Spin Bridge (スピンブリッジ), called Spinning Bridge in English broadcasts, is a First Stage obstacle introduced in SASUKE 27, originally debuting as the seventh obstacle to indirectly replace Hazard Swing from the previous tournament, before being relocated to the third obstacle in SASUKE 28.
The obstacle is a replica of the Cannonball that was used in VIKING tournaments, where the competitors have to run across four spheres suspended in the air, which would spin when they stepped on them. Both of these obstacles have superficial resemblance to Newton's cradle, a device to demonstrate the conservation of momentum and energy.
Morikami Daisuke attempting the Spin Bridge in SASUKE 27
In its debut, it took out four competitors, including Takahashi Kenji and Yamamoto Shingo, both finalists in the past, as victims of the obstacle. It also infamously dislocated Kanno Hitoshi's shoulder when he fell awkwardly on the last sphere. While it didn't stop him from clearing the First Stage, the effect took its toll later in the Second Stage, forcing him to withdraw after completing Slider Drop.
Urushihara Yuuji attempting modified Spin Bridge in SASUKE 28
In SASUKE 28, the obstacle was painted silver and made looser, resulting in the spheres moving more wildly compared to the original version. It proved to be a vital modification as more competitors failed on this version, including Hashimoto Kōji, Lee En-Chih, and Akiyama Kazuhiko. Yamamoto Shingo would later fail on this version too, meaning he is the only competitor to fail on both versions of the Spin Bridge.
Despite the damage, it was replaced by the much easier Hedgehog in SASUKE 29.
Other Appearances[]
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 4's Spinning Bridge in Stage One
American Ninja Warrior 5's Spinning Bridge in Stage One
American Ninja Warrior 6's Spinning Bridge in Stage One
The Spin Bridge, called as the Spinning Bridge, appeared as the seventh obstacle in Stage One from American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 6. In the national finals, the obstacle eliminated several competitors:
- On American Ninja Warrior 4, it eliminated 13 finalists, including Travis Graves, Andrew Lowes, Thomas Hall, Jesse Villarreal, and most notably, David Campbell and Tim Shieff.
- On American Ninja Warrior 5, it eliminated only 2 finalists: Adam Grossman and Josh Romeo.
- On American Ninja Warrior 6, it eliminated 11 finalists, including Brian Kretsch, Vadym Kuvakin, Alex Kane, Sean Bryan, Daniel Larson-Fine, Kevin Klein, Michael Eckert, Matt Wilder, and Robert Ing. Because of the brutality of previous obstacles on the course (particularly the Silk Slider and Jumping Spider) on Stage One that season, it is worth noting that no Venice Beach finalist was able to clear the obstacle. This would actually mark the first season where an entire semifinal region was eliminated on Stage One in the national finals.
On American Ninja Warrior 7, it was replaced by Coin Flip, which had a similar concept to this obstacle.
American Ninja Warrior 9[]
American Ninja Warrior 9's Spinning Bridge in San Antonio
On American Ninja Warrior 9, Spinning Bridge returned as the third obstacle in San Antonio. However, the obstacle was modified, with the second and fourth spheres lifted slightly, which made it harder to maintain the step and balance.
Only 10 competitors failed on the obstacle during San Antonio qualifiers, including Kaiti Haymaker, Kevin Jordan, Andrew Swinghamer, and Matt Laessig. During San Antonio finals, no competitor failed on the obstacle.
American Ninja Warrior 10[]
American Ninja Warrior 10's Spinning Bridge in Los Angeles
On American Ninja Warrior 10, Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in Los Angeles. This time, the number of spheres was increased to six, the spheres' shape was changed to elliptical, and the third, fourth, and sixth spheres were placed lower than the other spheres, making it much harder to maintain the step and balance.
This time, 17 competitors failed on the obstacle during Los Angeles qualifiers, including Nikkilette Wright, Milton Nkunku, Brandon Dodson, and Benjamin Humphrys (who was disqualified for touching a sphere with his hands).
During Los Angeles finals, five competitors failed on the obstacle, including Westley Silvestri, Brian Neal, Verdale Benson, Ruben Arellano, and Scott Willson, who nearly twisted his back after failing the dismount.
Spinning Bridge during Celebrity Ninja Warrior: Red Nose Day 2
During Celebrity Ninja Warrior: Red Nose Day 2, the obstacle featured seven elliptical spheres and the spheres were arranged in a straight line. Among the eight celebrity competitors who attempted the obstacle, only Colton Dunn failed to complete it.
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
American Ninja Warrior 11's Spinning Bridge in Cincinnati
On American Ninja Warrior 11, Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in Cincinnati, the balls were now made into a slightly ellipsoidal shape.
With this modification, the obstacle became significantly more brutal, as it eliminated a total of 24 competitors. Some competitors such as Tyler Yamauchi, Kyle Schulze, Marcelino Riley, Mario Brown, Alex Carson, Justin Miniard, Erin Hesch, and Jamie Ross lost their balance and fell into the water. However, other competitors such as Landon Fischer, Sophia Oster, and Ian Dory (in his first early exit during his American Ninja Warrior appearances) were disqualified for touching a sphere with their hands.
During Cincinnati finals, the obstacle eliminated 3 competitors, which were Derrick Pavoni, Jackson Twait, and Cameron Baumgartner. In Baumgartner's case, he had been disqualified for touching one of the support cables.
American Ninja Warrior 12[]
American Ninja Warrior 12's Spinning Bridge
On American Ninja Warrior 12, Spinning Bridge appeared as the fourth obstacle during the third and fourth episodes of the qualifiers.
While the obstacle was kept the same as the one used on the previous seasons, only 3 competitors fell on this obstacle out of 19 attempts during the third episode of the qualifiers: Brandon Mears, Zhanique Lovett, and Davyon Hancox.
Another 3 competitors failed the obstacle during the fourth episode of the qualifiers: Isaiah Barney, Brandon White, and Matthew Feritas.
American Ninja Warrior 13[]
American Ninja Warrior 13's Spinning Bridge
On American Ninja Warrior 13, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the fourth obstacle during the first episode of the semifinals, with the same configuration as the previous seasons.
Similar to its two qualifier appearances on the previous season, only 3 competitors failed on this obstacle: Sam Sann, Cory Torkelson, and Wade Lopp.
During the second semifinals episode however, more athletes failed the obstacle, as a total of 7 competitors failed the obstacle. This includes Allyssa Beird, Addy Herman, Shaq Leach, Luke Dillon, Quinn Nguyen, Joe Meissner, and Josiah Singleton.
American Ninja Warrior 14[]
American Ninja Warrior 14's Spinning Bridge
On American Ninja Warrior 14, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the fourth obstacle during the first and second episodes of the semifinals, this time, the sixth sphere was removed, totalling the obstacle into five elliptical spheres.
Similarly to last season, during the first episode of semifinals, 3 athletes failed the obstacle: Joe Capobianco, Steve Donnelly, and Branden McWilliams,
During the second episode, the obstacle eliminated a total of 5 semifinalists: Alex Nye, Kyle McCreight, Casey Rothschild, Mady Howard, and Parish Cardenas (who previously failed it during ANW9's San Antonio qualifiers).
American Ninja Warrior 16[]
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American Ninja Warrior 16's Spinning Bridge
During American Ninja Warrior 16, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle during the third through sixth rounds of qualifying, with the same configuration from its previous appearance.
Across the four qualifying rounds it appeared in, it knocked out 12 competitors, which included Jess Wombles, Violet Kepo'o, Rysann Clark, Heidi Jorgensen, Elly Hart, Devan Alexander, Jojo Grubesic, and Dave Cavanagh.
On the other hand, four competitors have completed the obstacle after failing on it in a previous season:
- Both Casey Rothschild and Mady Howard were able to get their revenge on the obstacle from ANW14 semifinals.
- Tyler Yamauchi completed the obstacle after failing on it in ANW11 Cincinnati qualifiers.
- Joe Meissner got his revenge on the obstacle from the ANW13 semifinals.
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]
SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia's Spinning Bridge in Semifinal Stage 2
On SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia, Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in Semifinal Stage Two. it eliminated three ninjas in that course.
SASUKE Vietnam[]
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SASUKE Vietnam 2's Spinning Bridge
On SASUKE Vietnam 1 and SASUKE Vietnam 2, Spinning Bridge, literally translated Cầu Quay, appeared as the second obstacle in Stage Three. So far, this is the only time the Spinning Bridge appeared in the stage that focus upper body strength and stamina in any national or international SASUKE Ninja Warrior format where in both its appearances only one ninja failed the obstacle.
Due to the total victories in SASUKE Vietnam 2, the obstacle was replaced by the Floating Boards on SASUKE Vietnam 3.
Ninja Warrior Denmark[]
Ninja Warrior Denmark's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Denmark, Spinning Bridge appeared as the fourth obstacle of the finals' Stage One.
Ninja Warrior UK[]
Ninja Warrior UK's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior UK and Ninja Warrior UK 2, Spinning Bridge appeared as the eighth obstacle in the finals' Stage One where out of eleven attempts, it only eliminated two ninjas through its appearances, where in the next season it was replaced by the Three Logs.
Ninja Warrior UK 4's Spinning Bridge
Then, after a one season hiatus it reappeared in Ninja Warrior UK 4, the Spinning Bridge reappeared as the third obstacle in Heat 1 and Heat 3. This time, the number of spheres was increased to five and the spheres were arranged in a slightly skewed pattern, similar to the Broken Bridge from American Ninja Warrior 9 and American Ninja Warrior 10.
Ninja Warrior UK 5's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior UK 5, the obstacle appeared as the third obstacle in Heat 1. This time, the spheres were changed to ellipsoids, similar to the one used in Los Angeles course on American Ninja Warrior 10 and Cincinnati course on American Ninja Warrior 11.
Ninja Warrior UK 6's Spinning Bridge
Then, on Ninja Warrior UK 6, Spinning Bridge appeared as the fourth obstacle in the Semi-finals. This time the number of spheres was reduced to four, with the second and fourth spheres were slightly smaller than the others, and the shape of the spheres reverted to that used in series four where Andrew Foot, Emma Appleton-Smith, Amandine White, and Izzy Deacon who all failed on it during their Race Against the Elite.
Ninja Warrior France[]
Ninja Warrior France 1's Spinning Bridge
Spinning Bridge (Le Boulier) appeared in Ninja Warrior France as the eighth obstacle of the semifinals. It used the classic four-ball layout from American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 6 and out of twenty attempts, only four failed the obstacle.
Ninja Warrior France 3's Spinning Bridge
After a one-year hiatus, it returned in Ninja Warrior France 3 as the second obstacle of Heat 3. This time they were three balls, arranged as if the classic four-ball layout has its third ball missing. The gap between the second to third ball was revealed to be 2.45m.
Ninja Warrior France 5's Spinning Bridge
After another one-year hiatus, it returned in Ninja Warrior France 5 as the second obstacle of the Semifinals. Four balls were present, but with a rather ellipsoidal appearance, the first and third balls were placed just slightly lower than the second and fourth where only two ninjas failed it during the race.
Ninja Warrior France 7's Spinning Bridge
After once again, another one-year hiatus. On Ninja Warrior France 7, Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle of Stage One. This time, five balls were present and on the same level. However, they were packed tightly and hardly any space were between them.
Ninja Warrior Germany[]
Ninja Warrior Germany 1's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
In Ninja Warrior Germany 1, the Spinning Bridge, locally known as Chaos-Bälle (literally Chaos Balls), appeared as the second obstacle of every Finals Qualification. This time, the obstacle consisted of the classic American Ninja Warrior Spinning Bridge layout.
Ninja Warrior Germany 2's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 2, the Spinning Bridge re-appeared, this time serving as the second obstacle in the first and the sixth Semi-finals Qualification of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany 3's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle) in the Semi-finals Qualification
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 3, the Spinning Bridge appeared again, this time serving as the first obstacle in the fourth and the fifth Semi-finals Qualification of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany 3's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle) in the Semi-finals
Then, in the same season, the Spinning Bridge also appeared in the Semi-finals of that season as the seventh obstacle.
Ninja Warrior Germany 4's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle) in Preliminary Rounds
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 4, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in the third and the sixth Preliminary Round of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany 4's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle) in the Finals
It later returned as the seventh obstacle of Stage One where it was not that challenging as no one failed the obstacle.
Ninja Warrior Germany: Four Nations Special 2's Spinning Bridge
During the Four Nations Special 2, the Spinning Bridge returned as the third obstacle of Stage One. Only three spheres were present, with a large gap from the second to the third sphere.
Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 5, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in the first and the sixth Preliminary Round of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany 5: Celebrity Special's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 5: Celebrity Special, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle of Round 1. It consisted of five balls arranged in a straight line.
Ninja Warrior Germany 6's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 6, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in the fourth and the fifth Preliminary Round of that season.
Ninja Warrior Germany 7's Spinning Bridge (Chaos-Bälle)
Then, in Ninja Warrior Germany 7, the Spinning Bridge appeared yet again, serving as the fourth obstacle in the First Stage of that season. This time, the amount of spheres got reduced to three, making the obstacle quite similar to the one used during the Finals' Stage One in Ninja Warrior Poland. However, unlike the Spinning Bridge of the Finals' Stage One in Ninja Warrior Poland, the second sphere was placed higher than the two other spheres, and the design of the spheres was the same design that was used for the Spinning Bridge of Ninja Warrior UK 6.
During Ninja Warrior Germany 9, it appeared as the third obstacle as a part of Split Decision (alongside Swinging Frames and Cycle Road) in both the fourth and fifth preliminary rounds with the same modifications as its previous appearance.
Ninja Warrior Poland[]
Ninja Warrior Poland's Spinning Bridge in Heats
On Ninja Warrior Poland, the Spinning Bridge, literally translated Wirujący Most, appeared as the third obstacle in Heat 2 and Heat 6, with four spheres like SASUKE version.
Ninja Warrior Poland's Spinning Bridge in Stage One
Later, on the same season, the Spinning Bridge reappeared as the third obstacle in Finals' Stage One. This time, the number of spheres were reduced to three.
Ninja Warrior Poland 2's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Poland 2, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle in Finals' Stage One. The number of spheres were increased to five (similar to Ninja Warrior UK 4's version), except that both five spheres were placed straight.
Ninja Warrior Poland 3's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Poland 3, the Spinning Bridge appeared as the third obstacle during the Heats, which no change compared to the previous season.
Ninja Warrior Poland 7's Spinning Bridge
The Spinning Bridge, now known as Obrotowy Most, returned on Ninja Warrior Poland 7 as the first obstacle in the Finals' Stage Two, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 9 (since the obstacle featured four spheres differing in height).
Ninja Warrior Poland 8's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Poland 8, the Spinning Bridge appeared again in the final, this time as the seventh obstacle in Stage One, with five spheres arranged in an inverted "V" formation.
Ninja Warrior Poland 9's Spinning Bridge
Then, on Ninja Warrior Poland 9, the Spinning Bridge moved as the first obstacle in Stage Two, with three spheres arranged in an "V" formation.
Ninja Warrior Spain[]
Ninja Warrior Spain's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Spain, the Spin Bridge (Puente giratorio) appeared as the second obstacle in the first and second semifinals. Only three spheres were present, but the distance between each of them are larger.
Ninja Warrior Austria[]
Ninja Warrior Austria 1's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Austria, Spinning Bridge appeared as the second obstacle of the semifinals. There were three spheres present, and arranged as if the original four-sphere layout has its third sphere missing, resulting in a huge gap between the second and third sphere.
Ninja Israel[]
Ninja Israel 3's Spinning Bridge
On Ninja Warrior Israel 3, the Spinning Bridge, locally called גשר הכדוריות האדומות (literally Red Cell Bridge) appeared as the third obstacle in Heat 8, Heat 16 and Finals' Stage One, which was very similar to the one used in Ninja Warrior Spain (since the obstacle featured three spheres).
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the TBS/NBC/Polsat broadcast and external information found.
SASUKE[]
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 27 | 31 | 87.10% |
| 28 | 20 | 48 | 41.67% |
| Total | 47 | 79 | 59.49% |
American Ninja Warrior[]
| ANW | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANW4 | 28 | 41 | 68.29% |
| ANW5 | 24 | 26 | 92.31% |
| ANW6 | 20 | 31 | 64.52% |
| ANW9 (qualifiers) | 55 | 65 | 84.61% |
| ANW9 (finals) | 33 | 33 | 100% |
| ANW10 (qualifiers) | 52 | 69 | 75.36% |
| ANW10 (finals) | 27 | 32 | 84.38% |
| ANW11 (qualifiers) | 40 | 64 | 62.5% |
| ANW11 (finals) | 27 | 30 | 90% |
| ANW12 (QF EP 3) | 16 | 19 | 84.21% |
| ANW12 (QF EP 4) | 22 | 25 | 88% |
| ANW13 (SF EP 1) | 20 | 23 | 86.96% |
| ANW13 (SF EP 2) | 30 | 37 | 81.08% |
| ANW14 (SF EP 1) | 27 | 30 | 90% |
| ANW14 (SF EP 2) | 23 | 28 | 82.14% |
| ANW16 (QF EP 3) | 18 | 23 | 78.26% |
| ANW16 (QF EP 4) | 17 | 21 | 80.95% |
| ANW16 (QF EP 5) | 25 | 25 | 100% |
| ANW16 (QF EP 6) | 18 | 20 | 90% |
| USA vs. Japan | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| USA vs. The World | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| Total | 514 | 631 | 81.46% |
Ninja Warrior Poland[]
| NWP | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWP1 (Heat 2) | 21 | 25 | 87.5% |
| NWP1 (Heat 6) | 21 | 23 | 91.3% |
| NWP1 (Final) | 18 | 20 | 90% |
| NWP2 | 21 | 23 | 91.3% |
| NWP3 (Heat 1) | |||
| NWP3 (Heat 2) | |||
| NWP3 (Heat 3) | |||
| NWP3 (Heat 4) | |||
| NWP3 (Heat 5) | |||
| NWP3 (Heat 6) | |||
| NWP7 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| NWP8 | 14 | 14 | 100% |
| NWP9 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| Total |
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