The Spider Flip (スパイダーフリップ) was introduced into the Third Stage with course redesign in SASUKE 18. However, because of the extreme difficulty of the previous obstacles, no one attempted it until SASUKE 21.
It was taken from the Heartbreaker, which was used in VIKING. A ledge, much like an I-Beam girder where there was a lip to hold onto on either side, must be climbed from underneath. At the end of the first ledge, there was another ledge, aligned perpendicular to the first, that must also be scaled. Once the competitors has done this successfully, they may rest on a small foothold before jumping backward 2 meters to land onto another setup symmetrical to the first. They then must climb back down and across to the resting bar before the Gliding Ring.
In SASUKE 22, Kanno Hitoshi was disqualified on this obstacle, because he strucked the scaffolding with his foot while trying to make it to the vertical ledge.
This led to a modification in SASUKE 23, where the ledges were placed further from the scaffolding, as well as hiding the scaffolding to avoid future disqualifications. In that tournament, Okuyama Yoshiyuki became the first competitor to fail the jumping portion of the obstacle. Takeda Toshihiro was the only competitor to fail it twice.
The Spider Flip was preceded by the Hang Climbing, with no rests from the beginning of the Jumping Bars to the small foothold at the base of the vertical beam. Competitors usually spent about a minute without resting, adding to the difficulty of the obstacle.
This obstacle had a unique completion on SASUKE 24, as Lee En-Chih completed the transition by turning his body around the first set, so that he would be facing the second set, meaning he would only have to jump forward to complete it.
It was removed after Urushihara Yuuji's kanzenseiha in SASUKE 24.
Kanno Hitoshi went off course on the Spider Flip, SASUKE 22
Kanno Hitoshi on the scaffolding of the Spider Flip, SASUKE 22
Kanno Hitoshi tried to make the transition to the second ledge of the Spider Flip, SASUKE 23
American Ninja Warrior Appearances
American Ninja Warrior 4's Spider Flip in Stage Three
American Ninja Warrior 5's Spider Flip in Stage Three
American Ninja Warrior 6's Spider Flip in Stage Three
The Spider Flip appeared as the seventh obstacle in Stage Three on American Ninja Warrior 4, but it was unattempted. On American Ninja Warrior 5, Brian Arnold became the first American to complete it. On American Ninja Warrior 6, the obstacle was unattempted once again. On American Ninja Warrior 7, it was replaced by the Area 51.
On American Ninja Warrior 9 in Cleveland course, this obstacle was fused with the I-Beam Cross, and renamed as the I-Beam Gap.
Other Appearances
SASUKE Vietnam
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SASUKE Vietnam 3's Spider Flip
The Spider Flip (called locally as Cú Nhảy Của Nhện, translated as the Spider Jump) appeared in Stage 3 as the fourth obstacle from SASUKE Vietnam 1 to SASUKE Vietnam 4, and then as the fifth obstacle on SASUKE Vietnam 5.
On SASUKE Vietnam 1 and SASUKE Vietnam 2, to make the obstacle easier than one used in SASUKE or American Ninja Warrior, the obstacle was not preceded by any obstacle with no rest (similar to the Heartbreaker or I-Beam Gap). Starting from SASUKE Vietnam 3, the obstacle was preceded by the Hang Climbing with no rest, making it similar to the one used in SASUKE and American Ninja Warrior.
On SASUKE Vietnam 1, the obstacle eliminated Phạm Tuấn Hiệp, when he failed to make the transition to second ledge. In total, 5 competitors was able to complete the obstacle.
On SASUKE Vietnam 2, Perry Oosterlee and Nguyễn Xuân Tứ failed to make the transition to the second ledge, while Chunmin Yang lost his grip at the end of the obstacle. However, 23 competitors still cleared the obstacle.
On SASUKE Vietnam 3, due to the brutality from the the previous obstacle (the Hang Climbing), only Mat Redho was able to attempt and complete the obstacle.
On SASUKE Vietnam 4, four competitors attempted the obstacle, with three of them (Đỗ Văn Quang, Nguyễn Doãn Thọ, and Mat Redho) completing the obstacle, and only Nguyễn Minh Tuấn failed while trying to pull himself up the vertical board of the first ledge.
Ninja Warrior UK
Ninja Warrior UK 4's Spider Flip
On Ninja Warrior UK 4, the Spider Flip appeared as the second obstacle during the finals' Stage 3, which was very similar to the one used during the first 2 seasons of SASUKE Vietnam (since the obstacle was not preceded by any obstacle with no rest).
Then on Ninja Warrior UK 5, the obstacle returned once again as the second obstacle during the finals' Stage 3. This time, to make the obstacle harder than the one used on the previous season, the gap between the ledges was made larger.
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS/NBC broadcast and external information found
SASUKE
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 21 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 22 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| 23 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| 24 | 6 | 7 | 85.71% |
| Total | 11 | 15 | 73.33% |
American Ninja Warrior
| ANW | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANW4 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| ANW5 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| ANW6 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| USA vs. Japan | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| USA vs. The World | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| Total | 9 | 9 | 100% |