[cheers and applause]
- Vance Walker wins a million dollars!
He's the new
"American Ninja Warrior" champion!
- The Mountain went down last season.
Now, the question is, can it be done two years in a row?
- * The best is yet to come *
- I don't think there's a single person here
that wants that million dollars more than me.
- * Keep your eyes wide open *
- Nobody that's won "American Ninja Warrior"
has come back and done it again,
and to be the first person to be able to do that
would be absolutely insane.
- * We won't stop, we won't stop, yeah *
* We won't drop, we won't drop *
* We won't stop, we won't stop *
- Any dream can come true
if you truly want it.
- I want to be the first mom to beat Stage One.
- * We won't stop, we won't stop *
* The best is yet to come *
- It's time for the National Finals.
This is so exciting.
[laughs]
- There are lots of great shows in Vegas,
but there's nothing like the bright lights
of the Nation Finals on "American Ninja Warrior"!
Hello, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, here we go.
This is when the "Ninja" season gets real.
We crowned a champion last year, so let's do it again.
- Absolutely, big man,
but to win the million dollars,
the ninjas must survive the four intense stages
here in Vegas,
including head-to-head races on Stage Two.
And it all begins tonight on Stage One.
For a preview, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Guys, Stage One is an all-out sprint
through eight obstacles with a few surprises
waiting for our ninjas.
First up is Slide Surfer.
Then making its first appearance
in the National Finals is Barrel Roll.
That's followed by a slide down the Giant Rollercoaster,
and a leap into the Jumping Spider.
Since we're in Vegas, the Gambler is back
with a craps table, a roulette wheel...
- Ooh, spin it, spin it, spin it.
- And a spinning ace of spades.
They all can eat up a lot of time.
And in the homestretch, ninjas will face the Warped Wall,
a sprint across Dipping Birds,
and have to precise on Thread the Needle...
- Yes!
- Which leads to the buzzer.
And don't forget, there is a time limit on Stage One.
They've got to finish in under 2 minutes and 50 seconds.
Guys?
- It's going to be a big night,
and we're going to start off
with one of our smallest competitors.
It's 5' tall Sydney Yee.
She's only 15 years old, but this Ohio high schooler
has an impressive résumé.
- I'm involved in a lot.
I play the violin.
I do track and field.
I'm part of the Mensa.
I'm in the Boy Scouts.
Be careful on the bridge.
And on top of all of that, I'm a ninja.
- Yeah. Whoo!
- I love having Michelle Warnky as my coach...
- Yeah, nice. You got it.
- Because she shows me that, as a girl,
I can do all these crazy obstacles
and I can hit buzzers.
- Nice job.
It's been awesome to see Sydney just get better
and better and better
and just encourage so many people along the way.
- She's got it!
- Oh, I like this!
- I really, really want that buzzer.
[cheers and applause]
- What an overachiever.
And she's showing some love to her coach, Michelle,
who's watching back in Ohio.
And Sydney's family and friends are on the sideline.
The clock will count down from 2 minutes, 50 seconds.
[countdown clock beeping]
At 5' tall, she's going to need
big strides on Slide Surfer.
And good job there.
On now to the Barrel Roll.
First time we've had this obstacle in Las Vegas.
We saw this in Tacoma. You go for a ride on this one.
She makes the first grab.
Has to build up momentum
to swing up to grab that second barrel.
She only weighs 109 pounds,
so it may be hard for her to generate swing.
Now has to climb to the top for an even bigger move.
She'll need to fly all the way over to the landing pad.
And she does it.
[cheers and applause]
First time facing these obstacles,
but she looks confident.
- Okay, here we go-- Rollercoaster.
And it's is all about that timing.
Nice! - Nice!
Real smooth transfer. Get that cradle.
- Nice. - She's got it!
[cheers and applause]
And she rolls through.
There's the smile looking at her family.
- Go, Sydney. - Come on, come on, come on.
- But this next obstacle, Jumping Spider,
will be a real test.
Only one ninja her size has ever gotten through it.
That's Barclay Stockett.
Oh, wow! - Oh, oh!
Oh, keep it, keep it. Fight it, fight it.
Come on. Oh, she's slick.
Oh! - Oh!
- The walls over there are a little slick.
- And look at her fighting.
This girl is so good. - Oh, come on.
- We told you she's an overachiever.
That is remarkable.
- Wow. What an amazing--
5', 109 pounds Sydney Yee.
Whoo.
- Probably won't have enough time left
to finish the full course,
but if she can get through this obstacle,
that is a real accomplishment.
- Get this Jumping Spider.
Get this Jumping Spider. - Come on!
It's so amazing-- 15 years old--
how these athletes rise to the occasion
here in the bright lights of Vegas.
And she's going do it!
[cheers and applause]
She just made "Ninja" history.
She and Barclay Stockett are now the only ninjas
at 5' tall to get past the Jumping Spider.
And she's exhausted. - Hey!
- Hi, Sydney!
- Oh, I'm so happy for her.
15 years old, out here doing her thing.
- The clock is ticking away,
but she's going to start the next obstacle, the Gambler.
Time's running out, but that's a--
Aw! [air horn blares]
No buzzer, but that one was a victory for Sydney Yee.
At just 5' tall, she makes it to the fifth obstacle
in her debut on Stage One.
You really have to do the splits
to land inside the chute on Jumping Spider,
and Sydney used every inch.
And then she kept herself from slipping
as she fought her way through, and she makes "Ninja" history.
[cheers and applause]
What a great rookie season for Sydney Yee--
just 15 years old.
Well, it is time for a sugar rush.
Smearing himself with frosting is the Cake Ninja,
David Bergstrom-Wright.
He always eats cake before his run.
And getting married recently hasn't improved his diet.
- The National Finals, season 11
was actually where I met my wife.
So it's amazing to be able to go back with her
to where it all started.
I love it.
[upbeat music]
- Pick a cake. Pick a cake. - Ooh.
- You know I want chocolate.
- Being part of the Bergstroms,
it's been great.
Honestly, I couldn't imagine a more welcoming family.
- Bring it in. Yeah. - Oh.
So coming back from LA, I kind of celebrated
a little bit too much.
I went all out on the food and the dessert,
and gained a couple of pounds.
I gained five pounds from LA.
Caitlyn tried to stop me.
She was like, hey, your six-pack's disappearing.
But, unfortunately, I did not.
And it just slid down the slope.
No fruit for me.
- This one? - No.
- Banana? - No.
You can take the cake out of the ninja,
but you can't take the ninja out of the cake.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Caitlyn and her brother Caleb
are also running tonight.
Everyone on that sideline has a cupcake...
and wasting good frosting!
- Here we go! Here we go!
- And for motivation,
there's a cupcake waiting at the buzzer.
- Matt, he's still chewing that cake.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Maybe he's trying to change his look.
In five seasons, he's never hit a buzzer in Vegas.
- Matt, you talk about chewing cake
and doing Ninja at the same time.
- I felt like my mom said at one point,
don't run with your mouth full.
But Cake Ninja, he's doing it his way.
- I can barely chew gum and walk at the same time.
- Looks a little unusual with frosting on his face,
but let's be honest--
- Matt, he's not digesting it. He's still chewing.
He's not done.
- Well, last season, had a great run going
till he got to the Gambler.
- Matt, he's still chewing. I hope he doesn't choke.
[cheers and applause]
- He's looking so easy and being efficient here.
- Nice.
- Struggling to get locked up.
This is what we saw last time, Akbar.
And this sapped his energy, and it's happening again.
- And, Matt, this has a lot to do with his hip flexibility.
- This sideways technique he's using
is making him work harder.
- Oh, man. He's slipping on the frosting.
- And this is expending so much energy.
You can see him fighting to maintain it.
- And his cheeks are still full of cupcakes.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, as we said, this is where
his season ended last year--
a dramatic fall here on the Gambler.
This is a challenge.
Last season, this took out so many ninjas.
- Lock it in.
- Right up onto the chip, headed to the craps table.
- Know the plan! - Come on!
- No problem.
Just slide it down. Use that momentum.
And you can see-- just fighting it here.
Keep in mind, though, that clock is ticking down.
Going to need to really just dance
across the top of this roulette wheel.
- Dance, dance, dance. Nice! - Got it. Good.
Got to rotate around, try to launch to the landing pad.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, oh.
All right, I'm entertained.
- Come on, David, you got this. - Go, go!
- And it took a while, but he's through the Gambler.
But no time to celebrate.
He's now got less than a minute
for the final few obstacles.
Gets up the Warped Wall, but he is not moving fast.
[cheering]
And you can see now that it's catching up.
He's a bit winded.
- Get going, Cake! The clock is running!
This is what makes Stage One a challenge.
There's no time to rest.
He's got two more obstacles to go.
Now the Dipping Birds.
- Nice! Nice! Ooh!
- Just survives!
Under 30 seconds.
Got to be perfect here on Thread The Needle.
Got to get that cane into the wind.
- Ooh! - Oh!
Does he have the power to get that cane unhooked.
Got it, but the clock is ticking.
Get high on that cargo net.
Oh, no! That's the swing! - Oh.
- Oh, my goodness. He's still chewing.
- Wants to get to the cupcake at the buzzer.
- He might have spent a little bit too much time
chewing instead of moving!
Oh!
He's going to end up choking! [buzzer blares]
- And that has to be heartbreaking.
He was so close, but that cupcake remains at the buzzer,
just out of his reach.
And that says it all.
No buzzer and no cupcake.
A disappointing run for the Cake Ninja.
But, Akbar, I believe we earned ours.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
The first night of the National Finals
is packed with Ninja superstars,
including last season's million-dollar winner,
Vance Walker,
who's trying to be "Ninja's" first back-to-back champion.
- I'm trying to get that double victory.
- Last year's runner-up, Daniel Gil,
could really use that million dollars this year.
He's going to be a dad.
- Having a baby!
- Plus, our women's champion, Addy Herman,
has been close before.
She's gunning to be the fourth woman ever
to finish Stage One.
- She is determined.
- And the first woman do it eight years ago,
the trailblazer Jessie Graff is back.
Can she pull out another "Ninja" miracle?
[buzzer blares]
It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
[cheers and applause]
- A cake-covered David Bergstrom-Wright
timed out on Stage One minutes ago.
- So close. - No!
- And while we were away, his wife, Caitlyn,
got her shot at the course.
- Let's go, baby!
- They're just the second husband-wife team
to qualify for the National Finals.
And Caitlyn had no problem with the first two obstacles.
- She made that look easy.
- But then came the Giant Rollercoaster.
- No!
[air horn blares]
- Massachusetts teenager Jacob Arnstein
was making his second trip to the National Finals,
but his run started off rough.
- Ooh! My goodness!
- The high schooler had an early face-off
with the Barrel Roll but kept going.
- You know he's feeling that one,
but he's still pushing through the pain.
- He was able to roll his way past Giant Rollercoaster.
- Ooh, boy, he is taking a beating
through the first three obstacles.
- But at 5'3",
the Jumping Spider was a challenge.
- Get in there. Oh!
Whoo.
- 30-year-old Vincent Pane just earned his PhD
in chemistry from Stanford,
and he was in his element on the early obstacles.
- No pain, no gain.
- This Renaissance man is an artist, a dancer,
and makes his own clothes.
But he is not apparently a gambling man.
- There's a little bit of science in gambling.
Oh!
The scientist got a lesson in gravity right there.
- And now it's time for the Reach,
Utah's 6'5" John Mack.
And you see him make that point to the sky.
That's for his late father,
who got him into Ninja ten years ago.
[somber music]
- When I was 13, my dad committed suicide.
* *
- * I held the weight of the world on my shoulders *
- We discovered "Ninja Warrior" together,
and I do "Ninja Warrior" to run in his memory
and in honor of him.
* *
- * We thought that time was on our side *
* But nobody tells you *
- [voice breaking] I'm so proud of John,
because it wasn't easy to be 13 years old
and have your dad die.
But he shares the compassion that he's learned
from his dad to help others.
- * I don't want to say goodbye *
- Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity
to speak for a suicide-prevention group
called Mae's Way Foundation at one of their kid's camps.
They flew me out to Indiana,
and I got to speak at their first-ever event.
My heart was broken in that moment when I lost my dad,
but my family and friends, they fixed my heart.
Mental health is a topic that often gets
shoved under the rug.
So, having an opportunity to talk about it,
it was pretty special.
- * What if I'm not the type *
* To say goodbye? *
- If I can help just one person, one kid,
then it's all worth it.
[cheers and applause]
- You can see the pride on his mom's face.
She's on the sideline with a big group from Utah.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, it's always special to make it to Vegas,
but for John Mack, this is a moment
over a decade in the making.
Started watching back in season five,
had some success
but never qualified for the National Finals
until this season.
Well, Big Mack is ready for this.
He's lost ten pounds since the semis.
- Don't be fooled by his size. This big fella can move.
He's got some speed to him.
And he recognizes, being a big and heavier ninja,
he can't spend too much time on these obstacles.
- Well, that's why he lost 10 pounds, and he knows it.
Lost that safety pass to Sam Folsom--such a good race.
Running without a net, but he has got speed.
[cheers and applause] - Come on, buddy!
- At 6'5", watch the flexibility here
to get locked in on Jumping Spider.
- Nice. He's super comfortable.
He says he ain't scared of none of these obstacles.
- You can see a little slow progress here.
- He better get going. - Every second counts.
- And then a big drop-off.
Well done!
- On now to the Gambler.
Can he handle being on this chip?
- He literally can just reach out and touch the craps table.
- Wow, he was in total control there.
Can he use his big frame to launch this craps table out?
- This is where the heavy weight makes it very easy.
Look at how long those arms are.
My goodness. - See his balance here.
- Matt, he-- - Oh, fingertips! Fingertips!
- Matt, he barely had to even reach out there
to get on the roulette wheel.
- Well, he's 6'5", got a 6'10" wingspan, and, Akbar,
he was down to the fingertips on the Ace of Spades.
- Nice. - Well, here we go.
Over a minute left.
Does he have the wind? - Just reach up.
You don't even have to run.
Just literally reach up, grab, and pull yourself up.
- And, Akbar, it can be so misleading
because we have seen Thread The Needle
eat up so much time.
- Well, there's 51 seconds.
I think he's got to go.
He said, these Dipping Birds don't worry him.
- Ooh. A little smile there. - Nice.
- He knows his getting close.
Goes right into Thread The Needle.
With the cane, the secret is you got to get it up
before you go forward. - Up and over.
Nice. - Perfect.
- Wow. And I love how he came in.
All 6'5" came in super compact.
All right, this one, he's got to let go right now.
- John Mack... - Now.
- And just reaches out to the cargo net.
- Nice! Did you see that? Wow!
- I don't know that we've ever seen someone just do
a hand-over-hand like that. - He just reached out.
- And John Mack is going to do it with plenty of time
to spare.
And he's going to be our first finisher of the night!
[cheers and applause]
It wasn't a reach for the Reach.
[upbeat music]
You can see he's physically exhausted.
This has got to be an emotional moment for him and his mom.
With those long arms,
John Mack made some of these moves look easy.
He gets our first buzzer, and he's moving on to Stage Two.
Well, John, we know this has been a dream
over a decade in the making. - Yeah.
- We know all that your family has been through.
How great is it not just to get that buzzer,
but to do it with your mom here watching it live?
- Johnny.
- I remember being a little kid, like, 12 years old,
watching the show in my basement for the first time,
and now I'm here in Vegas, and I got a buzzer.
And, man, there's nothing better than living your dream,
and I'm just lucky enough to do it.
I really am blessed.
- I can say, I am tearing up right here.
I don't think there's anything outside of your reach, bud.
- Wow, man. - That got me.
- A dream come true. - I'm so proud of you.
- Coming up...
she's a crowd favorite
and was the first woman to conquer Stage One.
Jessie Graff runs next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's the National Finals in Las Vegas,
and our ninjas are going all-in.
Moments ago, 4'11" Taylor Johnson,
our smallest competitor, showed off her big energy.
- Let's go!
- The 30-year-old from Foxborough, Massachusetts,
who's known as Teej, was back in Vegas
for her second year in a row.
- Okay, Teej!
- Last season, she almost set the record
as the shortest person ever to conquer the Jumping Spider.
- Banana split. Split, split!
Oh, down--damn!
- Tonight she got another chance to make history.
- Matt, I think she's going to do it.
She's got it.
No!
- Not again!
- New York City's Xavier Dantzler
had one of the wildest runs of the night.
- X going to give it to you.
- On Giant Rollercoaster,
X didn't release to the second bar...
- Oh, no.
- But built up speed for a second attempt.
- Hell of a save right there.
- And then tumbled over the landing pad.
- That's a hard fall.
- He barely survived his bounce
into the Jumping Spider.
- Stumbling and bumbling, but he's still through.
- But when he reached the Gambler, his luck ran out.
- Nice. Nice.
Oh!
He looks like he is spent.
- The Flamingo Kid, Arkansas teenager Owen Dyer,
also had a wild ride.
- Ooh, looking like a ballerina there
on the poker chip.
- He got hung up and spent precious seconds
spinning around on the Gambler.
- I'm getting dizzy just watching him.
- With the clock ticking away,
he tried to sprint across the Dipping Birds.
- Long legs, 5'11"-- Ooh!
Oh, my goodness!
That didn't feel good.
- He survived, but the three-time "Ninja" veteran
didn't have anything left for Thread The Needle.
- His grip is a little funky,
and it's actually starting to slip.
- And he ended up back on the platform.
[air horn blares] - He just couldn't recover.
- He is just heartbroken.
- Jessie Graff made history as the first woman
to conquer Stage One.
And tonight she's ready to do it again.
She's had surgery on her knee and both shoulders
since she hit her buzzer here eight years ago,
but she's finally healthy and ready
for another heroic performance.
- Oh, beautiful!
Yes!
- When I think about season eight
and clearing Stage One,
it definitely blows my mind that that moment
is so well-known to so many people.
[buzzer blares]
- The first woman ever to complete Stage One!
Jessie Graff has done it!
- As the years have passed,
I've become more aware of how many adult women
don't feel like they can grow and get stronger
and be amazing athletes.
[upbeat music]
* *
I think after everything I've been through,
with so many injuries,
I want to show that that's still possible for adult women.
I know my first Stage One buzzer
was the one that was impactful for the world,
but it would mean so much more this time.
* *
[sighs]
[cheers and applause]
- A perfect example of the women Jessie's influenced
is her mom, Ginny,
who started Ninja training a few years ago.
And last season, at 71, Ginny became
the oldest athlete to get through one of our obstacles.
- Go, Jessie! [countdown clock beeping]
You got this!
- She's been a Hollywood stuntwoman for over a decade,
works on a lot of big action movies,
including the "Wonder Woman" films.
5'8", 135--
she was a near Olympic-caliber pole vaulter.
Such great skills.
Jessie is looking so strong.
And what's crazy-- the reason is,
is because she's training less,
giving her body a chance to recover more.
- Yeah, she's used to go in overdrive all the time.
- And that led to a lot of injuries.
[cheers and applause]
But now she's healthy once again.
Going for a ride on the Giant Rollercoaster,
like she's in her invisible jet.
- Oh. Ooh.
Ooh, watch that shoulder.
Nice.
Came in tight.
Look, she looks healthy.
She's got great symmetry... - Oh-ho!
- And enough energy to do a flip.
[cheers and applause]
- Can she get through the Jumping Spider?
- Nice! - Locked in!
- Hey!
Yeah, she looks like she's in great form.
She's back to Jessie Graff.
- Well, she studies movement, kinesiology.
Wants to be a fitness guru.
- She is a fitness guru. - Absolutely.
- Matt, have you ever worked out with her before?
- No, Akbar, and I never will
because I don't think I could keep up.
In fact, I know I couldn't.
- Go, Jessie! You got this!
- Jessie Graff, very calculated.
What can she do here on the Gambler?
- Yes! - Nice.
- Controls the spin.
You can just see how strong as she is.
- Very strong.
- So great that she says she's finally feeling healthy.
- You can see the striations in her muscles.
- There she goes. - Back muscles--
my goodness.
Nice. Nice. - Oh! She got it!
Now down to a minute.
Only two other women have finished Stage One
since Jessie did it eight years ago--
Allyssa Beird and Flex Labreck.
It is not easy, especially with that clock ticking.
Jessie Graff shaking out those forearms, a little smile.
- She can make up that time, I know it.
Yeah, she's got about 38 seconds.
She can do it.
[cheers and applause]
- Ooh. - Oh!
And you can see-- even Jessie Graff is human.
- Come on, Jessie!
- This course takes its toll.
[cheers and applause]
- You got it, Jessie!
- Ooh. - Oh.
- Oh, boy. This is tough.
[crowd chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!
- Those legs are tired when you reach this point.
[alarm blaring] both: Oh.
- Well, Jessie Graff just couldn't recapture
the magic of season eight. [buzzer blares]
But still, another strong performance.
- Good job, Jessie!
- Jessie, you have been a hero to so many.
For the ones who are watching at home,
those young girls, what do you want to tell them?
- Take on impossible challenges
and have fun all along the way.
- All right, I love it. I love it.
- Beautifully said from a real-life Wonder Woman.
Jessie, always great seeing you complete.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
Still to come, a fan favorite is back.
Najee Richardson makes his return.
- This is vintage Najee Richardson.
- We'll tell you why.
- Aah!
Plus, it's been a dream season
for the Deaf Ninja, Kyle Schulze.
- Can he keep it alive on Stage One?
- Whoo!
- It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Vegas,
where we had three dramatic runs minutes ago.
Sparks were flying when Tennessee welder
Jonah Brown hit the course.
- He's got a lot of potential here as a rookie.
- The 19-year-old hit a buzzer back in qualifying,
but tonight on the Giant Rollercoaster,
he went off the tracks and went right back to the ground.
Wow! We've never seen that before!
Another 19-year-old,
Colorado's Anabella Heinrichs,
was making her first trip to the National Finals.
- Oh, she got it.
- The cosmetology student was looking good
through three obstacles.
But she got a little ahead of herself on the Jumping Spider.
- No!
Oh, face-first.
- One of the most popular ninjas, Nick Hanson,
started off with a bang.
- Ooh!
- The nine-time "Ninja" veteran
from Unalakleet, Alaska,
had of big group cheering for him,
including his wife and young son Christopher.
- Go, Nick! You got this!
- The 36-year-old handled the first part
of the course with ease...
but started to slow down on the back half.
- All right, Matt, he is dragging a little bit.
- With time running out, he made a last-ditch dash
across Dipping Birds.
- Oh!
I saw it coming. I saw it coming.
- [breathing heavily]
[laughs]
- Our next competitor loves to monkey around.
It's fun-loving college student Colton Skuster.
- Vegas, baby! Okay!
- This energetic 19-year-old is nicknamed Monkey.
- He's got a banana!
He's going to have a little snack before the run!
- As you can see, he doesn't take things too seriously.
[mellow music]
- I think being a monkey is great for Ninja
because monkeys do what ninjas do.
We climb things. We swing from things.
And I like bananas, so why not?
What I'm known for in the friend group
is having, like, the most adventurous, crazy ideas.
- Oh!
I love skiing, hiking, boating, cliff jumping.
- Ooh!
- I love to golf.
Besides Ninja, golf is definitely
my main athletic pursuit.
There's definitely a lot more on my plate this year,
with college, balancing dorm life,
friend life, family life.
But I'm still harnessing the inner monkey
and having fun with it all.
[monkey chattering happily]
Yeah!
- Well, the monkey suit is off.
He's ready for business.
And he's got his bros back at the University of Utah
cheering him on,
along with his parents, who are on the sideline.
- Let's go! Yeah!
[countdown clock beeping]
- 6', 180-- on the bigger side.
- He took his shirt off to show off those muscles.
- He is having a breakout season.
Put up one of the fastest times
as he won his race back in semis.
That was his very first buzzer.
- He can use his monkey skills here
to fly through Barrel Roll...
just like that.
- Waves to his sideline
as he heads up to Giant Rollercoaster.
- Matt, this is one obstacle
you don't want to monkey around on.
You really got to be precise.
Brace for impact! Nice!
- Good. Good.
Well, Colton Skuster
skates through those first three obstacles.
He's looking like one of those powered scooters.
He is moving, especially for a big man.
I love the efficiency.
He is attacking this course.
- Now he's just got to keep it up.
Keep that speed and that pace up.
[cheers and applause]
This is the fastest we've seen anyone reach the Gambler.
Not looking like it's first time here.
- The kid is moving.
6', 180--on the bigger side.
Got to be efficient here, Akbar.
We've seen the Gambler end a lot of runs.
- Matt, yeah, but look at the way he's moving through this.
He's like--he knows exactly what he's doing.
He's got a game plan, and he's executing.
- Good footwork.
Control the spin and get off this obstacle.
- Plenty of time.
He's right on time.
- And Skuster shooting along.
- He's scooting along.
[cheers and applause]
- Mom's getting excited as he gets closer to a buzzer.
Two more obstacles.
Got to run past Dipping Birds.
- Nice! - Here it is!
Well, plenty of time here, Akbar.
But at 180, it's a decent amount of mass,
got to get that cane off the hook.
- Good. Get high placement.
Control the cane. Get it up and off the hook.
- Couple extra swings. - Right into that circle.
Nice. - Lands it.
- Smooth, baby.
- And Colton Skuster, his first time in Vegas...
- That's amazing. 19 years old.
- What a debut here on Stage One.
- Out of Salt Lake City.
- An absolute stud.
- This college kid knows what's up.
- He's going to be the big man on campus after this.
Our second finisher of the night.
[upbeat music]
- Let's go!
[cheers and applause]
Let's go, baby!
* *
- Let's go!
- Oh, man!
I thought you were going to be nervous
for your very first trip to Las Vegas in the semifinals!
But you didn't look nervous, man.
- I have been so determined.
This is just absolutely surreal.
I remember coming here as a 12-year-old kid
watching the Vegas Finals,
and being on top of Stage One is just--
it doesn't feel real, bro.
- [laughs]
- Hit that buzzer one more time, Colton!
- Let's go, baby!
[cheers and applause]
- Still to come...
He was a Ninja elite but took time off to be a dad.
- The main reason I'm back to compete on "Ninja Warrior"
is I want to create memories for my daughter.
- Josh Salinas does it for the girl dads
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- A trio of Texans
took on Stage One minutes ago.
One of our youngest competing tonight,
16-year-old Madelyn Madaras, hit a buzzer in semis
and was back in the National Finals
for the second year in a row.
Last season, she got hung up on the Giant Rollercoaster.
- Uh-oh! This could be hard.
No!
- But tonight the Houston high schooler
passed with flying colors.
- That's how you do it!
- But at only 106 pounds,
she couldn't generate a big-enough bounce
for the Jumping Spider.
- Ooh!
- Houston's Grant Kiningham, an ice sculptor,
carved his way through the first part of the course.
But his mom couldn't relax,
because the Gambler gave him problems last year,
and he got hung up there again tonight.
- You could see the wheels
spinning in his head right now,
like, how am I going to get out of this?
Ooh.
- Though he finally got through it,
his only hope was a dead sprint.
- He's going to have to go all out.
- And just like last year, his run ended
just a few feet short of the buzzer.
- Oh, my goodness, he's in his head.
[buzzer blares]
Oh, no.
- Another Texan, 19-year-old Isaiah Thomas,
AKA the Flyboy,
took off, aiming for his third Stage One buzzer.
- No ninja's got more swag than the Flyboy.
- Come on, Isaiah, let's go!
- Unlike many of the others,
he had perfect technique on the Gambler.
- This kid is always betting on himself.
- He was on autopilot for the final obstacle...
- This Isaiah Thomas ain't only a bad boy, he's a flyboy.
Look at him fly.
- And put up the fastest finish so far.
We'll see him racing on Stage Two
for the second year in a row.
- Let's go!
- Our next athlete delivered
some of the most inspirational moments of the season.
This is the Deaf Ninja, Kyle Schulze,
using sign language for "Ninja" at the start line.
He's having a remarkable year, with two buzzers,
and he's excited for his return to Vegas.
[dramatic music]
- Kyle Schulze quickly becoming--
- whoa. Oh, no, no, no, no! - No!
- That's not the way it was supposed to go!
- I've been itching to come back here and redeem myself,
because there's nothing bigger
than that National Finals Las Vegas course.
I think for me to be able to compete again
is, in a way, to help spread that awareness
for the whole world.
* *
Don't let a person not be able to do what they want to do
just because of what disabilities they have,
what adversities they have.
Nice.
Good job. Awesome.
Give them a shot, give them the opportunity,
just like "American Ninja Warrior"
did for me.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- He's got his girlfriend on the sidelines,
along with a big group.
Everyone roots for Kyle Schulze.
- He's staring down this first obstacle,
does not want to fall here again.
Just wants to get one behind him.
[countdown clock beeping]
All right, here we go.
- No problem.
Not going to let that happen twice.
- He said, nope. Never. Never.
- This is what's amazing-- in eight seasons
of "Ninja Warrior," never hit a buzzer.
This season he's already got two.
This guy will continue to fight.
He has been such an inspiration.
Never lets his deafness hold him back.
- He's just a good athlete, Matt.
- Jump back. Go. Go.
- And now already on to the third obstacle,
Giant Rollercoaster.
- Come on, Kyle. - Let's go.
- Well, Kyle Schulze, an engineering student,
understands the physics.
Can he execute here?
Going for a big ride. - Ooh, boy.
This is a different type of physics right here.
It's physical. - Real smooth out of Schulze.
This kid has so much gut.
You remember him
fighting through a shoulder injury in Tacoma...
- Oh, man. - Refusing to quit.
- Man, I gained so much respect for Kyle Schulze
during that point.
- Well, he's shown such perseverance.
He went eight years before he got his first buzzer.
Would have been easy to quit, but he kept coming back
and is having his best season ever at 34.
Well, Kyle Schulze getting ready to gamble
here in Vegas.
And this obstacle has been such a separator.
Even those who survive it, it can end their run later.
It's so taxing.
- Yeah, and keep an eye on the clock here.
About a minute and a half.
You need to get off this obstacle
with at least a minute to have a chance.
- And here it is, starting to spin around on the chip.
And this is the challenge--so hard to control your momentum,
so hard to even adjust your hands.
- Nice. Okay, good. - Got it.
- He's staying very focused.
You know he's starting to feel the burn
right in his forearms.
All right, here we go. Good balance.
- Not fully extended, going to make it a little riskier here.
- Proprioception comes into play here.
- No! - No!
[air horn blares]
Touched the rim of Ace of Spades, but no go.
- He wasn't going to let the first obstacle
get him this time.
He looked very confident
and made it all the way to the fifth obstacle
before coming up just a fingertip short
on the Gambler.
- Kyle, it's so good to see you back at the National Finals.
How excited were you to be back in Vegas this year?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, you have a lot to be proud of.
It was an incredible season. Congratulations on it.
- Thank you so much. - Absolutely.
Guys, back to you.
- Coming up...
two top ninjas looking for redemption in Vegas.
Addy Herman had a chance to finish Stage One
till the Warped Wall got in the way.
Now she's ready for another shot.
Plus, last year Daniel Gil missed out
on the million dollars.
And he's got extra motivation this year.
They're next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Vegas and "ANW"'s National Finals,
where we're about halfway through the night.
- And in the last few minutes,
these ninjas have been on a hot streak.
- That includes two teenagers with similar haircuts
who had it flowing on the course.
First up was Rhode Island's Kevin Rodriguez,
who roared across the early obstacles...
- Yes, let's go!
- Then hit a speed bump on the Gambler.
And just spinning again, and that sops up energy and time.
Though he finally got through...
he was out of breath for the final stretch.
That ninja haircut looking real good.
But, Akbar, you can see--
it's catching up to the 17-year-old.
But the second-year ninja kept battling
and got his first Stage One buzzer.
He looks spent, but he did what he had to do.
He's moving on.
And it was another curly-haired ninja,
Massachusetts' Noah Meunier,
who was cheered on by girlfriend,
women's champion Addy Herman.
Meunier is an absolute beast-- a motor that just won't quit.
Meunier made it all the way to Stage Four
last season as a rookie,
and in a season and a half of "Ninja,"
he has yet to fall on a course.
Oh, my.
Look at how much time he has left.
He sprinted through the final two obstacles
without stopping...
Meunier proving last season was not a fluke.
And put up the fastest finish by far
by more than 30 seconds.
[buzzer blares]
Wow. This kid is good.
[cheers and applause]
And so now his girlfriend, Addy Herman, gets her shot.
She is coming in with a lot of confidence.
She won our Women's
Championship earlier
this year, and she's come
close to finishing Stage One
in the past.
Her parents will be cheering on,
along with boyfriend, Noah Meunier,
who just got his buzzer.
[countdown clock beeping]
We haven't had a woman finish Stage One
since Flex Labreck three years ago,
but I think Addy Herman has a real shot.
She's had strong runs
but ran out of time the last two years.
She knows it's important
to get through the early obstacles quickly.
- Matt, and my takeaway is that back-to-back seasons
of timing out on Stage One-- I think she's got it.
I think third time is a charm.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, last year timed out on the Warped Wall.
It's just so taxing.
These obstacles keep getting more difficult.
So she knows she's got to be efficient,
been working on her endurance.
She's looking good.
- That's it. There you go.
And then launch. Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- 5'4", needs a big bounce here on Jumping Spider.
- It's a full-body taxation.
- And you see, she's running with good urgency out there,
wants to give herself every chance to get that buzzer.
- That's exactly what she's doing right there.
Boy, that was real quick through Jumping Spider.
- Long drop.
[cheers and applause]
the Gambler, another one that saps your strength
and the seconds.
She is looking dialed in, Akbar.
- Yes, she is.
When you've timed out two times on Stage One,
you're not looking to do it a third time.
Wow. Nice transition there, Matt.
All right, here we go.
- You can see, a little trouble
getting this craps table extended,
but staying calm.
- 5'4", 125 pounds, very strong.
- Let's see that agility on the roulette wheel.
- Nice. Nice.
- Got it! - Ooh!
- Oh, man! That was big!
[cheers and applause]
- All right. - Can she stop the spin here?
- Oh, oh, she's spinning out of control.
That's all right. She's got good time.
She's still got good time.
- But this has taken a lot of energy.
Oh, my! - Ooh! Wow.
- Well, get going-- 50 seconds.
This is where she went out last year.
With tired legs, she tried and failed multiple times
to get up the wall.
If she can get it on her first attempt, that'll be huge.
- But she's got to going.
- Got it! - Nice!
- Way to go. Now hustle.
Turn up. Turn up on the turn-up.
- Well, two years ago, she timed out right here.
- Get it, get it, get it, get it, get it.
- Oh, no!
[all groan]
- Tripped up on Dipping Birds,
but Addy Hermann comes close to finishing once again.
- Good job, Addy! We love you! Whoo!
- She looked strong on the first half of the course
and got up the Warped Wall on her first attempt.
But on tired legs, she couldn't finish Dipping Birds.
[cheers and applause]
So a bittersweet ending for Addy.
And our next ninja knows all about that.
Daniel Gil had a million dollars
in his pocket last year after his climb on Stage Four,
until Vance Walker beat his time.
And this season, he's got extra motivation
to win that money.
- Abby and I have got some exciting news
to share with you all.
- We're having a baby!
- I'm going to be a girl dad.
Can you imagine how beautiful she's going to be?
She'll have hair like her mom and her dad.
She's already got me wrapped around her finger,
and she hasn't even arrived yet.
I've wanted to be a father for as long as I can remember.
Whoo-hoo.
Now I've got even more riding on the success of this year.
So I am motivated more than ever before
to win that million dollars.
- Daniel Gil-- he looks unstoppable!
- I've been there so close so many times now,
and I believe that, you know, this could be the year.
[cheers and applause]
- Big congrats to Daniel and Abby,
who's leading the big group on his sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Daniel Gil, one of the best to ever do it--
just effortless flow out of this ninja,
not just talking about his hair.
And Daniel Gil has never failed on Stage One.
He's probably already thinking
about getting back to Stage Four
and getting another shot at a million dollars.
That can buy a lot of diapers.
- He wants it badly.
- He climbed that tower before back in season 11,
came up short.
So felt so proud that he actually made it up
in under 30 seconds.
[cheers and applause]
Just motivated him for this year.
Oh, you can see--struggling to get some traction there.
Good recovery. - Oh.
Oh, no, he's got great traction, Matt.
[cheers and applause]
- A little smile after Jumping Spider.
No one has more fun on the course than Daniel Gil.
This is his playground.
And Gil just has such an effortless speed, Akbar.
Such athleticism, such control.
- Ooh. Oh, he came in there hot.
He is on a mission, Matt.
He's not going to let
what happened to him last year be a distraction.
He is driven by faith.
Got it. - Whoa.
- Nice.
- Little spin here.
[cheers and applause
- So hard to control that spin
when it starts going out of control like that.
- And there, he's got his hands opposite, 180 degrees,
but he's still spinning. - Yeah, the wide base.
Ooh, boy.
Wow. It's sapping up some time now.
He's going to have to hustle. - And some energy.
Well, watch that grip.
Those shoulders, those forearms had to be taxed by that.
And, remember, how you finish on Stage One
affects your seeding
in the head-to-head races on Stage Two,
so those extra spins could cost him, even if he does finish.
- He's got to get going.
Nice.
- And he should have enough time to finish,
but Daniel Gil's normally one of the fastest ninjas
but not tonight.
Wants a good seed.
It is going to be a loaded field in Stage Two, Akbar.
- Ooh. Nice. - Got it. That was close.
- He almost peeled off.
- His hands slipping down.
- Boy, he better readjust here--
that or throw himself into the net immediately.
- Got it. - Good. Good.
- Breathe a sigh of relief.
Daniel Gil gets another Stage One buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
[upbeat music]
- Abby may have been a little worried.
That wasn't Daniel Gil's best run,
but he is moving on.
Well, Daniel, last time you were in Vegas, you did it.
You conquered Stage Four,
only to have Vance Walker do it faster.
What's it like being back here, bud?
- Oh, man, I've tasted total victory,
but now I'd like the million dollars, too.
[laughter] - Well, hit that buzzer.
You're going racing. [buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Coming up...
the ninja that edged out Daniel Gil
for the million dollars...
- Oh, my gosh!
- Vance Walker is trying to be our first repeat champion,
but he'll have to survive Stage One.
And he thought his ninja career was over...
- Oh, no!
- But Najee Richardson
is going get at least one more run.
We'll see the Phoenix next
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's opening night of our National Finals in Las Vegas.
And moments ago, teenager Ixchel Valentino
made her debut on Stage One.
The engineering student
is an award-winning robotics competitor back in New Mexico.
But tonight, on the very first obstacle,
she short-circuited.
- Oh, no!
- "Ninja" veteran Donovan Metoyer
was extra careful when he went across the Slide Surfer.
- Donovan Metoyer going surfing in Las Vegas.
- Known as the Classy Ninja because he's always dressed
for success on the course,
the nine-time "Ninja" veteran is looking to get
back to Stage Two for the third time in his career.
- No!
- But a shocking fall on Jumping Spider
ended his season.
- Super disappointing. Super disappointing.
- Gavin Obey came out of nowhere
to get a buzzer in semis
and then missed out winning the Safety Pass
by just a few seconds.
- Wow! - What a race!
Tonight the 18-year-old from Massachusetts
tried to keep his impressive rookie season going.
- How cool would that be,
being able to get that Stage One buzzer?
- Wearing his trademark khaki cargo shorts,
the 5'3" high schooler
handled the Jumping Spider with ease.
- Matt, this is picture perfect.
- But then came the Gambler.
- Oh! - Oh!
- Obey had one move left.
He wishes he had that Safety Pass.
He'd get another shot.
- And look who's coming to the start line.
It's the Phoenix, Najee Richardson.
It's his final season, and we thought it ended
when he lost back in the semis.
But injuries to other athletes opened the door for Najee
to compete here in Vegas.
So this legendary ninja will get at least one more run.
[soft music]
- This is my final season of "American Ninja Warrior."
* *
- The crowd chanting his name.
- It's a tough one.
I have mixed emotions about it.
But thinking back about,
what have I done that's significant?
- * It's time to go, take control, yeah *
* 'Cause I am waiting no more *
- It was really, really cool for me to come in
and just represent young kids who look like me
and show that they are capable of things
other than just what's stereotypical
for their neighborhood.
- * Taking all I've got *
* And I will never stop *
[buzzer blares] - Yeah!
- Najee, this is
the final go-round for you. - Yep.
- What's it like getting another buzzer?
- Just to hit this, it feels great.
This is the last one--last qualifier, so it feels good.
[cheers and applause]
When I'm 80 years old and I'm talking to my grandkids
and they're asking me about my life,
I'm going to go back to those moments.
- * And I will never stop *
* It's time to go *
- I am so truly blessed and truly grateful
to have gone on this journey with all of you at home,
and I want to make my final season
the best season that I've ever had.
- * I will never stop, it's time to go *
* It's time to go *
[cheers and applause]
- He's sending some love to his wife, McKenzie,
and his parents, who are watching back in Philly.
- And look at all the fans in the stands
and other ninjas who want to show their respect for Najee!
[countdown clock beeping]
- It looked like Najee's career ended
when he lost his race in the semifinals,
but Jay Lewis and other ninjas got injured,
and that allowed Najee to take their spot here.
The Phoenix wanted to rise one last time.
What will he do here on Stage One?
After his gymnastics career stopped,
he just lost direction, was struggling in life.
He said Ninja saved his life.
Now at 33, he's going to move on to the next chapter
for him.
He's pursuing his career as an actor.
He's already had some roles in TV and movies.
Always fun to watch this guy compete.
Such a stud athlete.
He's run at our skills event,
been part of our USA vs. the World competition.
He's done it all in Ninja.
- Nice. Get in there.
Ooh, ooh.
- Breathing nice and calm, like seeing that.
- Yeah. It feels comfortable.
[cheers and applause]
- He's made good time through the first half of the course,
but as we've seen, the Gambler can eat away the seconds
if you don't handle it correctly.
- But he's on a mission.
He's not thinking about retirement
right now while he's on the course.
[cheers and applause]
- Near Olympic-level gymnast. Injuries ended that career.
And a little hung up, Akbar.
- But the great athletes adjust,
and Najee Richardson is great at adjustment.
Oh! - Ooh!
- No!
- He just whiffed.
- And a remarkable career comes to an end.
Everybody on their feet, saluting one of the greats.
- Good job!
- Najee Richardson.
While he was able to soak it all in on his final run,
it didn't end the way he wanted,
but Najee Richardson leaves behind an amazing legacy.
- Najee, what does it mean to you
when you look back at all that you've accomplished
to know that it's coming to an end now
and you've done incredibly well?
- Thank you, first of all. I'm proud.
It's not the way I wanted to end the career,
but at the end of the day, I have to be able to look back
and just, you know, take pride in the fact
that I did some really incredible things
over the last nine years.
And some people don't even get the opportunity
to do that once. - Yeah.
- I've gotten to do it nine times, almost a decade,
and I'm proud of that.
- Well, we're proud of you. We love you. We'll miss you.
Come back anytime, all right? Just pull up on the sidelines.
You can kick it with me.
- Will do. I'll be here. - Okay. Sounds good.
Guys, back to you.
- Well, Akbar, the career comes to an end,
but I speak for both of us when I say
it's been an honor to call his runs.
- Absolutely. It's been an honor to watch him,
to see him do his thing,
to mature, to grow, to be at this point.
He really is an icon.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
- It was a family affair,
as two second-generation ninjas
tackled Stage One minutes ago.
- Yeah!
- The Hype Guy, teenager Ben Behrends,
is the son of Scott Behrends,
from that big ninja family in Iowa.
Both father and son made it to Vegas last year,
but this season Ben was representing
the family by himself.
[cheers and applause]
Just 5'1", Ben's among the shortest competitors
to ever conquer the Jumping Spider.
- He made that look easy.
- The high schooler made it to Stage Two last year
but cashed out on the Gambler tonight.
[all groan]
- Check this out again. Wow!
- Utah 16-year-old Luke Beckstrand
is also keeping up a family tradition.
His mom, Holly, dad, Brian, and big brother, Kai,
are all "Ninja Warrior" competitors.
Luke and Kai are just the second brother duo
to qualify and compete in the National Finals,
and the younger Beckstrand did not disappoint.
- Luke.
Luke right here is smashing the course.
- The high schooler was smiling
as he reached the final obstacle,
and he cruised to a buzzer on his first try on Stage One.
[buzzer blares] - Yeah!
Now big brother, Kai, is going to get his shot at Stage One.
This is a guy with the talent to win it all.
He's one of the fastest ninjas on the planet,
and he'll be running with a Safety Pass if he needs it.
He won it in a race against Kaden Lebsack in semifinals
one of the fastest we've ever seen.
[buzzer blares]
[countdown clock beeping]
Well last year that speed caught up with him.
He went out on the Jumping Spider.
- Last year he didn't have a Safety Pass.
So we know he's got a little bit of insurance,
so he is not going to hesitate.
- 5'10", 180--
a pretty big boy for Ninja, but he just flies.
- Yeah, Kai Beckstrand got swole on us
the last couple of years.
He's been in that weight room putting in that work.
- And with that Safety Pass, he's going to send it,
wants to get a top seed for Stage Two.
- And watch this--he'll go right off the dismount
right into the Jumping Spider.
- But this is what took him out last year.
A little regroup... - He won't go out again.
- Got it. - Yes. Nice.
- Well, the Beckstrands have two gyms
back in St. George, Utah.
And Kai has been putting the time in since last season.
[indistinct shouting]
[cheers and applause]
- On now to the Gambler-- first time experiencing this.
This is a challenge. - Nice.
- Great job controlling his momentum
on that spinning chip.
To the craps table, get it extended.
- Nice. - Wow!
- That's the way you use that momentum and 180 pounds.
It takes mass to move mass.
- He has got a lot of power.
- Yes, he does.
- And the faster you finish on Stage One,
the better your seed for racing on Stage Two.
- No one is going to want to face Kai Beckstrand in a race.
- Well, here we go.
Second time we've had brothers here.
This could be the first time they both get buzzers.
Chris and Brian Wilczewski were the first brother duo
to qualify and compete in Vegas,
but they didn't advance to Stage Two.
Well, he and his dad made history.
The first father and son to hit buzzers in the same season.
- Nice. - Oh, one obstacle closer!
- Ooh, get up higher. Get a little higher, readjust.
- Look at the power, Akbar.
- You see him readjusting on the cane.
Nice. - Full swings.
I don't think he's even worked up a sweat on Stage One.
He's going to end up being a high seed on Stage Two.
I pity the ninja who has to race him.
Kai Beckstrand is back.
- We're going to have two Beckstrands on Stage Two.
- How about that?
The first time brothers have gotten buzzers
in Vegas together.
History is made! [buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
The Beckstrands are getting used to that.
- He learned from his mistakes.
Last season Kai was stunned
when he fell early on Jumping Spider.
This year, he coasts to a buzzer, making it look easy.
And the Beckstrands are going to have two kids to cheer on
when they race on Stage Two.
Up next is an old friend--
Houston's Josh Salinas.
He's back after taking five years off
when he became a dad.
- He can still do the superhero pose!
We used to call him Iron Josh.
- Well, he made his return to competition this season
because of his daughter.
This will be her first time
watching him from the sidelines.
[soft music]
- For as long as I can remember,
the one thing I ever wanted was to be a father.
Boop.
- Good job!
- Could I have some sprinkles on my ice cream?
And I think that really stems from the fact
that I didn't have a father growing up.
He, unfortunately, passed away when I was five years old
in a car accident.
So, when my daughter was born,
it was just a roller coaster of emotions.
Who is that?
- And who is in her belly?
- That's you inside Mommy's belly.
The main reason I'm back to compete on "Ninja Warrior"
is I want to create memories for my daughter.
[grunting]
[laughs]
- [laughs] - [screams]
- My dad was taken when I was really young.
* *
- Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
* *
- [sniffles]
I actually just passed my father in age.
None of us know how long we actually have.
So, when I step onstage in Las Vegas,
this is going to be the very first time
my daughter gets to see me compete
on "American Ninja Warrior."
So, Skyler, if you're watching this,
I hope you're proud of your father,
because I am so proud of you.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- What a beautiful sentiment.
And Skyler will be watching closely
with Josh's wife, Chelsea, and other family and friends.
[countdown clock beeping]
Skyler may not know it,
but her dad was an elite ninja before he took time away,
now making a comeback at 33 years old.
[cheers and applause]
- A lot has changed in the last five seasons.
He was 27 the last time he competed on "Ninja Warrior."
- Go, Josh. - It's Daddy!
- Let's go, Josh. - You got this.
- Well, he is an absolute beast.
Made it to Vegas all three seasons he competed
before his hiatus.
And last time we saw him went to Stage Three.
But now because he's a dad,
because he's a coach, only trains once a week.
But, Akbar, there's no rust on this man.
- I can't believe how fast he's going.
He didn't slow down at all going into Jumping Spider.
- Well, it's the arc reactor in his chest.
Let's see how he handles the Gambler.
- And, Matt, I know that being a father of four,
it can be hard to get yourself in the gym.
But you know what?
He's going off of muscle memory, too.
He's got the skills. - 6', 175--
on the bigger side for a ninja, but he is looking great.
Just amazing to think this guy for the past five seasons
has just been coaching.
- He's got that extra motivation
knowing that Skyler is watching.
He wants to show off for his daughter.
- Got it. - Okay.
- And, Akbar, this is as fast as we've seen anyone get
to this point.
Can he get that dismount?
- Nice.
Got to activate--
Nice.
Got to activate the core. - Extra swings.
- Nice. - Got it.
Plenty of time left.
He's sprinted through the course so far.
But that is catching up to him, Akbar.
You can see, he's slowing down a little bit.
- Let's go, babe!
- You got it!
- You good? - Skyler's back there.
She's watching! Go, go!
- [laughs] He's looking.
He said, make sure she can see what Daddy's doing.
- I know! Just want to make sure
he doesn't run out of time.
As we have seen it, Akbar, it's very easy
to get hung up right here on Thread the Needle.
- Matt, for a ninja that's barely training once a week,
he's looking really good.
This is a dedicated father.
- Well, the three seasons he competed,
he just blew us away-- incredible talent.
- Nice. He's got the high grip.
Nice. Get up and over.
- You can see, getting that cane off the hook
is a challenge.
Oh, no! - He's going to have to go up.
If he does a couple more up and over--
Oh! Ooh! - Oh, my goodness.
And that cane is-- - Nice!
- How did he do it?
- Oh, my goodness! Great recovery!
For a lot of ninjas, they would have peeled off.
- Can his grip hang on, though?
- If I'm him, I'm going to get to the cargo net right now.
- Oh, my, he's not going to be high, Akbar.
It's going to be a long climb.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
- Oh, no.
- Oh, my word.
- It looked like all seven obstacles
caught up to him right there.
He was flying through the course early,
but by the end, he was so exhausted,
he had trouble getting the cane off the hook.
When he finally did,
he couldn't grab the net and tumbled in.
- I gassed out. [chuckles]
- But his daughter did get to see him run.
- Oh, and Skyler's crying.
Aw.
- Don't worry, Skyler. Dad's okay.
He just came up a little short on his return to Stage One.
Coming up...
Utah nurse Mady Howard's the only mom to make it
to the National Finals this season.
She'll get her shot at Stage One
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"
where it's night one of our National Finals.
Moments ago, Ohio's Jenn Sanders,
who's been open about her battle with anxiety,
was feeling the nerves before her first go at Stage One.
- Don't overthink it. Go. You got this.
- After conquering the first obstacle,
she had trouble building up her swing on the second.
And though she made it to the landing pad...
- Hold on for your life here.
No.
- She became the night's first victim of the Barrel Roll.
- I thought that my anxiety
would hold me back from this goal,
but I'm so grateful to be here.
- No one came out faster
than New Jersey teenager James Sannella,
who raced through the first part of the course
and never stopped between obstacles.
- Look how fast he's moving. Oh, he's going for that time.
- The 18-year-old made it all the way to Stage Two
the last time he was in Vegas
and looked like he might have the night's fastest time,
until the Gambler.
- No!
He just completely missed it.
- Went Superman, but came up short.
- The Papal Ninja, Sean Bryan,
is one of the oldest competitors to qualify
for the National Finals.
But tonight he looked spry on Stage One.
- Nice. Here we go. Here we go. Big move.
Nice.
- The former college gymnast
showed he's still got some moves,
as he took down one obstacle after another.
- Just like that-- pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.
Nice.
- The nine-time veteran
hasn't always had good luck on Stage One,
but he looked strong tonight.
[buzzer blares]
- I feel, like, on top of the world.
Soon, top of Mount Midoriyama. - Whoa!
- He's calling his shot! - That's a bold move!
That's a bold call!
- Our next ninja
is representing for the moms tonight.
Flipping her way to the start line
is Utah nurse Mady Howard.
She's the only mom to qualify
for the National Finals this season.
And there's her son, Beckham.
He was on the sideline last year,
as she had her best Vegas run.
But now Mady wants more.
This is her third time on Stage One.
Each of the past two times, her run ended here.
Got it! - Nice!
- I finally got past my nemesis, the Rollercoaster.
[cheers and applause]
I think Beckham was my good-luck charm.
He was right there cheering me on.
If there's other moms out there watching
that want to attempt "Ninja Warrior,"
I say go for it.
I think that our kids will only be stronger
and more resilient from seeing us do hard things.
Whoo-hoo!
There has still yet to be a mom
to hit a Stage One buzzer in Vegas.
I want to be the first mom to beat Stage One.
[soft music]
[cheers and applause]
- Beckham's watching back in Utah with the grandparents.
- Go, Mama, go.
- Mady's husband and friends are on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, only three women
have ever hit a buzzer on Stage One.
The last one to do it-- Flex Labreck in season 13.
We've had a few women come close,
including Addy Herman earlier tonight.
- Mady has to juggle taking care of baby Beckham
and her job as a nurse.
It's not easy to find time to train,
but she still competes on a high level.
- Such good power.
It was Tacoma where we met her,
so she's been on the Barrel Roll before.
Smooth. - Nice.
Ooh, great landing, great dismount.
- Now to Giant Rollercoaster.
This used to be a roadblock for her,
but she conquered it last year.
A nurse, a mom, a long-time gymnast--potent combination.
- Here we go. Nice. - Real smooth.
- All right, here it is. This is usually that impact.
You see the way she braced for impact?
Nice and tight.
- Great job.
[cheers and applause]
And now a rematch with the Jumping Spider.
And you can see she doesn't want to rush it.
[crowd chanting] Mady! Mady!
- 5'6", 125, plenty of length.
- All right, let's go. Hit that tramp.
Nice. Boom! - Got it!
- Whoo! - And she's smiling.
You can see it. - [chuckling] Yeah.
Last year she beat the Giant Rollercoaster.
This year she's beating the Jumping Spider.
- But got to get going now.
- Got to keep up the speed.
Remember, you're racing against the clock.
- Well, now we'll see if the nurse from Utah
likes to gamble.
- Whoo!
- Good job, Mady!
- Beckham's got his money on his mom,
but this obstacle has ended the runs
of a lot of ninjas over the past few seasons.
Good leap.
Positions those hands but now going for a little ride.
- She's an RN--
a registered nurse and a registered ninja.
- You can just see, as it spins, makes it hard.
- Nice. - Good throw.
And Mady Howard fighting her way on the craps table.
[indistinct shouting]
- Nice. Get it.
Use that momentum. Nice.
- And you see, when you get it extended, you line up,
you can run straight across the top to the Ace of Spades.
- Yeah, and then just keeping that--nice.
Keep that balance. Nice! - Yes!
- Great position. - What a run!
- Now, Matt, she's got to reorient her hand, though.
This will be the furthest a mom has ever gone on "Ninja,"
if she can get past this obstacle.
- But now she's spun up, going for a ride.
Get that dismount, Mady!
- I like how she stayed calm.
- Yes! - Nice.
- 12 seconds left! Can she add to it?
- Keep going. Keep going.
You keep going. - Yes!
- Go. Keep going. Keep going.
- Mady Howard breaking new ground for moms.
[buzzer blares] - Wow.
[cheers and applause]
- And got to be thrilled with that run.
- Well done. Well done.
- And best of all, Beckham got to see it.
- Good job, Mama.
- Mady had it rolling tonight.
She got past the Giant Rollercoaster
and the other obstacle that had taken her out--
the Jumping Spider.
She made it past the Warped Wall--
her best performance ever on Stage One.
- Mady, what an awesome run that was.
You're dry, you're happy, wins all around.
How are you feeling? - Wow. I feel amazing.
To put it all together and make it that far,
I'm really happy about that run.
- You have made it farther than any mother on Stage One
in the history of "Ninja Warrior."
Congratulations.
- Whoo!
- Great job, Mady. Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- Up next...
- Whoa!
- Two good friends get their shot at Stage One.
No one's been to the National Finals
more than the veteran Flip Rodriquez.
- Go get it!
Yes! Yes!
- And no one's climbed Stage Four more
than the speedster RJ Roman.
- Here we go.
- We'll see them both
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- A couple of "Ninja" veterans
rocked the course while we were away.
Chicago's Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner
came out hot and had his bomb squad screaming.
The six-time "Ninja" veteran took a moment
at Jumping Spider, which ended his season last year.
- He wasn't going to let that happen again.
- Like many others, the 26-year-old
lost valuable time on the Gambler,
which set up a mad dash to the finish.
- All right, now he's got a sprint.
- With the clock ticking away,
he needed to be perfect on Thread The Needle...
- Nice!
- And had to scramble up the cargo net,
but he was able to finish
with just over three seconds to spare.
[buzzer blares]
- Okay! I see you, Cam "The Bomb."
- Let's go!
- The Cat Daddy Jackson Twait also had
a rowdy crew on his sidelines.
The pet-sitter from Iowa likes to have fun on the course
and also likes to go fast, and he did both tonight.
- Cat Daddy's got a little dog in him--he can go.
- The six-time "Ninja" veteran
had catlike quickness on the first part of the course.
And even with a quick wave to us...
Hey, buddy.
He was able to finish with the second-best time of the night.
[buzzer blares]
It's his third-straight buzzer on Stage One.
[cheers and applause]
And another crowd favorite has already started his run.
It's "Ninja" veteran Flip Rodriguez,
making his 11th appearance at the National Finals.
No one's been here more.
Already through three obstacles.
Everyone old and young-- everyone watches
when Flip Rodriguez takes to the course.
And, Akbar, I remember when he came on--a brash, young man,
the man behind the mask, who just ran so aggressively.
But the thing we see out of Flip--
while he has a good past, it's a much more mature Flip.
That's why I think
he's racking up the buzzers, big man.
How does he handle the Gambler?
- Well, yeah, as the young Flip Rodriguez,
he used to take gambles,
but now he relies
strictly on his skills and his expertise.
He's already on his 14th season competing.
- We talk a lot about watching the Ninja Juniors grow up.
We've watched Flip grow up.
What a remarkable man he has become.
Great footwork. - Ooh, explosive.
Look at the way he's controlling the Ace of Spades.
Oh, nice. - Good flip around.
- Matt, he's got a great understanding of movement.
- He's 34 years old,
and he is looking like he's 21 again.
- I was just getting ready to say that number, too.
He's moving like he's 21.
- He's having a career resurgence in his 30s.
Flip made it all the way to Stage Three two years ago.
He's still a contender for the million dollars,
competing against many of the kids he's trained.
- Nice. Nice.
- Right into it. Plenty of time.
But we have seen on Thread The Needle,
getting this cane off the hook can be a challenge,
especially when you're fatigued.
- Here we go. - Yeah.
- Come on. - Let's go, Flip.
- Can Flip fly?
- Come on, come on, come on. - Nice!
Yeah, remember, last year he timed out on the cargo net.
- Well, he's making sure that won't happen again.
Get high up on the net. - Absolutely.
- Just needs to get up the cargo net,
and Flip will be going to Stage Two for the ninth time.
- Man, unbelievable.
Flip Rodriguez, you, my friend, are a legend.
[buzzer blares]
- And that had to feel good for Flip.
- Feels good, baby.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
- Flip, an electrifying run-- thrilling the fans as always.
- Let's go, baby!
- You got it! - Whoo!
- Flip Rodriguez, does it ever get old hitting buzzers, buddy?
- Never. I just get older.
- Oh, yeah! - Okay.
- Hit that buzzer one more time!
You're going racing!
- Let's go!
[cheers and applause]
- Now buckle your seat belt,
because up next is Flip's good friend and training partner,
the speedster RJ Roman.
He's a heavy-metal musician, as well as a top Ninja coach.
And RJ's recently made some big changes.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card
is giving fans unlimited access
with this behind-the-scenes look at his new life.
[dramatic music]
- A lot of things have changed since last season.
I'm a person that likes to welcome change,
and I kind of felt like I did all I could
in the Orlando Ninja community.
You're crushing it. Great job.
So I found a new spot...
- * Get a, get a second chance *
- Down here in South Florida.
So we're opening a new gym
called SOFLO Ninja Academy here in Pompano Beach.
So this ring is going to be over here.
So you can slide down and dismount.
The reason why I am so interested
in building the community
is just feeling like I can give back.
If you're going on the right side,
your right hand should be in the middle
so that you can push it with your left hand.
I have something to offer to people.
It makes me feel like I have a purpose.
In a way, it's selfish, right?
Because I'm just trying to have a good time.
* *
- He's one of the favorites to win the million dollars.
- Let's go, RJ!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, RJ Roman-- back-to-back amazing seasons.
Making it to Stage Four twice
but coming up just short on that climb.
He wants another shot.
- I think he could be a three-time Stage Four guy.
- Kaden Lebsack, Daniel Gil, and RJ Roman--
the only ones who've made it to Stage Four twice.
- Always fun to watch on the course
because he throws caution to the wind.
- That speed can sometimes lead to mistakes.
He fell on Stage One last year but had a Safety Pass,
so he got a second chance
and ended up making it to Stage Four.
But no Safety Pass tonight.
And goes right into the Jumping Spider
without stopping.
He's flying through there.
And he got through that in about five seconds.
He may going for the fastest time
and a top seed on Stage Two.
Akbar, we got a loaded field. - A lot of talent.
- Now to that poker chip. - Nice.
- Now riding it to the craps table.
- All right, nice.
He's trying to get that nice control of the poker chip.
- 5'6", 145--
this guy has just been so consistent,
but it comes because he works so hard at it.
- Come on, RJ.
- And because he loves it, too, Matt, and you can tell.
Last year when he wasn't able to beat the time
on Stage Four, he was visibly upset,
and as he should be.
When you put that much time into something you love,
you expect--
- Oh! - Oh. Oh, no!
- Oh, whoa!
- Falls off the course. It's over.
Though he didn't hit the water,
the metal truss is out of bounds, and RJ knows it.
Everyone is just stunned.
- Oh.
- A heartbreaking finish.
- I love you, RJ!
- Look at it again.
The card was still spinning when he tried to dismount,
so he was off-balance when he landed
and fell off the course.
He grabbed the truss, and his feet hit the ground,
and that ends his run.
- Talk to me. What happened here?
- Yeah, I felt the card going around in circles,
and instead of trying to stop myself
and, you know, take a bunch of swings to fix it,
I tried to just go with the spin and just throw it
and just ended up on the side of the platform a little bit,
but it happens. - It does happen.
Well, look, it doesn't happen often with you--I'll say that.
We're so used to seeing you hit buzzers.
I hate that it didn't happen tonight.
But your career is so incredible.
We can't wait to see what you do next.
So thanks for being out here. - All right, thank you so much.
- Absolutely. Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- Well, a stunner on Stage One of the National Finals.
One of the favorites to win it all is out.
Coming up...
last year's champ, Vance Walker's going
for four buzzers and another million dollars.
- Four more, baby. Let's get it.
- He's up next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back.
Everyone comes here to Sin City to strike it rich,
and our next ninja actually did.
The last time Vance Walker was in Vegas,
he hit a hot streak and won a million dollars.
Now he's got a chance to do something
no ninja has ever been able to do--
win it all in back-to-back seasons.
- Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!
- Slowing down! - He's right there.
[air horn blares]
- I am very excited to get another shot at that tower.
- Vance Walker just won him a million dollars!
- Being a part of something so big is...
- What a moment.
- Unbelievable.
Definitely feeling a little bit of pressure
coming back from winning it all last year.
- A storybook finish to an incredible season!
- I'm ready to put in the work.
So far this season, I've been able to come back
and hit two buzzers.
[buzzers blaring]
I'm ready to hit four more.
[cheers and applause]
- He's smiling.
You can do that
when you're a teenager with a million dollars.
- Good to be back!
- His family and a big group of supporters
will be cheering him on.
[countdown clock beeping]
I don't know, Akbar-- more pressure or less?
You've already won. What's it like coming back?
- You know what, Matt?
I'm going to say there's more pressure,
because now that you've won the million dollars,
everyone's expecting you to do it.
You got to live up to those expectations.
But for Vance Walker, I think the secret is,
run your own race, baby.
And that's what he did last year.
- Well, just amazing-- we've talked about his story.
Born with cerebral palsy, told he might not ever walk,
and he is running.
[cheers and applause]
5'6", 150--going into the Jumping Spider.
- He's got to be careful.
He actually fell on this obstacle two years ago.
Not going to let that happen again.
- Well, we met him on "Ninja Junior."
Was a back-to-back champion there, Akbar.
We were talking to him--
I remember giving him a hug last year.
The dude is muscled. He's jacked.
- Yeah, he's got about 2% body fat.
- I got the rest. - [laughs]
- But there are no guarantees in "Ninja."
We just saw a top competitor, RJ Roman, get eliminated.
Finishing Stage One is hard enough.
Then you have to go racing on Stage Two,
then survive the brutal Stage Three,
and then it's Stage Four.
You can see it in the distance.
You have to climb that in 30 seconds
to win the million dollars.
Little extra swings. - Nice.
- Got it. Real good footwork.
- Matt, and you can tell-- not only does he look richer,
he looks more confident.
- Well, he was coming off
a very disappointing season 14.
But you're right, Akbar.
This is a new and improved Vance Walker.
- And, Matt, he came in qualifying, crushed it.
He came into the semis, crushed it.
- Nice! Let's go!
- Has about a minute left for these final two obstacles.
Remember, the faster you finish,
the better your seed for racing on Stage Two.
- Nice. - Right into it.
One obstacle left.
And, Akbar, I got to say this Stage Two is shaping up
to be a barn burner.
There'll be some talented ninjas on there.
Vance Walker looks like he's about to add his name
to that list. - Yes, he is.
- Oh-ho! - A nice high throw
off to the top of the cargo net.
Wasn't trying to go for the fastest time,
but he's got plenty of speed on it.
[buzzer blares]
- Gets the first of the four buzzers
he wants here in Vegas and keeps his dream alive
of being a back-to-back champion.
- Yeah!
[cheers and applause]
- Vance Walker, congratulations!
- Thank you.
- I think you can see it in the background--
the Stage Four tower! - Oh, yeah.
- You've already won big in Vegas.
What's like being back here? - It's so good.
I've been training this last year,
just wanting to get back to where I was last time.
- Well, go hit that buzzer one more time.
We'll see you on Stage Two.
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
- And nobody wants to be racing him.
That run by Vance was
the fourth best tonight.
Teenager Noah Meunier
was the fastest.
All these finishers will be moving on
to race head-to-head on Stage Two in two weeks.
But this is only half the field.
The rest of our National Finalists
get their shot at Stage One next week.
Among the top competitors we'll see
are "The Weatherman" Joe Moravsky,
two-time Last Ninja Standing Kaden Lebsack,
plus teen sensation Taylor Greene.
And that wraps up our first night at the National Finals.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior"!
[dramatic music]
* *