S10.E02: Los Angeles City Qualifiers 2018.06.06

[Lantern7]

Quote

Competitors face six obstacles, including the Jumper Cables and he Doorknob Drop; veteran "American Ninja Warrior" competitors Sean Bryan, Kevin Bull and Flip Rodriguez compete.

Also: Jurassic Park tie-in stuff! ANW is really getting to be a thing!!

BTW, are posters no longer able to include episode number and date? Just curious.

[enoughcats]

The doorknob thing....that first pivot doesn't seem to happen if the contestant is a light weight.  The first woman all but jumped up and down and it still didn't pivot.  

Now that same lack of pivoting has happened to a very slim guy.  

Just something to watch for.

eta Hunky 6' 1" tall fire fighter weighing 175 lbs got the pivots to pivot

Edited June 7, 2018 by enoughcats

[slf]

NO. NO CHRIS PRATT.

Goat had no body control whatsoever, he was all flailing limbs. His grandma was so cute!

Kevil Bull splashed down on a qualifying course?! Wow. He's usually a sure bet to make it through.

I hated everything to do with the dinosaurs. I hated the contestants interacting with them, especially.

I laughed when the Papal Ninja didn't make it up the big wall and his mother had to turn away looking crushed. Ha! Serves him right for asking the hosts to pray for him. I guess Jesus didn't want him to have that money!

Poor Tiana, I thought she was gonna clear that obstacle. She was doing fantastic on it and made it farther than Kevin Bull. 

Geez, I feel terrible for Grant and his brother. That's a lot of family members to have lost; I'm glad his brother has him to depend on. I'm surprised his foot hit the water. That fifth obstacle must be a lot harder than I initially thought it was.

I'm starting to wonder if we're ever again going to get to watch Nicholas Coolridge run a course. They always seem to WWWA him.

I'm so happy for the Eskimo Ninja! TBH I didn't think he'd make it. Now he walks away with 10k no matter what. That must take a load off.

I'm with Akbar, if Flip had made it past the fifth obstacle he definitely wouldn't made if up the 18ft wall.

I feel like a lot of big names have fallen on the qualifying courses this year compared to the previous seasons?

Edited June 7, 2018 by slf

[srpturtle80]

I had a crappy day so maybe I’m just cranky, but Natalie Duran bugs me for some reason so I can’t say I was sad to see her go out on the second obstacle.

I love when rookies try to bound through the floating steps and totally bite it. Cracks me up every time. Hell, there are very few seasoned vets that even treat the steps that way. Respect the course. 

I get Adam Rayle and Nick Hansen confused sometimes but I do like them both, so I was happy to see them each win the $10k.

I was shocked that Flip (one of my faves) and Grant went out when the did. I definitely think Flip would have made it up the mega wall so that was a costly mistake. Thankfully they are both through to city finals! 

I’m actually excited about the new Jurassic movie so I didn’t mind the dinosaur stuff. 

Did Zhanique make it through? I forgot to pay attention to that at the end. 

[Kazzy25]

Zhanique did make it through. I remember her being shown in the top 5 women ranking.

 

I’m bothered they montaged 2 competitors who have competed in all 10 seasons of ANW - including The Godfather, David Campbell. It’s the 10th season and they’ve shown up 10 times! I just think since it’s kind of a landmark season, there should be a little more respect for those competitors who’ve ran the course every season.

[EllenB]

Yeah, it seems like David Campbell should get his full run shown, he was one of the stars for so many seasons.  And what has poor Nicholas Coolridge done to get shorted AGAIN?  

Glad Grant made it to the next round; in spite of his sad backstory, I watch him for the sheer joy he displays.

This season's qualifier feels like previous years' city finals courses with all the upper-body challenges.

Edited June 7, 2018 by EllenB
Spelling

[Richness]

I literally LOL for a good five minutes at Akbar's reaction to the Eskimo Ninja making it up the Mega Wall. He nearly knocked Matt off that perch. I re-watched it multiple times in fact. Gonna need a video clip of just that.

 

Liked the one rookie who finished the course early in the show, but despised the one that mugged for the camera. Both loved and hated some of the Jurassic World promotion. 

 

Surprised the doorknobs took out so many veterans. But I've been thinking there's been a shift to the newer blood that started last season. It seems to be in full force this year, especially with them lowering the minimum age.

[Vermicious Knid]

Did they lose the Pom Wonderful sponsorship? I noticed it last week too, the logo isn't in the pool and the contestants aren't being give Pom blankets.

[Lantern7]

Fun episode. I reckon most of the familiar folks made the cut, even if they couldn't handle the knobs. At least Kevin Bull would have an excuse for missing Las Vegas: he was too busy training Akbar.

At least no Kacy this week. I'd like to see her show up for no real reason, do commentary . . .  then rip off the mask to reveal "herself" as Isaac Caldiero, right before he rushes the course in one minute. "Matt, how did we not know?!?" "I thought she was on a stool or something!!!!"

Welcome back, Zhanique. I also can't harsh on Sean Bryan. He had a great performance keeping his team in the game in the Ninja vs. Ninja semifinal. However, I'm thinking the "Joined In Progress" cut means he doesn't get far this year.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Lantern7

[mlp]

I've always liked Nick Hansen so I was very happy for him.  His elation was a joy to watch.  I figured Flip was a sure thing for making it up the mega wall so I was flabbergasted when he fell.  

Watching Matt and Akbar go ape always cracks me up.  

I got a kick out of the dinosaurs.  I was hoping one would run the course again.

[Quilt Fairy]

Thanks for another 10 seconds of Nicholas Coolridge, show.  I swear, if he makes it to Stage 3 in LV, they'll still WWWA him.

The pivot point on that doorknob thing is just wrong.  If you get to a certain knob it should pivot easily, you shouldn't have to yank down on it.  It's not like you're - I don't know - HANGING IN THE AIR!

[Taeolas]

I think the pivot points on the doorknobs are actually triggered by a Ninja Minion. You need to have a solid grip on the uppermost knob and THEN it would drop; it was clearly a released event and not just a weighted event, otherwise we would see it bouncing as they worked their way up. Plus we saw it drop when the Ninjas had the last 2 gripped and we saw it drop when they had the 3rd from the end and last one gripped. The criteria was clearly "Have the last knob gripped" and they would release it. 

Maybe it isn't a minion, but actually a button or pressure switch released when they grip that knob. I did notice that locking it in place did make it harder. If it was bouncing, when they swung to reach for the last knob it would come down to meet them making it easier to reach. 

 

Anyways, count me surprised when both Bull and Flip fell on the last obstacles. I was surprised Bull was showing up so early in the competition, and then to see him splash down was an honest surprise; especially when the first woman made it that far. (She made it seem like LA was an 'easy' course and the experienced Ninjas would eat it up.) I'm not sure Bull would have made it up the Mega wall, but I'm pretty sure Flip would have. 

 

Speaking of Flip, I was surprised at how little discussion he got considering his legacy as well. It wasn't a WWWA, but it was just a step above it. Maybe if he had made it up the Megawall they would have done more on him. Still, he seemed to take this course more cautiously than usual, not sure if he was less sure of himself, or he saw how it was eating the other ninjas and decided to be more cautious. 

 

As for the Dinos, I didn't mind them at all, and liked the little changes (like the JP gate the Ninjas walked through) they added. It certainly seemed to be a bigger theme than the one they did last year (which I'm already forgetting.... Or was there a Lego Movie themed obstacle a couple years back?). I wonder if they'll keep the Jurassic Park theme for the Finals? 

 

Speaking of the finals, will they keep the megawall in place for another chance to get the 10Gs? Or will they just send everyone up the 14fter to keep things moving? 

 

Finally, count me as another who was loling when the Alaskan Ninja made it up the Mega wall and Akbar nearly sent Matt flying out of the booth. 

[Chaos Theory]

Zhanique was #2 for the women so she made it through.

Sometimes there is that one obstacle that no one can figure out and in LA it was The Doornob Drop.  The irony is I think most people did actually make it that far so it is the fastest to that point.    The LA finals is going to be interesting.   See who learns from their mistakes and figures out his to get past the drop of death.  

[enoughcats]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

in LA it was The Doornob Drop

I really think it was personal weight: 

over 175 pounds got the pivot (esp. the second pivot) to come down.  Less than 155 and they needed to somehow get momentum to move it.  
One guy just successfully jumped from it before it even began to pivot, and the one of the later contestants may have been the heaviest of the night, and he got an easy pivot.  

But was it intentional to see how the lighter weights could adjust?

[saber5055]

14 hours ago, slf said:

I'm starting to wonder if we're ever again going to get to watch Nicholas Coolridge run a course. They always seem to WWWA him.

Oh, man, was he there? I missed his WWWA if he was. He's my favorite ever, I've spent much time watching his YouTube videos. What did he do to make this show hate him? More importantly, how far did he get?

11 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

At least no Kacy this week. I'd like to see her show up for no real reason, do commentary . . .  then rip off the mask to reveal "herself" as Isaac Caldiero, right before he rushes the course in one minute. "Matt, how did we not know?!?" "I thought she was on a stool or something!!!!"

This made me LOL, so hilarious. Thanks for that, Lantern.

10 hours ago, mlp said:

I've always liked Nick Hansen so I was very happy for him.  His elation was a joy to watch.  I figured Flip was a sure thing for making it up the mega wall so I was flabbergasted when he fell.  

I like Nick too, and his friendship with Grant is what makes me tolerate Grant, who always has irked me for some reason. But Grant did have a good backstory this time so I'm growing more lenient about him. Flip is up there as a favorite so I was disappointed to see him fall. Disappointed and a bit stunned to tell the truth. Glad he's moving on though so I get to see him again. I was also surprised about Kevin Bull, another fav.

It will take me a while, maybe a couple seasons, to like these new ninjas and get to know some to root for. Meanwhile, give me all the oldsters to root for. You know, Flip, Nick Coolridge, Alaska Ninja, Bull ... and so on.

[Chaos Theory]

8 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

 

I like Nick too, and his friendship with Grant is what makes me tolerate Grant, who always has irked me for some reason. But Grant did have a good backstory this time so I'm growing more lenient about him. Flip is up there as a favorite so I was disappointed to see him fall. Disappointed and a bit stunned to tell the truth. Glad he's moving on though so I get to see him again. I was also surprised about Kevin Bull, another fav.

 

I always liked Grant and I tolerate Nick because of the friendship.  Maybe because I really like Grants dad and brother too. 

I also liked the other guy who made it up the money wall the one with the mom who always looks like she is going to pass out.  

[Destiny74]

Count me as one who liked the dinosaurs.  I just couldn't get past Bryce Dallas Howard's outfit.  Who chose that for her?  Wardrobe must hate her something fierce.  Open chest, high waistline?  Really one of the ugliest outfits I've seen in a long time.  Did nothing for her at all.  I love Chris Pratt though.  

I was shocked at Bull.  I was even more shocked at Grant.  That's gotta suck, to basically be done with the obstacle and touch the water.  I was getting used to Ninja vs. Ninja so at first, the water touch didn't register with me.  I'm not sure he would've gotten the 10K but he would've made it up the normal wall.  I feel he may have made it if he hadn't been chatting with his family on the sidelines after every obstacle.  I don't  think his head was 100% in the game.  Flip shocked me too.  I know he would've made it up the 10K wall, he did that in one of those Ninja comps a couple if years ago.  Glad to see they will all be back for finals.

Sean Bryan made it through and I'm glad.  I like him.  Wish he'd have gotten 10K but, oh well.

At least Zhanique's kid calmed down a bit from last year.  He drove me nuts and honestly tainted his mom in my eyes for a while.  I started liking her on N vs. N.  I'm glad she'll get another shot.

Glad to see some women making it to finals in league with the men, not just because they bring 5 women along. (Tianna)

Sooooooooo happy that Natalie Duran bit it early on so I don't have to see another package starring her again.  She'll be mugging on the sidelines for the rest of the season but I can handle that. She just drives me bonkers.  

Cheering for Nick Hanson.  I don't care that he's the Eskimo Ninja...he is always "Mmmm Bop" to me (like all people named Hanson are).  ?. Cheered for the 10K and was shocked he got it!  Also shocked that Adam Rayl made 10K.  Go on Concrete Ninja!  Not sure about them touting him as a "Go all the way" guy this year, I guess time will tell.  He is a good Ninja but never struck me as in the running for Stage 4.

At least there were no death bed reinactments this episode.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Destiny74

[healthnut]

41 minutes ago, Destiny74 said:

I just couldn't get past Bryce Dallas Howard's outfit.  Who chose that for her?  Wardrobe must hate her something fierce.  Open chest, high waistline?  Really one of the ugliest outfits I've seen in a long time.  Did nothing for her at all.  I love Chris Pratt though.  

This. I had to google if she was pregnant. That was so unflattering. 

At first glance, this course looked easy, I thought there were going to be lots of finishers, especially when Jonique went first and got to the fifth obstacle. But wrong, I was, they really struggled with those doorknobs. Poor Tiana. I hope she finally gets over the hump in city finals. 

I was shocked Nick got up that wall and so was he, super happy for him. I’m glad there’s a way for these ninjas to get some money in their pocket this season. I can’t imagine they will bring it back next year because everyone will just train for it in the offseason. In fact, those who ran the qualifiers later have an opportunity to practice. I’m sure word got around quick. 

[Chaos Theory]

To be honest I was hoping Chris Pratt or Bryce Daniels would  run the course.  I know we get celebrities run on Red Nose Days but there is just something about watching people who have no business on the course either to well or splat.  

Edited June 7, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[Quilt Fairy]

5 hours ago, Taeolas said:

I wonder if they'll keep the Jurassic Park theme for the Finals? 

Probably not, the movie will have been released by then.

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

More importantly, how far did he get?

Coolridge finished.  I don't remember if he attempted the Megawall or not.

[Taeolas]

19 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Probably not, the movie will have been released by then.

The movie will be out, but it should still be in theaters. The actual runs are filmed back to back over 2-3 days, so the basics of the set will probably still be in place. Not sure if Rexy is a permanant statue at Universal Studios or just brought in for the movie, but it'll probably still be dominant in the background finals, and I could see the gate staying put too.  They may not push the movie quite as much for the finals, but it will probably still be mentioned and used. 

[WInterfalls]

4 hours ago, Taeolas said:

The movie will be out, but it should still be in theaters. The actual runs are filmed back to back over 2-3 days, so the basics of the set will probably still be in place. Not sure if Rexy is a permanant statue at Universal Studios or just brought in for the movie, but it'll probably still be dominant in the background finals, and I could see the gate staying put too.  They may not push the movie quite as much for the finals, but it will probably still be mentioned and used. 

Yes but aren't the finals in Vegas not LA?

[Destiny74]

1 hour ago, WInterfalls said:

Yes but aren't the finals in Vegas not LA?

I think they are referencing the LA finals.

[VartanFan]

Quote

I had a crappy day so maybe I’m just cranky, but Natalie Duran bugs me for some reason so I can’t say I was sad to see her go out on the second obstacle.

100%. For me it’s the LOOK AT ME-ness of her.  Like she thinks she’s so cute and funny. And I”m sad that ‘YouTube personality’ can be an occupation.  Maybe I”m also just grumpy today.

 

I’m on board the Kofron train (is that his name?  First finisher?  Fireman?) for the eye candy.  There are a number of the repeat ninjas and they’re great and people like them, so they often have the backstory pieces.  But, like, I get it...Alaska is cold.  Alaska is remote.  And it’s cold.  Yup, got it.  

[srpturtle80]

@VartanFan I have to ask, is your screen name in reference to Michael Vartan? Because if so, he’s been the love of my life since the first time I saw Never Been Kissed. Lol

And yes, you hit the nail on the head with Natalie. She does seem to think she’s all that and a bag of chips. Or at least she acts like she does. 

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

She does seem to think she’s all that and a bag of chips. Or at least she acts like she does. 

I saw quite a few contestants like that last night.  People who were too focused on their friends and family on the sidelines rather than paying attention to the course.  I get that it may be your one chance to appear and you want to enjoy it, but it detracts from the competition for me.

[4N6MAL]

On 6/6/2018 at 8:23 PM, enoughcats said:

The doorknob thing....that first pivot doesn't seem to happen if the contestant is a light weight.  The first woman all but jumped up and down and it still didn't pivot.  

Now that same lack of pivoting has happened to a very slim guy.  

Just something to watch for.

eta Hunky 6' 1" tall fire fighter weighing 175 lbs got the pivots to pivot

When they ran the course for "Red Nose Day" with the celebrities I don't think there was any type of spring or anything holding the apparatus from swinging down. Some of those non-ninjas were able to get past that obstacle.

[ClareWalks]

Natalie Duran annoys the shit out of me so I was cheering when she fell in. I have a more visceral "NO" response to her than I do to Kacy at this point.

Grant McCartney would be so much more handsome if he went back to that nice short haircut he briefly had. I do realize that he is under no obligation to appear more handsome to me, of course. It's just something I tsk-tsk every time I see him.

Loved that Nick Hanson got up the MegaWall. That dude is a beast. He's like Drew Dreschel in that they don't "look like much" (not that they look bad, but ya know, they're no Nicholas Coolridges) but they are physical dynamos.

[Destiny74]

58 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Natalie Duran annoys the shit out of me so I was cheering when she fell in. I have a more visceral "NO" response to her than I do to Kacy at this point.

Grant McCartney would be so much more handsome if he went back to that nice short haircut he briefly had. I do realize that he is under no obligation to appear more handsome to me, of course. It's just something I tsk-tsk every time I see him.

Loved that Nick Hanson got up the MegaWall. That dude is a beast. He's like Drew Dreschel in that they don't "look like much" (not that they look bad, but ya know, they're no Nicholas Coolridges) but they are physical dynamos.

You hit the nail on the head with this all!  

I love Grant but I think he was more handsome with the shorter hair.

I think the ones who do the best are the long and lean types.  Tremaine Dortch is the only one, off the top of my head, that is really muscular and does really well.  Drew, Daniel Gil, Caldiero, etc.. if they were walking down the street you wouldn't think, "Wow!  That guy pumps iron.". You know what mean?

[ClareWalks]

5 minutes ago, Destiny74 said:

I think the ones who do the best are the long and lean types.  Tremaine Dortch is the only one, off the top of my head, that is really muscular and does really well.  Drew, Daniel Gil, Caldiero, etc.. if they were walking down the street you wouldn't think, "Wow!  That guy pumps iron.". You know what mean?

Definitely! The range of best body types seems to be "parkour to rock climber." And then there's Jessie Graf, who is just flawless all around in every way and is my hugest woman crush ever.

[enoughcats]

1 hour ago, ClareWalks said:

Jessie Graf, who is just flawless all around in every way 

Think of her as a poll vaulter: tall, slim, excellent upper body strength to lift/propel her over a bar above her head, based on her arm strength.

Have any of the men been poll vaulters?  

Natalie....I kept my mouth shut/ keyboard quiet because I thought it was just me.  But I kept seeing her and seeing her and somehow she irritated me.  And I thought I'd seen most all of ANW from their beginnings and I could hardly remember her.  So I read her wiki page and she is 

Quote

YouTube personality, Vlogger, Rock Climber, Fitness Model, Medical Researcher

I think if we saw her as a medical researcher, I might like her.  The rest not as much.  And it wasn't my mind:  her ANW career hasn't been either from the beginning, nor has it been continuous after her first appearance.

Somewhat like Kacey, she got editors points for something done not often, but before other women did it. 

[slf]

Duran isn't anymore annoying to me than Grant and the other show-offs. The only ones who annoy me to the point where I can't watch are Neil Craver and the firefighter guy who's always shouting.

[ClareWalks]

15 minutes ago, slf said:

Duran isn't anymore annoying to me than Grant and the other show-offs. The only ones who annoy me to the point where I can't watch are Neil Craver and the firefighter guy who's always shouting.

Neil Craver is awful. I hope he gets WWWA'd this season.

[Chaos Theory]

I wouldn’t mind Natalie Duran if she was better at ANW.  I tend to not like the people whose personalities are bigger then their talent.  There are plenty of people with huge personalities that do match their talent that I am great with.  

[mlp]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I like Grant, Neil and Natalie and I think Grant is much cuter with his hair long and curly which is odd because I usually don't like long hair on men.  Neil is a wild risk taker but he's actually a good ninja.  Natalie uses her wacky You Tube personality on ANW but she has a serious job so I assume it's just part of her act.  The problem with Natalie is that she's better than the average female but not as good as many of the women who compete.  I get a kick out her though.

[TiredMe]

I am not a fan of Natalie, so I was glad she’s out and I won’t have to see her mugging in the finals. I felt like that for a long time about Grant too but something about him turned me around.

id like to know why people are so into Nicolas Coolidge? I just remember the dumpster diving which squicks me out so I’m fine not seeing him. 

[VartanFan]

10 hours ago, TiredMe said:

I am not a fan of Natalie, so I was glad she’s out and I won’t have to see her mugging in the finals.

Sadly, this doesn't mean you won't see her mugging in the finals.  You'll just likely see her mugging on the sidelines.  :)  I also just wish everyone would be in their regular clothes - I know it's a sign of support but it's just weird to see some of the better-known Ninjas changing tshirts for every run.  Oh, now i'm in my papal tshirt...gotta quick change into my island ninja shirt...then into my sob story ninja tshirt.  Sidenote - I'd actually probablyw ear a "Sob Story Ninja" tshirt.  

[ClareWalks]

11 hours ago, TiredMe said:

id like to know why people are so into Nicolas Coolidge? I just remember the dumpster diving which squicks me out so I’m fine not seeing him. 

I wasn't into the dumpster diving but there is something very sexy about him, it's hard to describe. He reminds me of like a hot dude from an 80s movie. His instagram is also extremely cool and he has a beautiful girlfriend who is also an acrobat and they do crazy pictures and videos together.

[saber5055]

5 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

17 hours ago, TiredMe said:

id like to know why people are so into Nicolas Coolidge? I just remember the dumpster diving which squicks me out so I’m fine not seeing him. 

I wasn't into the dumpster diving but there is something very sexy about him, it's hard to describe.

If you have to describe it, the other person doesn't "get" it. I totally get it. I crushed on Nick the first time I saw him on ANW and could care less about the dumpter thing. I'm guessing he no longer does that which is why now he gets no back story or reason for ANW to pimp him for a sob story, he's a WWWA. I wish they would back story him for the acro-yoga and poses he does with his girlfriend and other acrobats. Beautiful, amazing and gorgeous. He's living fine art.

I could spend the rest of my life just looking at Nick Coolridge photos and be happy.

[TiredMe]

5 hours ago, saber5055 said:

If you have to describe it, the other person doesn't "get" it. I totally get it. I crushed on Nick the first time I saw him on ANW and could care less about the dumpter thing. I'm guessing he no longer does that which is why now he gets no back story or reason for ANW to pimp him for a sob story, he's a WWWA. I wish they would back story him for the acro-yoga and poses he does with his girlfriend and other acrobats. Beautiful, amazing and gorgeous. He's living fine art.

I could spend the rest of my life just looking at Nick Coolridge photos and be happy.

I didn’t ask so that I could get it. I asked out of genuine curiosity.  He doesn’t do it for me but different strokes and all..

[Lantern7]

Heads up . . . NBC will be running this episode tonight in lieu of the Minneapolis qualifiers.