I'm not even sure I know how to start. I am kind of devastated that Drew fell on the Wing Nut Alley. I really thought he would be back on Stage 3; however, even if he made it, he would not have been able to get his revenge on the Upside down Rock Wall (or whatever it's called). So, since I already started, let's talk about the courses first. I knew they would change both Stage 2 and 3, but it really surprised me they got rid of The Wedge considering it was such a ninja killer, but maybe they were trying to eliminate Drew. They also set a time limit on Stage 2, which I believe is something new. No one really seemed to have issues, but that could be because no one could pass Wing Nut Alley. The Wing Nut first debuted in Daytona with its creator, Kevin Carbone (who must be feeling bitter-sweet), and proved to be a challenge for some. However, what makes Wing Nut Alley so much harder in Vegas is not as much the obstacle itself, but how it has been used. In Daytona, the jump onto the first Wing Nut started the momentum whereas in Vegas, you had to generate it from scratch. Then, what was truly the problem was the distance. In Daytona, they were a few feet apart, but here they were over 10 feet away from the next one. The first transition was 11 ft, and the dismount was 12 ft which is so ridiculous. There is always the issue of grip strength and when landing you have to make sure you can support your falling body weight, but the momentum was a big issue for people. Just that first transition, people couldn't generate enough, and Rayl, Gil, and Drechsel showed how important it is to get a good swing for the landing. Wing Nut Alley proved to be insane, and a career crushing challenge, yet I still am surprised The Wedge only lasted one year. It was a good one, but Drew can beat it. They also changed the Butterfly Jump to the Swing Surfer which is also greater in distance than that kind of obstacle usually is. Although, it did only take out 1 competitor. In addition to the time limit, I almost think they tried to design this is take out Drew. I definitely think the show (producers and such) were scared of having another finisher. They don't want to give another million dollars out, and there's something about not having a winner that is still exciting (?). They want people to come back and they want the suspense and they like the drama. Either way, this year, with 41 finishers, and many of them being ninja greats like Drew, Daniel, Joe, Adam, Josh, and Ian, I think the show was really freaked out about someone finishing it all. My dad and I mused that they may have added the time limit on stage 2 last minute after seeing the record number of finishers. Stage 1 and 2 tend to have one obstacle that poses the biggest issue. Stage 1 has the Jumping Spider, although that didn't cause as many problems as it usually does, but Stage 2 had the Wing Nut Alley, obviously. The Salmon Ladder and The Wave Runner are still more than capable of taking people out, but the Wing Nut Alley was the main culprit. It seems that, aside from The Wedge, the obstacle which goes second to last in Stage 2 is a momentum one I think that and the jumping type obstacle before it are the middle ground between Stage 1 and 3-- the mix. Stage 3 doesn't really have any need for footwork or momentum; it's all grip and hanging, except for Body Prop which still is it's own thing. Stage 2 is the mix of using your whole body and utilizing body control while mixing in strength intensive obstacles, too. They've had that chain merry-go-round thing, which I don't remember the name of, and the slanted, red wastebasket things. Those two were also momentum, but it was a lot of "commitment". The athletes would have to commit to the jump/dismount whereas the Wing Nut Alley allows you to take a little more time. Wing Nut Alley has proved to be a monstrosity, but The Wedge is still just as dangerous, so although I was surprised to not see it again inVegas, I know the Wedge will return somehow to wreak havoc. Also, the new Salmon Ladder. I kind of liked the transition to going down the Salmon Ladder, but they changed it to just two jump transitions. I don't know if that's harder or more time consuming or why they changed it, but people definitely got fancy. There were more tricks to be done with the new Salmon Ladder which was fun, but I kind of liked the old one where they had to go up and down.
So, now we can discuss athletes. First, Allyssa Beird. I'm not going to lie, I didn't think she'd do too hot. The Salmon Ladder is more intensive, and even though this is a classic obstacle, I doubt a lot of people train regularly on it. Beird is strong, obviously, but I was leaning towards her falling early vs. going far. I still want to see more women on Stage 2 because it would be interesting to see how well Jessie, Jesse, Meagan, and Barclay would do.
There's also Kevin Bull and JJ Woods, and I think they skipped them. Not just "while you were away" but completely cut them out. I don't remember seeing them at all, but I know for a fact they both completed Stage 1. Later, I saw their runs on the ANW YouTube channel, but I'm fairly certain they cut them out which is really weird considering they're big names, and JJ had that whole redemption stuff going on. It didn't surprise me at all that they skipped over the lesser names like Eric Middleton, Grant Clinton, and Dave Cavanagh. They also passed over all the rookies like Tyler Gillet, Hunter Guerrard, and Nick Kostreski which is kind of a jerk move because it's pretty impressive if a rookie can make it to Stage 2, and all 3 went out on the same obstacle that some of the greats went out on, too. It still didn't surprise me, though. Some of the names I was a touch surprised at seeing over commercial break were Brian Arnold, Travis Rosen, Josh Levin, and Tyler Yamauchi. Brian has been less of a big deal for awhile now, and it's obvious because he's been skipped like this before. To be fair it has been years since he was the biggest news in ANW. I think he is still a little obsessed with ANW, but as I've said before, I think he is now starting to let go a little. He didn't seem too devastated at falling on the Wing Nut Alley. Tyler Yamauchi got fancy on the Salmon Ladder like many others. Not many took the Ladder rung by rung. The majority of people shown took at least two rungs at a time, some taking 3. That was a good way to save time and energy. The only thing is you have to know you can do it, and I was afraid someone would mess up because they would try to bite off more than they could chew. However, no really seemed to have a problem with that. Nicholas Coolridge, my underrated favorite, did fall on the first jump which really bummed me out. I've seen his instagram, so I know how insanely strong he is. Of course, I wasn't surprised in the slightest that he was "commercial break-ed" but he didn't do super hot, anyway. Actually, there is someone who has taken the spot away from Coolridge as the #1 No-Show, and that is Ryan Stratis. They didn't show him at all. Qualifying, Finals, Stage 1, and Stage 2 for him was just a passing by. Granted, like Nicholas, he didn't do too well on Stage 2, so it makes sense that they skipped him. It was also expected/unexpected to see Josh Levin passed up. He was one of the only (if not the only) athlete to fall victim to the Wave Runner which was surprising. I was really cheering for Josh, and I think he still has a lot of potential being young and a rock climber, but for him to go out on that obstacle is a little odd, since it could be considered the most "rock climbing" like obstacle. Travis Rosen also got skipped which I feel like he's still a legend within the show, but now he's falling into the shadows. Lets' think about it, though. He's 42, and he's competing on the same level as guys in their 20's. They talk about older athletes competing, but he's the only one who has really done well consistently. Of course, I had to go on my "who got skipped" rant, because I think it's really unfair that people can only get a second of recognition just so that other people can have a stupid bio. The 3 finishers' entire runs were shown, which matters most, but they could always fit in more people without the sappy life story. Personally, I want to see runs way more than backgrounds and histories, even if they fall on the Wing Nut Alley or even on the Salmon Ladder. I also think it's really unfair and kind of mean that some people are just another number. Big names and fan favorites are obviously favorites for a reason, but everyone should be treated equal. The bios aren't the worst thing in the world, they just take up so so much time. They could be passing comments or much more condensed, but instead they have to drag on and show a thousand clips of them training and all their pictures. Brent Steffensen's story really bugged me because it was ridiculous. His dead dog? Really? Plus, Kacy was in it, but the broke up, so it was kind of weird. Illnesses, trauma, dead loved ones, injuries are things I can understand and am a little more okay with. Jamie Rahn's thing about his brain was fine (and shorter), but the dog was too much. Yes, the dog was cute, and yes, I'm sorry it's dead, but seriously? Call me heartless, but it was annoying, and not what I want to see. I know it's only 2 hours, and they had to get through 41 people for Stage 2, and then show all of Stage 3, but without the wasted time on bios, they could easily fit a couple more people in. ANW is about the physical competition and seeing who can complete the courses, not everyone's life story. I will say one thing. If someone could beat Stage 2, or had been a City Finisher, I would be more okay with a dumb bio. Like, if Brent had finished Stage 2 or even been a City Finisher, I would have been more lenient with the dog. I will always cheer for City Finishers now because they are so much more intense. Likewise, if you excel in Vegas, I will take notice and I won't hope for a strong athlete to fail (even if I don't really like their personality that much).
OK, let's move onto a less angry note and to a sad one instead. The Fails. Adam Rayl and Daniel Gil were two who I thought would do really well. Both are fast, and they're more of the lean and toned athlete. Both were also City finishers. I thought they would be better suited for the Wing Nut Alley. They both did fairly well, too, on the first three holds. The last one was where they both fell in almost identical fashions. They looked so strong throughout the whole thing, you wouldn't be able to tell that they were tired. Yet, obviously they were because they peeled right off of the last Wing Nut grips. I feel like there isn't that much to say. It was really hard to see them go down, especially because I had high hopes for them. Again, Josh Levin was also really sad. I really like Josh; he's on the fence for being on my Dream Team, but this ending was so unlike him. Most people dropped on the Wing Nut, so it's a shame to see him, Dory, (and Coolridge, another personal favorite) fall before they could even attempt it. We'll never know if those three are capable of passing it. Honestly, I wouldn't even be too sure, though. I know Levin and Dory are rock climbers, but I don't know exactly how that would correlate to momentum. Surely, they would be able to hold on, but I don't know how the jump would be. Also, it looked like Dory was the only one to fall on the Swing Surfer. I knew he wouldn't make it because he went first. Whenever someone goes first, or early for that matter, you know they aren't going to hit any buzzers. My dad and I sometimes think that they edit order and Matt and Akbar's voices are just voice overs, not live coverage. So, when they say going first, it might not be Dory up first, they just edit. Some possible evidence for this was Stage 1 when Lance Pekus not only ran last, but wound up with the fastest time. He did have a life-changing, huge announcement with his wife's illness, which may have allowed him to be the final runner, but it was awfully convenient that he got the fastest time. Truly and honestly, I suppose I would have to say "no-- I don't really think they bother to edit," but it is within the realm of possibility. I've already answered the question of wether or not the athletes/audience can hear the announcers while the athlete is running the course (no). As far as people who dropped, I expected a lot, but Gil and Drechsel even Rayl, Dory, and Levin were some people who I thought had a really good shot, and would have been my best bets. Drew was definitely heart-breaking. It was unfortunate he came in a little too hard. If he hadn't rammed his arm into the course, he would have made it. I find in this show, there are a lot of "if he/she." If Jesse hadn't gotten caught up on Parkour Run, if Jessie hadn't felt too confident, if Joe could be at 100% for Stage 3, if only Jake had slowed for a second, if only Ethan hadn't tripped, if only ____ hadn't missed that one little thing or done that; you know? Drew said he listened to the advice of some other competitors about going further than you think you should, but, honestly, it's Drew Drechsel. Drew Drechsel doesn't need advice. Drew Drechsel is not your average guy. Drew Drechsel is different; he's special. I guess this will show Drew to listen to people. Anyway, it was a huge shocker and disappointment. I really wanted to see Drew back on Stage 3 and for him to win it all. I love Joe, really, but I think I wanted Drew to win more. Joe is definitely my second favorite, and a very close one, too, but something about Drew is hard to totally understand. I would have been just as happy if Joe had won everything, though. I just know I would have loved to see what damage Drew could do on Stage 3.
Like I said before, the majority of the big names appeared in Stage 2, and the majority of those fell on the same place, so I can't necessarily complain. There are plenty of people I would have loved to see, but 3 finishers is pretty good. It think 2-4 is probably what we should be expecting from now on for Stage 3.
Lastly, finishers. The Papal Ninja was a huge surprise. He received some attention in the City courses. He was also a City finisher. Now, we all know how strong he is, so I look forward to him next year. He did shock me, though. He went up against some really strong guys and managed to be 1 of 3. He was basically on the same playing field as Joe Moravsky. There are always lesser known, fresh faced guys that are breakout stars, and Sean Bryan was this seasons underdog, so to speak. It's not surprising he was the first to drop on Stage 3, though because he is the most inexperienced, probably. I also can't remember if he had any background in gymnastics. He was super impressive, and it was great to see him finish. Then there's Najee. To be honest, I really didn't think Najee would have been one to finish. He is a gymnast, and he is very strong. Last year was when he really broke through; they were pretty into him, and he was in all the All Star competitions and such. I do really like Najee. I wouldn't say he is on my Dream Team, but he's definitely high up on my list. I was also really glad to see him pass the Nail Clipper after he fell in his City Finals. He took a different approach than before, and it was for the best. Unfortunately, both Najee and Sean fell on the Crazy Cliffhanger. Daniel Gil fell also fell on the Crazy Cliffhanger. The Crazy Cliffhanger is a really hard obstacle, so it seems like it takes a special kind of athlete to pass it. Joe and Drew may be the only ones to pass the new Crazy Cliffhanger. I know Geoff, Isaac, Brian, Brent, and Ian have passed it, but now it's harder than before with 3 difficult, jumping transitions. Joe and Drew are such phenomenal athletes; it's truly unbelievable. I love Najee and now Sean, but if Drew could have been there, it would have been so much better. Seeing 3 finishers, and having one of them be Joe, was fantastic. It was a good season finale; it just would have been so much greater if Drew could have joined them.
I think Joe could have finished Stage 3 if he was at 100% i.e. Stage 2 and 3 had been on separate nights. Or (another "If only") Joe hadn't missed the loop on the new Time Bomb obstacle he could have gotten a little farther. If he had passed the Time Bomb, actually, I think he might've still dropped on the Flying Bars. Joe is tremendously strong and an amazing natural; he's truly blessed, and incredibly strong, but doing Stage 2 ,3, and 4 all in one night would have been difficult even for a pro veteran like him. He still was unbelievable, though. I knew he wasn't going to pass Stage 3 because there wasn't enough time for them to show a Stage 4, but he still made it farther than I would have thought. I was think, 'the body prop looks like it's giving him some trouble' and I thought for sure he couldn't do that peg thing. Joe continues to astound me; he's indescribable. I also love how Joe is not so ANW focused. Like, he doesn't have his own gym, he doesn't rock climb, he doesn't even seem to have a lot of other ninja training partners. In his bios, they hardly ever talk about his training regimen, at least that I can remember. He has a regular job which does not allow for ANW training and he has a family with two young kids now. I love Drew; he is a great competitor, but this year just reminded me how awesome Joe is, too. Joe and Drew are the biggest fears of the producers of finishing everything. They are perfect for ANW and ANW is perfect for them. I love watching them both, and they both seem to have great personalities, too. This year was a good reminder to everyone how serious of a threat Joe Moravsky is to Mount Midoriyama.
The season finale is basically the most exciting episode of the season, but it sucks that it also has to be the last one. I am honestly sort of devastated it's over for another year, but I was really excited to see Stage 2 and 3. I really wanted someone to win, so, overall, it was a disappointment, but I have rediscovered favoritism in Joe (I guess you could say it that way). They're really cranking it up in difficulty to keep from having a winner, though, so who knows how crazy it will be next year? Also, Joe never got a POM Wonderful Run of the Night. Qualifying made sense because they gave it Jesse LaBreck, which I can understand. Jamie Rahn was a new, especially considering Joe had a faster time. They also gave it to Lance the first night of Stage 1 which makes sense, too, because he had the fastest time; however, like with Rahn, Richardson was a bit of a surprise. Usually, the POM Run helps gives some insight as to who will make it in the future (which is why I thought Joe didn't finish Finals). I'm not saying Najee didn't deserve it, I just thought it was slightly odd they chose him. I don't know how they go about choosing who should get it because they weren't all based on time this year. We joke that Joe just has too good of a life for him to get any of the POM Runs this year.
Anyway, I think I have said everything I want to about the Season 9 Finale. Maybe next year, on the 10 year anniversary finale, we will see another winner. Also, hopefully, Geoff will return. I'd love to see how well he can do back in the redone Vegas.
So, until next time. Hopefully, there will be an All Stars or USA vs. the World in the winter to help break up the ANW gap.
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