- The quest begins again.
For 15 years, they've put in the work
and pushed through the pain
striving to win $1 million
and the elusive title
of "American Ninja Warrior" champion.
Tonight they once again place
their hopes and dreams on the line.
- This is actually happening.
Like, it's not a dream.
It's actually real.
- But this season they'll face a new challenge--
each other.
[upbeat music]
- This year is gonna be crazy.
- For the first time in the show's history...
- Get excited!
- Ninjas will compete head-to-head
and race side by side.
- * Three, two, one *
* Better get ready to run *
* I wanna go faster *
* Can't slow me down *
* I wanna go faster *
- This is like Ninja but turbo-charged.
- This back and forth is driving me crazy!
- Racing is really fun.
- Are you not entertained? - [screams]
- Side by side races are gonna be nuts.
Speed kills.
both: Oh!
Oh!
- Emotional qualifying... - Aw, and she's crying.
- Life-changing moments... [buzzer blares]
- You gon' make me cry.
- High-stakes races... - No!
- "American Ninja Warrior" is back.
- * I wanna go faster *
- Kick into overdrive! Let's go!
- You're not even ready.
You're not even ready.
[dramatic music]
* *
- Welcome to Universal Studios Hollywood
as we kick off another season
of "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, I am so excited.
My heart is racing, because we're going racing.
It's gonna be ninja versus ninja all season.
- And we'll see our first races tonight,
plus not one but two brand-new qualifying courses.
For a look at the first one our ninjas will face,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Here we go, guys.
It is gonna be a wild new season.
And our ninjas are gonna see
some big changes right from the start.
On our new first obstacle, Pole Vault,
ninjas will have to climb the falling pole
and avoid the water.
Then it's fan favorites Rollercoaster
and Domino Effect
followed by another new one, The Getaway,
where ninjas have to crack the safe...
grab the diamond ring,
and escape with the cash. [cash register dings]
- Get that money.
- That's followed by another obstacle
making its debut, Lasso Launch.
- Whoo! Giddyap.
- And if they climb the Warped Wall
and hit a buzzer in under 1:20,
they'll earn a shot at the Mega Wall,
which is now 6 inches taller,
a jaw-dropping 18 1/2 feet.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card
will pay $10,000
to an unlimited number of ninjas
who can scale the Mega Wall this season.
Guys. - Thanks, Zuri.
Only the top 12 men and top 4 women
from each group tonight will move on.
The final spots will be determined
by the Runoffs,
our first ever head-to-head races.
We'll see those in a bit.
- So let's get it started.
- And we're gonna kick things off
with one of the many teenagers we're gonna see this season.
This is 16-year-old Emily Gardiner.
But one thing sets her apart.
She's competing this year along with her dad.
- Whoo! Let's go!
- One. - When does a joke
become a dad joke?
- Um, I don't know. - When it becomes a parent.
Down. - What?
That was so bad. - [chuckles]
- My dad had been doing Ninja
for a few years before I started.
- Emily was doin' gymnastics at the time.
And I introduced her to Ninja.
And once she got into the Ninja gym,
it was full-steam ahead.
- When we first started doing Ninja,
he was the one kind of giving me
some tips and pointers.
- Come on, Em.
- But now, as the years have passed,
the student has surpassed the teacher.
- True. [laughter]
- Just like that. - You make it look so easy.
- * Me and you, side by side *
* Life moves fast, let's take it slow *
- My dad likes to say
that I'm "tough love" coach,
but I don't know.
I think I'm pretty nice to him.
Okay, that was so close. - [chuckles]
- Try to extend a little bit more
before you hit the end.
- When we work out together,
it takes me, like, two days to recover.
- 'Cause you're old. - Ooh. Good burn.
- Too slow, too slow.
- Ninja's just a precious way
of me spending time with my daughter.
- Yeah! Let's go!
- Whoo! - Good job.
- To be able to have this experience together,
is just-- I mean, it's priceless.
- And we're gonna go out there and we're gonna crush it.
- Yeah.
- * It's just me and you *
- Whoo! - Dad will run
in just a few minutes. He's on the sidelines
with Mom and Emily's sister and boyfriend,
Kevin Rodriguez,
who's also competing tonight.
- Oh, yeah. It's a family affair.
[countdown clock beeping]
She's gonna give us our first look
at this new obstacle, Pole Vault.
Needs to quickly climb the pole
and stay out of the water.
And she does it.
- Let's go! - Come on!
- Whoo!
- On now to the Rollercoaster.
Go for a ride. Watch that transfer.
Make sure you get the distance out, not just up.
- Nice. Uh-oh, uh-oh. - A little hooked up.
- Get back on track.
Nice toss. - Good control.
Nice. - Whoo!
Let's go! Oh, yeah!
- Well, Matt, if this is where she gets excited,
she has no fear of balance obstacles.
- She says she loves to train what Ninjas call
"sketchy balance" all the time.
- Domino Effect can be sketchy,
but not for Emily!
- [screaming]
- Whoo!
- Her dad got her into Ninja, and look,
he's feelin' pretty good right now.
And the fourth obstacle is brand-new.
This is The Getaway.
- Whoo! It's like robbin' a bank!
- She's gotta turn the handles on the safe.
It drops.
Now has to turn it back the other way
to release the diamond ring.
And there it is. [pneumatic hiss]
Now has to reach over to grab that ring.
Oh, she got it!
You better get out of there with that jewelry, Emily.
- She is not messin' around. All right.
- Has to make this 5-foot leap
with the ring in her hands.
- Got the ring. - Get that bag.
- Just needs to grab the cash and then dismount.
- Hold on.
Hug it, love it. Hug it and love it!
Nice!
- And she's through four obstacles
on her first run.
Her cheering section is coming out of the stands
so excited about this rookie.
16 years old, Emily Gardiner in the driver's seat.
- You got this! - Come on!
- Okay, nice and loud.
- Well, trying a new obstacle here.
This is Lasso Launch.
You got that rope handle.
- You have to hook it on to the three cows.
Oh, yeah, we see you, Emily. - I see you.
I see you, Emily. - Come on!
I love the confidence.
She's havin' fun out here.
- Yes, she is. Okay, high clip here
gives you better control-- - Oh!
- She barely got it off that first tongue.
Now she's gotta twist it around...
all right, twist and shout here.
But, Matt, you see her hands have slipped down
right down to the bottom of the rope.
- And she's gotta jump backwards here.
both: Whoa!
- Did you see that maneuver?
Unreal, generated the first-- couldn't hold on,
but Gardiner, a beautiful run.
- Matt, Emily Gardiner is dope.
[cheers and applause]
- What a great start to the season.
Emily Gardiner's enthusiasm was infectious.
And she made it to the fifth obstacle.
We'll have to wait and see
if that can get her into the semifinals.
Let's go to Zuri, who's with the Gardiners.
- Hey, congratulations!
Let me just shimmy on in here.
Yes, yes, yes! - Whoo!
- Emily, oh, my God.
Your first time on the course, but you were out there
lookin' like a vet, girl. How'd you feel?
- Thank you so much. I felt amazing.
It's so nice seeing all my friends and family here.
- Let's go, Emily. - And how special is it
to be able to share this with Dad?
- It is so special. We--this--this--
Ninja just makes our bond so much stronger.
- Aw. - I love him so much.
He's my biggest hero. - I'm so proud of you, honey.
- Thank you. - Great, great job.
- Thank you. - Oh, my goodness.
You have so much to be proud of.
Congratulations on an incredible run.
We'll know soon if you went far enough, fast enough.
- Thank you so much.
- Absolutely. Matt, Akbar, take it away.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, up next, an energetic teacher
known as the Newark Ninja.
This is Desmond Odom.
And looking at his muscles,
you'd never know he lost 139 pounds
and turned his life around.
[funky music]
- At my heaviest, I was 324 pounds.
At one point, I was homeless. I was sleeping in my car.
I was really trying to change my whole life around.
- * Three, two, one, everybody now *
- I was a fan of "Ninja Warrior" since 1997.
And I used to always talk a lot of crap like,
"Oh, how did they fall on those obstacles?
"If I was skinny, if I was fit,
"I would run through all of that.
I would never lose."
- Desmond, a remarkable story.
- See the way he's--oh! - And he's--
- Oh!
- My foot got loose. But that thing was amazing!
And now I work at Thrive Academy
in Newark, New Jersey.
I am a special education teacher.
Are we ready to grow our brains?
all: Yes!
- The kids that I work with are amazing.
A lot of people hear the word "disability"
and they don't give them their fair shot.
But these kids have so much potential and talent.
Four--all the way down, all the way down.
That's good, Amar. - Ah!
- And to watch them grow and conquer obstacles
like I'm going to conquer these obstacles tonight,
that means everything to me.
[cheers and applause]
- Gotta love that energy right there.
- Yay!
- And there's some of his students
watching back in Newark,
as are some family members. - Yay!
- Ahh!
[countdown clock beeping]
- He's lost a lot of weight
but still a pretty big guy at 6'1" and 185 pounds.
All right, keep climbing.
There it is. There you go.
- Well, climbs up just enough to stay out of the water.
He survives.
And he's excited.
[cheers and applause]
He's competed on "Ninja Warrior" before,
but the last two times he fell on the second obstacle.
So it would be a real confidence boost
if he can get past Rollercoaster.
- Let's go. Rollercoaster.
- Love to see him get this.
- Hiyah! - Hiyah!
That's the way you celebrate.
Hiyah! Bi-ya-ka!
- Desmond Odom has done it!
And he's pumped up. - He knows it.
- Man! - It's been a long time
since he's seen the third obstacle.
[cheers and applause]
- I mean, this dude is jacked now.
What a fitness journey he's been on.
What an inspiration. - You got it!
- Come on, Des!
both: Ooh! [air horn blares]
- He got past the second obstacle
only to be tripped up on the third.
But an energetic run by Desmond Odom.
Let me tell you,
Desmond does not like dominoes.
Way back in season five, he fell on Domino Hill.
And tonight, it was Domino Effect
that got him.
But he's gonna enjoy himself no matter what.
- * Can't miss this, can't miss this *
- It's opening night,
and it's a "Ninja" double feature.
- * No, you can't miss *
- Two different courses
for two groups of "Ninja" favorites.
We've even got twins--
TikTok superstars the Wright Brothers.
Plus, we'll end each hour with the Runoffs,
head-to-head matches
for the final spots in the semifinals.
Oh! - Oh!
- It's gonna be a crowd-pleasing,
hula-hoopin' season premiere...
- Let's go!
- Of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to our season premiere.
While we were away,
Rich Gardiner came to the start line
hoping to match his daughter Emily,
who crushed the course minutes ago.
Gardiner is the night's oldest competitor.
And while his handstand looked good...
- Matt, I can't do that at 43.
This man's doin' that at 57.
- He barely survived Pole Vault...
- Get up there. Get up there! Come on!
Nice!
- And then went for a ride on Rollercoaster.
- Welcome to Universal Studios.
Whoa! [air horn blares]
- Lucio Battista looked
like an old-school wrestler. [bell dinging]
But he's actually the world Freestyle Moustache champion.
- Ooh, that's the 'stache right there.
That's a serious 'stache.
- And he had the whole crowd roaring.
all: Lucio! Lucio! Lucio!
- His run was definitely hair-raising.
- Oh! You got a handlebar for a moustache.
Hold on!
- But after surviving a close shave
on the second obstacle,
he was cut down on the third.
- Oh, no!
- Ohh.
- Well, at least his 'stache still looks good.
24-year-old Casey Rothschild
hit a buzzer in qualifying last season.
- [squeals] - She's the real deal, Matt.
- She came out strong again tonight.
- Nice!
- She rolled through the early part
of the course.
- Oh! Hold on!
- And like Emily Gardiner,
she made it to the fifth obstacle,
Lasso Launch.
- Oh!
- But another deep run by the women,
the best of the night so far.
- I'm really happy with my run,
so excited to-- to get back to obstacle five.
- Our next competitor is a living miracle.
This is New Jersey teenager Mazeiah Andrade.
Hard to believe now, but when he was born,
he weighed just 1 pound.
And that was just the start
of the obstacles he's had to overcome.
- Oh, my gosh. - You were so tiny.
[gentle piano music]
And then here I put, like,
my hand next to you to see.
I was terrified.
I could not believe when they said,
"You're going to have your baby tonight."
I'm like, "I'm only five months pregnant.
There's no way."
There were times where I wasn't sure
if he was going to make it.
He had brain surgery, eye surgery,
and many different procedures
with IVs, blood transfusions.
It was a lot.
- Growing up, it wasn't easy.
I had difficulties with my motor skills,
with my speech...
"Changes happen in the garden."
- Good job.
- And doing physical activities--
my mom put me into a bunch of different sports
and none of them worked out.
And then for some reason, I guess Ninja was just it.
[uplifting music]
- Wow.
That was smooth.
- When I first got my hands on obstacles,
it was something really different,
because I'm able to swing on things
and move around in ways
that I didn't even know I could.
It's more than just doing obstacles.
It's the community.
[applause] - Nice!
- Being taught lessons
or just constantly going
through little slumps,
I'm able to translate it to my life.
And it's helped me in ways I can't explain.
It hasn't been easy, but it's a journey.
- This is too nice, Masi. - Yeah.
- To see the little, tiny pound
that he was till now,
he makes me so proud.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- And Mazeiah's rock through it all
has been his mom, Anna, who's on the sideline
with his stepdad. - Let's go, Masi!
- He's got lots of family watching
back in New Jersey as well.
[all shouting]
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, we watched his submission video.
And just the dedication
with which he approaches "Ninja Warrior,"
the hard work he's put in. - Yeah, that's right.
He trained for Ninja five days a week.
- He had problems with his gross motor skills.
- It's so hard to reconcile that
with the athlete we see out here on the course.
What a testament to how hard he's worked.
[cheers and applause]
- Tested here.
Oh. Oh, no! - Oh, oh, oh!
- Oh, no! - Great save!
- Yes! - Okay, I see you, Mazeiah!
[cheers and applause]
- Just wasn't gonna quit.
- [chuckles]
- He fought his way out of that one.
- Yeah!
That was remarkable!
Andrade flat-out
athleticizing his way through the course.
And I don't believe that's a word
until tonight. - I--no, no, no.
You made that one. - He is athleticized.
Verbed it. - I--I liked it.
I liked it.
[chuckles] - Watch the bling here.
Gotta get it hooked.
- Nice. Oh, boy. - Rung up there.
- Here we go. Get that bag.
Nice.
- New last year, Mazeiah Andrade...
[cheers and applause]
- Making the most of that tremendous save
on Domino Effect.
- All right. Watch out, now.
- And you see him start to slide here, Matt.
He's gotta keep them Ls
to have better control of that lasso.
- No one's landed this backwards move yet.
- Oh, he's startin' to get straight arms.
- Nice! - Wow.
Locked in and now fully extended.
And he has to go up 6 inches.
This is gonna be tough
to get that rope up and hook it.
- Oh, boy. This a big 6 inches
that he's gotta get up.
Oh, and missed it.
- You could just see the rope drop
as soon as it came up.
Still an amazing rookie run for Andrade.
- Matt, he's a fighter.
Look at this save again on Domino Effect.
And you gotta love that smile.
He came up short on Lasso Launch,
but a great debut for Andrade.
- Getting hugs from the family.
And with his speed to that point,
he's got a good chance of advancing
to the semifinals.
- Guys, these "Ninja" fans know who's comin' up.
Our next competitor was seconds away
from winning the million dollars
on stage four last year.
And Jay "Lache" Lewis is one of the favorites
to get back there this season.
In fact, the 18-year-old,
who goes to Syracuse University,
is taking the semester off from college
so he can focus on winning it all
at the national finals.
That's how committed he is. - Hi, Mom.
- His mom's watching from back in Connecticut...
- Let's go, Jay!
- While his dad's on the sideline
with some of the ninjas he trains with,
including Ninja great Joe Moravsky.
- You got it, Jay! - Let's job, Jay!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, what a remarkable run of consistency
Jay Lache has had. - Well, Matt, to your point,
he's only fallen in the water once
in his entire Ninja career.
- Timed out on the rope climb last season.
Just 4/10 of a second away from winning 100,000
as Last Ninja Standing. - Yeah, Matt,
He is the prototype ninja, isn't he?
[cheers and applause]
- Just 128 pounds,
And just glides across dominoes
and right into The Getaway. - Nice.
- This is where it starts to get a little more challenging.
It really starts pumping those arms.
Just 30 seconds in,
and he's already on the fourth obstacle.
- Well, he could not only be our first finisher,
he could be the first to try the Mega Wall
but would need to finish in less than 1:20...
- Jay Lache doin' what he does best.
Lache-in' right through the races.
- But no one's gotten through Lasso Launch tonight.
And this can eat up a lot of time.
- Get up high.
- Really powering around.
- It's in his nickname, "Lache."
Now you gotta lache backwards.
- Akbar, look at the grip. Up high and locked in.
- Nice! - Gets the backward move
but now has to slide around and get the last one.
I don't know if he's gonna finish fast enough
to get the Mega Wall,
and that shows just how difficult it is
to finish under 1:20.
But he is gonna get a buzzer.
- Continues his record of perfection.
One of the favorites to win it all
and he's our first finisher of the season.
- We did it, baby!
That's how we do it!
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah, buddy! Yeah!
- Hey, why you so pumped?
- You know, Ninja's what I love to do.
And to do it on the biggest stage
is a blast. - Jay, just a few seconds slow,
so you miss out on the shot on the Mega Wall.
But I have a feeling you have
a bigger goal in mind this season.
- You know, plan's to get back to stage four
and, uh, climb the rope this time.
So let's see if we can do that.
- Well, you took the next step, my man.
Go celebrate with your friends and family down there, bud.
* *
[cheers and applause]
[laughter]
Up next, we're taking you
to the Ninja wedding of the year.
Najee Richardson's big day is just ahead.
Plus... - Here I come.
- Violet Kepo'o is a wiz
when it comes to "Harry Potter."
- Gotcha!
- But this 95-pound teenager
is also a wizard on the Ninja course.
- Yeah!
- And she's coming up
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We've got a new first obstacle this season,
Pole Vault. And it's no pushover.
- Get up high.
Oh! [air horn blares]
- Minutes ago, Washington, D.C., hospital worker
Sean Steele-Weekes
looked strong enough for any obstacle.
Hey, why so jacked?
But he couldn't make the climb.
- Get up that. Get up, get up.
Get up that pole! Get up that--ooh.
[air horn blares]
- Then it was another super-fit athlete,
competitive paddle-boarder Erin Kundolf.
- She's puttin' in work!
- This Maryland mom spends hours
training on the water,
but she couldn't stay out of it tonight.
- Oh, no!
No, no, no, no, no. [air horn blares]
- Super disappointing.
- Ninja veteran Alan Connealy did find his way
past Pole Vault.
- That's how you do it.
- Let's go.
- The 42-year-old from Concord, California,
is an old-school ninja.
He first competed back in season three
but hasn't run the course since 2017.
Six years away from the game, and he's makin' his return.
The chiropractor looked like he hadn't lost his step
as he took on Domino Effect.
- Ooh. [air horn blares]
Boy, he's gonna need an adjustment after that one.
[cheers and applause]
- Up next is another ninja
who's been around since the early days.
It's Brian Kretsch,
who's competed on every season
of "American Ninja Warrior".
But even after 15 years,
this Ninja veteran gets nervous
when he steps on the course.
Kretsch has admitted he is intimidated
by these balance obstacles.
- My all-time least favorite obstacle
would be anything balance.
[cheers and applause]
both: Oh!
- I broke my leg on season seven.
- Kretsch is down and he is holding.
And that is not a good sign.
- He is clearly in a lot of pain.
- Last year,
I injured myself on balance again.
I suffered a fractured rib.
- Oh, my goodness.
He fell right on his appendix.
Took the wind right out of him.
- I'm always a little worried about balance.
And when I start the balance obstacles,
I black out.
- And that's how quickly a run can end.
- I haven't finished one cleanly yet...
but I hope to be able to do that tonight.
- And the balance obstacle tonight is Domino Effect.
Gotta be on his mind.
Kretsch's buddies, including David Campbell,
the only other ninja who's competed every season,
on the sideline to show their support.
[countdown clock beeping]
He's 6'3", our tallest athlete tonight,
which should help him get past Pole Vault.
- Easy, buddy. Nice.
- Yeah. - Let's go.
- I'm not gonna lie, though,
Brian Kresch, he's sportin' that old-man swag
with the knee brace. - Well, he's talked about it.
He's had multiple injuries
and at 39 is one of the older competitors.
- Nice, nice. Throw your hip into it.
Nice. - Got it. Smooth.
- But now here we go. The moment of truth--
a dreaded balance obstacle, Domino Effect.
- Lean forward. Lean forward. - Step forward. Step forward.
- Come on. - Getting advice
from the sidelines.
But really this is all in his head.
- Come on, Brian. - Yeah, dude.
- Whoa, no! [air horn blares]
[crowd groans]
- History repeats itself.
Brian Kretsch once again tripped up
on a balance obstacle.
Another heartbreaking finish for Kretsch.
He started off okay,
but on the third domino it all went wrong.
Another absolutely heartbreaking fall
for Brian Kretsch.
- Hey, Brian.
I know you're emotional right now.
What are you thinking?
- I just...
I just put so much into this.
- Mm-hmm. - [breathing heavily]
15 years.
And I can't get past my traumas
and keep failing in the same spot
or can't--having too many issues with it.
And I just feel like it's kind of passing me by.
And I don't know what to do about it.
- Well, we have not seen you miss a season yet.
Well we see you out here again next season?
- I don't know.
- I certainly hope so.
We love you. We're with you.
[indistinct] end the way you wanted it to, okay?
Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- Well, if that is it for Brian Kretsch,
he can hold his head high.
It has been a great career.
It's never easy to say goodbye.
And our next athlete
is also talking about retirement,
another all-time great,
the Phoenix, Najee Richardson.
And you can see he is taking it all in,
because this could be his last qualifying run.
Had so many memorable moments on the course
but had an even bigger one off it
a few months ago.
[upbeat music]
- Last time you guys saw me, I was engaged.
Now I'm married.
Wedding was so fun.
We took it back to the '20s
and just danced and partied.
We had a ton of ninjas come out.
Might have done a handstand contest or two.
[chuckles]
Coming into this year is very, very different
compared to most years,
especially after getting married.
It's been the very first time in my entire career
where I'm thinking, you know, "Maybe this...
maybe this is it."
[cheers and applause]
[buzzer blares]
Who knows how much longer I got left?
But for the time that I am able to do it...
[buzzer blares] [yells]
I'm wanna have as much fun as I can.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- And he's throwing kisses to McKenzie,
who's watching at home back in Philly.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Okay. And the Phoenix rises.
He went right to the top of the pole.
- Well, no surprise there. He's a former gymnast
who's always been great at flying through the air.
And he goes right into Rollercoaster.
I think he's going fast
to get a shot at the Mega Wall.
Needs to complete the course in 1:20 to get his shot.
- Excellent balance out of the Phoenix.
Oh, he's goin' for it.
Ho, ho, ho.
- That's a married man now, Matt.
I tell you, he's still got that same pep in his step.
- And he's goin' for the ring.
McKenzie likes it. - He put a ring on it.
Now he's just gotta put a ring on this hook.
- Hooks that big rock. - Nice.
Go for the bag, Najee. - He--he knows what's up.
- Grab that money bag.
But he wants that real money bag.
- [indistinct].
- Left himself plenty of time,
but this is a challenge here, Lasso Launch.
- Gotta get up high.
And he's gotta stay up tight on the rope, Matt.
- Great grip strength.
This guy's used to flying.
- Yes, he is. - Knows how to launch himself.
- All right. This is where
you gotta rise like the phoenix.
Rise up and over.
Oh! - Oh, no!
- Aw.
- So no Mega Wall for Najee.
But his speed to that point
means he's guaranteed a spot in the top 12.
He and Jay Lewis are moving on to the semifinals.
And for the women, Casey Rothschild
and Emily Gardiner have locked up their spots
in the next round.
- Coming up, who's gonna be the first to take down
the new 18 1/2-foot Mega Wall
and earn 10K from Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card?
Plus, the Runoff races, the first in "Ninja" history,
are just ahead.
This is "Ninja" like you've never seen before.
So you better stick around.
[cheers and applause]
- Opening night rolls on
here at Universal Studios Hollywood.
And minutes ago,
25-year-old Ashley Gianni
showed off her special skills.
- That's very difficult to do.
[cheers and applause]
- The grad student from Buffalo
had a big group watching back in New York.
And though she can handle a unicycle with ease,
she couldn't ride the Rollercoaster.
- Uh-oh, watch out.
Oh! [air horn blares]
- At 205 pounds of solid muscle,
Verdale Benson's the heaviest competitor tonight.
- Flex a little.
- The physician assistant and army veteran
was able to battle his way through the course.
- Matt, he's the biggest ninja out here,
and he's makin' it look easy.
[cheers and applause]
- He showed a light touch on Lasso Launch...
- Go over! Over!
- And looked like he might get
his second career buzzer.
- Come on. 6 inches. Oh!
- Oh!
- Went for a prayer, didn't work out.
But it's okay.
- Massachusetts teenager Addy Herman
is coming off a breakout season last year
when she made it further than any woman on stage one.
- Oh, she got it.
- And then was runner-up
of the last week's Women's Championship.
So tonight she came in with a lot of confidence
and it showed. - I know a "G" when I see one,
and she's a "G."
- With a big group of supporters
including her boyfriend,
fellow ninja Noah Meunier,
the "Hermanator" took on the fifth obstacle
and was closing in on her first buzzer.
- Augh! [air horn blares]
- Despite the fall, her speed put her first
among the women so far
and guaranteed her a spot in the semifinals.
Now Addy's boyfriend gets his shot.
This is Massachusetts teenager Noah Meunier.
He finished high school and training
to be an electrician.
He gets that blue-collar work ethic
from his dad, Dennis.
[gentle piano music]
- 'Kay, well, remember what I told you.
You drive for show, and you putt for dough.
- My dad's really awesome.
- We're gonna throw this tee
to see who goes first, okay?
- Even though he has his disability...
- It's you, buddy. Good luck.
- He actually doesn't let that stop him at all.
- When I was 16 years old,
I had an incident related to a hockey injury.
- Your turn.
- I was completely paralyzed
from my chest down.
So I have to outdrive you? That's gonna be tough.
[laughter]
Just as long as I don't fall down.
- All right. I'll pick you up.
Big driver.
- You know, a lot of people have disabilities,
and I'm just another one of them.
Like, you get up in the morning,
and you know that your day is filled with obstacles,
and you get through them.
- Hey, there we go.
- Finally. - Bang. [chuckles]
My dad is a medical oxygen inspector.
He goes into hospitals and makes sure
everything's working properly.
The people at the hospitals
call my dad "Scooter Man."
- Noah started going on job sites with me
when he was 13. He scrubs up
and helps me do my work in the operating rooms.
- 50.5. - Got it.
[oxygen hisses] - All set.
To look down and see my dad on the sideline,
that's gonna be a really big inspiration.
Nothing's ever stopped him,
and so how could anything ever stop me?
- Noah, come on.
Let's go, Noah! - Dad's gonna be
on the sideline on his scooter
right next to Addy. - Noah, come on!
You got it, Noah!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Looks a little like Clark Kent.
Let's see if he can fly like Superman.
No problem with Pole Vault.
- Let's go, Noah.
You got this, Noah, come on. - One of ten rookies
running in this first group tonight,
Meunier looking very confident.
Great transitions. - He looks so comfortable.
[cheers and applause]
- You're so good. You're so good.
- Making it appear effortless.
- Right over Domino Effect.
Well, Addy Herman has trained him well.
He got to watch her run minutes ago.
And he clearly has a plan of attack
for this course.
- Yeah. And I don't think he's rushing.
He's just moving at his pace.
But here's the good thing too,
this dude is very efficient.
I like what Noah's doing.
- Well, he said at-- in training with Addy,
he's had to learn to k-- pick up his pace.
She is so fast. - Yeah. Addy can go, now.
We've seen it. - Well, he's now facing
the obstacle where she fell, Lasso Launch.
- Let's go, Noah!
- I like his technique.
He's gone higher on the grip.
That gives him a little bit more control
than holding it a little lower.
Nice!
- Well, he looks unassuming,
but Noah Meunier is looking like he could get
a buzzer in his very first run.
- Good launch.
And now he's got a chance
to be fast enough for the Mega Wall.
- Go right into it! - Five--
You got three seconds. - It's gonna be close.
Two seconds. He's gotta reach for it!
[buzzer blares] - And he does it!
- Let's go!
- Points down to his dad.
That's his hero, his inspiration.
Noah Meunier.
First time on the course, and you crushed it.
- Hey, man, I don't know what my time was,
but you know I was trying for this?
- Well, to have a shot at the Mega Wall
and then 10 grand,
you needed a time faster than 1:20.
- Yeah, right. - Your time...
- Let's get it. - Was 1:19.91 seconds.
- Ooh. - By 0.91 seconds, Noah.
Hey, Noah, go down and get your shot!
Go get it, man. Go get it!
Now, keep in mind, we've raised the Mega Wall 6 inches.
It's now 18 1/2 feet tall.
all: Mega Wall! Mega Wall!
Mega Wall! Mega Wall!
- He's the first ever to attempt it at this height.
- 18 1/2 feet for $10,000.
Here we go. All the way up!
Whoa!
Hey, good job, Noah!
- Well, what a breakout run for Noah Meunier.
Didn't get the Mega Wall
but did everything else he could
to show us he's ready for the big stage.
Well, he was the first to try
the taller version of the Mega Wall,
but came up just a few inches short.
Well, best of all,
he got to share this moment with his dad.
- Thanks, Dad. - Good job, buddy.
- He's one of the all-time greats,
ready to run with these teenagers.
James "The Beast" McGrath is up next.
And later, Utah nurse Maddie Howard
and her son Beckham are back
on the season premiere of "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's opening night on "ANW," and minutes ago,
three ninjas got this crowd fired up.
No one's happier to be here
than the Bionic Ninja, Geoff Snyder.
- Let's go!
- The 46-year-old has a serious heart condition
and is on his fourth pacemaker...
with another heart surgery coming soon.
- This might be his last shot at competing.
- Snyder made the most of it; running the course
for the first time in six years,
he reached Domino Effect.
- Go, go, go!
Oh!
- Still a huge victory for him.
- It's great to be back.
Oh, man. I missed this.
- 4'11" Taylor Johnson may be the smallest competitor,
but she's got the biggest voice.
- Let's go!
- This five-time veteran better known as Teej
celebrated every obstacle she completed.
- Let's go!
- And she had a lot to celebrate.
- Let's go!
- She became the fourth woman
to reach the fifth obstacle.
- Oh!
- And that's gonna put her
in tonight's head-to-head Runoff race
for the final spot in the semifinals.
- Taylor Johnson was amazing.
- Whoo! - 16-year-old rookie
Kevin Rodriguez had one of the loudest
cheering sections of the night.
- Let's go!
- That includes his girlfriend,
Emily Gardiner, who ran earlier.
She was on the sideline with his mom
while his family watched from back home.
And the high schooler from Rhode Island
gave them plenty to get excited about.
- Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
- He got past the obstacle
that knocked out his girlfriend, Lasso Launch.
- Here we go. Wow.
- And he made his way to the buzzer.
So far, it's only been teenagers
to finish the course tonight.
- Let's go!
- Well, our next athlete is definitely not a teenager.
It's 36-year-old James "The Beast" McGrath.
He's been around since season two.
And he's got a big bunch of ninjas on his sideline.
He's hugely popular.
And despite being twice the age
of these young stars,
The Beast is not intimidated.
- My goal this season is what it is every season--
[buzzer blares] Total victory.
And I wouldn't be here
if I didn't think I had a shot.
Now that I'm 36,
it's crazy, 'cause some of these young guys
I've coached,
and some of them I've known
since they were, like, ten years old,
and now I'm playing catch-up with them.
'Cause I see what they're doing, and I'm like,
"That's where I need to try and get to."
And when I get to that point,
they're already past that.
But I'm ready for these obstacles.
The Beast is back.
[creature growls]
- Well, James' number one fan is his fiancée,
Ninja great Allyssa Beird.
- Whoo! - Unfortunately she's injured
and will miss this season,
but not gonna miss this run.
[countdown clock beeping]
- You got it, dude! - Time to go into beast mode.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Beast mode.
- Just some amazing athleticism.
6'2", 160.
He's got the skills to get through any course.
- Well, yeah, he's got the experience too, Matt.
He's an 11-time veteran. - You got it.
- He's done this before.
- He's got 19 buzzers under his belt.
Fourth most in "Ninja" history.
Through Rollercoaster, now on to dominoes.
- Let's go. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Got it. He is moving up, Akbar.
Remember, last year in qualifying,
his run ended with the proposal to Allyssa.
He put a ring on it right there on the sideline.
But now he's gotta grab this diamond ring
on The Getaway. all: Beast! Beast! Beast!
- Well, you can hear the crowd chanting "Beast."
Told you he is a crowd favorite.
You know, he could use another 10K for the wedding.
The Beast needs a tux.
- And look at him beastin' the course.
- Whoo!
- Only has Lasso Launch between him and the buzzer.
And he's got a good time going to this point.
- He ain't playin'.
I still has an outside shot at the Mega Wall.
And he knows he can do it.
- Can he keep that grip locked in
at 36 years of age?
- Nice. - Locked in.
- Nice tight grip.
- No one over 20 years of age
has completed this obstacle.
Can The Beast be the first?
- Oh, yeah. Looks like he's gonna do it.
- Won't get a shot at the Mega Wall,
but he's getting another buzzer.
The Beast is back!
[buzzer blares] - Ha-ha!
- Whoo!
* *
- Whoo!
- You hit that buzzer, and you're goin'
to the semifinals, baby.
- You may be going head-to-head against these teenagers.
You're goin' racin', buddy. - Let's go!
- Yeah! - Come on!
Whoo!
- Whoo!
- Hey, I'm, like, twice the age
of everyone else that hit the buzzer, aren't I?
- Yeah, you are. - No. Hey, look,
you representin' for them old folks, right?
- Let's go!
- You still got it, Beast. - Whoo!
- He's been hittin' buzzers
since some of these teens were toddlers,
and he's still doing it.
He's now up to 20 for his storied career.
[cheers and applause]
- Comin' down this way? This is how they do it now?
- Yeah, that's how they do it now.
- Yeah! - And he is excited.
James McGrath is moving on.
When we come back, it's time to go racing--
an all-out sprint
to win the final spots in the semifinals.
We'll get our first look at our side-by-side course.
- Neck-and-neck!
- It's gonna be fun.
He's goin' to the semis.
That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
[cheers and applause]
- Moments ago, the final runners
from this first group of ninjas
brought some excitement to the course.
18-year-old Evan Andrews
was a rookie sensation last season.
And he was setting a blistering pace tonight...
- Oh!
- Until the Montana high school grad
was corralled on Lasso Launch.
- He's in complete shock.
- Then another young talent,
Rhode Island's Luke Dillon,
came crashing through the course.
- Oh, oh, oh. Oh, my goodness.
- But the 21-year-old recovered and finished
with the night's fastest time.
[buzzer blares]
- Oh, boy.
- I don't know what just happened.
I just fell all the way down.
- That earned him a shot at the Mega Wall.
- Go get that real bag, the $10,000.
Oh!
- But came up short.
So here's who's moving on to the semifinals.
Luke Dillon sits at the top
just ahead of rookie Noah Meunier.
Five competitors hit the buzzer.
Non-finishers moving on include Najee Richardson
and rookie Mazeiah Andrade.
The top 11 are in.
But now the 12th and 13th place men
are about to race for the final spot.
On the women's side,
the top three are settled.
But the fourth and fifth-place competitors
are about to make history.
And that's because we're goin' racing.
- Head-to-head
for the first time this season.
- That's right. It's time for the Runoff,
a battle for the final spots in the semifinals.
And for a look at this new racecourse,
let's go over to Zuri.
- Hey, guys, it starts right here
on our two-lane course.
Then it's a sprint
through four obstacles to the buzzer.
It kicks off with Home Run,
a dash across the four houses.
Then it's the bouncing bars of Spring Forward
and the spinning honeycombs of Beehive.
Finally, they'll have to hang on
to the small ledges of Hopscotch
which leads to the buzzer.
Guys? [buzzer blares]
- Our first race features
42-year-old Ninja veteran Alan Connealy
whose run we saw earlier.
He finished 12th amongst the men.
Well, Connealy will be racing 24-year-old Ramcis Valdez,
who's in 13th position.
Valdez is a rookie who gets his training
all across New York City.
- Growin' up in the Bronx,
I used the streets to train.
From using the train cars, climbing over train tracks...
Climbing buildings...
using all sorts of structures all around the city.
[dramatic music]
* *
- My first season was season three.
I have been on eight times.
- Look at him go.
- A lot of the ninjas regard me
as one of the pioneers.
But I got news for ya,
I'm not done.
- Connealy will not be denied.
* *
Connealy's 18 years older.
Got some California ninjas on his sidelines.
Valdez trying to make it to the semifinals
in his first season,
has his dad and girlfriend... - Let's go!
- Cheering for him.
- Four obstacles to the buzzer
or whoever gets farthest the fastest.
- A spot in the semis on the line.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Whoo, look at Alan Connealy.
Oh, my goodness.
- Takes him back to the old days.
But you can see Valdez caught up already.
- And Alan's still got it. He ain't messin' around.
- Connealy legs it. Look at him!
He's puttin' pressure on the young gun.
- Oh, my goodness.
Alan Connealy came out of nowhere.
- Well, Valdez is startin' to fly.
- Whoever lands first here has the advantage.
And it's Valdez!
So now Connealy must hit a buzzer
to have a chance to win.
- Yeah, Connealy's gotta sell--oh!
- Valdez goes down.
But because he finished
the previous obstacle first,
it means Connealy still must complete this obstacle.
If he falls anywhere, Valdez will still win.
- 42 years old,
holding on here at Hopscotch.
- This is why he came back
to show he still belongs.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
both: Oh!
- Oh, my goodness.
Oh, my goodness.
- Just couldn't pull it off.
Valdez finished Beehive first,
but he fell quickly on Hopscotch.
That meant Connealy had to finish.
Getting halfway doesn't count.
And watch his fingers-- just slipped right off.
So Ramcis Valdez,
the 24-year-old from The Bronx,
is headed to the semifinals in his rookie season.
Now for our women's runoff race.
It's our fourth-place finisher,
Taylor Johnson, who had that energetic run earlier,
going against New Jersey teenager
Avery Glantz, who's in fifth place.
The high school senior is so dedicated to training,
she's turned her bedroom into a mini-Ninja course.
- Avery Glantz towering over her opponent.
She's 5'3", Taylor Johnson 4'11".
But we expect big things out of both these ladies.
Taylor's got her Massachusetts training partners,
including Addy Herman, on her sideline.
- You got it, Avery! Oh, my God.
- Avery's boyfriend lost his voice.
We saw him run minutes ago.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Both these women going for their first buzzers.
- Nice! Okay!
Ooh! - Ooh,
and Avery Glantz is out.
A shocking early fall.
- All good, Avery, all good.
- I love you. - I love you.
- And that means Teej has won it.
But she's going to try to finish.
- Oh, she's still going.
- Akbar, this is her fifth season
in "Ninja Warrior," has never hit a buzzer.
- Oh, my gosh!
[cheers and applause]
Teej is beloved among ninjas.
She works in Boston at a cancer center,
something close to her heart.
Her parents are both cancer survivors.
These are gonna be some big laches at 4:11.
Wow! - Nice.
- Good power out of Teej.
- Ooh, Teej looking like queen bee.
- But this is a six-foot leap between honeycombs,
no small feat.
- Use your hips. Throw your hips into it.
- Nice. - Nice finish on the catch.
- Her celebration's gonna be big
if she can get a buzzer,
but gotta get through Hopscotch.
- Yeah, she was screaming after every obstacle
in her run earlier.
You know she'll go nuts if she can beat this.
- First has to survive these tiny ledges on Hopscotch.
But what a moment this will be for her.
And she's looking dialed in.
- She is. - What a confidence boost
for Teej. - Here we go.
Pull out wide. Pull out wide!
- Ooh, just on the front.
- Ooh, look at the mount [indistinct].
- Now into the middle.
Nice. - Oh!
Teej is air-- - And look at this!
She's got a smile on her face.
She knows what's up. - She knows it.
Her first buzzer!
[cheers and applause]
Teej delivers, punches her ticket,
and a big boost of confidence.
- Yes! Let's go, Taylor!
- At just 4'11",
she'll be the shortest ever to compete in the semifinals.
Take a look. Avery tried to one-step it
and came up short on the landing pad.
That gave Taylor the win, but she wanted a buzzer,
and she got it,
the shortest competitor to ever hit a buzzer
on "Ninja Warrior."
- Well, what a great way to end our first qualifier,
but there's much more to come.
And now we're gonna roll it back and do it again
with a whole new group of ninjas.
- And look who we're gonna see.
Ninja's little big man, 5'2" Nate Hansen,
two-time runner-up Austin Gray,
and Utah nurse Mady Howard.
Plus, they've got
millions of followers on TikTok.
Now the Wright brothers are dancing onto our course
coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the season premiere
of "American Ninja Warrior."
Our first 16 athletes have qualified for semifinals,
and now we got a whole new group of ninjas
ready to take their shot.
- And a whole lot of new obstacles, too.
- For more on that, let's go down to Zuri.
- Yeah, guys, our crews have changed up the course,
and the second group of ninjas
will have to face two brand-new obstacles.
Greased Lightning is now in the number two spot.
- Nice. Ooh!
- And the fifth obstacle is now Ring the Bells.
Timing is crucial
as the ninjas work their way across the four bells.
[air horn blares]
- Thanks, Zuri. Just like the earlier group,
only the top 12 men and top 4 women will move on.
The last spots will be determined
in the runoff races,
like we just saw minutes ago.
[buzzer blares]
Well, we're here in the shadow
of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
at Universal Studios,
and our first competitor in this group
is a huge fan.
It's 15-year-old Violet Kepo'o,
and tonight she's hoping to conjure up
some serious ninja skills.
[mysterious music]
* *
- I think I am a little bit of a fantasy nerd.
* *
- Attack!
- Reading those books--
it just brings me to other worlds.
Here I come!
I didn't really know what Harry Potter was
until we went
to the Harry Potter world in Universal,
and I thought it was so cool.
Gotcha!
I also like the fantasy characters,
because even if they are smaller,
they do, like, really hard things
that inspire you to do hard things too.
These two gold ones here are from when I did
World Challenge.
I've won first place three times in a row.
It's been my dream
to be able to get on "American Ninja Warrior."
This is actually happening.
Like, it's not a dream.
It's actually real.
I'm definitely hoping to make
a lot of magic on this course.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, and the excitement of being here,
the anticipation-- it's all getting to her.
- Oh, and she's-- and she's crying!
- She's getting a little emotional here,
and I love it.
- She's got her whole family on the sideline.
They all do Ninja,
but she's the one competing tonight,
starting once again
with this difficult first obstacle,
Pole Vault.
- Matt, she only weighs 95 pounds.
Can she move this pole?
- Climb it, climb it! Get those legs up!
- Yes! - Nicely done.
- Her family is excited.
And friends watching back in Utah are excited.
- Let's see how this 15-year-old does
on this brand-new second obstacle,
Greased Lightning.
Those handles will slide side to side.
Gotta control them on the drops!
Boom, boom, boom, boom. - Gotta get that timing off.
- Perfect.
[cheers and applause]
She's still crying, Matt.
That's how pumped she is.
- And now she's got her mom crying.
- Hit hard!
- 15 years old, she's out here
facing her fears. - It's your party.
You can cry if you want to.
Get them Dominoes!
Nice! You can cry if you want to!
It's your party!
Oh, she's trying to really calm herself, Matt.
This is great. This is a sign
of a great athlete.
- Let's see if she can get away
with the Getaway.
Take it for a spin.
- Ooh, 95 pounds.
- Didn't quite get that momentum on the leap.
She's fighting it.
Oh, and that drop!
Now 180 the other way.
- She is strong!
- Working it around another drop.
That handle's up.
And at 5'1", you can see these reaches--
a little more complex.
Gotta launch herself on this lache.
- If you can see her, you can be her.
- Ah, that ring-- gotta lock it in place.
- Go, Violet!
- Just trying to feel it on the launch.
Got it! - Nice. Nice!
- Get that money, Violet!
- Get that bag.
Get that bag!
- Gotta get the dismount. - She's through!
- Man, look at this.
- 15 years old.
[cheers and applause]
- Violet Kepo'o,
all the way to another new obstacle...
- Wow. - Ring the Bells.
- And you can see, as you sway,
the handles swing away from you.
- Diabolical obstacle.
- The swinging is really messing up the momentum here.
- Gotta keep the bells--
still, you really don't want them ringing.
- She's gotta really steady it,
because as she takes the one bell,
hits the next one,
it is moving that bar further away.
- Well, it's a good time to weigh 95 pounds
when you're hanging up there for an eternity.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, shoot! Oh!
I thought she was done.
- And transfers over.
Look at the form. Violet Kepo'o.
- It ain't over till the bell rings.
- Well, this little athlete is coming up huge.
Can she make the final transfer?
- Come on, let's go. Let's go, Kepo'o!
- Come on, Violet. Let's go.
- This is an incredible amount of time
to be hanging on the bells, and she's looking gassed.
- Come on, let's go.
Oh! [air horn blares]
- What a great effort out of Kepo'o
all the way to the fifth obstacle
on her rookie run.
Violet was a human emoji
as she made her way down the course.
There were tears, prayers, and joyful surprises,
but she won our hearts
and nearly hit a buzzer in her debut run.
And that run could get her
into the top four among the women.
We may see her in the semifinals,
where every run is a race.
Stepping up to the start line next
out of Castle Rock, Colorado,
high school student Hans Hertz.
And his inspiration for being here
is his little brother, Harper.
[tranquil music]
* *
- Harper is my hero. He inspires me every day.
* *
Good job.
All the challenges he faces--
he does it all with a smile on his face.
You're an adrenaline junkie going up this high.
- [laughs]
Harper is my second son.
He is 14 years old.
When he was about three months old,
he was diagnosed with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome,
or RTS, for short.
* *
It affects him in multiple ways.
Obviously, he's nonverbal, but he does use sign very well.
- Go again?
* *
Ninja definitely makes me and Harper very close.
A whole bunch of stuff that maybe normal brothers
wouldn't be able to do
but we get to share everything together.
Nice. [laughs]
- I couldn't ask for a better older son.
* *
Hans is amazing, he's wonderful,
and I'm so honored to be his mom.
* *
- I'm so happy I get to share this moment
with my brother, Harper.
[cheers and applause]
- And because of Hans' relationship with his brother,
he's now working as an ambassador
for the Special Olympics.
[countdown clock beeping]
Here he is at 15 years old
on his first Ninja course.
- Oh, real high up.
And that was very easy.
- Well played.
- We're putting Hertz in the driver's seat
here on Greased Lightning. - Matt--
- Hans is solo on the course.
Here he goes. - Launch. Nice.
- H20.
- Now the balance obstacle.
- And he just barely moved the Dominoes.
- You're safe. You're safe.
- Well, now time for the Getaway.
- He's a good kid, Matt.
He's got a 4.89 GPA.
You know he ain't never robbed a bank.
- [laughs]
And there it is, 270 one way, 180 back.
Another drop. That handle goes up.
Now he's gotta launch himself.
- Well, he's going for that bag.
Nice. Made it through.
- Smooth.
Hans, baby, on now to Ring the Bells.
And we just saw how tricky this obstacle can be.
- Ring those bells! Ring those bells!
- The key is trying to keep them static,
really launch yourself-- - Ooh!
Well, he made that transition like he was running it past.
- Whoa. Oh, boy.
If he can just dismount.
- I hear school bells, Matt.
School's over!
But this kid's a close eight.
One more to go.
- Hans Hertz.
[buzzer blares]
15 years old, and Hans Hertz
gets a buzzer his first time on the course.
[inspiring music]
* *
What a run!
- All right, Hans!
- Hans, congratulations, man. - Oh, my God.
- You made it look easy, but I know there was someone
who's really cheering you on.
What was it like having Harper
on your sideline, buddy? - Oh, it was amazing.
You can see him right now. He's so happy.
* *
Love you.
- Yeah.
- Hans Hertz just cruised through the course,
and on Ring the Bells, just look at the extension
when he grabbed the last handle.
Even he can't believe it.
At 15 he's the youngest to get a buzzer
so far this season,
and he gets to share it with his brother.
* *
[laughter]
- Well, this crowd's abuzz,
because they know who's coming up,
TikTok dancing sensations the Wright brothers
hit our course when we come back
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's opening night
on "American Ninja Warrior,"
and this crowd's getting quite a show.
Ronald Stewart always looks impressive
with his muscles and super-tight singlet.
Oh, my goodness.
But in three previous appearances,
he's never made it past the second obstacle.
- Watch out. Get off.
Oh! No, no, no, no, no.
- And unfortunately, he kept that streak alive tonight.
- Matt, it's the second obstacle again.
Come on, dawg.
[air horn blares]
He is cursed by the second obstacle.
- Utah's Josh Ferguson wore pink
to support his wife, who's battling breast cancer.
- Josh Ferguson running for a different purpose.
- The father of three
started doing Ninja with his kids
as a way to cope with the cancer diagnosis.
- And it's a proud moment for the family.
- He didn't expect to get far as a 38-year-old rookie,
but he wanted to give his family a lift.
- Oh, look at this.
- He made it to the third obstacle.
- Go, go, go! No, Domino.
- And though he fell, his family was thrilled
with his debut.
Utah mom Larissa Cottle
also had an emotional moment.
- Okay, okay, Larissa Cottle. I see you.
- She was competing for the first time
since the birth of her son, Jovie,
who was watching back home with her husband
while her mini-me daughter, LaRae,
watched from the sidelines.
- You got this, Mom!
- Despite not competing in four years,
this 30-year-old mom gave her kids a show.
- Whoa! Oh, my goodness.
What a landing!
- Come on, Mom!
- She made her way to the fourth obstacle...
- Larissa Cottle's going full-throttle.
- But couldn't escape trouble on the Getaway.
- Ooh! [air horn blares]
- All right, y'all, heading to the start line
are two of the biggest social media stars
in the world.
They've got millions of followers,
and now, the Wright brothers are ready
to dance down our course.
- Oh, oh. [laughs]
- Well, 19-year-old twins Jack and James Wright
are hoping to get some likes on their performance tonight.
[upbeat music]
- Starting on social media, my twin and I
first started posting dance videos.
- * Dance, everybody *
* Dance *
- It's so insane going
from a normal high school student
to so many people, like, around the world
commenting about us.
- * Bust a move, put on a show *
* Dance, come on now *
- So between us, we have 15 million followers.
- * Dance *
- Growing up, our family
has always watched "American Ninja Warrior."
* *
A lot of our supporters don't know
this athletic side of us at all.
- James and I both went to the Junior Olympics
in high school.
I used to pole vault.
- And I threw the discus, shotput,
and hammer at Stanford.
- James, do you realize we might make history?
There's never been twins
to hit the buzzer on the same night.
- Twin buzzers would be pretty cool.
I promise you our runs are gonna go viral.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, the girls love 'em.
And a few other famous influencers
are here to watch,
including Heidi D'Amelio and Vinnie Hacker.
James is going to watch from the sidelines
with his parents, but he'll get his shot next.
- He's a pole vaulter, so he should be comfortable
here on this first obstacle.
Oh, oh, less than comfortable.
- Better not go out on the first obstacle.
- Oh, oh!
- Whoo, landing at the right spot.
- Jack Wright almost long on that first one.
Let's see how he does on Greased Lightning.
- All right, here we go. Here we go.
You get to that stop, #dismount.
Oh!
Not #fall!
Peels right off.
Now that's about the right length
for a TikTok video.
- After a rough start on Pole Vault,
Jack was trending in the right direction,
but he couldn't hang on to Greased Lightning.
Well, now James gets a chance
to outperform his brother.
- Go, James! - Let's go, James.
[countdown clock beeping]
- 6'3", 190.
Ooh, he was aggressive with that one.
- Gotta get up. - He's gotta go!
Oh! - Wow.
- It is so good to be 6'3", Matt.
He used all of that height on that one.
- Refused to dip into the water.
Track star at Stanford, this guy is a serious athlete.
Can he best his brother here?
- Here we go. Greased Lightning.
- 190. Watch the drops here.
- All right, boom, boom, boom--oh!
The same thing.
I'm seeing doubles.
They're twins, and they went out
on the same obstacle.
- Coming up,
he's one of the fastest ninjas on the planet
and one of the favorites to win it all.
- He's a Ninja savant!
- 17-year-old Kai Beckstrand
flexes on the course
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Opening night on "Ninja Warrior"
has had its ups and downs.
- Oh! - Take yo-yo aficionado
John Rowe. He had a loud cheering section
which included his sister... - You got this, John!
- Ninja veteran Megan Rowe,
who's out this year due to injury.
And after conquering the first obstacle,
this precious metals trader looked solid
as he landed on the second...
- Oh, whoa, whoa! - Almost.
- Oh, my goodness!
Check this out again.
That was close. [air horn blares]
- 15-year-old Emily Keener's run
started off rough.
Oh, face-first!
That looked like it hurts.
- Come on, Em! - Come on, Em!
- But the high school freshman fought through it.
- Oh, Matt, she's bleeding.
You can see she's got a little blood on her lip?
- The Ninja rookie from Colorado
became the second woman
to reach Ring the Bells.
- Youngest in the field tonight,
and she is not scared.
- And she almost made it through.
- Ooh! [air horn blares]
- One of the most explosive ninjas
is Chicago's Cam "The Baum" Baumgartner.
He's coming off his best season ever
when he made it all the way to stage three.
- Last year, he looked really good, Matt.
- And the 25-year-old looked really good again tonight.
He was moving quickly in hopes of finishing under 1:20
and earning a shot at the Mega Wall.
- Cam's showing what he's got right here.
- He wasn't quite fast enough to have a shot at the 10K,
but he did get his fifth straight qualifying buzzer.
- Five time, showtime, all-time, good time.
- Well, I've got a feeling our next athlete
is going for that Mega Wall.
This is Kai Beckstrand,
from the well-known Beckstrand family
of ninjas in Utah.
Kai's 17 years old, and he's gonna bring the heat
this season.
Kai Beckstrand... [buzzer blares]
With the fastest time of the night.
- Season 13 of "American Ninja Warrior,"
me and my dad made history
by being the first father-son duo
to finish a qualifier course.
- Whoo! [buzzer blares]
- That was one of the greatest experiences
of my life.
- Whoo!
Oh, let's go.
[buzzer blares]
- I've wanted be a firefighter for a couple years now
just like my dad,
and it's getting closer and closer to that time.
[upbeat music]
I recently got accepted into the EMT program,
and that's just one of the many steps
that it's gonna take to become a firefighter in the future.
- We got our outriggers out. - Yeah.
- And we wanna make sure that it's level.
I love that Kai is interested in following in my footsteps
and becoming a firefighter as well.
Now we're gonna raise it,
we're gonna swing it to the side,
and then extend it out.
And knowing Kai,
I think it's a perfect fit for him.
[dramatic music]
- I've recently been hitting the weight room,
and it's been making me a lot stronger.
Incorporating weights is a bonus in Ninja training.
It affects my speed and explosiveness
through the course.
I feel like this season is gonna be absolutely fire.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- There's Dad, Mom, and the whole Beckstrand family.
All of them do Ninja.
Dad ran earlier tonight
and made it to the fifth obstacle.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
- So it's up to Kai to get a buzzer for the family.
- His mohawk is a little bigger than in previous years,
and his body is too.
He's now carrying 180 pounds of muscle.
Ooh, that's big for a ninja.
- Perfect. - Nice.
- Greased Lightning. Gonna take this for a ride.
- He ain't messing around, Matt. You can tell.
He already has his game plan. He looks very confident.
- Smooth.
And gets through it no problem.
- Go, Kai. Let's go.
- Dad says keep pushing.
And he more than anyone knows what Kai is capable of.
- And he's just right into the Getaway.
- That's what he's going for,
because he's going for the time.
Less than 30 seconds in,
and he's already cracked the code to the safe.
- You have to finish faster than 1:20.
Then you get a shot at that $10,000 Mega Wall.
- Get that bag. Get that bag.
All right, here we go.
Wow! - But look at that!
- What? - Just launching!
- Whoa!
- Kai Beckstrand is gonna get a shot
at the Mega Wall! Just gotta get up
this 14 1/2 feet!
And no problem! - Look at that!
- Kai is back!
- Wow.
- And with 25 seconds to spare.
Now he's gonna get a shot at the Mega Wall.
- You got your swole. Let me see that swole
real quick.
Oh, man. Come on, man, stop it.
- And you got the guns, but can you get up 18 1/2 feet?
Go take your try, bud.
- There you go. Uh-oh, here we go.
- We've had two attempts already tonight,
neither successful.
Can Kai Beckstrand be the first at the new height?
all: Mega Wall! Mega Wall!
- 18 1/2 feet. We raised it up 6 inches.
- This crowd's gonna erupt if he gets it.
- Here we go!
- Yes! - Oh!
Kai Beckstrand!
[dramatic rock music]
* *
- Congratulations.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card
is gonna pay you $10,000!
- What you gonna spend the $10,000 on, buddy?
- I might go on a trip. Who knows?
- If you blinked, you missed it.
Kai flew through the course 25 seconds faster than anyone,
and on the Mega Wall,
he had more than enough power
to earn himself 10K.
- Kai Beckstrand back in a big way,
and he's got $10,000.
- He's our third finisher tonight so far.
At this point, those are the three
we know are moving on to the semifinals.
On the women's side, Emily Keener
and Violet Kepo'o have guaranteed their spots.
Speaking of speed...
between "Ninja Warrior"
and the brand-new car makeover series
"Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge,"
NBC is bringing all the thrills this summer.
- Check out this message from our friend
and host of "Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge,"
Rutledge Wood.
- What's up, Rut? - Thanks, guys.
We're so excited. Hope you caught the premiere
last week. We're here on the set,
and there have been some amazing transformations so far.
I can't wait for everyone to see what's coming.
Tune in to the next episode
tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. on NBC.
- Welcome back to our season premiere,
which has been an all-ages show
in the past few minutes.
Washington, D.C.'s, Will Wong is 52
and is a national champion cyclist
in the master's division.
But he couldn't master the Pole Vault.
- Ooh!
Pow.
Got smacked right in the face.
- 36-year-old Mike Silenzi,
AKA "The Stallion,"
always creates a stampede on the sideline
and back in Chicago.
- Okay, Silenzi.
- And the ten-time "Ninja" veteran
had the giddyap going.
- I see you, baby.
- Silenzi's been on a roll in recent years
with six buzzers over the last two seasons,
and he got another one tonight.
[buzzer blares] - Whoo!
- Ay!
- 19-year-old Jera Boyd
had one thing on his mind.
- 19 years old. You know they like to go fast.
- The Minnesota teenager took down the Mega Wall
last year as a rookie,
and he was racing to get another chance this year...
- He's gotta go. He's gotta go. He's gotta go!
[buzzer blares] Whoa!
- By 3 one-hundredths of a second, you did it, buddy!
Giving him another shot at the Mega Wall.
- You better run up that wall
like you run up to Wells Fargo!
- And though it was six inches higher...
- Oh, my goodness, what?
- He got it for the second year in a row.
- No, you didn't. - And that earned him
$10,000 from Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card,
the second ninja tonight to do it.
Up next is "America Ninja Warrior's" favorite nurse,
Mady Howard.
The 27-year-old mom from Washington, Utah,
made it to Vegas last year
just months after adding a new member to her family.
- Where's my big boy?
Last season, my baby was six months old,
and so I had taken a break from Ninja for a while.
Good job.
And I was trying not to put too much pressure
on myself to do well.
- Go, go, go! - Ohh!
- But I was really happy with the outcome last year.
- Well, never underestimate the power of a mother.
Got it!
- Beckham is the cutest cheerleader ever.
- Look at you.
- This season, I'm feeling more prepared.
Beckham has never seen Mom get a buzzer,
and I'm hoping to change that tonight.
- Well, Beckham's gonna be watching
with Mady's husband, Tyler.
- Oh, look at baby Beckham.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, the top four women-- - Whoo.
- Ooh, did see those hands miss?
- Yes, she missed but caught it with the body.
Nice.
- Not the smoothest start for Mady,
but she's alive.
Well, locked in on the handles, and watch the drop.
Can she hold on here in Greased Lightning?
- Oh, you see, she's got the 90 degrees.
- Nice dismount--whoa! - Whoa!
Whoa! - Two for two,
making it interesting on these obstacles.
- Can we see that one in slow-mo?
That was so close.
That took all of her core strength
to keep from falling backwards,
but she saved it.
Her heart rate's gotta be racing
after those two close calls. - All right, stay on top.
Stay on top of the Dominoes. - Right through 'em.
- And her coworkers back in Utah love it.
On now to the Getaway here--
- Yeah, she's going right for it, too, Matt.
- Oh, she advanced that quickly.
I like it. Conserving that energy.
She's seen the challenge that that Ring the Bells presents.
- Unlocked the safe with that one.
Here we go.
- Well, let's see. In hot pursuit here
trying to make a quick escape.
Gotta launch it over
- Good control there by Mady.
Now gotta grab the bag of cash.
- Matt, look how smooth she is.
I mean, just the technique: flawless.
- Well, after a couple of close calls early,
Mady looking relaxed.
Will she be the first woman to get through Ring the Bells?
And getting some love from Beckham
before she starts
this challenging fifth obstacle.
He wants a buzzer for Mommy. - Here's your chance.
You got it.
- This one has been a little difficult.
It's a momentum changer.
- So diabolical, the way the bells swing
into each other.
[bell clanging]
- And the clanging and banging really disrupts the momentum
as well on the launch. - "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
Oh! - Oh!
Great save.
And just banging into it.
That's gonna make it very hard to launch--
- Nice. She just threw her body
into it.
- One more transfer here.
Can't go arm over arm from three to four.
Gotta launch. - Gotta go. Nice.
- Got it! - Great.
- Will she be a buzzer hitter here in season 15?
- Oh, she can hit that buzzer, Matt.
She can hit that buzzer!
[crowd chanting "Mady"]
- Last time, she got a buzzer. - Oh, no!
[air horn blares] - Oh.
She can't believe it.
Was so close to getting a buzzer.
Take a look. She gets her feet on the pad
but couldn't stick the dismount
and falls back into the water.
But that run's gonna earn her a spot in the semifinals.
- At 5'2", he may be one of our shortest competitors,
but Gnarly Nate Hansen is one of our biggest stars.
Born with a growth hormone deficiency,
he stopped growing when he was 12,
but it has not stopped him from becoming an elite ninja.
He's hit seven buzzers in the last three years
and made it to stage three in Vegas.
- Oh, look at that.
He's got a new moustache this year.
- And it seems to be working for him.
Started dating his girlfriend, Morgan, in the off-season.
She's there with Nate's family.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's go, Nate! - Come on, Nate!
- All right, come on.
Gotta get up. Real smooth.
- Good, Nate. - He's got friends watching
back in Colorado.
Nate's become so popular,
does appearances around the country.
He's improved every year.
First season, made it to the semifinals,
second season, stage one, last year, stage three.
Now he wants that million dollars.
- What kind of balance will he have here
on Domino Effect? - Ooh, there you go.
- [indistinct] Just effortless.
- And look, and he's going right for it.
Nice. - Nate works tirelessly.
Such a hard worker in the gym,
such a talented ninja,
and just comes up big, Akbar, whenever he's on the course.
- Yeah, he really does. I mean, Matt,
he stays focused, one of the more focused ninjas
out here.
- Go for the money! You got it!
- All right, get that money.
- Ooh, nice hang.
- Gotta be faster than 1:20
to get a shot at that Mega Wall.
- Well, Matt, he's got 20 seconds,
so he does have to hustle.
Nice.
Nice transition. - Real smooth move there.
- He's now got about 10 seconds left.
- Come on, Nate.
- He's got the handlebar moustache.
Now he's just gotta make that transition to...
- Oh! - To the other handlebar.
- You're phenomenal.
- And he rushed it.
- Good job, Nate.
- Splashes down, but he got to Ring the Bells fast enough,
and he's moving on.
- Look how close this was. The handle was swinging away,
and he still got all of his fingertips on it,
but he just couldn't hang on.
- Come on in.
- Yeah.
- Joining Nate in semis will be
his longtime training partner, Austin Gray.
Earlier tonight the two-time runner-up
ran right through the first four obstacles...
- Ooh, he is in full control, Matt.
- Outdid Gnarly Nate on Ring the Bells...
- You see how easy it looked for Austin?
- And hit his tenth career buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
Is this the year? Are you going all the way?
- I think so, Matt. I think this is it.
- When we come back, it's the Runoff,
our head-to-head races for the final spots
in semifinals.
Oh, yeah, we got a taste of it earlier tonight.
I'm ready for round two.
Let's go!
That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We're wrapping up our season premiere,
and our final runners were trying to earn
the last few spots in the semifinals.
Tatsumi Yanaba brought a snack:
his own brand of peanut butter.
Mmm, oh, it's exquisite.
Great creamy flavor.
This Peace Corps worker came all the way from Mozambique,
where he makes peanut butter to help feed the locals.
Tots' start was extra crunchy.
- Oh!
He got hit--ooh-- right in the peanuts.
- But the Minnesota native was smooth after that.
- Go, go, go!
- He made it to the fifth obstacle...
Ooh.
And that landed him a spot in the semifinals.
It's gotta be the peanut butter.
Every dog has its day
when Roo Yori takes the course.
- Okay, okay, bulldog.
- The Canine Ninja runs to raise awareness
for dogs that need adopting,
and he brought a few to the course,
along with a "ruff" crowd.
- The dog pound on the sideline cheering him on.
- The eight-time veteran is now 46
but proved old dogs can learn some new tricks.
- Nice. Okay, Roo Yori.
- He made it to the fifth obstacle
before falling... - Oh!
Adopt, don't shop.
- Securing him the final guaranteed spot
in the semifinals.
So here's a look at everyone who will be moving on.
Kai Beckstrand sits at the top with the fastest finish.
Six ninjas in all finished the course,
including "The Stallion," Mike Silenzi.
The top 11 are set,
but the 12th- and 13th-placed men
are about to race to determine the final spot.
On the women's side, Emily Keener, Mady Howard,
and Violet Kepo'o are in,
but our fourth- and fifth-place competitors
are going to race.
It's gonna be a battle between Utah mom
Larissa Cottle,
who we saw earlier,
and Jaelyn Bennett,
who just graduated with a degree
in mechanical engineering.
She can go from books to bikes
in a few seconds flat.
- One thing that I love about motocross is,
I love the freedom that it gives you.
It just feels like you're flying.
I definitely think that my comfort level
on bikes and going fast
will help me get through this course.
I'm ready to kick into gear
and get my first buzzer.
- Jaelyn's boyfriend, Austin Gray,
is going to be cheering her on
with the rest of the Colorado crew.
Larissa has her parents and daughter, LaRae, watching.
- Well, they both love to go fast.
And we're gonna see who prevails. What a showdown.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right, there goes Cottle.
There goes Bennett! - First obstacle is Home Run.
Step for step,
and they finish it in a dead heat.
Now it's Spring Forward.
And Cottle goes down immediately!
She is out. - Oh, no!
- But since it wasn't clear
who got through Home Run first,
Jaelyn Bennett needs to complete this obstacle
to make sure she advances.
- That's right, Matt, and she's going through,
staying steady.
Her name is Bennett, and she's in it!
- Got it. Just needs that dismount.
- Get that dismount. And there it is.
Jaelyn Bennett moving on.
Now on to Beehive.
You know she wants to get a buzzer.
You got it, Jaelyn! Keep going.
- Come on, Jae. Come on, Jae.
[cheers and applause]
- One obstacle left, Hopscotch.
- Ooh.
[cheers and applause]
- She didn't reach the buzzer,
but Jaelyn Bennett punches her ticket to the semifinals,
where she'll join her boyfriend, Austin Gray.
- You all right? - All right.
Nice job.
- Now for the men's runoff race.
- We've got Docta Bachta, Steven Bachta,
scoring off against the Carabao Ninja,
Glenn Albright.
- Docta Bachta is a 41-year-old pediatrician
from the Chicago area with two young daughters.
all: "American Ninja Warrior"!
- He's been training for a couple of years
with "Ninja" veteran Mike Silenzi.
Glenn Albright is representing for his Filipino heritage
by naming himself after the national animal,
the carabao water buffalo.
And he wants to put on a Thrilla from Manila.
- There's a whole country watching me,
and I know that I have to get out there,
and I have to put everything that I got into this.
[cheers and applause]
- Glenn's got some supporters watching him
from 7,000 miles away in the Philippines tonight.
And Doc Bachta has his wife and friends here
on the sideline.
- Four obstacles,
one buzzer, one spot.
[countdown clock beeping]
Oh, here we go!
Albright out first! - As you can see--
Bachta--Bachta's down!
And just like that,
the Carabao Ninja is moving on!
- Man, that pressure right there
was put all on the Docta,
and look at Albright still going through, Matt.
His fourth season, and he's never hit a buzzer.
He know he wants to finish.
- Well, Docta Bachta ends up getting a sponge bath
on that first obstacle.
- Yeah, he was off balance on his third step
and rolled right into the water.
This is Hopscotch. You can see.
So now you gotta go outside, blind grabs.
- And that's the hardest part. You gotta feel it.
Nice. - Boom.
- I love the way he threw himself up.
- Well, the carabao-- not an animal known for speed,
but it is known for going the distance.
- Oh. - And Glenn Albright
gets that buzzer.
- Good job, Glenn.
- He wanted that moment, Matt.
And boy, he looks good.
All right, all right, all right!
- An emotional Glenn Albright wraps up
an incredible opening night.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall,
I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."