Spin Cycle

The Spin Cycle is an obstacle first introduced as the fourth obstacle in American Ninja Warrior 7 in Venice Beach.

It consisted of three spinning metal hoops, spaced 3 feet (91.44 centimeters) apart from each other. in which competitors must use their upper body and momentum to traverse from one hoop to the other. Since the hoops were tilted, the competitors' body weight caused each hoop to rotate to its lowest point. At the last hoop, they must make a 5-foot (1.524-meter) dismount to safety.

Some competitors who didn't make a transition from one hoop to the other on their first opportunity, later lost their momentum and ended up stuck at the lowest point of the cycle, which put them out of reach of the next hoop or landing platform.

During Venice Beach qualifying, 8 competitors failed it the obstacle, including Shannon Silver. During the Venice Beach Finals, 6 competitors fell here: Johnnie Ho, Heath Burian, Michael Skiba, Guy Catz, Paul Mangasarian, and Travis Brewer. The latter three were disqualified on the obstacle for touching the truss.

Other Season Appearances[]

American Ninja Warrior 8[]

The obstacle returned in American Ninja Warrior 8 in Atlanta, once again as the fourth obstacle. During the Atlanta qualifiers, it was slightly more brutal as 11 competitors failed it in qualifying, including Greg Schwartz, Morgan Wright, Ronald Washington, Craig Richard, Greg Manders, Casidy Marks, and Joseph Rosello (who was disqualified on the obstacle).

During the Atlanta finals, 3 competitors failed the obstacle: Eddy Stewart, Jonathan Ruiz, and Justin Maina (who was disqualified on the obstacle).

American Ninja Warrior 17[]

On American Ninja Warrior 17, the Spin Cycle returned after a nine season hiatus in the first, second, fourth, and fifth rounds of qualifying. It once again served as the fourth obstacle of the following qualifiers.

Although some competitors mildly struggled on the obstacle, the obstacle proved to be a very easy on the course. Throughout its four qualifying appearances and two semifinal appearances this season, only five competitors in total failed the obstacle:

In the first round of qualifying, only one competitor, Cooper Cummings, was eliminated by the obstacle.
No competitor failed it during the second or fifth qualifying rounds.
The obstacle took out three competitors during the fourth round of qualifying: Ace Goodson, Chase Meade, and Megan Johnson.
No competitor failed it during the first semifinals round
In the second semifinals round, only one competitor, Andreas Johnson failed it after he fail off the course on the dismount.

This could be attributed to its popularity in several Ninja gyms nowadays. Most competitors had no problem taking on the obstacle as it is an obstacle that has likely been attempted many times in training by the average Ninja. Zuri Hall even pointed out in the first episode about how common the obstacle is in many modern Ninja gyms.

Roulette Row[]

A variation of the Spin Cycle called Roulette Row appeared as the fifth obstacle of Stage Two on American Ninja Warrior 7, replacing the Metal Spin from the past three American Ninja Warrior seasons.

The obstacle was very similar to the original Spin Cycle, but with a few key differences. Instead of three small hoops, there were only two enlarged hoops, both were much larger than the original ones. Competitors had to jump from a trampoline, grab the first hoop, transition to the second, and ride the hoop to the platform, using mostly their momentum. Much like the original, the hoops rotated through the force of the competitors' bodies.

The obstacle was proven very tricky, as many competitors either struggled to make the much larger transition between hoops, didn't commit to a release, and ended up stuck at the lowest point of the cycle, or had trouble stopping their bodies from naturally twisting on the hoop. It took out top competitors like Flip Rodriguez, Brian Arnold, Lance Pekus, Jamie Rahn, Mike Bernardo, JJ Woods, Karson Voiles, Brian Wilczewski, Dan Yager, and Daniel Gil. It also took out two competitors during USA vs. The World 2: Stefano Ghisolfi from Team Europe and Kawaguchi Tomohiro from Team Japan, both of whom failed to hang on to the second hoop after transitioning. It also once again took out Jamie Rahn during the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special for the second straight time.

It was replaced by the Double Wedge on the next season.

Spin Your Wheels[]

After a three-season hiatus, a variation of the Roulette Row called Spin Your Wheels appeared as the second obstacle in Stage One on American Ninja Warrior 11, replacing the Propeller Bar from the past four American Ninja Warrior seasons.

The obstacle featured two 13-foot (3.96-meter) diameter hoops that were angled steeper (20° on the first hoop and 45° on the second hoop), making it similar to the Giant Cycle. The landing platform was made much smaller and steeper than the one used for the Propeller Bar.

During its first appearance on American Ninja Warrior 11, a total of 11 competitors failed this obstacle, including Brett Sims, Brian Kretsch, Michelle Warnky, Brian Burkhardt, Jessica Clayton, Garrett Lam, Matt Dolce, David Moonen, and Jody Freeman. Some competitors failed while making the transition from one hoop to another, while others failed to stick the dismount to the landing platform. During USA vs. The World 6, it eliminated Stefanie Edelmann from Team Europe and Cam D'Silva from Team Australia.

On American Ninja Warrior 13, the obstacle was replaced by the Swinging Blades.

Other Appearances[]

Spin Cycle[]

Ninja Warrior UK[]

The Spin Cycle, called as Spinning Hoops appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heat 1 on Ninja Warrior UK 2, and as the second obstacle during the finals' Stage Two on Ninja Warrior UK 3 and Ninja Warrior UK 4. In Ninja Warrior UK 2, the gap between the first and second hoop appears to be smaller than that between the second and third hoop.

Australian Ninja Warrior[]

The Spin Cycle (locally called Basket Toss) appeared as the second obstacle of Stage Two on Australian Ninja Warrior, with the number of hoops was reduced from three to two. The first one facing the right while the second facing the left. Only two ninjas Jack Wilson and Rob Patterson failed the obstacle due to struggling with the Jungle Ropes.

Australian Ninja Warrior 2's Basket Toss

Basket Toss returned as the fourth obstacle in Heat 2, Heat 4, and Heat 5 on Australian Ninja Warrior 2. This time, the number of hoops was made similar to the same used on American Ninja Warrior with three. In the second and fifth heat, it eliminated fourteen ninjas with everyone who failed the obstacle still moved onto the semifinals while in the fourth heat, anyone who failed the obstacle didn’t make it to the semifinals.

Australian Ninja Warrior 3's Basket Toss

On Australian Ninja Warrior 3, the Basket Toss returned as the fifth obstacle during the first semifinal round. The number of hoops was once again decreased to two with a different orientation. Competitors will make a 3.4m leap from the trampoline to the first 'basket', then a 2.3m jump to the second where as many as one competitor failed the obstacle in a digested performance.

Australian Ninja Warrior 4's Basket Toss

On Australian Ninja Warrior 4, the Basket Toss appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heat 4. The obstacle consisted of two hoops, but both hoops now tilted to the right. The gap in-between was revealed at 3.4m which was proven to be a little more difficult as five ninjas were eliminated by this obstacle.

Australian Ninja Warrior State of Origin's Basket Toss

During the State of Origin special, the Basket Toss was the fifth obstacle of the qualifying round. A lache bar is added at the start. Competitors can jump from the trampoline to the lache bar, before moving on to the first basket where only one ninja from Team NSW failed it.

Australian Ninja Warrior 5's Basket Toss

The obstacle reappeared on Australian Ninja Warrior 5 as the seventh obstacle in Semifinal 2. The number of hoops was increased to three for the second time where it didn’t eliminated a single competitor.

Australian Ninja Warrior 6's Basket Toss

The obstacle appeared on Australian Ninja Warrior 6 in the Power Pool during Heat 3. It featured three hoops, but they were all rotated completely sideways, at a 90° angle, facing the same direction to ensure the transition for each hoops easier where due to the new side-by-side version, there was a chance ninjas could be elimanted due to rushing, which didn’t happen.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

The Spin Cycle served as the fifth obstacle in the Preliminary Rounds of Ninja Warrior Germany, twice. First in Preliminary Round 4 of Ninja Warrior Germany 1, then Preliminary Round 3 of Ninja Warrior Germany 2. Unlike in American Ninja Warrior 7, no mini tramp is given at the start of the obstacle.

Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Spin Cycle in Preliminary Rounds

Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Spin Cycle in Semifinals

Spin Cycle returned in Ninja Warrior Germany 5, as the fourth obstacle of Preliminary Round 5 and 6. Only two baskets were present, and a trampoline was finally added at the beginning. It later returned in Semifinals 1 as the second obstacle. With an additional basket.

Ninja Warrior Austria[]

On Ninja Warrior Austria, Spin Cycle served as the fifth obstacle of Heat 1 and 4.

Ninja Warrior Italy[]

Spin Cycle made an appearance on Ninja Warrior Italy, as the fifth obstacle in the semifinals.

Ninja Warrior Arabia[]

In Ninja Warrior Arabia, the Spin Cycle (called Split Cycle) appeared as the third obstacle in Stage Two, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior, albeit without the trampoline.

Ninja Warrior Russia[]

In Ninja Warrior Russia, the Spin Cycle, locally called Железные Тюльпаны (literally Iron Tulips) appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heat 1 and Heat 6, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior, albeit without the trampoline.

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

In Ninja Warrior Poland, Spin Cycle, locally called Obrotowe Kosze (literally Rotating Baskets) appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heat 2 and Heat 6, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior, albeit without the trampoline.

Then, the Spin Cycle returned in Ninja Warrior Poland 7 as the fourth obstacle in Heat 3 and Heat 5. This time, the rope was added at the beginning as a medium to get to the first hoop, making the obstacle very similar to the one used in Ninja Warrior Israel 4.

On Ninja Warrior Poland 9, the Spin Cycle appeared again as the fourth obstacle in Heat 3 and Heat 5. This time, a trampoline and a laché bar were placed in front of the first hoop.

Ninja Israel[]

On Ninja Warrior Israel. the Spin Cycle, locally called הקרוסלות (literally The Carousels) appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heats 5, 7, 10, 11, VIP, as well as the Finals' Stage One, and was very similar to the one used on American Ninja Warrior with three hoops. This version was later used again on Ninja Warrior Israel 2 as the fifth obstacle in VIP Heat.

Then, on Ninja Warrior Israel 3, the Spin Cycle appeared as the fifth obstacle in Repechage Heat. This time, the obstacle was modified to the one used in Australian Ninja Warrior (since the number of the hoops were reduced to two), albeit without the trampoline.

Later, on Ninja Warrior Israel 4, the Spin Cycle appeared in the same position in the Repechage Heat that the previous season did, albeit with a rope as a medium to reach the first hoop.

On Ninja Warrior Israel 5, the Spin Cycle as the second obstacle in Heats 3, 9 and 11 with a major modification, in which the obstacle has two laché bars as a medium to get to the first hoop. Also, the hoops were tilted in a similar way to the first hoop from Spin Your Wheels, with the first one tilted to the left and the second to the right.

Team Ninja Warrior[]

Spin Cycle appeared during Team Ninja Warrior, as the fifth obstacle for the finale episode where it eliminated Joyce Shahboz, Grace Sims, and Joe Moravsky (who got through the Roulette Row during the regular season).

Spin Cycle reappeared during Team Ninja Warrior 2, as the fifth obstacle in the sixth episode in the qualifying round. It only eliminated Drew Drechsel (who got through Spin Cycle during the Atlanta qualifiers and Roulette Row during the previous season).

Spin Cycle reappeared during American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja, as the fifth obstacle during the second, fifth, and eighth qualifying rounds. It eliminated Ethan Swanson, Natalie Duran, Selena Laniel, and Cassie Craig throughout the competition.

American Ninja Warrior Junior[]

The Spin Cycle appeared as the fifth obstacle in American Ninja Warrior Junior, for Bracket 1; kids aged 9-10. This obstacle virtually remained the same, just slightly downscaled. In total, 27 competitors fell here, including Hunter Rowland, Baylee Beckstrand, Payton Myler, Madelyn Madaras, and Paxton Myler.

Ninja Israel Junior[]

On Ninja Warrior Israel Junior, the Spin Cycle appeared as the fifth obstacle in Heat 3, which was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior (since the obstacle have three hoops), except without the trampoline and both hoops were decreased in height per hoop.

Roulette Row[]

SASUKE Vietnam[]

On SASUKE Vietnam 4, the Roulette Row, called locally Chiếc Nón Diệu Kỳ (literally Magic Hat in Vietnamese; see Trivia) appeared as the third obstacle in Stage 2, replacing Half Pipe Attack from past three SASUKE Vietnam seasons. However, compared to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 7:

The trampoline was replaced by a springboard,
Both hoops were initially oriented pointing down (similar to The Pinang), and
There was a rope between the hoops, meaning after the competitors grabbed the first hoop, they could reach the rope and swing it to the second hoop.

Despite the obstacle seeming easier than the one used on American Ninja Warrior 7, there were several competitors who failed on it while jumping from the springboard to grab the first hoop (including Nguyễn Phước Huynh, who was one of the three competitors who achieved kanzenseiha on SASUKE Vietnam 2).

On SASUKE Vietnam 5, the Roulette Row was moved to the second obstacle in Stage 1 (1A and 1B). This time, there were two ropes placed in the middle of the hoops. Despite that change, the obstacle still caused havoc, as many competitors either failed while jumping from the springboard to reach the first hoop or got hung up on the ropes, eventually lost their grip and fell.

Ninja Warrior France[]

On Ninja Warrior France 5, the Roulette Row, locally called Les Volants (literally The Steering Wheels), appeared as the first obstacle in the Finals' Stage Two, and was very similar to the one used in American Ninja Warrior 7, albeit smaller due to space constraints compared to the American version, and it didn't eliminate anyone throughout the competitions.

On Ninja Warrior France 6, the Roulette Row appeared as the second obstacle in the Timed Section on Stage Two, but without trampoline or springboard, requiring competitors to perform a high jump to reach the first hoop, where only Victor Debrunne failed the obstacle but he had the Joker and was able to beat it on his second attempt.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

On Ninja Warrior Germany: Celebrity Special 2, Roulette Row, locally called Schwingende Körbe (literally Swinging Baskets) first appeared as the fourth obstacle of Round 1. To simplify the obstacle, a ring was placed between the two baskets (similar to SASUKE Vietnam 4's version, except this version use the rope instead of ring).

On Ninja Warrior Germany 6, Roulette Row returned as the second obstacle in Preliminary Round 5 and 6. This time, the trampoline was removed (like Ninja Warrior France 6's version), and the rope was replaced by the swinging ring as a medium to reach the second hoop.

Trivia[]

Spin Cycle is named after a laundry term, where a washing machine's basket would spin at high speeds to remove excess water from clothes after rinsing.
Roulette Row is named after the gambling game in which a ball is dropped onto a revolving wheel (roulette wheel) with numbered compartments, with players betting on the number at which the ball will come to rest.
- Roulette Row (Chiếc Nón Diệu Kỳ) on SASUKE Vietnam 4 was named after:
  - Asian conical hat (Nón lá), which was a simple style of a conically shaped sun hat originating in Vietnam, because both hoops' shape resembles this hat, and
  - Chiếc nón kỳ diệu, the Vietnamese version of Wheel of Fortune, a famous American gameshow in which three players spin a big roulette-style wheel with 24 wedges and three flippers replacing the ball to determine the wedge. The show itself was broadcast on VTV3 for 15 years from 2001 to 2016. There were several times where the wheel used in Chiếc nón kỳ diệu is shaped like an Asian conical hat, hence the name of this show.

A similar obstacle, The Pinang, appeared in SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2 as the first obstacle in Semifinal Stage 2.
Ironically when both Isaac Caldiero and Drew Drechsel achieved Total Victory, there was a supersized version of the Spin Cycle (Roulette Row and Spin Your Wheels) in both of their seasons.

Competitors' Success Rate[]

All results based on the NBC/Polsat/Keshet 12 broadcast and external information found.

American Ninja Warrior[]

Spin Cycle
NWP	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
ANW7 (Qualifying)	36	44	81.82%
ANW7 (Finals)	21	27	77.78%
ANW8 (Qualifying)	40	51	78.43%
ANW8 (Finals)	21	25	84.1%
ANW17 (Qualifying 1)	21	22	95.45%
ANW17 (Qualifying 2)	23	23	100%
ANW17 (Qualifying 4)	25	28	89.29%
ANW17 (Qualifying 5)	20	20	100%
ANW17 (SF EP 1)	31	31	100%
ANW17 (SF EP 2)	30	31	96.77%
Total	268	302	88.74%

Roulette Row
ANW	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
ANW7	8	20	40%
USA vs. The World 2	3	5	60%
Total	11	25	44%

Spin Your Wheels
ANW	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
ANW11	77	88	87.5%
USA vs. The World 6	7	9	77.78%
Total	84	97	86.59%

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

Spin Cycle
NWP	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
NWP1 (Heat 2)	10	17	58.81%
NWP1 (Heat 6)	5	13	38.46%
NWP7 (Heat 3)	14	16	87.5%
NWP9 (Heat 3)	10	12	83.33%
NWP9 (Heat 5)	9	16	56.25%
Total	48	58	82.76%

Ninja Israel[]

Spin Cycle
NWI	Clears	Attempts	Percentage
NWI1 (Heat 5)	5	5	100%
NWI1 (Heat 7)	2	6	33.33%
NWI1 (VIP)	2	8	25%
NWI1 (Heat 10)	0	0	N/A
NWI1 (Heat 11)	1	4	25%
NWI1 (Final)	14	23	60.87%
NWI2 (VIP 1)	1	6	16.67%
NWI2 (VIP 2)	2	5	40%
NWI3	8	12	66.67%
NWI4	1	2	50%
NWI5 (Heat 3)	12	12	100%
NWI5 (Heat 9)	12	12	100%
NWI5 (Heat 11)	19	20	95%
Total	79	115	68.7%