. However, compared to the original American counterpart, the track uses a beam, a similar design used in Mini Silk Slider as opposed to a zipline, that has a sharp decline at the end, directly beneath the platform.

To prevent the silk from prematurely going down the track, its ends have Velcro attached to the poles that competitors must remove before attempting the obstacle. There is also a net placed in front of the obstacle in case competitors might overshoot from the curved platform, possibly disqualifying the competitors. Therefore, denoting that jumping forward to the other side redundant due to the distance. As a side note, few competitors may have lost time before attempting due to the wind blowing against the silk.

Yamada Katsumi attempting Silk Slider in SASUKE 38

Yamada Katsumi attempting Silk Slider in SASUKE 38

Cleanup

Staff members removing the silk every five runs in SASUKE 38 as part of COVID-19's restrictions

The obstacle is noticeably easier than Wing Slider, however, it was used because of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it was easier to clean compared to Wing Slider, according to Masato Inui. In Silk Slider's case, the producers would simply replace the silk for sanitary purposes every five runs. This was proven as competitors rarely struggle with this obstacle. The reason could be the curved platform where competitors can use the edge to stop their momentum upon dismounting, with the speed considerably slower than Rope Glider. It has a higher clear rate compared to other obstacles typically used in its position in First Stage, being easier than its predecessors, with few of those that failed were due to overshooting the dismount and ultimately falling off the platform and into the water.

In part with the second kanzenseiha of Morimoto Yūsuke, the Silk Slider is modified in SASUKE 39. This time, the obstacle is now comprised of a singular silk threaded through one loop (instead of three) that competitors must hold onto to reach the landing platform, which was smaller with more curvature.

Compared to the previous tournament, the poles are removed and instead a thin wire is tied to one end of the silk preventing the obstacle from prematurely going down the track, However, the obstacle would have a slightly higher clear rate compared to the previous tournament due to competitors hold onto the curtain in a similar motion as the Rope Glider, by grabbing the lowest end of the curtain to dismount more efficiently. As a result, only few competitors such as Takeru, Higashimura Mei and HIKAKIN failing the obstacle. The obstacle remained unchanged in SASUKE 40, and even though few competitors have failed, it nevertheless eliminated notable competitors such as Ōmori Akira, Iketani Naoki. However in SASUKE 41, it shockingly eliminated Sugeta Rinne as he lost his balance running across the runway and touched the water.

Other Appearances[]

Because of space constraints amongst international Ninja Warrior formats (including SASUKE itself and American Ninja Warrior during City Qualifiers and City Finals), the Mini Silk Slider is instead more commonly used around the world compared to its full-sized counterpart. However, a smaller version of the original Silk Slider later appeared on Ninja Warrior France 2 and Ninja Warrior Germany 2 despite of the space constraints in the taping place of both shows compared to SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2 and American Ninja Warrior.

Silk Slider[]

American Ninja Warrior[]

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American Ninja Warrior 6's Silk Slider in Stage One

The original incarnation of the Silk Slider first appeared as the third obstacle in American Ninja Warrior 6 in Stage One, replacing the Rope Glider from the previous season. On this version, competitors must slide down a 50-foot (15.24-meter) zipline on the slider and time their dismount to a 6ft x 6ft (1.83m x 1.83m) landing pad. To prevent the silk from prematurely sliding down the zipline, it was slipped through the supports of the starting platform.

Competitors normally either got tangled in the silk or timed their landing wrong. Also, some competitors were disqualified for touching the water with their foot or hand. There were times when competitors did not grab the ends of the silk at the same time, so it slipped out of the rings holding it, forcing the competitor into the water.

This obstacle was proven to be much more brutal than its predecessor, the Rope Glider, eliminating top competitors such as David Campbell, Dorian Cedars, Evan Dollard, James McGrath, Dustin Rocho, Alan Connealy, Karsten Williams, Andrew Karsen, Dan Polizzi, Robin Pietschmann, Michelle Warnky, Kevin Bull, Jon Stewart, Thaddeus Robeck, Noel Reyes, John Vogt, Derek Nakamoto, and Justin Kydd. A total of 24 competitors failed on this obstacle, in addition to Elet Hall during USA vs. The World.

The obstacle was brutal for the Venice Beach finalists as it eliminated nine of the 16 finalists from that region, leading the entire Venice Beach finalists to go out in Stage One. This was the first time in American Ninja Warrior history that the entire finalists from the same region went out in Stage One.

ANW7 Silk Slider

American Ninja Warrior 7's Silk Slider in Stage One

In American Ninja Warrior 7, the Silk Slider returned as the third obstacle in Stage One. However, the landing pad was bigger and less slick, so it was proven to be much easier than the previous season as only four competitors failed: Dillon Gates, Theo Agu, Caleb Hayre, and Josh Cook.

In American Ninja Warrior 8, it was replaced by Giant Log Grip.

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]

SNWI2017 Silk Slider

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2's Silk Slider in Warrior Stage

In SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2, the Silk Slider appeared as the first obstacle during Warrior Stage, and had the same specification from American Ninja Warrior 7, but with the exit from the landing platform being similar to the Rope Glider from SASUKE 18. However, the obstacle had a decent knockout rate, as several competitors either lost their balance at the landing platform, or didn't release to the landing platform, resulting competitors got hung up and forced to fall into the water.

During SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia: International Competition, the obstacle took out three notable competitors from two different teams: Drew Drechsel and David Campbell from Team USA, and Dion Trigg from Team Europe.

Ninja Warrior France[]

NW-LPdh 2-Preliminary Round 4-Obstacle-Silk Slider

Ninja Warrior France 2's Silk Slider (Le Vol Plané)

On Ninja Warrior France 2, the Silk Slider, locally called Le Vol Plané (literally The Gliding Flight) appeared as the third obstacle in Heat 4, which was similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 6, albeit, with a shorter track due to space constraints.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

NWG 2-Semi-finals Qualification 1-Obstacle-Silk Slider

Ninja Warrior Germany 2's Silk Slider (Großer Paragleiter)

On Ninja Warrior Germany 2, the Silk Slider (locally known as Großer Paragleiter, literally translated as Big Paraglider) appeared as the first obstacle in the first Semi-finals Qualification, which was very similar to the one used in Ninja Warrior France 2, with the landing platform of this Silk Slider also being very unstable. Despite that, the obstacle was not much brutal, as it only eliminated 6 out of the 20 competitors who attempted it, with the most notable elimination being the one of Andreas Wöhle, who got disqualified for skimming the water with his arm almost right as he landed on the landing platform.

Mini Silk Slider[]

American Ninja Warrior[]

ANW7 Mini Silk Slider

American Ninja Warrior 7's Mini Silk Slider in Venice Beach

The second version of the Silk Slider, the Mini Silk Slider, was first introduced in American Ninja Warrior 7 as the second obstacle in Venice Beach. The obstacle began just like Silk Slider, but when competitors reached the end of a shorter 14-foot (4.27-meter) track, they must jump to a rope 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) away and swing to the landing mat ahead of them.

Mini Silk Slider retained the difficulty of its original version, as several competitors either didn't jump to the rope when the silk stopped sliding, making it impossible to complete the obstacle at that point, or didn't judge the timing right. The obstacle eliminated 48 competitors during Venice Beach qualifiers, including Kyle Cochran and Rob Moravsky, as well as three more competitors during Venice Beach finals.

Ninja Warrior UK[]

Silk Slider NWUK

Ninja Warrior UK's Silk Slider

On Ninja Warrior UK, the Mini Silk Slider (simply called Silk Slider) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 3. However, unlike American Ninja Warrior, the silk attached to the sliding ring on a metal track with one big drop rather than directly attached to the beam, and the rope was removed, requiring the competitors to time their release from the silk to reach the landing platform.

Silk Slider with Rope NWUK

Ninja Warrior UK 2's Silk Slider with Rope

Then, on Ninja Warrior UK 2, the Mini Silk Slider (this time called Silk Slider with Rope) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 1. Hence the name, the obstacle was modified to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 7, except the track uses a zipline (in a similar fashion to the Silk Slider in American Ninja Warrior 6).

Later, on Ninja Warrior UK 3, the Mini Silk Slider appeared twice during the season:

Silk Slider NWUK3

Ninja Warrior UK 3's Silk Slider

  • Firstly, the Mini Silk Slider (simply Silk Slider) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 3. However, the rope was removed, making the obstacle similar to the Silk Slider in American Ninja Warrior 6.
Nwuk3 silkdrop

Ninja Warrior UK 3's Silk Drop

  • Secondly, the Ninja Warrior UK's version of Mini Silk Slider (called Silk Drop) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 5. The silk attached to the sliding ring on a metal track with two drops, however a stopper was placed right before the second drop, so the slider does not travel all the way to the end.
Nwuk5 silkslider

Ninja Warrior UK 5's Silk Slider

On Ninja Warrior UK 5, the Silk Slider returned as the second obstacle in Heat 2. This time, the silk was connected to a ring in the track (the track was similar to the one used on the Cannonball Drop) and added a suspended tube as a medium to reach the landing platform, making the obstacle was very similar to the Hang Glider in American Ninja Warrior 9.

Ninja Warrior France[]

Nwf1 mini silk slider

Ninja Warrior France's Mini Silk Slider

On Ninja Warrior France, the Mini Silk Slider, locally called La Tyrolienne (literally The Zipline) appeared as the second obstacle in Qualification 1, which was very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 2. Due to space constraints, the end of the zipline was brought very close to the rope, and most competitors were able to reach the platform directly without using the rope.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

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Ninja Warrior Germany 1's Mini Silk Slider (Großer Paragleiter)

On Ninja Warrior Germany 1, the Mini Silk Slider, locally called Großer Paragleiter (literally Great Paraglider) appeared as the second obstacle in Preliminary Round 4, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 7.

Australian Ninja Warrior[]

-02b- Silk Slider (2 2)

Australian Ninja Warrior's Silk Slider

On Australian Ninja Warrior, the Mini Silk Slider (simply called Silk Slider like Ninja Warrior UK) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 1, which was very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 2.

AusNW2 Silk Slider

Australian Ninja Warrior 2's Silk Slider

Then, on Australian Ninja Warrior 2, the Silk Slider appeared as the second obstacle in Stage One. This time, the rope was removed, making the obstacle very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 3.

Ninja Israel[]

On Ninja Warrior Israel, the Mini Silk Slider, locally called אומגת צעיף המשי (literally Silk Scarf Omega) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 7, Heat 11 and VIP Heat with several modifications:

NWI Silk Slider

Ninja Israel's Silk Slider in Heat 7 and Heat 11

  • In Heat 7 and Heat 11, the rope was replaced by a long bungee cord.
NWI VIP Silk

Ninja Israel's Silk Slider in VIP Heat

  • In VIP Heat, the bungee cord at the end of the obstacle was removed, making the obstacle very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 3.
NWI2 Silk Slider

Ninja Israel 2's Silk Slider

Then, on Ninja Warrior Israel 2, the Mini Silk Slider appeared as the second obstacle in VIP Heat, which was very similar to the one used during VIP Heat in the previous season.

Ninja Israel Junior[]

NWIJ Silk Slider

Ninja Israel Junior's Silk Slider

On Ninja Warrior Israel Junior, the Mini Silk Slider appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 3, which was very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 3.

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

NWP1 Silk Slider

Ninja Warrior Poland's Silk Slider

On Ninja Warrior Poland, the Mini Silk Slider, locally called Zjazd na Chustach (literally Downhill on Scarves) appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 3 and Heat 5, which was very similar to the Silk Slider in Ninja Warrior UK 3.

NWP4 Silk Slider

Ninja Warrior Poland 4's Silk Slider

Then, on Ninja Warrior Poland 4, the Mini Silk Slider appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 1 and Heat 4. This time, the obstacle was modified to the one used in Ninja Warrior UK, except that the obstacle uses the same metal track with one drop from every other zipline/slider obstacle across Ninja Warrior Poland.

NWP8 Silk Slider

Ninja Warrior Poland 8's Silk Slider

Later, on Ninja Warrior Poland 8, the Mini Silk Slider appeared as the second obstacle in Heat 4, replacing the Log Grip from the Heat 1. This was the first time that the second obstacle in Heat 4 was different from Heat 1, but this was probably because Heat 4 was the women's stage and Log Grip was giving them a lot of trouble. Then, the obstacle reappeared in Heat 6.

Competitors' Success Rate[]

  • All results based on the TBS/NBC/Polsat broadcast and external information found.

SASUKE[]

SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
38 66 71 92.96%
39 65 69 94.20%
40 68 75 90.67%
41 72 74 97.29%
Total 271 289 93.77%

American Ninja Warrior[]

ANW Clears Attempts Percentage
ANW6 64 88 72.73%
ANW7 78 82 95.12%
USA vs. The World 8 9 88.89%
USA vs. The World 2 8 8 100%
Total 158 185 85.41%

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

NWP Clears Attempts Percentage
NWP1 (Heat 3) 31 32 96.88%
NWP1 (Heat 5) 21 33 63.63%
NWP8 (Heat 4) 23 26 88.46%
NWP8 (Heat 6) 22 25 88%
Total 97 116 83.62%


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