On The Set Of American Ninja Warrior: Sneak Peek At The Denver Trials
Yours truly had the very distinguished honor to be part of the taping of the American Ninja Warrior, which is set to air on both the NBC network and the Esquire network in the coming weeks. During the Denver trials over the past week, I was planted in the studio audience and was able to snap a few pictures off the action, but I was told that I should be very discretionary about what I post about the action as it went down, so here goes…
But first, a little history on this popular sports entertainment competition. The series first aired in Los Angeles in 2009 and is a spin-off of a the highly popularized Japanese show Sasuke. In its sixth season, the American Ninja Warrior came to Denver where enthusiasts competed for a chance to conquer the finals in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The scene of the Denver trials was set in the famed Civic Center Park, located right in the heart of downtown Denver. The park and the courthouse lit up for the special event. Hundreds of fans, friends, and family members came out to show their support for their favorite ninja warrior. For hours, people cheered for and groaned at the unfortunate fate of those who were unable to hang on long enough to get through the entire obstacle course.
More than thirty people from all over the country (and the world) have traveled to compete, from all different age groups. Both men and women took to the obstacle course, several of them falling into the ice cold water well before they completed the course. With the temperatures during the taping being in the 30s on the first night and in the 40s on the second night, it is pretty safe to say that a dunk in the icy water was a certain shock to those who slipped or just couldn’t seem to hang on long enough to make it all the way through the course. Some competitors from season five returned to compete, like the popular ER doc Noah Kaufman, also known as the “Ninja Doctor.” A few familiar obstacles are back as well, such as the “Doorknobs” and the “Parkour Wall,” all with a new special twist.
To gear up for the current season, fans of the show can watch highlights of the previous season or view the entire previous season on-demand select cities. Be sure to check your individual on-demand listings for more details and don’t forget to tune in for season six to see who will win the coveted title of American Ninja Warrior and the cash prize. The season premiere airs on Monday, May 26th at 9/8 central on NBC, with a repeat episode on the Esquire network the following night for those who miss it on Monday. Check your local listings respectively.
