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Stage 1

The First Stage, more commonly referred to as Stage One, is the first of four courses at the National Finals of American Ninja Warrior. In order to advance to Stage Two, competitors must complete every obstacle in a specific amount of time. The time limit varies from season to season, but has never been less than 2:00 (120 seconds). Unlike some SASUKE tournaments, the time limit for all competitors is the same; female, under-18, and over-50 competitors are not given more time to complete the stage (and some obstacles are not made easier). Must like the First Stage during SASUKE, Stage One is designed to test the competitors' speed and agility, with some obstacles that test upper-body strength.

Overview[]

Stage One is a test of speed, agility, and lower body strength. Parkour athletes and gymnasts have traditionally had an advantage, as their previous training plays perfectly to the skills tested on this stage. However, as a result of the increasing emphasis on upper-body strength and endurance, as well as the increasing access to Ninja gyms and obstacles, the playing field has been essentially leveled out, and parkour skills have become less important over time. The stage consists of 8 obstacles, which are built over dug-out pools of water rather than metal, above-ground pools. Most of the competitors who are eliminated by Stage One fail either rushing, running out of energy, or timing out.

Competitors[]

Every runner that advances to the National Finals attempts Stage One. To do so, one must place in the Top 15 during City Finals/Semifinals. During American Ninja Warrior 4, 100 competitors earned that opportunity; 6 regions, each with 15 competitors, plus ten wildcards. That number has varied from year to year as the result of the changing number of city courses, from a low of 4 regions in American Ninja Warrior 5 and 74 competitors in American Ninja Warrior 6 to a high of 6 regions and 100 competitors in American Ninja Warrior 7.

However, from American Ninja Warrior 9 onwards, that number has remained stable, as there has always been 6 city courses. The exact number of competitors varies somewhat as the result of the Women's Top 2 rule (and later Women's Top 3).

On American Ninja Warrior 11, the number of competitors dropped quite a bit. As a result of the introduction of the Power Tower, the Top 15 leaderboard had been dropped to the Top 12; the other three spots would be filled up by the winner of the Speed Pass if they did not place in the Top 2 (if they did, the leaderboard would be extended to the Top 13) and the Top 2 female competitors. As such, the field dropped from almost 100 competitors to 86.

American Ninja Warrior 12 is so far the only season that has not seen competitors take on Stage One; that was the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the show to switch to a "special season" that replaced the National Finals with a 10-obstacle Finals course and a single-elimination Power Tower playoffs.

In American Ninja Warrior 13 and American Ninja Warrior 14, the number of competitors dropped once again to under 70; that season marked a significant format change from the show travelling to 6 cities to only having one city with four semifinals episodes. In addition, that season introduced teenage competitors, who have generally had very strong runs on Stage One.

From American Ninja Warrior 15 onwards, that number has risen slightly to 75 as a result of modified rules for qualifying for National Finals, but that was primarily the result of more female competitors and the re-institution of the Wildcards system. The number of competitors who qualified via a standard leaderboard actually dropped from 60 to 48; instead of placing within each Semifinal's Top 15 leaderboard, competitors had to win a head-to-head race. With 12 matchups, each episode would only bring 12 competitors. However, the number of women advancing to the National Finals increased from 3 per episode to 4, and the two fastest losers would also advance as Wildcards. Finally, a few ninjas were granted special invitations to compete.

Female & Teen Competitors[]

Female competitors have had less success on Stage One than male competitors; only three women have ever cleared Stage One in American Ninja Warrior history: Jessie Graff in American Ninja Warrior 8, Allyssa Beird in American Ninja Warrior 9, and Jesse Labreck in American Ninja Warrior 13. Meagan Martin became the first woman to clear the Jumping Spider and Half-Pipe Attack- as well as the first to attempt the Warped Wall- in American Ninja Warrior 6. Isabella Wakeham, Addy Herman, and Taylor Greene have the best results out of any female teen competitor, making it all the way to the Dipping Birds.

American Ninja Warrior 13 also introduced teen (15-18 year old) competitors, many of whom put up very strong runs on Stage One. In that season, 9 out of the 27 people who cleared Stage One were teens, including Vance Walker, Josiah Pippel, Isaiah Thomas, Kai Beckstrand, and the winner of that season, Kaden Lebsack. Enzo Wilson became the youngest competitor to clear Stage One, at just a couple months past 15 years old. In American Ninja Warrior 14, ten out of the 25 people who cleared Stage One were teens; they were a mix of veterans such as Lebsack, Pippel, Max Feinberg, and Jay Lewis, while others, such as Ethan Bartnicki, Jeramiah Boyd, and Evan Andrews, were rookies. In American Ninja Warrior 15, a surprising 11 out of 18 finishers were teens, and three were rookies: Noah Meunier, Hans Hertz, and Nacssa Garemore. In addition to those 18 clears, both Alex Romer and Ben Behrends, who placed within that season's Top 24, were teens. Had those teens not been included, the number of Stage One clears probably would not have exceeded 20, putting them closer to the statistics seen in SASUKE.

Wildcards & Women's Top Two/Three[]

Before American Ninja Warrior 9, ten or 15 competitors every season advanced as a wildcard, meaning that they still were invited to compete in the national finals despite not advancing through their regional's Top 15. This was used to favor veteran competitors, female competitors, and competitors who barely missed out on advancing by placing 16th. During American Ninja Warrior 5, 25 competitors became wildcards.

After the addition of the Womens' Top 2 in the city finals during American Ninja Warrior 9, the wildcard system was removed. However, competitors who place 16th on the leaderboard may still have a chance to compete in the National Finals if those who do advance through the leaderboard withdraw.

Also as the result of the Womens' Top 2, more female competitors took on Stage One. It also slightly varied the number of overall competitors who took on Stage One; it could range from 15 per region (if both women place in the normal leaderboard) to 17 (if both women don't). As a result, it was possible for the number of competitors to exceed 100 (102 at maximum), but that has never happened. The expansion to the Women's Top 3 did not affect the number of female competitors- that number remained at 12.

Skills/Obstacles Overview[]

The exact obstacles have changed over time, but two obstacles have remained the same ever since American Ninja Warrior 4: the Jumping Spider (obstacle 4) and the Warped Wall (which had a shorter runup compared the qualifiers/city finals courses).

Obstacle 1 has always been a series of steps that competitors must run across, while Obstacle 2 has traditionally been an obstacle that placed heavy emphasis on a good trampoline jump to a handhold; from American Ninja Warrior 11 onwards, it has been a lache and grip-intensive obstacle. Obstacle 3 has been a super-sized obstacle that required competitors to time their dismount to a landing platform, while Obstacle 5 has been a series of curved steps and ropes, adding transitions as time went on. Obstacle 7 is a balance obstacle, while Obstacle 8 has switched from the Final Climb (Tarzan Jump/Tarzan Rope and Rope Ladder fusion) to a super-sized lache obstacle to a cargo net, which in recent seasons, has proved to be a difference.

Course Layout[]

The first version of Stage One, which appeared in American Ninja Warrior 4, was modeled after SASUKE 27's First Stage:

  • Competitors would step up on a diamond-shaped starting platform and run across a walkway set on a slight decline to start the first obstacle. Unlike SASUKE, in which the timer would begin ticking down after the starting tones ended, there was a motion sensor that would begin the countdown once competitors passed it. However, the sensor was placed at the start of the walkway.
  • Competitors would then attempt the first three obstacles (Step Slider, Rolling Log, Giant Swing), arranged in a straight line.
  • After completing the third obstacle, they would then turn to their right, run across a walkway, turn left (facing the same direction they did at the start), and drop down to face the Jumping Spider.
  • They would then drop down a series of steps and turn slightly to the left to begin the Half-Pipe Attack.
  • Upon completing that obstacle, they would run to face the final three obstacles (Warped Wall, Spinning Bridge, and Final Climb), which were arranged in a straight line and the same orientation as the first three obstacles.

As the seasons progressed, the course layout changed slightly:

  • In American Ninja Warrior 5, the introduction of Rope Glider meant the use of a larger pool of water and the elimination of the runway; competitors just had to step to their right to take on the Jumping Spider. Furthermore, the sensors were placed right before the first obstacle.
  • In American Ninja Warrior 7, after competitors completed the first obstacle, they had to turn to their left, run across a walkway, and turn right (facing the same direction as they did at the start), and take on the remaining obstacles. This change was reverted on the next season. In addition, the introduction of Sonic Curve meant that competitors would step foot at the top of the Warped Wall's curved run-up rather than the foot of the wall.
  • In American Ninja Warrior 9, the run-up of the Jumping Spider was placed directly after the landing mat of Double Dipper, meaning that competitors wouldn't have to step to their left after completing the latter obstacle: they could just run forward.
  • In American Ninja Warrior 13, the course curved slightly to the competitors' left after Double Dipper.
  • In American Ninja Warrior 15, the fifth obstacle, The Gambler, was placed directly after the Jumping Spider. Competitors would no longer have to turn to their left to face the fifth obstacle.

Course History[]

The obstacles on Stage One can be used to discern five distinct eras of that stage:

American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 6[]

The first season that Mt. Midoriyama was brought to the United States and Las Vegas was American Ninja Warrior 4. Stage One was almost identical to that of SASUKE 27; the only differences were the replacement of the Rolling Escargot with the more iconic Rolling Log and the increased time limit from 125 seconds (2:05) to 130 seconds (2:10).

In American Ninja Warrior 5, the first three obstacles- Step Slider, Rolling Log, and Giant Swing- were replaced with the Timbers, Giant Cycle, and Rope Glider, respectively. The later two obstacles created important precedents for later seasons- the introduction of the Giant Cycle paved the way for later obstacles that placed heavy emphasis on a good trampoline jump to a bar, and the Rope Glider created a super-sized obstacle that required competitors to time their dismounts to a floating mat.

In American Ninja Warrior 6, two of the obstacles were replaced yet again- the Timbers in favor of the Piston Road and Rope Glider in favor of Silk Slider. The Silk Slider in particular was brutal, taking out 24 out of 88 who attempted it. In addition, the time limit was decreased to 125 seconds (2:05).

American Ninja Warrior 7 to American Ninja Warrior 8[]

With the advent of American Ninja Warrior 7 and a significant jump in obstacle difficulty came a major course renewal. Even though there was no Kanzenseiha, half of the obstacles were replaced with a new, more brutal sucessor:

  • The Giant Cycle was swapped out for the Propeller Bar, which added the challenge of making a quick transition from the spinning propeller to a rope instead of dismounting straight to the landing platform after grabbing the bar.
  • The Half-Pipe Attack was swapped out for the Sonic Curve, which placed a heavier emphasis on foot placement and balance.
  • The Spinning Bridge was swapped out for the Coin Flip, which focused on foot placement.
  • The Final Climb was swapped out for the Triple Swing, which created an important precedent by making the final obstacle more lache-intensive.

Furthermore, for the first time in the American course's history, the time limit was increased from 125 seconds to 140 seconds (2:20). While this course still placed a heavy emphasis on speed, the increased time limit was indicative of the nature of the new obstacles- they simply required more time to clear. Despite these changes, a then-record high number of competitors cleared the course- 37 out of 100. However, each new obstacle created an important precedent for the obstacles that followed after Geoff Britten's and Isaac Caldiero's Total Victories.

In American Ninja Warrior 8, the course was once again redesigned. As it retained half of the obstacles from the previous season (Propeller Bar, Jumping Spider, Sonic Curve, and Warped Wall), this season and its predecessor can be considered part of the same "era", despite Season 8 occurring after a Kanzenseiha. The new obstacles tested multiple skillsets, compared to previous obstacles that tested a single skillset.

Each obstacle set a new precedent for later obstacles that tested multiple areas of strength. Overall, Stage One began favoring people with a variety of skillsets, specifically endurance and overall technique. Perhaps this diversification of skills led to Ninja Warrior becoming its own sport, requiring different training, skillsets, and techniques from other professional sports.

American Ninja Warrior 9 to American Ninja Warrior 11[]

The three seasons that came after American Ninja Warrior 8 brought a new "era" of the show, moving even further toward a more endurance-based Stage One and precision-focused obstacles. This era also brought some of the most memorable obstacles, such as Double Dipper, Tire Run, and Twist & Fly, all while maintaining the same obstacles as previous seasons.

American Ninja Warrior 9's new obstacles tested precision and overall technique very heavily. In addition to some of the brutal obstacles introduced last season, this new Stage One brought in three new obstacles:

  • The Giant Log Grip was replaced with the Double Dipper, which placed a heavy emphasis on timing, hand placement, and laches.
  • The Sonic Curve was replaced with Parkour Run, which required competitors to take longer strides and spend more time.
  • The Broken Bridge was replaced with the Domino Pipes, which, interestingly enough, proved to be less of a challenge than the Broken Bridge.

The time limit was also increased to 155 seconds (2:35), further indicating a shift to more time-consuming obstacles and a course that tested endurance.

American Ninja Warrior 10 brought obstacles that continued to test precision, but also tested raw skill- speed, reach, and laches.

  • The Snake Run was replaced with Archer Alley, which still tested balance, but primarily favored speed; as long as competitors could get through it very quickly, balance was less of a concern as the steps wouldn't have spun much.
  • The Parkour Run was replaced with the Jeep Run, which still required balance and foot placement, but heavily tested speed and laches.
  • The Domino Pipes was replaced with the Razor Beams, which tested speed moreso than balance.
  • The Flying Squirrel was replaced with the Twist & Fly, which placed less of an emphasis on grip and more on laches.
  • The time limit was reduced to 145 seconds (2:25).

The stage as a whole was more speed-based rather than endurance-based: a contrast from the previous season.

American Ninja Warrior 11 brought a series of modified obstacles rather than new obstacles, and continued to test speed over endurance.

  • After 4 seasons on Stage One, the Propeller Bar was replaced with Spin Your Wheels- a modified Spin Cycle/Roulette Row variant that required laches.
  • The Jeep Run was modified into the Tire Run, which placed more of an emphasis on foot placement, balance, and agility.
  • The Razor Beams was replaced with a modified Diving Boards, which placed a heavier focus on balance.
  • The time limit was increased to 150 seconds (2:30).

The most important change was the replacement of Propeller Bar- in every season it was in Stage One, it tested two things: a good jump to the propeller, and the speed to transition to the rope and swing to the landing platform. Its replacement with a lache-heavy obstacle further alluded to a switch to a more endurance-based stage, although it did not become evident until the next era.

American Ninja Warrior 13-14[]

After a hiatus from the National Finals in American Ninja Warrior 12, Mt. Midoriyama as a whole was renewed. Stage One showed a symbolic change, swapping out four out of its eight obstacles for those that were more grip, endurance, and technique-heavy.

  • Archer Alley was replaced with the Slide Surfer, which challenged competitors to keep their balance upright.
  • Spin Your Wheels was replaced with Swinging Blades, which required a good trampoline jump to the first blade, and then having good laches.
  • Diving Boards was replaced with the Dipping Birds, which also tested speed, balance and foot placement.
  • Twist & Fly was replaced with Split Decision, which consisted of The High Road and Fly Hooks, both of which added more strategy to the stage: one obstacle was faster but riskier, while the other was a slower but safer route.
  • The time limit was increased to 165 seconds (2:45).

Stage One still tested speed and lower body, but technique was also crucial to clearing- in previous seasons, competitors could clear each obstacle by "brute-forcing" their way through it, but the new obstacles required a slight change in technique. Furthermore, endurance was increasingly important, as evidenced by the nature of the new obstacles and increased time limit.

American Ninja Warrior 14 brought some of the most controversial changes:

  • Swinging Blades was replaced with Three Ring Circus, which was more technique-heavy and required competitors to keep their momentum going straight.
  • Double Dipper was replaced with Giant Rollercoaster, which made controlling the bars easier but added a new element of jumping the second bar to a third track- clearly, upper-body precision was important to clearing.
  • Tire Run was replaced with Tetherball, which tested competitors' grip strength and body control.
  • The time limit was increased to 170 seconds (2:50)

While this iteration of Stage One was the most technique-heavy and time-consuming, it was also the most controversial, as quite a few viewers disapproved of the decision to replace the iconic Double Dipper and Tire Run with two seemingly easier and boring obstacles (see Broadcasting). Similarly, while people had better sentiments toward the Three Ring Circus, they considered it to be too easy.

American Ninja Warrior 15-[]

This era kept many obstacles and skillsets of the previous era, but with several changes. Most notably (and controversially), a Top 24 Leaderboard was introduced, which meant that competitors did not have to clear the stage to advance to Stage Two as long as they placed within the Top 24. However, every competitor who cleared Stage One (even if they did not place in the Top 24) automatically advanced to the next stage. Finally, if the number of clears was an odd number over 24, the fastest non-finisher would advance to Stage Two.

American Ninja Warrior 15 introduced two new obstacles:

  • The much-maligned Tetherball was replaced with The Gambler, which added elements of upper-body strength, grip strength, and endurance.
  • Split Decision was removed and replaced with Thread the Needle, which required upper-body strength and precision.

In terms of technique, this iteration of Stage One was the most difficult yet: for the first time, upper-body strength and endurance became a necessity if competitors wanted to clear. Furthermore, going on an all-out-sprint would lead to competitors gassing out and making small mistakes that would result in failure. As a whole, the stage moved toward a "hybrid" format that tested every concievable skill possible, and only the most well-rounded athletes would succeed.

Broadcasting[]

Because of the sheer number of competitors, Stage One is often split into two episodes because it would require a lot of time to show every run. It used to be split into even more episodes during older seasons, when American Ninja Warrior only had an hour-long time slot rather than a two-hour-long timeslot. Still, quite a few runs are cut but later revealed through external sources, and many are digested to try to highlight as many runs as possible.

Generally, Stage One is split into two episodes, with the first half of competitors being shown in the first episode and the second half being shown in the second. Furthermore, Stages Two, Three, and Four have their own timeslots, although these stages could be combined into one episode. However, there are a few deviations:

  • American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 6: As American Ninja Warrior had one-hour timeslots, Stage One was split up into multiple episodes, often over 4.
  • American Ninja Warrior 13: Stage One took up the entirety of the first timeslot and half of the second timeslot.
  • American Ninja Warrior 14: Almost all competitors broadcasted were crammed into the first timeslot, and the remaining competitors (16 whose runs had yet to be shown, whether as full runs, digests, or montages) were all featured within the first 20 minutes of the second timeslot.

The biggest offender of cutting competitors' runs was American Ninja Warrior 14, in which a whopping 15 out of 69 runs were cut. Many of these competitors were promising young competitors (such as Cal Plohoros and Luke Dillon) or notable veterans such as Kevin Carbone, Rachel Degutz, and Hunter Guerard. In addition, many competitors (such as Jackson Erdos and Cameron Baumgartner) were only shown hitting buzzers in a montage-style format as the final leaderboard was revealed. Fans who disliked this style of digesting and cutting runs argued that doing so skewed viewers' perceptions of the brutality of the new obstacles, as many people who had their runs digested failed the Giant Rollercoaster and Tetherball, and cutting their runs made it seem as though the new obstacles were easier than they really were.

First Stage Obstacles[]

ANW First Stage Obstacles Time Limit
1 Twelve Timbers Curtain Slider Log Grip Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Slider Jump Final Climb 120.0
2 Step Slider Hazard Swing Rolling Escargot Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Giant Swing Final Climb 130.0
3 Step Slider Rolling Escargot Giant Swing Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Spinning Bridge Final Climb 125.0
4 Step Slider Rolling Log Giant Swing Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Spinning Bridge Final Climb 130.0
5 Timbers Giant Cycle Rope Glider Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Spinning Bridge Final Climb 130.0
6 Piston Road Giant Ring Silk Slider Jumping Spider Half Pipe Attack Warped Wall Spinning Bridge Final Climb 125.0
7 Piston Road Propeller Bar Silk Slider Jumping Spider Sonic Curve Warped Wall Coin Flip Triple Swing 150.0
8 Snake Run Propeller Bar Giant Log Grip Jumping Spider Sonic Curve Warped Wall Broken Bridge Flying Squirrel 140.0
9 Snake Run Propeller Bar Double Dipper Jumping Spider Parkour Run Warped Wall Domino Pipes Flying Squirrel 155.0
10 Archer Alley Propeller Bar Double Dipper Jumping Spider Jeep Run Warped Wall Razor Beams Twist & Fly 145.0
11 Archer Alley Spin Your Wheels Double Dipper Jumping Spider Tire Run Warped Wall Diving Boards Twist & Fly 150.0
13 Slide Surfer Swinging Blades Double Dipper Jumping Spider Tire Run Warped Wall Dipping Birds Split Decision 165.0
14 Slide Surfer Three Ring Circus Giant Rollercoaster Jumping Spider Tetherball Warped Wall Dipping Birds Split Decision 170.0
15 Slide Surfer Three Ring Circus Giant Rollercoaster Jumping Spider The Gambler Warped Wall Dipping Birds Thread the Needle 170.0

Competitors' Success Rate[]

  • All results based on the NBC broadcast and external information found.
ANW Clears Attempts Percentage
ANW4 24 100 24%
ANW5 21 85 24.71%
USA vs Japan 4 6 67%
ANW6 18 90 20%
USA vs the World 3 9 33%
ANW7 38 100 38%
USA vs the World 2 2 9 22%
ANW8 17 89 19.10%
USA vs the World 3 3 9 33%
ANW9 41 95 43.16%
USA vs the World 4 4 8 50%
ANW10 30 97 30.93%
USA vs the World 5 4 6 67%
ANW11 28 88 31.82%
USA vs the World 6 4 9 44%
ANW13 27 69 39.13%
ANW14 25 69 36.23%
ANW15 18 75 24%
Total 311 1013 30.70%
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