- * I'm going to live my life *
* And be who I want to be *
* Oh, I just born to chase my dream *
- Yeah, you're there. You made it.
- I can't believe that I get to compete
with all of my ninja heroes.
Since I've started Ninja, this is the moment
that I've been waiting for.
- * I got too much pride *
* You can't take it from me *
* Oh, oh, I was born to chase my dream *
- When I was growing up, I could not imagine me
being right here in Las Vegas.
- He has worked so hard for this moment.
- This has been my dream ever since I came to America.
[cheers and applause]
- This season, the national finals
are going to be crazier--
- What a save! - --faster--
- Hot feet. Hot feet.
- --more breathtaking--
- Oh, my goodness!
- --and more unpredictable than ever before.
- We're racing on stage two.
Let's go!
both: Oh!
- Everyone is only four buzzers away from $1 million.
- Climbing stage 4 is what every ninja dreams of.
- The mountain is going down.
- It's time for the national finals.
[dramatic music]
- Are y'all ready?
- "American Ninja Warrior" national finals starts now.
[cheers and applause]
- Welcome to Las Vegas, where we are upping the ante.
We're kicking off a national finals
like Ninja Warriors never have before.
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, I am so excited, because this year,
it's going to be wild.
For the first time ever, our ninjas are going
to be racing here in Vegas.
- That's right, big man, and that'll
happen over on stage two.
But to get there and have a shot
at the million dollar prize, they'll first
have to survive stage one.
And that's where we begin tonight.
For a preview, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Guys, stage one is an all-out sprint
through eight obstacles.
And this season, it's got a Vegas twist.
We've got a brand-new obstacle called The Gambler,
where you go from a poker chip to a craps table
to a rolling roulette wheel that can eat up time.
- Ooh, spin it, spin it, spin it.
- And lastly, the Ace of Spades.
And there's a new final obstacle, Thread the Needle,
which launches you to the cargo net
and a climb to the buzzer.
They're going to have to do it in under 2:50
It's going to be wild. Guys?
- That's the stage one course.
If our ninja's survive, they move on
to stage two, three, and four, where
someone will win $1 million.
- At this point in the season, only the best athletes
are left in the competition.
- And here's just a few ninjas we'll see tonight.
The Weatherman, Joe Moravsky,
will be making his 10th appearance
at the National Finals.
He's tied for the most ever with another Ninja great we'll
see tonight, Flip Rodriguez.
Yes! Yes! - First mom!
- Plus, super mom Sandy Zimmerman makes her first
ever appearance on stage one.
- Well, we're going to kick things off
with one of the most energetic
competitors of the season.
This is New York high school student, Emily Gardiner.
She's had an impressive rookie year
making it to Vegas along with her boyfriend,
Kevin Rodriguez.
- I'm really happy to be here in Vegas,
but it just makes everything better
that Kevin's here with me.
We've been dating for six months now,
and we met through Ninja.
Ready, set, go.
Whenever me and Kevin train together,
it's always a friendly rivalry.
Oh, that was so good.
- That was good.
- We're always secretly competing
to be the better Ninja.
Oh!
Ha-ha, you're going down.
After he competed in LA, Kevin had a little surprise for me.
Thank you.
He actually prom-proposed to me.
Going to prom together was nice, and it was fun,
but I think hitting buzzers together on stage one in Vegas
will be even better.
* *
- Kevin will run later.
He'll be cheering along with Emily's parents.
[countdown clock beeping] Here we go.
The clock will count down from 2:50,
and she gets through Slide Surfer.
Has a gymnastics background-- started
in Ninja when she was 11.
Now climbing up to take on Three Ring Circus.
- Let's go.
- Three Ring Circus.
That blind grab can be a little alarming,
and generating enough power so the launch as well so you
can get up to that disk.
- You got it, Em. Let's go.
- See it? Grab it. - Launched right to it.
- And spent a lot of time there, Akbar.
You just have to be cognizant of every second
on this stage one course.
It is just a gauntlet.
A couple extra swings here again.
- Because she's got to generate that power.
You see, she's trying-- that's it.
There you go. And then launch.
Nice!
- Let's go!
Whoo!
- Oh, wow, she's on it now.
- Well, she said she likes big rides.
She's ready to go for one on the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Yeah, she's really trying to find that right grip,
but it's that transition.
You see, she's going with the switch grip early.
She's got to maintain that grip on the other side.
Nice!
- And you can see, catch it, double over,
and then made the switch.
- Wow, I like it. - Real good technique.
- That was great technique.
She made that adjustment on the fly.
16 years old, first time in Vegas.
Not bad.
- Let's go!
- Well, at 5'2"--
- Big strong leap for the Jumping Spider.
- And strong contact as well.
Got to get in that Jumping Spider,
and got to stick like magnet.
Nice!
- Strong leap.
- The power she had running onto the trampoline.
I love the force.
- And you see, you have to go below the first red stripe,
now up and over.
- And she could be just the fourth female teenager
ever to get through the Jumping Spider,
and she does it!
[cheers and applause]
- Matt, I get the feeling she's not racing
against the clock.
She's enjoying the journey.
To be this young-- - Yeah, we see you, Emily.
- I see you. All right, come on, now.
- She just called us out.
- She running out of time,
but still going to make a run at The Gambler.
- Keep it going. - Oh!
[buzzer blares]
- Well, she went all in--
didn't leave anything on the table.
- Her season is over, but a great debut
for Emily Gardiner.
- We told you she had energy.
Few women have ever made it through Jumping Spider,
and Emily just did it in her first season.
And she had fun out here.
- Up next, a Ninja who has not had fun
on stage the past few seasons,
it's the Big Dog, Jody Avila.
The 37-year-old heating and air-conditioning
technician from Texas is making
his fifth appearance in Vegas.
At 6'6, he's the biggest ever to conquer stage one.
Did that back in season nine, but he has
come up short the past three times he's been here.
His two sons watching from back home.
- I love you, boys.
- And his wife, Pauline, on the sideline.
Ninja buddies Flip Rodriguez and Barclay Stockett,
who run later.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, not only the tallest Ninja competing
in the National Finals--
also the heaviest at 210 pounds.
- But the big fella carries it well.
- Come on. Yes!
- Just smooth right there.
- Nice.
- A big frame, Akbar.
He really needs to be efficient.
He timed out on the final obstacle last year.
He's been working on his endurance
so he'll have something left for the end.
Now going to take that big body down
the Giant Rollercoaster.
No problem.
- Yeah!
- Oh, he is just looking smooth, Akbar.
He's used to tight spaces working in tight spaces
being in heating and air-conditioning.
Now gotta cram into that Jumping Spider.
- Yeah, you can see it's a little bit--
I feel for you, brother.
I'm 6'6" too.
I know it feels a little tight in there.
I'd get a little claustrophobic in there.
- And you can see when the feet start slipping,
you have to take more of it in the upper body,
and that's where it really gases you.
But Big Dog's slow--
- Claustrophobia, arachnophobia,
he got through that one.
- And he'll give us first full look at The Gambler.
It starts with a jump to the poker chip.
Now has to swing over to the craps table.
- And he's got it.
- Needs to slide it out and get
in position to go across the roulette wheel
to the Ace of Spades.
- And, Matt, this should be very easy for Jody Avila.
He's 6'6.
You can see his legs are already over the roulette
table, just walking it up.
- Oh, that's perfect.
That's just perfect.
And that's a big move.
Can he dismount? - Nice.
- And the Big Dog in great shape.
Three more obstacles to go.
- Should have no problem with the Warped Wall.
- Yeah, he's real good on time right here.
Doesn't look tired.
Maybe can put his stage one woes behind him.
- Well, this is a rematch.
Two seasons ago, he went out on the Dipping Birds.
- Quick feet, baby, quick feet.
- His wife, Pauline, knows just how much it would mean for him
to get a stage one buzzer.
- Nice, nice!
- Oh, it was close!
- Nice.
You said you'd do it, homey.
- 45 seconds.
- You said you would do it, big homey.
- Has plenty of time this year.
Just has to get through this obstacle-- Thread the Needle.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, no.
- Oh, my goodness.
- What happened?
- Was so close to putting his stage
one troubles behind him.
- A heartbreaking fall for the Big Dog.
- He was perfect on The Gambler,
got redemption on the Dipping Birds.
But on Thread the Needle, you need
to put that cane into the ring.
It's only one foot in diameter.
And he came up just a little bit short.
- Augh!
This stage one is my nemesis.
I've got to get that buzzer. I can't get it.
Augh!
- It's a national finals like no other.
- Here we go.
- With a million-dollar winner on stage four.
What a historic moment.
- But it starts tonight with dozens of top stars
taking on stage one.
[thunder booming]
- I'm ready to bring the thunder.
Let's go.
- Every Ninja's goal is a buzzer, except one.
- This is going to be the craziest stunt
that's ever been done on "American Ninja Warrior."
- He wants to pull off the impossible.
- No, he ain't, no, he ain't.
Are you kidding me?
- It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Our National Finals are rolling here in Vegas.
Minutes ago, it was the second half of one of our Ninja
couples as Rhode Island's Kevin Rodriguez
hit the course,
cheered on by girlfriend, Emily Gardiner, who ran minutes ago.
- Let's go, Kev. You got it.
- Rodriguez, a 16-year-old high schooler,
hit buzzers in qualifying and semifinals.
And he was making good time as he worked
his way across The Gambler.
- Oh!
- But he fell on the same obstacle as his
girlfriend, Emily.
Good job, Kev.
- Michigan's Riley Porter is the first of the sweet 15,
a record-breaking five 15-year-old women who
qualified for Vegas this year.
This high schooler is not only a concert flutist,
but is also a varsity pole vaulter.
- She's got that great upper-body strength.
- She sailed through the first three obstacles
but then faced the Jumping Spider.
- Oh!
- Then it was hardworking 18-year-old Benjamin Drake.
The Tennessee teenager balances three jobs
back home, including the fast food drive-through.
- You could see the intensity on Benjamin Drake's face.
- He got a buzzer in qualifying
and started off strong on stage one,
but then came the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Oh, my goodness.
What an epic flip.
Boy, he went spinning like a rollercoaster.
- Our next Ninja is rolling into Vegas on a hot streak.
This is 18-year-old Vance Walker.
He's hit buzzers in qualifying, semifinals,
and he won his Safety Pass race.
And you can see the patch there on his shorts.
That means if he falls, he'll get to run the course again,
but he may not need it.
After disappointment last year,
this kid's been unstoppable.
[dramatic music]
- All right, you got to stick it.
both: Oh!
- Going into Vegas in season 14,
I went out on the Jumping Spider.
That was a big shock to me.
- And Vance Walker--
the woes continue.
- The disappointment definitely helped me to focus
on the basics of Ninja.
I switched my environment.
And I took extra classes to graduate a whole year early,
and I immediately hit the road to find other places to train.
[upbeat music]
I knew if I wanted to win-- if I wanted total victory,
I had to train with the best.
So I got in my car and went to Houston
and trained with all the Houston
Ninjas, like Daniel Gil.
- Here it is.
Perfect.
Oh, my gosh.
Whoo. Jeesh.
[cheers and applause]
- All right, let's crush it this season.
- Let's go out and hit some buzzers, yeah?
- Oh, yeah.
And then I went to Florida and started training at Jungle
Gym with the Bergstroms.
I knew that they had what it takes to get
me in the right training spot.
I had my eye on that Jumping Spider all day, bro.
Redemption time.
- We should practice that.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, nice stick, man.
I said it would take me three seasons--
one to get it right--
- This kid is the real deal.
- --one to screw up--
- Oh, no!
- --and one to come back and win it all.
* *
- And some of those Ninjas he trained with
on the sideline along with his parents.
[countdown clock beeping]
And his success on the course is
all the more impressive considering he
had cerebral palsy as a child.
- He wore braces on his legs when he was young,
and yet here he is-- one of the best Ninjas in the world.
- Well, we saw him on "Ninja Junior"
where he didn't lose a race in two years.
In his rookie season, made it all
he way to the seventh obstacle
on stage 3 before he fell.
A little twisted up here.
[cheers and applause]
5'6", 150.
- You can speed it up here on Giant Rollercoaster,
especially if you're efficient.
Ride that speed.
Nice.
- Real smooth.
- This is it.
This is the obstacle that took him out last season.
- And his mom--
- So nervous.
- You know he put in a lot of time and a lot of training.
He is not going down on this obstacle again.
- Got it!
- Nice.
He has to use his lower body here.
Because of his cerebral palsy, Vance still
has to do extra stretches and physical therapy on those legs
before he runs.
- You got it. Good job. - Nice. Nice. Let's go.
- Let's see how he does on The Gambler.
- Oh, he's spinning.
- Oh, my.
- Get the core tight.
Get control of the poker chip.
- Great job using his hips to stop the spin.
Now going to the craps table.
- Yeah, now you want to get the front end and control it.
Use that momentum to get it as far out as you can.
Nice!
Now launch it.
Stay atop the roulette wheel.
Go right to the Ace of Spades.
- Come on, Vance, you got it.
- Nic. Dance across. Right to the card.
- He didn't rush it.
He had a plan for The Gambler, and it worked for him.
Got to rotate around.
Try to launch to the landing pad.
- Got it.
Real nice.
- Right into the Warped Wall.
Looking like he could get our first buzzer.
Remember, the faster you finish,
the better your seed on stage two.
The fastest will race against the slowest.
About 45 seconds for these final two obstacles.
- Nice, right through Dipping Birds.
- But now it's this very difficult final obstacle--
Thread the Needle.
He's going to try to be the first to solve it.
- Whoo! - And he nails it!
Brought the cane right through it.
Now just needs the dismount, a climb up the cargo net,
and he's going to be our first finisher of the night.
- You know what I'm about to say.
That boy good!
- He has been perfect all season,
and he keeps that streak alive.
[buzzer blares]
Our first buzzer.
He's going racing.
- Let's go!
- * I was born to chase my dreams *
- Yeah, you see him point at the mountain.
That's because his mind is on stage four.
The Jumping Spider wasn't going to get him this year.
He got his redemption.
Outplayed The Gambler, and he's the first to figure
out how to thread the needle.
- * Oh, oh, I was born to chase my dream *
- First of all, let's talk about Jumping Spider.
How were you feeling heading into that obstacle tonight?
- Absolutely terrified.
Yeah, I stared it down the same as last year, and I was like,
OK, we just got to do it.
So... - Yeah.
To be hitting the buzzer, heading to stage two,
National Finals in Vegas, how are you feeling, man?
- I'm feeling good. It's going down.
- We can't wait to watch it go down.
Congratulations on an awesome run.
Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- * Oh, oh, I was born to chase my dream *
- She's made history before.
- Yes! Yes!
- Now, super mom, Sandy Zimmerman,
gets her first shot ever on stage one.
We'll see her next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Las Vegas, where a couple
of Texas teenagers took on stage one
minutes ago.
First, high schooler Madelyn Madaras
tried to keep her impressive rookie season going.
[cheers and applause]
This 15-year-old, the youngest of our female competitors,
hit a buzzer in semifinals. - Nice!
- And she sailed through the first two obstacles,
but didn't release on the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Uh-oh!
This could be hard.
- She tried to build up momentum
but couldn't save herself.
- Oh! - Oh, baby.
- Things got a little spooky when
the Ghost Ninja, Sebastian Chrismer, hit the course.
The 15-year-old got the nickname because he
was born on Halloween.
And he was scary fast on the first three obstacles.
- Floating through the Rollercoaster
like Casper the Ghost.
- At 5'4", he came up short on the Jumping Spider.
- Oh!
- Good job, Sebastian.
- This is going to haunt him.
- Guys, Sandy Zimmerman's had a history-making
Ninja career, but one thing has been missing from her résumé--
a trip to the National Finals.
But she is putting that behind her right now.
In fact, this trailblazer is leading
a record-breaking group of four moms who
qualified for Vegas this year.
- Come on. You can do better than that.
Being the first mom to hit a buzzer--
- Yes!
Sandy Zimmerman has made history.
- --I did not realize how many other moms it would inspire.
Pull, pull!
That's a girl.
One more.
Yeah!
That's Vegas-bound material.
- I started this sport kind of late.
I was already a mom of two.
Can you believe I'm going to be on "American Ninja Warrior"?
Is that so cool? - I can't believe it.
- As a mom, to see Sandy, it's like so inspiring.
We're going together!
- Whoo!
We're going to Vegas! We're going to Vegas!
- I'm going to get you.
Being a mom is my greatest accomplishment so far--
- Mady Howard does it!
- --but the fact that I can be a Ninja
too and get to compete on this Vegas course is just amazing.
[cheers and applause]
- Now women have children, and they just come back,
and they're still crushing it.
- Zhanique Magnifique!
- Incredible.
- I'll never underestimate the power of a mother.
- To be here on this stage with these women is amazing.
* *
- We'll see all the women on stage one.
Sandy's up first.
She'll have her husband, Charlie, and two of her kids
on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
So impressive to be here at age 46.
- Well, how amazing would it be if Sandy Zimmerman
could get a buzzer tonight?
- Oh, man, that'd be history.
That'd be herstory for sure.
She's put so much work in.
As a seven-time veteran, first time to Vegas,
she is living it up.
Ooh!
- She had such high hopes for her first attempt at stage one
but comes up short on Three Ring Circus.
- Good job, Sandy.
- Well, let's take another look.
She had a decent swing up, but watch her hands.
Taps it with her right hand, and misses with her left.
Nine times out of 10, she's making that grab.
But still an inspiration to Ninjas everywhere.
- Up next is a competitor almost 30 years
younger than Sandra; it's Tennessee
teenager, Elijah Browning.
He's known as The Boss because he runs multiple businesses,
and now he's gone global along with fellow ninja
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.
[upbeat music]
- Enzo Wilson is literally my best friend.
We met when we were super young
on "American Ninja Warrior Junior."
* *
We have so many incredible memories together,
but one of my favorites was we got to go to Germany
and actually watch "Ninja Warrior Germany Versus
the World," because we had a ton of friends
that were on Team USA.
And then me and Enzo just lived it
up in Germany and Switzerland.
- We did some really cool things.
My favorite thing that we did was
paragliding in the Swiss Alps.
- It was incredible.
- This is so sick.
- Pretty cool, huh? - So sweet.
- Me and Enzo are both foodies.
We absolutely love eating, so we ate our way through all
these different countries.
- Time to taste.
So good. - Incredible, absolutely.
- It's good.
Traveling with Enzo is the absolute best.
It's a lot of competition all the time
literally with everything.
- We're just having fun every single day, constantly.
It's amazing.
- Me and Enzo have been all over the world,
but the one place we want to be is...
both: Stage 4.
- Enzo will run in a few minutes,
but the one to watch on the sideline
is Elijah's mom, Renee.
She lives and dies with every obstacle.
- Come on, Elijah. - Come on.
- Come on, Elijah.
[countdown clock beeping]
- The Boss made it to stage two as a rookie,
but failed to qualify for Vegas last year.
He's come back with a vengeance with buzzers
in qualifying and semifinals.
- Got it. [cheering]
- Nice.
Great technique.
- 6'1", 170.
On the bigger side for a Ninja,
but you just see the speed and power out of The Boss.
On now to the Giant Rollercoaster.
Get ready to go for a ride.
- Oh, putting the hat on backwards now.
Here he goes, Matt.
He's going for it. - Good transfer.
- Good speed.
Land it!
He's got it.
[cheers and applause]
He's looking dialed in.
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah, you can tell he is ready for this competition.
- Nice.
Hit it.
- Right into the Jumping Spider and a great pace.
Keep it going, had that efficiency through these first
four obstacles.
Mom's a little nervous about this new obstacle,
The Gambler.
- You got to have a game plan.
You got to roll with it.
- Well, it ain't gambling when you're as good as The Boss is.
- Yeah, he's making sure. He's a little cautious
wanting to make sure he doesn't
make any early mistakes.
Now grabbing onto that poker chip.
- Come on, buddy.
- Real smooth.
- Now going to the craps table.
Now have slide this handle forward.
- Nice.
Get to the edge. Nice.
Drag it through.
- Good power.
Now, can he just run atop the roulette wheel
and get to the Ace of Spades? - Nice.
- Nice. Walk it. Walk it.
Nice. - To the Ace of Spades.
[cheering]
- Brownie is cooking with high heat now.
- And rotate around to launch to the landing pad.
[cheers and applause]
Now, the 14-foot Warped Wall.
No problem.
1:10. - Got a little walk to him.
Wants to avoid a mistake on the Dipping Birds.
Regrouping.
- At 6'1", he's got that long gait.
He can just drive through Dipping Birds.
- Real good. - There you go.
Dip, baby, Dip.
- Now there's plenty of time to get through Thread the Needle.
- All right, hit that transfer.
He's got to get that cane right into that circle.
Oh, no!
- And you could see how quickly it ends.
Couldn't thread the needle.
Had plenty of time.
- Oh, my goodness.
That one was a shocker.
Take a look here.
First The Boss showed how to deal with The Gambler.
But on Thread the Needle, he didn't
get a great launch from the first hook,
and just look how close he was.
Oh!
- But he's still does have chance
to end up in the top 24 and move on.
Coming up, she's faced a tough couple of years
on the course--
- Oh, my gosh.
- --and off it, but you can't keep Barclay Stockett down.
- No matter what happens, I'm just thankful to be here.
- She's coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's the national finals in Vegas,
with our Ninjas rolling the dice on stage 1.
And moments ago, the Blue Jean Ninja, Cade Perkins,
took a chance by wearing his signature denim on the course.
Those are the same jeans he wears on the family farm
back in Iowa.
- That's his lucky blue jeans right there.
- The farmer had no problems on the first three obstacles,
but the denim probably didn't help on Jumping Spider.
- Go on with the stretch. Ooh!
Not enough stretch in his legs and not
enough stretch in the jeans.
- Rachel Degutz is known for wearing a denim jacket
as one of The Jersey Girls.
The three-time veteran from East Brunswick,
New Jersey, has gone out on the third obstacle
the past two years on stage one.
- Nice!
That's what I'm talking about.
- The middle school science teacher
solved that problem tonight.
- Her students back in New Jersey are like,
"That's my teacher."
- She became the second woman to reach The Gambler.
- Oh, come on. Let's go, let's go.
Ooh!
- And that's where her luck ran out.
Well, up next one of the biggest surprises
of the season. It's 16-year-old Hans Hertz.
This relatively unknown rookie has hit two buzzers already.
And the best part-- he's been able to share
it with his brother Harper.
[gentle music]
- It's important for me to have my brother
in my Ninja journey.
He has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, which is a physical
and intellectual disability.
Like, he's still super strong, super brave, and just the best
brother I could ask for.
- Before Ninja, Hans and Harper didn't
really have anything that they shared as far as an interest.
When I see Hans and Harper interact together...
[laughs]
It makes my heart melt.
* *
- I think I found my calling in "Ninja Warrior."
I started when I was 10.
Yes!
It was like--the first time I was really like,
"Wow, this is super cool." It's a super cool sport."
And that was the best thing that ever happened to me.
- And Hans Hertz gets a buzzer his first time on the course.
- And who would have thought-- six years later,
I'm fighting for $1 million.
- Hans ain't messing around.
- I'm four buzzers away from making it to stage four.
It's going to be fun.
* *
- What an awesome big brother Hans Hertz is.
Harper is going to be watching from the sidelines
with his parents and some of the Colorado Ninjas.
- You got it!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Matt, we didn't know the name Hans Hertz
before the season, but we know it now.
- Absolutely. Many of the other top teens
had big success on "Ninja Junior"
or in local competitions,
but Hans Hertz didn't have that Ninja résumé.
But he has opened up some eyes.
He finished the course in qualifying and semifinals
and has looked so poised for a rookie.
Just never looks nervous.
- Be gentle. Let it take you.
- On now to this Giant Rollercoaster.
- All right, here we go.
Hertz has the opportunity to drive
his way all the through this obstacle.
Nice!
- Real smooth.
[cheers and applause]
An effortless pace to this point.
Keep it going.
Whoo!
These Ninjas so impressive
both on and off the course.
He's a straight-A student already taking
college classes and is an ambassador
for the Special Olympics.
[cheers and applause]
Now facing The Gambler, and this can eat up time.
So many challenges.
Easy ways to get tripped up here.
- Yeah, Matt, and I doubt that Hans has spent
much time in a casino.
Nice!
- Great move there onto the craps table.
Can he get it extended?
- Well, for his first time here in Vegas, Matt,
he looks very comfortable. - He's going for it.
- OK, Hertz. OK, Hertz. - Right up top.
Great job. - OK.
That's a gold member right there.
- And this is as good as we've seen anyone
get through The Gambler.
- Golden. Nice.
- Hans Hertz betting on himself.
He's going to have plenty of time
for these final obstacles.
And remember, the faster you finish, the higher seed you'll
have for racing on stage two.
- Well, that's right, Matt.
You want to make sure that you get that speed
so you get good placement.
- But it's not over yet.
Gotta survive Thread the Needle.
- All right.
- Well, what a strong run out of Hans Hertz.
- Nice!
This ain't your grandmother's sewing machine.
I see you threading the needle.
- Let's go!
- Good power there.
I think he's going to get high up on this cargo net.
[cheers and applause]
And this high schooler continues to impress us.
Gonna have the fastest finish so far.
- That boy's fast.
- Hans Hertz does it again.
[buzzer blares] - OK.
- Yeah!
- Keeps his perfect season intact.
- Oh, oh, what's that dance?
What's that dance?
OK, Hans.
I see you with the dance move.
Hit me with the dance move. What ya got?
What was that?
Oh, hey.
- Hans, that's your third buzzer of the season,
and I know someone who's very proud of you.
Why don't you say hello to your brother?
- I love you.
- Aww.
- Just a great moment.
Hans, congratulations.
You're going racing on stage two.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Coming up...
He's getting better with age.
- He's back, baby.
- Ninja great Flip Rodriguez already
has two buzzers this year.
He goes for a third
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- It was a blast from the past as a couple
of old-school Ninjas got a shot at stage one minutes ago.
First up was Brett Sims, who started Ninja back
on season one, but tonight was his first time
competing as a dad.
- Whoo!
- With his newborn daughter and wife Grace watching,
Sims came out fast.
- Nice speed there.
- Across 12 seasons of Ninja, the 36-year-old
has never finished stage one.
- Nah!
- Tonight, he got slow rolled on the Roulette Wheel.
- Hurry, but don't rush.
That's the key.
- Oh, man, it is sucking up some time here.
- And though he finally got through,
he had only seconds left as he reached the final obstacle.
- Just go for it!
Ah!
- Stage one gets him again.
- Then, it was 11-time veteran James "The Beast" McGrath,
who is making his first appearance
in Vegas in five years.
- OK, Beast.
- The Jumping Spider has taken him
out three times in the past, but he survived it tonight.
- That's a big moment for him.
- Whoo!
- Then he too saw his luck change on The Gambler.
- He's fumbling on roulette.
He's all over the place.
- After eating up precious seconds--
[alarm blares]
- --he had no chance to finish, and he
heartbreakingly timed out.
- It's all right, babe.
It's OK.
- Matt, look at that. He's in tears.
Absolutely distraught.
- Up next is another old-school Ninja,
No one has made more trips to the National Finals
than this guy.
It's Flip Rodriguez.
And though he's 34, he's having a great season
with two buzzers already, and showing
he can keep up with the younger generation of Ninjas.
Flip's work as a top Hollywood stuntman
keeps him in elite physical condition.
And he's taking his Ninja training to another level--
- Who can't teach an old dog new tricks?
- --spending countless hours at RJ Roman's gym in Orlando.
- We don't know what that last 20 feet is going to be like.
- The 13-time veteran has embraced
the next wave of Ninjas.
It's always been this thing about teens versus veterans,
because they're younger and they're faster.
But the truth is that since I've been training with RJ,
Enzo, the Garemores,
those guys have been making me better,
and I'm 34 years old.
[buzzer blares]
I guarantee you I will be
"American Ninja Warrior" champion.
- Flip's got a big group of supporters here,
including some of the students he coaches.
- Got that fresh National Finals haircut.
[countdown clock beeping]
Ooh, looking like he's 21.
He knows what's up, Matt.
He wants to tap into that 21.
Flip Rodriguez, he can go fast.
- 21 buzzers in his career.
Seven of them have come right here on stage one.
Would love to get another one tonight.
- And real efficient there on Three Ring Circus.
- That clean cut means he's going to have a clean run.
- 5'11", 162-- just an explosive athlete.
Got the momentum going a little sideways-- corrects.
- Right.
We saw last year, he really came back to format, making
it all the way to stage 3.
We saw the old Flip Rodriguez.
- And you can see just an effortless pace here.
Really locked in.
[cheers and applause]
And he knows, Akbar.
This is a marathon.
You need to pace yourself for the eight obstacles.
- You want to make sure that you're
in control of your breathing.
We've seen some of the Ninjas get gassed out early.
- And real efficient there, looked very locked in.
Used a lot of lower body.
See what he has for The Gambler.
- He's on a mission.
Look at that nice little walk.
Using the opportunity to catch his breath.
- Well, a young Flip loved to take some risks.
Let's see what he does here.
Trying to get to the craps table.
- Oh, got a little turned around.
But you know, the one thing about Flip Rodriguez,
he's always under control.
- And you can see extending those arms
and that seemed to correct it.
Right at the edge of the craps table.
- This is an OG.
- Good power.
- So many of these young ninjas grew
up watching Flip Rodriguez.
- Let's see that footwork here.
He's about to put on a clinic here at The Gambler.
- Dance across the roulette wheel.
Nice! - Got it!
Big leap, too.
You saw he fully extended, almost like Superman.
- Well, that move right there-- that move across the roulette
wheel, that's been a big one for the Ninjas
who have completed it.
And Flip Rodriguez is motoring.
Just under a minute left for the final two obstacles.
- I see you, baby.
I see you!
[cheers and applause]
- Doesn't want to make a mistake on the Dipping Birds.
- Nice, nice, nice.
Got it!
[cheers and applause]
- Well, plenty of time, but it's going to come down
to how good he is with that cane in his hand.
[cheers and applause]
- Nice. Get up high. Control it.
The higher you have, the better control you have.
- Kip up. An extra swing.
- Yeah, he needs it right here.
He's looking at it, locating it.
Whoa, nice. - Got it.
- He barely got that one.
- He's got it.
He's going to have to get high up on the cargo net, Akbar.
It looks like he's running out of steam.
- He just needs about 12 seconds.
He's gotta get on that net by 12 seconds.
- Swing.
- Oh, boy.
- Oh, this is heartbreaking for Flip Rodriguez.
- Four, three...come on. - As the clock winds down.
- Come on. Come on. No!
What the what?
- Why?
- Well, Flip is not going to get the buzzer--
timing out.
He needed just a few more seconds.
But with this new format, Akbar,
the top 24 advance to race on stage two.
So if we don't get 24 finishers,
Flip could make it in.
He's disappointed right now, but this may not be the last
of Flip Rodriguez this season.
[cheers and applause]
And those races on stage two are
going to be epic, head to head the first time at the National
Finals, and it all starts in two weeks
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior" in Las Vegas.
It's the first night of the National Finals.
- And Matt, we've already had some big surprises
on stage one.
- Massachusetts gym owner, Matt D'Amico is known
for going fast and going far.
He made it all the way to stage 3
as a rookie last season.
This kid is so impressive.
He got off to a start tonight, but then
came the Giant Rollercoaster.
Oh!
- Matt D'Amico, the latest victim
of the Giant Rollercoaster.
Then it was another top Ninja who
made it to stage 3 last year, Chicago's
Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner.
- Coming off his best season ever.
- The 25-year-old has collected 11 buzzers
in the past five years,
and he was looking locked in again tonight until
he reached Jumping Spider.
- Oh, no!
That is a shocker.
The bomb explodes.
Everyone's excited when this Ninja takes the course--
the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett.
This crowd favorite has been through a tough couple
of years, which included the death of her mom
and her own health problems.
But despite everything she's faced,
she still manages to sparkle.
- Stage one--
- Nice!
- --I've made it far into the course every single year.
- Yes!
- And then season 14, my run lasted two seconds.
I didn't fall in the water, but I fell--
- Whoa, whoa!
- Oh, no!
- Oh, my gosh!
- --off the course.
- Wow, she is livid, Matt.
- I've gone through a lot of loss.
- Memories of our moms, it's precious.
- But Tee and I are having our little corner of the world--
- Thank you for my coffee.
- You're welcome.
- --it makes me feel like I'm alive again.
[both chuckling]
- I still love who I am, and I still love my friends,
and I still love the experience of getting to be
on this life-changing course.
No matter what happens, I'm just like joyful
and I'm just thankful to be here.
[cheers and applause]
- This woman has been through so much.
- She's got a big group of supporters,
including Ninja great Flex Labreck
along with Barclay's fiancée Tee.
- Matt, she's been thinking about this first obstacle
for a year.
[countdown clock beeping] That's 52 weeks,
365 days.
Let's go.
Big strides, big strides.
- And real confident right through it this time.
- Yeah, that's got to feel good.
Conquered the obstacle that took you out last year.
- Former level 10 gymnast should
be very comfortable on Three Ring Circus.
- Nice. Pull back.
Get it.
See it.
- Nice. - Nice grab.
This is a difficult one, Matt, but that's all right.
She's got it.
- She is looking locked in.
[cheers and applause]
Get ready to go for a ride.
Giant Rollercoaster has been bucking
people off all night long.
- Yeah.
Anticipate the speed, because it does go fast.
Now, you see how it throws you up like that?
Nice! - Oh, no!
Only one hand but somehow holds on.
- Oh, wow. - What a save.
- Great save by Barclay Stockett.
- And that was tremendous body awareness.
- Look at that again.
She was hanging on by one hand.
Somehow corrected herself, and finished the obstacle.
Come on.
- But now another big challenge for her at 5-feet
tall, the Jumping Spider.
She is still the shortest person
to get through this obstacle-- did it six years ago.
- Wow, well done.
- And she's flying through the Jumping Spider
as well as we've seen anyone get through it.
[cheers and applause]
Can she be the first woman to get through The Gambler?
- This would be nice.
- Got to get going.
Keep an eye on that clock, Akbar.
- Yeah, I'm looking.
It's 1:15.
- She's going backwards.
Now, trying to run up to it to get the poker chip.
- Come on.
- It's going to drop down.
Tried this on Jeep Run before.
Airballed the jump.
Oh, fingertips!
- Pumping herself up, nice.
- What a grab!
- But she spent a lot of time there.
She's got no room for error now.
This clock is ticking.
- A rejuvenated Barclay Stockett.
- And now, she's got to work her way down to the front edge
here to make sure she can get that up as far as possible.
- Giving it everything she's got.
- You can see she's staying really focused here.
This fifth obstacle can really tax you.
- Need a big move here.
- Come on, Barclay.
- A lot of swings.
- Ooh. - Wow.
- Oh, boy.
- And now goes for a ride on the roulette wheel
as the clock ticks down.
Just so frustrating.
- Oh, boy.
Now, she's just got to get straight up-- straight up.
No time to really waste here. 10 seconds.
[alarm]
- Could still complete the obstacle.
[cheers and applause]
- Nice.
- Well, not going to get a buzzer,
but made it farther than any woman this night.
- It was a great effort.
It was a great effort.
I see you, Barclay Stockett.
- Well, left it all on the course.
- Yes! - Great job, babe.
- Some of those saves were remarkable.
Still so many positives in this run out of Barclay.
- And she is spent.
- Matt, I can't believe she survived when
her hand slipped off the bar on Giant Rollercoaster.
At 5-foot-nothing, this run
was nothing short of superhuman.
- What an awesome run.
You looked so strong, so solid out here.
Is that how you felt?
- Oh, no.
I struggled through every single movement.
I think stage one is so intimidating and hard for me,
because I'm like so small, and it is so big.
- Well, you mentioned being small,
but you are tiny and mighty.
OK?
So you make tiny look good.
I know the buzzer was the goal for tonight.
But at the end of the day, this was an incredible run.
You have so much to be proud of this season,
and we have absolutely loved watching you compete.
Great work out here tonight. - Thank you so much, Zuri.
I love you.
- I absolutely love you, girl.
Give it up Barclay, y'all.
Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- We absolutely love Barclay.
And here comes another crowd favorite.
It's the energetic Florida teenager,
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.
- He's charged up as always.
- Earlier, we showed you Enzo's travels
with friend Elijah Browning.
Elijah is in the back with that big group of friends
and family on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
- He just graduated from high school-- runs
a non-profit that helps clean up the ocean.
Raised money for hurricane relief in Florida.
This kid's impressive.
- 17 years old.
His third time facing stage one.
Still has the record as the youngest athlete
ever to clear it.
And I like the pace out of Enzo.
You know, his motor is not going to run out, Akbar.
- We know that he's a high-energy kid,
and he shows up with it's prime time.
- Well, felt he really stepped up his training
by spending a lot of time practicing with his buddy,
Elijah "Boss" Browning.
- Those two don't just travel together.
They also train hard together for an ninja.
[cheers and applause]
- Needs a big bounce here on Jumping Spider.
- And good and high.
Got to down there below that red bar and now up.
- Yeah, that's it. Go. Get out of there.
- Nice!
[cheers and applause]
- Come on, Enz.
- This has been the separator--
The Gambler.
- If I'm a gambling man, I'm going
to tell you right now, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson
is going to crush The Gambler.
- This one has been so challenging.
- Nice.
- Looking solid.
- Oh, you see him get on the edge there?
It's all about that technique-- making sure you
can get the right location.
- Got to get up high.
Can he dance across the top of the roulette wheel?
Oh, it goes into a spin.
- Uh-oh.
And Enzo just having trouble here on the roulette wheel.
Keep going, keep going, keep going!
And the clock is ticking down, Akbar.
Going to make this leap to the Ace of Spades.
And he got it, but used up a lot of time here.
Once again, The Gambler taking its cut.
- Gotta motor.
- Nice!
And look at this--
- And this is where that speed that 17-year-old
motor is going to come in handy.
- This kid is serious.
He is not messing around.
- How efficient can he be on Thread the Needle?
- Nice!
- Got to launch it right here.
Got to send it.
- Big move.
OK, Enzo. - And a high transfer.
Good pair. Get up, kid.
- Oh, he's going for a big one.
He's going for a big one.
Nice!
- Great work.
Just a short climb up the cargo net.
- Oh, come on, come on!
- He's going to do it with time to spare.
He'll be our third finisher and the second fastest so far.
[buzzer blares] - Nice.
[cheering]
- Enzo gets that buzzer.
- Wow.
- Electrifying run.
- Let's go!
- His third buzzer of the season, and he's
the second fastest among our finishers so far.
Remember, the faster you go, the better your seed
for racing on stage two.
Some of those who came close to finishing still
have a shot to move on if they can stay in the top 24
after all competitors have run stage one.
- Coming up, last year, TikTok star Bob Reese
risked his season for one outrageous trick.
- No, he ain't! Oh!
- Now, he's going to try it again.
- I want to show people what's humanly possible.
- You don't want to miss this moment next
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's opening night of our national finals in Las Vegas.
And moments ago, North Carolina's Brandon Thomas
came out wearing shades-- one, because his future is
so bright, and two, because he's colorblind.
The 18-year-old rookie then took off the glasses
and was laser-focused on the course.
- Oh!
Big grab!
- But fatigue caught up to him on the final few obstacles.
- Oh, boy, he is struggling right now.
- He fought his way to the end--
- He's winded! He's gassed out!
Oh!
- --only to miss the grab on the cargo net.
But he could still move on if he stays in the top 24
on stage one.
Then, social media sensation, Johnny Brown,
came out wearing his signature flying squirrel suit.
His nutty antics in the suit have almost
100 million views on TikTok.
The 26-year-old from Georgia got off to a good start.
- I want to see this flying squirrel go for a little ride.
- But the flying squirrel wasn't
so great at flying through the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Oh!
- Well, up next is another social media star.
It's South Carolina's Bob Reese,
who has millions of views for his crazy flips and tricks.
- Whoo!
- Well, tonight he wants to pull off
something on the course that's never been done before.
- Last year, I risked my chance at $1 million
so that I could try to front flip into the Jumping Spider.
- No he ain't, no he ain't, no he ain't!
Oh! Oh!
Reese's Pieces!
- A lot of people viewed it as a wasted chance at $1 million.
But for me, it was a lot bigger than that.
I have been training this every day
for the past three months in order to get on the show.
Here we go.
* *
People love a good story.
That's what all my videos are.
They're stories of me going through challenges.
And the fact that this challenge
is going to have taken me three years to complete,
I want to show people what's humanly possible.
I'm about to become a father.
I'm about to have my first son, and I've
always wanted to be a dad.
I think it would really inspire him to see
me land this front flip.
I am ready to flip out tonight.
- Nobody wants to miss this, including
his pregnant wife, Ashley, who's due later this summer.
[countdown clock beeping]
He's not thinking about a buzzer.
He just wants to get to that fourth obstacle.
- And if you haven't checked him out--
- Oh, my kids have.
- --go take a look at him on Instagram or TikTok.
This guy is insane.
Loves pushing his body to the limits.
- Matt, my kids are always sending me his YouTube
and TikTok videos.
- Just so good.
He is a big man.
Six feet, 185.
Moves like someone half his size, though.
- Matt, I'm getting hyped right now.
He just needs to get through the Giant Rollercoaster,
and he'll get his moment.
- Lands it into the final cradle.
So this is it.
He's going to size it up.
Even though many have fallen only
on Jumping Spider the normal way,
he's going to try to land a flip inside the chute.
- Come on, Matt.
- Ended his season last year, but he doesn't care.
Scared money don't make money.
- What?
Oh, my goodness.
Reese has landed-- stuck like peanut butter.
Yes! - Reese!
- Are you kidding me?
- The first front flip into--
- Oh, my goodness.
- --the Jumping Spider we've ever seen.
- It's over, ladies, and gentleman.
It's over.
Matt, we got to see this again, he went into flip mode.
Watch this.
Pow!
And this is risky.
This is the finals, and he nails it.
Unbelievable.
- Well, he's not done.
He's a gambler.
Let's see what he does on this fifth obstacle.
- Oh, man.
When you hit a flip like that, The Gambler is nothing.
He took the biggest gamble there on Jumping Spider.
- Six feet, 185--
should have the power to get this craps table extended.
He's going for it. Get it rotating.
- Here we go, here we go.
This is nothing to him.
- Yes!
- I'm still blind from what we just witnessed.
- Well, Bob Reese said that Jumping Spider was his goal,
but Akbar, he's got a good chance
of going on to stage two.
- Heck, yeah, he does.
Come on!
- That is just astounding athleticism.
Wow, Bob Reese making it look effortless.
- Now, I want to see him all the way to the top.
I got to see you all the way at the buzzer.
- Usually, Reese goes for pieces.
Tonight, he wants the whole darn thing.
45 seconds left to get that buzzer.
- Get it, get it, get it.
Nice, nice, nice.
- Balance is legendary, but we've
seen some Ninjas get tripped up with this cane
on Thread the Needle.
- And, Matt, the secret is you want to get high on the cane
so you can have better control.
He's got 30 seconds, so he needs to move.
- Reese has a ton of power.
- Uh-oh, an extra swing.
That's costly. - Come on, come on.
Get it up and over. Ooh.
- There it is. - He got that snatch.
- Couldn't get the cane up.
- Oh, this is crucial.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, crucial.
- Bob Reese!
- Oh, my goodness.
He's fighting with it.
- Just doesn't have the technique here.
- Oh.
- Well, he made it interesting to the very end.
Definitely the most exciting run we've seen all night.
- Oh, Matt, it's worth seeing again.
- It's hard to do a front flip, it's
hard to land inside the chute, but Bob Reese pulled it off.
- That's going viral.
- Bob-- man, that was insane.
- I did it. [chuckles]
- You did it.
I mean, that's what you were going for.
How'd you pull it off this time?
- I practiced so much.
I mean, the day before I came out here,
I practiced in my gym.
I did 20 in a row.
I mean, I've been practicing this for three years,
and to finally achieve it.
Like, I'm not at all upset that I fell over here.
Like, that's all I wanted.
[chuckles]
- Can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Thank you so much for being out here tonight.
- Thank you. - Great work, Bob.
Guys, back to you.
- Yes!
- Coming up, he's the flyboy on the course,
but he's a mama's boy at heart.
- At the end of every run, I tell my mom, "I love you."
- I love you, Mom.
- I love you, Isaiah.
- Isaiah Thomas is up next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's been a game of Texas hold 'em for a pair of Ninjas
in the last few minutes.
Erick Zamorano was making his first appearance
at the national finals.
And The Easy Ninja made Three Ring Circus look easy.
- Nice!
- The 19-year-old from McAllen, Texas,
trains with Ninja veteran Abel Gonzalez.
But when the college student reached Giant Rollercoaster,
he didn't know when to hold 'em.
- Oh, he missed it!
Oh, the bar slipped right out of his hands.
- Another Texan, 34-year-old Jonathan Bange,
AKA The Bangin' Ninja, had things rolling
on his first try at stage one.
- All right, get in there! Nice!
- Well, the life coach had lots of support
on the sidelines,
and with his students back in Texas.
But a slow pace on the first part of the course
meant he had to go for broke on the back half.
- OK, Bange!
Bange has got to go on an all-out sprint!
He's got a chance!
- With time ticking away, he gambled on a last-second grab
at the cargo net.
- Oh, no.
- But that may be far enough fast enough
to stay in the top 24 and move on.
And of course, he went out with a...
- Bang!
- And Bange's buddy, the Big Cat Karsten Williams,
has just started his run
coming down the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Nice.
- Smooth.
- And the one constant on the sideline, Mama Linda.
- Come on, Karst!
- 6'1", 175.
But at 42, he's one of our older competitors.
- Nice.
Good.
- And everyone knows Karsten Williams.
He first started competing 10 years ago.
Now, he's one of the top coaches in the country.
- Got some of those kids watching
back in the Dallas area.
[cheers and applause]
- But as good as Karsten Williams is,
he's not had a lot of luck here in Vegas.
He's made it to stage one seven times
but has only gotten past it once.
- He's had a good pace through this point,
but we've seen The Gambler eat up a lot of time.
You can see him fighting the rotation on the chip.
- Ooh, stay calm.
That's when you got to have a poker face
right there when you start struggling.
- Well, we've seen it.
This is the difference maker here.
Getting that craps table out and lining it up.
- Well, that's great.
He's doing a great job of using his 175-pound
weight and momentum to get that crap board moving.
- Two-stepping. - Nice, nice.
Ooh! - Got it.
- Boy, he two-steps like a 42-year-old.
- That was a big move for the Big Cat.
Gotta stop the spinning here.
Wow.
And you can see him fighting-- - Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
He is spinning time. He is spinning.
- Going right round.
- Time is spinning.
- Oh, no.
- He is spinning.
Time is spinning.
Let's go!
Oh-ho-ho!
- Just got forward.
- He's a former track athlete, and he's going to have
to sprint to the finish now.
- Ooh, he's trying--
- He's looking spent, Akbar.
- He's a little gassed, Matt.
That will do it to you.
Six hard obstacles.
- Come on, you can do it Karst!
- He can see the clock ticking down in front of him.
Just lost too much time on The Gambler.
He's gonna need a miracle to finish now.
- Nice. Keep going!
- Oh!
- Oh, my goodness.
- Staying alive but got to go.
- Hah! Hah!
- The Big Cat!
The troubles on stage one continue.
- Oh, the red light's on, Matt.
You know he's starting to feel the pressure.
Oh!
- Well, Akbar, we've seen it a lot tonight.
Times out on Thread the Needle, but it was The Gambler
that ended the run for the Big Cat.
- Good going, Big Cat.
Good going, Big Cat.
- The Big Cat made a great leap
to reach the Ace of Spades,
but then spent almost 20 seconds spinning around.
If he had that extra time, he would have
finished the course.
- Well, Karsten can now head to the sideline
and watch one of his prized pupils.
It's the Fly Boy, 17-year-old Isaiah Thomas.
He likes to say he's built different.
He gets that confidence and strength from his mom.
[upbeat music]
- I'm excited to come back for my third time to Vegas.
* *
- Come on, get up. Keep going. Keep going. Climb up.
- I wouldn't be here without my mom.
All the late night drives, all the training,
it's all because of her.
- There you go. - Yes.
- There you go. - Keep going.
I taught him work ethic from a young age.
Throw it. Send it! Yeah!
Because I am a single mother,
it was important for him to learn young
how to be independent.
[screams] That's my baby!
He definitely is my reason for being.
He takes care of me every single day.
He is my purpose.
- Isaiah gets his first Semis buzzer!
- Let's go!
- At the end of every run, I tell my mom I love her,
just because she's always there for me.
I love you, Mom! - I love you, Isaiah!
- I know a lot of people don't have someone that's
always there for them and I'm just grateful that she is.
Tonight, I'm gonna hit a buzzer for my mom.
* *
- Of course, Mom is on the sideline,
along with all those other Texas Ninjas he trains with.
[countdown beeping]
Fly Boy's made it to the national finals
all three years he's competed.
He actually graduated from high school early
so he'd have more time to train.
- He's been focused on all Ninja, all day.
- 6'2", 155,
had a blazing time in Semifinals
but then lost the safety pass to Vance Walker
by a tenth of a second
so he doesn't have that insurance policy.
If he falls tonight, he cannot run again.
We're watching here on the Giant Rollercoaster.
- You gotta make a good catch right there,
release, come in tight.
Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go, let's go! - Pace it!
- This was the obstacle that took him out last season.
Ooh, and this is a kid who doesn't dwell on his mistakes.
- A'ight, get in there!
- Whoa, oh! - Nice.
- Made the leap. - OK, good flexibility.
- The Jumping Spider has taxed a lot of ninjas.
Just struggling to feel comfortable,
really get locked in that chute.
- Matt, have you ever been inside of a Jumping Spider?
- No. - It is intense.
It really is a full body workout.
- This is where his coaches,
Jonathan Bange and Karsten Williams,
ran into trouble on the Gambler.
And you hear his sideline say keep moving.
- Yeah, nice. - 'Cause this can eat up time.
So easy to get hung up,
stuck in the casino, as it were, on the Gambler.
- Nice! Okay, here we go.
- [indistinct]
Yes, sir. One more big one.
- Nice. - Launch it forward.
You can see it's real tough to get this fully extended.
- Nice, nice.
- 6'2". Nice.
Walk it out, walk it out!
Nice! - Well done.
Fly Boy Ninja is flying through the Gambler.
- He learned from watching Bange and Karsten.
- [cheering] - You got it!
- A minute left for the final three obstacles.
No problem with the Warped Wall.
- Yeah, that--and that should be plenty of time here.
- Go, go, go, get off! - You're fine!
Breathe, you're fine!
- Jonathan Bange telling him to breathe.
Remember, he and Karsten were down to their final seconds
at this point, but Fly Boy's in good shape.
Time shouldn't be an issue,
but a lot of ninjas getting gassed.
That grip has gotta be taxed.
- Well, that was a great point to just take
a little bit of a breather here.
Get up high. Nice! - Got it!
- Whoo!
Man, I'm throwing myself at that cargo net right now.
I don't want to even chance slipping off that cane.
- And the Fly Boy Ninja's gonna do it.
- Yes, he is. - He's flying to Stage 2.
- That extra work in the gym has paid off.
He's been training for this in the AMs and the PMs!
Nice! [buzzer blasts]
- Let's go! [loud cheers and applause]
- And he is pumped!
Fly Boy Ninja's going racing.
- I'm him! - And he is him!
- I love you, Mom!
- [laughs] - Aww.
- I love you, Isaiah!
- Yo, man,
I love when you're on the course you're the Fly Boy
but then you yell out "I love you, Mom!"
You turn into mama's boy, man.
Tell me about that relationship with your mom.
- I got a hug from my mom before this,
before I ran the course, and that's all I needed.
- I like it, man.
Can't wait to see you on Stage 2.
- You're going racing, Isaiah! We'll see you there!
- Let's get it!
- Wow.
He's him. That's right, he's him!
That Mama Boy's gon' be tough to beat on Stage 2.
[cheers and applause]
- Coming up, she took down
the great Jessie Graff to get here.
- Oh!
- So good!
- Now high schooler Jaleesa Himka
tries to take down Stage 1
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- It's opening night of our National Finals in Las Vegas.
And moments ago, Arkansas high schooler Joseph Rouse
brought his homemade robot, Chalky, to the start line.
- OK, look at that! Gimme some skin.
- The budding engineer had the first four obstacles
down to a science.
- They say youth is wasted on the young
but not for this young fella.
- But his luck changed when he reached the Gambler
and his run stalled out on the Roulette Wheel.
- Not looking good here. He's going in circles.
He's gotta get up and go.
- Though he finally made it through,
he timed out seconds later.
both: Oh! [timer blares]
- Georgia's Ethan Bartnicki comes into Vegas on a roll.
He's already hit two buzzers this season.
That's coming off last year
when he made it all the way to Stage 3.
The 5'4" college student took a tumble
on the Roulette Wheel.
- Nice, nice, nice--whoa!
- But he immediately recovered.
- Nice. But now he has to sprint and he can't let up.
- The 18-year-old made quick work of
the final three obstacles.
- Get up and over! There we go.
- And climbed to his third buzzer of the season.
[cheers and applause]
- I'm him! I'm the GOAT!
Let's go!
- Then another member of the Sweet 15,
the five 15-year-old women who qualified for Vegas this year,
took the course.
It was Bradenton, Florida's Emma Pereyra.
- Emma Pereyra is not messing around.
She means business.
- The high schooler had a smooth ride
on the Giant Rollercoaster. - Nice.
- But the rookie's run went off the rails
on the Jumping Spider.
- Oh!
- Up next is another member of the Sweet 15,
high school student Jaleesa Himka.
She's running tonight with the very enthusiastic support
of her mom, who's also an impressive athlete.
- Let's go!
You ready to go? - Let's do it.
I started Ninja when I was six years old
'cause my mom made Ninja camps for kids.
- I started doing American Ninja Warrior summer camps
to pay for my kids to go to college
and they just loved it.
Keep those lock offs. Stay in the Ls.
- Athletic talent definitely runs in our family.
- Yeah, that's it. Come on, you got this.
- My mom was an American Gladiator.
She grew up doing basically every sport.
- You got this. Pop your hips. Good.
I'm 53 and she's 15.
So I always tell her, like, "Don't let me beat you.
You'd be embarrassed if I beat you."
- And Himka staying ahead on the Beehive.
- Yeah! Let's go!
This is her moment, this is her chance to shine.
I am so excited.
- And she does it! [cheers and applause]
- It would mean the world to me to hit a buzzer on Stage 1
and looking down to see my mom going crazy would be amazing.
* *
- Mom's already hyped up for this run.
She's leading a big group on the sideline.
[countdown beeping]
- It's already been a wild rookie season for Jaleesa.
She had to win a runoff race just to get to the Semifinals
and that's where she pulled off a huge upset
of Ninja great Jessie Graff.
- How cool is that for her to beat the legend
that she grew up watching? - Yes!
Well, make the most of it here, Jaleesa.
- Nice, grab it.
That--she looks very calm for her first time!
- She does and really efficient, Akbar.
Well, you see the benefits of growing up
with a mom who's a Ninja coach.
- Yeah! Come on, come on, come on!
- Been training in the backyard,
but nothing like the Giant Rollercoaster
back in Colorado.
- It's so hard to anticipate the speed,
but it's the technique.
The successful ones come in very tight.
Bring it in tight! Nice. - I loved it.
Doing a great job of lagging the hips,
controlling her flight.
And she's through three obstacles.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, she's excited about that one.
5'6", 120, should have plenty of length
for the Jumping Spider.
- And it's not just the power,
it's also the power in the stick!
Nice! Just like that. - There it is.
[cheers and applause]
Well, it's a select group of women
who've ever gotten past the Jumping Spider,
and Jaleesa Himka would be the youngest ever to do it.
Just a 15-year-old high schooler.
- She's making her way up.
Uh-oh, a little slippage there.
She gotta get out of there though.
- And this really saps that energy.
While she might get through it
but what will she have left for the other obstacles?
- That's really taxing the upper body, the lower body.
- What a great shot.
See how high up above the water you are.
- Ooh, nice. - And she makes it.
- Yeah! Let's go! Yeah!
- Mom's excited but Jaleesa needs to pick up the pace
if she wants to get through more obstacles.
She's the fourth woman tonight to reach the Gambler,
but Barclay Stockett is the only one
who's made it past it.
- And at this point, a buzzer seems unlikely,
but it would still be amazing.
She could be the woman who goes farther than any other.
Get to that chip!
- All right, nice. - Big leap.
- All right, good. Good control.
- It would be so impressive if she could get through
this obstacle as a rookie, but gotta get going.
- Big swing! Big backswing!
- And just a lot of extra swings here.
Gets to the Craps Table. Can she slide it forward?
- Yo, I see you!
- And this is so challenging and needs so much power.
- Yeah, 5'6", 120 pounds, she's gotta use that momentum
to help kinda rock it to the right position.
Nice. - Well, this is it.
15 seconds left. Can she make that transfer?
- Uh-oh, uh-oh. Now we got-- - Clock ticking down.
Go for it, Jaleesa! Go for it! - Come on, Jaleesa, come on!
- And this is the no man's land.
[timer blaring]
- Oh. - Oh!
- Well, she comes up short on the Gambler
but she gave her mom plenty to cheer about.
- That's okay! That was awesome!
[cheers and applause]
- A great debut for Jaleesa Himka.
Up next is a stay-at-home dad from Pittsburgh,
27-year-old Barry Boyd.
- Oh, my goodness.
- That's baby Jaylynn, Isaiah the two-year-old,
and Barry's wife Mercedes.
Barry's been so impressive this season,
hitting a buzzer in Qualifying and Semifinals as a rookie.
- And go! Whoa!
I'm representing for all the young dads out there.
Being a stay-at-home dad, I get to do everything with my kids.
It just feels like the fun never stops.
As soon as we wake up,
it's just off to the next adventure.
Cheese!
When I compete, I get to go out there,
show off for my kids.
- Okay, Barry Boyd! - Let's go!
And they get to watch their dad achieve his goals.
Isaiah and Jaylynn,
Daddy's gonna go hit a buzzer for you guys tonight.
* *
- Such a great story.
He and his brother spent five years in foster care,
but the family's now together.
That's his mom on the sidelines
along with his wife and kids.
[countdown beeping] - Come on, hon.
- So proud to have those two children watching him.
- And setting a great example. Come on, Papa!
- Come on, honey. You got it, you got it.
- Boy, he's started off great.
What a rookie campaign. Two buzzers.
I mean, wasn't even into sports growing up.
- And right up on Three Ring Circus, get to that ring.
I like the pace early on here out of Barry Boyd.
Wow, great job controlling that ring.
- Okay, here we go, Rollercoaster.
- 5'7", 155, the Barry Fit Ninja is rollin'.
- Yeah, the Papa is a rolling ninja!
Nice! Ooh, bit tight!
Whoo! I got a little scared right there.
- He's looking solid.
- Whoa, what do you think the G-force was on that?
- The B-2 bomber flying through the course,
now getting ready for Jumping Spider.
- Come on, Barry! - 5'7".
- You can find some of these in the local gyms,
but this one's the national--
- Oh! - Oh, my goodness.
- And you could see, couldn't get the legs
locked in simultaneously.
- First time on the course and he looked confident early,
but on Jumping Spider,
just didn't get the legs locked at the same time.
And his impressive season comes to an end.
- When we come back,
Kai Beckstrand's been a blur all season.
- He better pull over, he's going too fast!
- He's one of the favorites to win the million dollars.
- Oh, my goodness!
- He is coming up next on "American Ninja Warrior."
* *
- Four members of the Bergstrom Bunch
started the season
and three of them are running tonight:
David, Ashley, and Caleb.
Minutes ago, David, better known as Da Cake Ninja,
had cake at the start
and waiting for him at the finish.
- You can see there's a cupcake a the buzzer.
- David's wife Caitlyn,
who was eliminated in Semis by her sister-in-law, Ashley,
was cheering him on from the sideline
with the rest of the family. - [chanting] We want cake!
- The 23-year-old had a sweet run going
on the first half of the course,
but he found out the Gambler was no cake walk.
- Oh!
- Matt, you--you were supposed to wait till he hit the buzzer.
- Oops. - [chuckles]
- Then the second Bergstrom of the night, Ashley,
got her shot.
She and her husband Caleb are the first married couple
to compete together in Vegas.
[cheers and applause]
- How special is that?
- Ashley hit a buzzer three years ago,
but she started slowly on Slide Surfer.
- Oh, ooh, be careful.
- And then looked tentative on Three Ring Circus.
- Nice, go--oh.
- Well, at least she plugged her nose on the way down.
That's great awareness.
- So now there's only one Bergstrom left
in the competition and that's Caleb,
who's now starting his run.
[countdown beeping]
Caleb has to be coming in with a lot of confidence;
two buzzers and a Mega Wall.
- He's got a lot of confidence
but also knowing that this is probably
the most intense Stage 1 we've had
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Yeah, this course is playing very tough;
only had five finishers so far.
It is completely taxing them,
testing their cardio levels, their strength, everything,
but Caleb looking real efficient.
- Yeah, and strong.
- Caleb's 23, the youngest of nine Bergstrom siblings.
This kid, not only is he a coach,
he's part owner of the Jungle Gym, the Bergstrom family gym.
- And they put in a lot of work in that gym,
I'm telling you, you watch the submission videos you see,
they're putting in work around the clock.
- Let's go, buddy! - Breathe!
- Still has a full two minutes on the clock.
Right into the Gambler.
Let's see if this Craps Table--such a challenge.
Get to the end, get it fully extended.
- Matt, you can see with how efficient
Caleb's run has been so far,
you can tell how much work he's been putting in.
He ain't mess around. - Such power.
- Nice. - Dances--that's just perfect!
Caleb Bergstrom!
A little spun out here on the Ace of Spades, but through.
- Okay! - Well, he is in position for
the fastest time of the night, Akbar.
But keep in mind, back in Season 11,
it was the seventh obstacle that took him out.
Then it was the Diving Boards; now the Dipping Birds.
- Here we go.
Nice long stride. Open up your gait.
Nice glide! Nice!
[cheers and applause]
- He's got a shot at the fastest time.
How efficient can he be on Thread The Needle?
- Well, Matt, he might have a great opportunity
if he can get this one here.
- Wow. - Nice.
One big swing and he's got that [indistinct].
High up on the cargo net.
- Caleb Bergstrom's gonna do it!
And the faster you finish,
the better your seed will be when you race on Stage 2!
- Oh, it's getting so close!
- Get to that buzzer! [buzzer blares]
Oh!
[cheers and applause] - Yeah!
- The fastest time of the night!
This course is tough but Caleb Bergstrom made it look easy.
Showing these other ninjas how it's done
and we're gonna see him racing on Stage 2.
But that top time may not last long
because one of the fastest ninjas up next.
Zuri, get 'em goin'!
- Guys, Kai Beckstrand has been on fire this season
and many ninjas think
he may be tough to beat this year here in Vegas.
He had the fastest time in his Semifinals race
and the fastest time in Qualifying.
And he's the guy no one wants to race on Stage 2.
- This kid can move on a Ninja course
and then just right into the getaway.
- Kai is the fastest person I have ever seen.
- Kai Beckstrand with the fastest time of the night!
- Speed is definitely my strong suit
and it's also my favorite.
- We've never seen anyone fly through it like this.
Are you kidding me?
- All of us, we're trying to run fast enough
that we don't have to race Kai.
- Oh, my goodness!
- Yeah, I don't wanna race Kai! I'd rather not.
Let's--let's race somebody not as fast as Kai.
- Unbelievable!
- I think a higher seed would definitely help in Stage 2.
- These guys are the best!
- Wow!
- Anything to not race Kai again.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Kai comes from a big ninja family.
His siblings compete
and so does his mom, Harley, and his dad, Brian.
Two years ago, Brian and Kai were the first father-son duo
to hit a buzzer in the same night.
[countdown beeping]
- We thought Caleb Bergstrom was fast,
but Kai Beckstrand just has another gear.
- And he's not just fast; he is strong.
He's been hitting the weight room.
He's up to 180 pounds.
- Matt, look at how much muscle he's put on
since just last year. My goodness.
- 180 is on the heavy side for a ninja
but he carries it so well.
Feels stronger, well, he is gonna be taxed here
on this Stage 1 course.
- Yeah, Matt, I had a chance to see him
up in the Ninja warm up zone and you could tell
he had a lot on his mind about this Stage 1.
- When we met him back on "ANW Junior"--
- Ooh! Uh-oh! - Oh, no!
- That was way too aggressive.
- We've had surprises all night
but this has gotta be the biggest.
Kai Beckstrand, a favorite to win it all, is out.
- We know he likes to go fast
but coming off the Rollercoaster,
he didn't stop to regroup.
He went right into the chute
and his right foot landed well before his left
and he couldn't stay up.
[water splashing]
- Kai can't believe it. Neither can his family.
He was one of the favorites to win it all,
but his season is done.
Coming up, it could be another milestone for Joe Moravsky
as the Weatherman goes for his 30th career buzzer
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
* *
- The first night of the National Finals in Vegas
has been a thrill ride.
Minutes ago, Rhode Island's Luke Dillon gave us
a nail-biting run.
- That's how you do it! Okay, Dillon!
- Dillon's hit two buzzers this season,
and with his girlfriend Avery Glantz cheering him on,
he made it to the final obstacles
but was running out of time.
- He's gotta go. [indistinct], baby!
- Like a few others tonight with time running out,
he had to make a last minute leap to the cargo net.
- Oh, my goodness. Come on, come on!
- And he was able to reach the buzzer
with just over three seconds to spare.
- [screams]
- He's our seventh finisher of the night.
So now there's only one more runner left
and he's a crowd favorite.
Zuri, get 'em started.
- Guys, Joe Moravsky has more buzzers
than any ninja in history,
and he's planning on adding four more
here in Vegas this year.
He may now be a 34-year-old
and juggling three kids at home,
but he's still a favorite to win the million dollars.
He's got a record 29 total buzzers,
and this will be his record tying 10th time
at the National Finals.
- His little ones are back in Connecticut,
but his wife, Stephanie, is on the sidelines
with other family and friends.
With those three kids at home, Joe doesn't
get to train as much as other elite ninjas,
and he shockingly hasn't hit a buzzer yet this year.
- You're right.
That's not like Joe Moravsky.
And you know, he's carrying that chip on his shoulder.
This is a dude that gets a little angry
when he doesn't get a buzzer.
- He starts every season with one goal--
to win the million dollars over on stage four.
- He's been the last Ninja standing multiple
times-- has come close.
Thought last year could be his year,
but didn't get to compete in Vegas, so he's hungry.
[cheers and applause]
- Joe had to watch five competitors
climb stage four last year.
He wants a shot at climbing that rope.
He actually has an 80-foot rope in his backyard
to practice on.
- So many people believe that he's
going to be the next American Ninja Warrior.
He's got the skills.
He just has to put it all together.
[cheers and applause]
- A buzzer tonight would be his 30th--
quite a milestone, but The Gambler has
been a roadblock all night.
And Joe's being very careful here at the start.
- And it says it right there on his shirt, don't quit--
do it.
- Well, you christened him the dadbod Ninja.
He's added muscle to that frame.
Feels he's stronger than ever.
- And you can tell. You can see it.
It pays off. Nice.
- Great.
You see those vise grips?
It's like he just went out there and grabbed it.
My goodness.
- And Moravsky in excellent position.
[cheers and applause]
- Come on, you got it.
- Get it, get it! Go, go, go.
- He's got a lot of time.
And the one thing-- we're not seeing
Joe Moravsky huffing and puffing like we've
seen some of the other ninjas.
- Heads to the final two obstacles.
And he knows there's a seeding for stage two.
The faster you go, the slower opponent you will face.
- Come on!
- Let's go!
- At 34 years old, he's double the age
of a lot of these Ninjas.
He wants the crowd to cheer me on.
- Yeah, he says cheer me on.
I need some hype.
- And he goes right in to Thread the Needle.
- Well, he loves his skill-- feels confident
with a cane in his hand.
- Oh, boy-- what, are you calling him old?
Matt, you just called him old with a cane in his hand.
- [chuckling] - And look at him!
He's about to get a good time.
- The Weatherman is going to do it once again.
He's moving on to stage two.
- There you go; there you go.
- What a moment for Joe Moravsky
to get his first buzzer of the season
and the 30th of his career.
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
- Holding up a 3 and a 0 for 30 buzzers--
more than any other Ninja.
Well, Joe Moravsky, you continue to make
history-- your 30th buzzer.
- It's just so sweet to be back here.
Two years older, but still able to keep
up with these young guys.
I heard you, Akbar, while I was running.
- Oh, hey-- look here, man.
Look, did you feel any older holding that cane?
- I'm going to tell you right now,
that's the only way you're going to see me using the cane.
[laughter]
- Are you ready to go racing on stage two
and show them you still got it?
- You better believe it! - All right!
- Whoo!
- OK, man.
- So that wraps up our first night on stage one,
and Caleb Bergstrom sits atop the leaderboard.
He's followed by four teenagers.
And there amongst all the young competitors
is 34-year-old Joe Moravsky.
Tonight's eight finishers are guaranteed to move on,
but the rest will have to wait and see what happens next week
when the other half of our finalists take on this course.
When everyone has run the course, then only the top 24
will advance and race on stage two.
- We'll see the rest of the field on this course
next week.
- And in two weeks, we're going racing on stage two.
I can't wait for that.
- Me either, big man.
From Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall--
I'm Matt Iseman-- we'll see you next time
on "American Ninja Warrior."