S07.E04: Orlando Qualifying

[OnceSane]

Orlando, Florida is the next stop for the competitors to give it their all on the obstacle course, this time from the grounds of the Universal Orlando Resort. There they will face several new obstacles, including the Paddle Boards and Tire Swing. Returning veterans include pro-wakeboarder Sean Murray, William "Spartan" Brown, and rivals Flip Rodriguez and Drew Dreschel.

[Lantern7]

.  . . and we're put off a week by the Stanley Cup finals. I know that the Black Hawks can clinch at home, but it's still a bit of a bummer to miss ANW action.

[VartanFan]

Boo!  I freaked when I went to start watching at 9 (boy, can I get through quickly by ffwd all the stories and interviews) and it wasn't on my DVR.  

[SophiaD]

I wonder if that's true for the Left Coast as well? Probably.  They'll probably just replay last week's episode or whatever, to make sure that we don't hear anything you don't.

[Lantern7]

Quick heads-up: an episode of ANW airs tonight. However, according to my cable guide, it's the Kansas City qualifiers.

[Lantern7]

Well, if there' one thing that separates the ninjas from most realty folk, it's humility. The speed-burners decided to tone it down, complete with Flip running sans mask. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty satisfying episode, even if you factor in the two guys who opted to skip the Rolling Log altogether. Holy crap . . . how can you even contemplate doing that? Unreal.

[backgroundnoise]

I don't have as much of a problem with skipping two of the first five steps, because the basic skill needed is the same.  But jumping over the rolling log should have been disqualified.  The skill isn't leaping, it's strength in holding on and then overcoming the rotation sensation.  I really can't believe they allowed that.

 

Good for Flip, and the other two guys going for redemption who's names I can't remember.

[Taeolas]

I suspect that jumping the law wasn't against the rules because the course designers never contemplated anyone would do a superman leap like that. And to keep it fair for everyone, they can't add that rule after the competition starts. I suspect that for the second Orlando round, there WILL be a rule saying you must use the log. 

 

That said, the guy who tried to log roll the log, I'd give a pass on. He did use the log and did it in a way that's as challenging as doing it the proper way. 

 

I was impressed that the women did as well as they did. Did anyone make it into the Top 5 nonfinishers? I think one was up there towards the end (the Russian rock climber? ) 

 

Most of us were dreading Flip's return, but the way he ran the course, won me (and others it seems) over. He was really humbled from his failure last year and it shows. No showboating, just a solid textbook run. 

 

All in all, the course itself was a good mid-pack course. Challenging but not too challenging. I suspect they'll adjust the log roll a bit for the next round, to try and cut down the number of rotations. The tire swing might be made a little harder somehow, but otherwise I don't think they need many adjustments. Once more, the theory that "Red is safe" is proven. Touching the red part of the steps after the log roll was safe; touching the central bar was a DQ. And if you notice the Quintuple steps, the red wraps around the edges of the steps, so that's safe. We did have 2 or 3 people go straight across them and it does seem a bit harder than bouncing across since the steps do have a boing to them. 

 

All in all, a very decent round IMO.

[theatremouse]

I can't decide if I'm overreacting but the guy who was bleeding from the head? I kept being distracted thinking they must need to decontaminate the course after that. You don't fuck around with blood.

[AZChristian]

Same thought crossed my mind about the blood.  If he'd fallen into the water, seems like they would have had to completely drain and decontaminate that tank. 

[cooker30]

I thought this course was easier overall than Venice and Houston. Yeah, the log roll was harder than the previous version but still better than some of the obstacles we've seen. That is one thing I don't like much about the show, different courses for different cities. We've taljed about how some who fail on one course could maybe finish on another. I don't know what the fix would be though because the same course in all cities would be boring for us to watch. Maybe they need to hire retired competitors as testers and have them rate difficulty and advise on how to divide them up among the courses so each one is similar in difficulty to all the others.

I really don't like the ninjas being allowed to skip parts of obstacles. They should have to hit all 5 steps since it's called the quintuple steps. They should also have do some rolling on the log roll. The guy who jumped should have been a dq along with the one who rolled on top of it.

I didn't find too many tonight who were super rootable/likeable. My favorite was the nerdy rock climber - I hope she comes back next year. Flip did redeem himself fairly well I suppose. Overall kind of a meh episode for me. Bring on the weatherman!

Have any women made it to the city finals? I think maybe Meghan did but can't totally rmember at this point.

[90PercentGravity]

Same thought crossed my mind about the blood.  If he'd fallen into the water, seems like they would have had to completely drain and decontaminate that tank. 

I highly doubt that. The water is most likely chlorinated. If that were true women on their periods could never swim! While it is possible for some pathogens to survive in dried blood for a week, it would be pretty much impossible to actually catch something from a couple of drops of blood diluted in chlorinated water. I'd be more worried about all the hair, skin cells, fecal coliforms, and whatever else is coming off of these guys bodies. You're more likely to get e-coli or hep c from gripping the log after that guy who never washes his hands.

[mertensia]

While I don't mind the log-roller- that's hard and he did use the log- that superflip should have been an instantaneous DQ. He wasn't using the equipment.

Enough with women in pink. Random pet hatred.

The son from Maine looked so ridiculously thrilled to be there it was cute.

[SnideAsides]

I feel like walking the contestants alongside the course before they attempt it and explaining how they have to complete each obstacle wouldn't be too difficult?

[william0102]

It was an easy course, but most of the backstories weren't overwrought, so I generally enjoyed the episode. I never really was annoyed with Flip, so I was glad to see him settle down and do well. Like most of you guys so far, I thought the one guy should have been disqualified.

And I'm gonna assume the guy that whacked his head on the rolling log pointed it out so he could find out if he was allowed to keep going. I don't think they would show us if someone came up and told him to keep going. Did anyone happen to catch the times and see if there was a gap? It was more than just a few drops because he used his shirt to wipe his forehead and it left a fairly large stain you could see when he finished. I would not have wanted to be any of the competitors after him.

The only thing that grated on me was Akbar (sp?) telling the one contestant to ride that log like a cowboy. He actually was the most annoying thing tonight lol.

Edited June 23, 2015 by william0102

[Taeolas]

For the bloody guy, I think the fact that the rest of the course was basically all hand grip made it easier to continue; there were no full body obstacles like that log roll. And I think he only used his shirt to wipe his face, not his hands (but I may be misremembering). All in all, they'd just need to wipe donw/disinfect the uneaven bars and tires and they'd be fine. Oh and the top of the warped wall as well.

 

That tall guy, I was really impressed with how well he did. His size was a major advantage, but I was really worried he would touch the water or ground while doing the obstacles. 

 

Considering that the second city round is the first city round obstacles + 3 or 4 more obstacles, I think ideally you want around 25 people to be completing it. Fewer than that and it's probably too difficult. More than that and it's probably too easy. As long as you have 20-30 complete, it's likely damn close to the sweet spot for difficulty. 

 

As for running straight on the Quntuple steps, I'm fine with that. You're probably making it harder on yourself because of it. Remember those steps have a bit of bounce trying to push you across the water to the opposite steps. So if you're running straight, you have to counteract the bounce as well as not wrench an ankle from running on a slanted surface. The risks for a dangerous wipe out are a lot greater running straight than just bouncing criss cross. The obstacle is mature enough that I'm sure a lot of very experienced ninjas have analyzed it every which way. The fact that most of the superstar ninjas still do the criss-cross method and only the flashiest (or people looking to be flashy) run straight should be very telling. 

[heckkitty]

 

Have any women made it to the city finals? I think maybe Meghan did but can't totally rmember at this point

 

She did.

[saber5055]

Storm reporting preempted this show in its entirety so I missed every minute of it. I hope it's gonna be repeated down the road. But I have to comment on this:

If that were true women on their periods could never swim!

 

 

Not to get gross, but women "on their periods" use feminine protection products so there is no "leakage," whether they are in the water or on dry land. 

[90PercentGravity]

Storm reporting preempted this show in its entirety so I missed every minute of it. I hope it's gonna be repeated down the road. But I have to comment on this:

Not to get gross, but women "on their periods" use feminine protection products so there is no "leakage," whether they are in the water or on dry land. 

Yeah... I know. I've been having them for 20 years. But there is this thing called dispersion that happens in water.

[SophiaD]

I missed most of the episode last night, but caught it on Esquire today.  I was really impressed with the women in the Orlando qualifying, especially the first and last ones.  Also, really loved the 6' 6" guy who works in a paper factory.  I also really like the new Flip.  I still can't stand Drew Dreschel, though.  Ugh.

 

I hope they ditch the new log roll next year.  It looks too dangerous.

[VartanFan]

 

I still can't stand Drew Dreschel, though.  Ugh.

 

Was coming to post this in the showboating thread.  The back flip on the warped wall made me wish for at least a minor muscle pull and fail-to-finish.  Totally unnecessary.  

[Kromm]

Good for Flip, and the other two guys going for redemption who's names I can't remember.

Except my gut tells me Flip did it for an image rehabilitation and not because he was truly humbled.  I mean the showing the mask to the crowd and THEN removing it and laying it aside in front of all of them was theater.  He could have just as easily walked on without the mask and just done the damn course without making a show of it.

Drew Dreschel, one of the other "redemption" guys was showboating too, in a more noticeable way. Surrendering one of his three Warped Wall attempts to do a backflip?  Come on.  True there was close to zero chance has wasn't going to get up the next attempt, but think of all the people who'd KILL for one extra attempt, and there Drew goes wasting one just to show off.

I hope they ditch the new log roll next year.  It looks too dangerous.

I actually loved it. Something that effects the vets just as much as the rookies.  Something not TOO gender specific, because although men might have an advantage in grip, women tend to have longer legs proportionally, so it just transfers their difficulty to a different spot.  The delicious part was how it burned arrogant racers who assumed they could just shake off the dizziness and went for the next obstacle too soon.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Kromm

[SophiaD]

I got into a major car accident several years ago, and watching people's heads flop around like that made me cringe.  Plus, bleeding.  Ouch.

 

You're right, though, in that it's more gender-neutral than a lot of the obstacles.  Unless a competitor has really short legs. 

[djlynch]

Did I see correctly that William Brown (the power plant employee who wore Spartan costumes in years past) was in the theme park product-placement segment but didn't actually compete, or did I miss his segment? I checked for him in the final leaderboard and he wasn't among the 30 advancing to the next round, at a minimum, and I assume that they would have made a point of showing him fail.

Edited June 25, 2015 by djlynch

[VartanFan]

I thought he was relegated to the lame " while we were at commercial break" clips....Not 100% on that .

[Lantern7]

The nasty part of my psyche says that he works at the theme park, and he had to do some fast talking to get out of wearing a Minion suit. Seriously, though, I think he was in the "While We Were Away" montage.

[MsVixen]

I thought he was relegated to the lame " while we were at commercial break" clips....Not 100% on that .

 

I didn't see him in any of the commercial breaks after that.  Definitely didn't see anybody in a Gladiator outfit.

[djlynch]

I went back and looked and there was a guy with a beard and a cape, but it was someone else who they described as a DJ. I think I remember that other guy from last year, when he surprised me by looking the way he did and having a female significant other on the sidelines.

 

It felt like they didn't show nearly as many competitors in Orlando as they did in Houston or Kansas City because they spent so much time focusing on Travis Rosen, Drew, and Flip. I guess either whoever edited that video didn't realize he didn't compete this year or didn't realize that his run was going to end up getting cut completely.

[Vicky8675309]

I'm not a fan of this modified rolling log as it seems too dangerous--heads bouncing around and banging platforms & head gash on the roll with blood all over.

I did like the reference to Queen with the lyrics "he's got blood on his face…" but the "ride em like a cowboy" comment was total cringe.

Tall paper mill guy from Maine was fun and impressive.

Flip still seemed cocky with the "look at me, I'm not wearing a mask anymore" and making a big production about putting it on then taking it off….I get it, you want us to think you are humble. I agree with the comment about him trying for image rehab but it didn't work for me especially with his "6 buttons" comment.

I liked the beautiful Russian "nerd" and hope she made it far enough fast enough.

Are people really allowed to climb on the wall in front of (or near) the Eiffel Tower? It looked cool

I like Travis--one of the veterans that is consistent and doesn't seem obnoxious

Edited June 28, 2015 by Vicky8675309

[jhlipton]

Drew Dreschel, one of the other "redemption" guys was showboating too, in a more noticeable way. Surrendering one of his three Warped Wall attempts to do a backflip?  Come on.  True there was close to zero chance has wasn't going to get up the next attempt, but think of all the people who'd KILL for one extra attempt, and there Drew goes wasting one just to show off

 

That didn't bother me since it was obvious he'd make it up.  And Warped Wall attempts aren't transferable!

[Kromm]

That didn't bother me since it was obvious he'd make it up.  And Warped Wall attempts aren't transferable!

Egad,  Did you really read my post as a suggestion that they were?

 

To me the very fact that it was inevitable he'd make it up on a second attempt only pushes the situation even further into the category of showing off.

[meep.meep]

It's Drechsel

[Lantern7]

NBC is rerunning the episode tonight at 9, for those who missed it last week.

[Jobiska]

I mostly had it on in the background in another room, but I think it was this episode...does Matt Iseman usually say "Akbar" about every other word?  Because I'd never noticed before, but it seemed like he did this time!

[SmithW6079]

I don't understand why they made Travis Rosen's story "Father Time is coming/the clock is ticking." He's only 40; there are multple contestants in their 40s and even 50s. Or is it that those contestants aren't considered serious competitors with a chance to actually finish?

So people can actually make a living from Ninja Warrior? How else could Drew Dreschel afford to travel to all those competitions around the world?

[saber5055]

Do the contestants who come back every year, like Dreschel, Flip, Weatherman, Kasey and others, get a stipend from the network to appear? So many show up in the audience in other venues where they are not competing. Maybe there are sponsors for the foreign Ninja competitions. I guess one can be a professional Ninja just like one can be a professional rock climber.

 

Count me as the sole person who got a kick out of Dreschel Warped Backflip. Liked it, and don't mind him at all.

I don't understand why they made Travis Rosen's story "Father Time is coming/the clock is ticking." He's only 40; there are multple contestants in their 40s and even 50s.

 

 

Yeah, right now there are about a dozen "Father Times" running these courses. Way to make anyone over 30 feel washed up and over the hill. 

Edited July 4, 2015 by saber5055

[Quilt Fairy]

I mostly had it on in the background in another room, but I think it was this episode...does Matt Iseman usually say "Akbar" about every other word?  Because I'd never noticed before, but it seemed like he did this time!

Hey, I give him massive props for saying 'Gbajabiamila' at least twice each show. And I keep waiting for him to stumble on it. Although I guess if he did they would do a retake.