SASUKE Reflections..run up to SASUKE 26!

[lars072]

With no official announcement yet and the likelihood of little information about SASUKE 26 to come, I think it's time we put aside our differences here - no more G4 squabbles please- and have a more positive thread. With the future of SASUKE hanging in the balance, let's reflect on our favourite moments and memories as we head into SASUKE 26...

And yes, I know that we have done some of this before. So what? Better this than the ongoing whinging about mundane issues and constant speculation that SASUKE 26 could be the last. So let's hear your thoughts..


1. What was your first SASUKE?

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?


Please feel free to add other thoughts as well..please keep on topic! Thanks!

[Slayer0]

1. What was your first SASUKE? Sasuke 2 On G4

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?" Because I wanted to see Harashima Steps

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why? Bunpei Shiratori Because He almost achieved Kansenzeiha.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why? Jump hang Cause It looked fun to try, Cliffhanger Cause its Unique to me.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind? Bunpei and Asaoka Making it To the final stage, and Hiromichi Sato Metal Spin and JS C-C-C COMBO BREAKER!

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome? I like Sasuke Because So many People Are Devoted to it and never stop trying.

[Badalight]

1. What was your first SASUKE?

I believe it was either sasuke 11, 12, or 13. I can't remember off of the top of my head, however I do remember seeing Daisuke Nakata and I think Naoki Iketani pass stage 1 in that tournament, if that helps.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
I've been here since day 1. The G4 boards were pretty miserable and we all decided it'd be a good idea to just go ahead and make our own forum. Scnoi said he had a friend who could do this for us and it was formed. Here we are now.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
My first favorite was Shingo Yamamoto as he was the most recognizable. Then it was Daisuke Nakata as he was the first person I ever saw clear. Then I became a large Katsumi Yamada fan and eventually loved Nagano like everyone else

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
When I first began watching the rumbling dice and body prop where the ones I loved to watch. I was pretty much just impressed by stage 3 in general.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Katsumi Yamada falling off of the stage 3 end platform and landing on the GROUND. That was so shocking when I first watched it. OUCH

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
It's not people competing against eachother. It's the spirit Sasuke brings with itself that makes it so awesome. It's so apparent that you can even see it through the G4 version, the comradre between these competitors.

[cole77000]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
Saw Nagano's Sasuke 17 run on youtube. My first full original TBS broadcast was 24.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
I was reading these forums for a couple of months mostly for information and eventually wanted to voice my own opinion.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
Nagano becuase he was the first I ever saw, Hashimoto, David C.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
Jumping bars: Maybe becuase they look like a lot of fun
Salmon Ladder: Great original idea and it looks fun as well

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Nagano failing jumping spider and the circle slider, Levi on the slider drop, Brian O clearing the second stage in 25, Yuuji in sasuke 22.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
Its a very healthy competition, the competitors against the course, not against each other. In addition to the physical ability and the fact that it is exciting to watch, the fact that people are not competing directly against each other adds that "feel good" atmosphere.

[thatoneuser]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
Not sure (I watched Viking first ). SASUKE 23 was my first live broadcast. I got the results from 19-22 through Ube's blog but didn't watch the tournament.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
Probably because the G4 forums were lame.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
I always like Bunpei Shiratori, but I don't know why. I was sad when he stopped competing, I was hoping he would return for SASUKE 23.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
The Pipe Slider because I want to try it soooooo bad! Also because it is so simplistic but deceptive.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Yuuji's kanzenseiha in 24, one because I saw it live and two because it was sort of the "passing of the torch". The producers had for so long Nagano proofed the course, but Yuuji showed that anyone can do it.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
Because it isn't man vs. man, all 100 sort of work as a team to conquer the massive course, and if you clear a stage everyone sort of wins. It's unlike anything else in the world.

[YoDaUO]

1. What was your first SASUKE?

Depends... First time I saw it was Sasuke 3, final stage on G4. First "new" Sasuke I saw was Sasuke 20 on the day it aired on G4.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

I lost the G4 channel and wanted to watch Sasuke live on japanese TV.



3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

Bunpei Shiratori, consistent, determined, ect. Shingo Yamamoto, Shinji Kobayashi - I started recognizing them the most and was mixing them up a lot.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

Jump Hang, I would like to try it, simple task obstacle, funny to see people flip lol.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

Sasuke 8 final stage, Mr Sasuke failing the jump hang, all 3 wins, Bunpei clearing stage 1 in 21.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

How to say this??? I really dont know how to answer this. I guess because its SASUKE.

[roy]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
A: Can't be sure. Maybe Sasuke 15 or 16?
2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
A: I just feel that it's a fun, ever changing way to push yourself and work out, and try to catch up with the level that the competitors are at.
3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
A: Bunpei, because of the heat exhaustion in 15, and Nagano, because he keeps pushing the course designers. He seems like a very honest guy. Same with Yuuji. And yuuji shows it doesn't matter what your profession is.
4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
A: Cliffhanger and body prop.
5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
A: Yamada falling off the mat stage 3, Takeda failing Spider Flip in 24....Nagano's win
6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
A: The sheer audacity of it.

[TCM]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
- I don't remember the exact tournament I first watched, but one of the first was Sasuke 9. I started watching the show when the obstacle graph was black and white and took over the top of the screen. So from nearly the beginning of Ninja Warrior's birth.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
- I came here when the forum was just starting out, and since by this point I was pretty well versed in its history and since G4 forums was just starting to start its downward spiral, I was drawn here like a moth to a flame pretty much.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
- Takeda for how he just had this badass swagger he emulated
- Omori for being the first consistent guy (in terms of making the Final Stage in 1-3)
- Kane for showing the Americans have a chance as well (though no one's made the same success as him)
- Ishimaru for outperforming guys close to half his age despite never clearing
- Yuuji....nuff said.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
- Rumbling Dice for being the first Third Stage obstacle I saw
- Neshireta Kabe because it seemed impossible first time I saw it
- Circle Slider because it looks really fun to try even now

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
- Akiyama, Nagano and Yuuji's wins obviously
- Shingo clearing in 23 after all of his luck
- Ishimaru's near miss in 17
- Takeda's painful falls from the Spider Flip
- Kane in 8

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
- It's something different. Even though in most of our cases we don't speak a lick of Japanese outside a common word or phrase here or there and the fact that it's on a continent halfway across the world, it's easily understandable how the competitors feel. They aren't motivated by greed (most middle class salaries are larger than the 2 million yen prize (heard conflicting reports on whether it was bumped to 4), they're all motivated by getting to the top of the course and are genuinely happy for forever does. Teamwork and sportsmanship. Something we don't have much of anymore.

[rodprime79]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
Sasuke 13. Tuned into G4 one day and saw Shingo fail the second stage by a wall-smashed foot!!!

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
After watching 3 tourneys I wanted to see all of them!

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
Shingo Yamamoto and Toshihiro Takeda because they like to compete in their colorful work clothes. And Nagano of course because of his uberness!!

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
Cliff Hanger because I sure as hell can't do it.
Any Spider obstacle because it's cool to use your whole body to propel yourself

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Nagano in Sasuke 13 just destroying the first stage
Takeda in Sasuke 14 besting Nagano's time
Shingo's path fail in Sasuke 22

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
No words can describe it's awesomeness!!

[HarlequinKnight]

1. What was your first SASUKE?

The first clip that I saw of SASUKE was of Mr. Octopus' stage 1 run in 19. From then on I just wanted to find out as much as I could about the course.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

I became a member of these forums mostly because of Sim SASUKE, then decided to start watching the live broadcasts, then finally stopped lurking and became a full maniac.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

I always enjoy watching Katsumi Yamada's runs, purely due to the heart he's had over the years.
Nagano is just so smooth and so enjoyable to watch.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

The warped wall is so simple, yet so hard, and would be awesome fun to spend time on.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

SASUKE 1 as a whole, for the simple idea and execution.
The infamous Yamada interview after he fell off the stage 3 platform. It really highlighted the emotion that the top guys put into SASUKE.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

I personally see SASUKE as the perfect all round athletic challenge. Speed, agility, brute strength and willpower are all needed to get deep into the course.

[supernovamaniac]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
Livestream wise? SASUKE 21.
Japan wise? SASUKE 20.
NW wise? SASUKE 17.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
I lurked on three places: here, g4, and the blocked youtube account. After talking to scnoi for a while about SASUKE, I decided to join here. It was a great community, at least for a while. (Personal opinions)

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
Nagano. Not because he's best, but because of his attitude. Whenever he fails, he never shows his anger, disappointment etc. I'm pretty sure he's disappointed, but he just laughs it over. Sure, its sometimes good to see dramatic reactions to failures, but I love Nagano's attitude compared to everyone else's.
It was also fun to see Nagano getting pissed during SASUKE 23 after the stage malfunction. It did show me that Nagano does get pissed, but chooses not to when he fails due to his own mistake.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
Cliffhanger. The idea of hanging onto a small cliff-like ledge is too surprising to me, yet I see people doing it every single tournament.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
SASUKE 6, Akiyama Kazuhiko's 1st stage failure. Man comes back after one tournament hiatus, then fails the first stage. His reactions and emotions due to the failure was unbearable. It was also the first time I figured out that he was partially blind, which added onto the drama.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
Because it is.

[awee1975]

#1 = Cannot remember. i first saw "Ninja Warrior" by chance when i was "surfing" the remote control. :-P
The NW half-hourly & hourly episodes were very confusing. I just saw tons of people failing everywhere. Then I saw the cliffhanger ( pre-shin-cliff ) & thought "WTF? how is it possible?" well, i guess i was too naive back then.

#2- I was refered to this site by arsenette.

#3- Nagano. There are many others that can beat the course. But Nagano made it look easy. He had beautiful balance & great strength. Others seem to have to struggle to beat it. Until Yuuji came along & made the SCH look like child's play. But before Yuuji came along, no one had the same grace & ease like Nagano. Even then, Yuuji seem to be trying very hard on the course. We can see the strain on Yuuji attempting the other obstacles apart from Cliffhangers.

#4- You probably know my answer. :-P ( S.Kabe )

#5- Biased but still Kansenseiha 17

#6- It is enjoyable to watch everyday regular guys with regular jobs & ordinary lives trying it out. I always enjoy watching professional "soccer". I love "watching" ( :-P ) sports but most sports stars are professionals. Sasuke is the exact opposite of pro sports but this only makes it more interesting.

[quasikoz]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
Sasuke 19

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
I was (and still am) amazed by the athleticism needed to have a decent run, and I wanted to see more footage from the original Japanese broadcasts than the G4 edits provided.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
Nagano amazed me first, then started liking guys like Koji Yamada (3% is no joke!), Kongu, Noaya Tajima, and a couple of others.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
Rumbling Dice, Salmon Ladder. Both are simple in concept, but require an AMAZING amount of strength to overcome.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
The total victories. Yamada's failure in 10. Nagano's 1st stage run in 9. All-Star speed runs in 13-17. The first stage in 19. Tajima's 3rd stage run in 24. The reveal of the UCH in 25.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
I'm a fan of the physical strength and agility you need to have if you want to play. On top of that, you have to perform. I see it as an action/alt sport like skateboarding, mtn climbing, etc.

[yamfriend]

How have I not answered this yet?

1. What was your first SASUKE?

IIRC one of the first tournaments that I saw was either Sasuke 8 ("Stage 3/Final Stage" episode in G4 broadcast) or Sasuke 19 (end of G4 broadcast of tournament). I'm not 100% sure on either of these, but these 2 stick out the most from the earliest days of me watching the show (i.e. late 2007).

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

So I could learn talk with fellow big fans of Sasuke as well as to learn more about the show and its background, competitors, etc. that I would probably never find out otherwise.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

I've liked about 99% of the competitors who we've seen on Sasuke over the years in some way or another, but my top 3 are probably:

#3: Nagano (probably the best competitor in the history of Sasuke both performance and attitude-wise, with the latter probably being even more important than how extraordinarily well he's done)
#2: Takeda (such a consistent competitor who, after finding out the ironic fact that despite him being the person with the most Stage 3 attempts he has never cleared the stage, I rooted for in hopes of him finally making it to the Final Stage each and every tournament)
#1: Minoru Kuramochi a.k.a. Mr. Octopus a.k.a. Tako Tencho (I have no idea as to exactly why like him so much other than the fact that he's freakin' awesome...and funny )

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

Probably the Warped Wall, Salmon Ladder, and Cliffhanger in general (these ideas seem so original and iconic to the show). The Jump Hang, Rolling Log, Spider Walk, Wall Lift, and Pipe Slider are really close behind due to all of them being staples in Sasuke throughout most of its history yet not so difficult that they can't be conquered by the average joe without a decent amount of physical abilities. Plenty of other obstacles have been awesome as well, but if I were to list them all it would take a while.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

*the 3 Kanzenseihas (obviously)
*Takeda's Stage 3 run in Sasuke 24 (the drama of him being the last All-Star standing in the competition, the pride of the All-Stars in regards to the new generation, quite possibly being his last big chance to reach the Final Stage at last, and 5 previous Stage 3 clears in a row was a great lead-up into his run, and only to end in a heartbreaking defeat once again was a very emotional moment in the show's history if you ask me)
*Nagano missing Kanzenseiha by 0.11 seconds in Sasuke 12 (so close yet so far away, and a pretty neat way to end one of the best tournaments ever)
*Yamada's Pipe Slider failures in Sasuke 6 and Sasuke 10 and the emotional interviews with him afterwards for each of them
*Akiyama's Stage 1 clear in Sasuke 11 (VERY close finish, which made the return of the only champion so far at the time to Stages 2 and 3 all the more great to watch)
*Shingo's Stage 1 and 2 clears in Sasuke 23 (similar reason as Akiyama in Sasuke 11---great to see such a notable competitor who had been struggling a lot recently finally return to the other stages)
*the start of the rise of the new generation during Sasuke 22

There's definitely plenty more, but those are probably my top ones.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

Sasuke is such a great competition that brings together people in hopes of at least one of them achieving the ultimate goal of success. And unlike most sports, the competitors on Sasuke don't battle against each other; in fact, they do the exact opposite by supporting and cheering on each other along the way. At the same time, you get comedy, drama, shock, happiness, suspense, and everything else in between due to such a variety of events occurring during its broadcast. And although some things may be the same between some tournaments (i.e. same obstacles, similar success rates and results, etc.), each tournament is unique in a variety of ways, making it pretty difficult to ever get tired of.

[japantv1210]

"1. What was your first Sasuke?"
I'm pretty sure the first Sasuke I saw was when Nagano was attempting the final stage in Sasuke 17, and I remember after he beat it I was thinking "How the heck is that even possible?" or something like that haha. Then, I watched the rest of the tournament later that night.

"2. Why did you become a Sasuke Maniac?"
I was a part of the great migration that came over from the G4 forums.

"3. Which competitors were your favorites over the years? Why?"
Now-a-days I like pretty much every competitor. But when I started watching it was Nagano for his amazing athleticism, Takeda for being a recognizable face and his consistency, Yamamoto for being recognizable and always putting on an exciting performance, and Yamada for his dedication.

"4. Which obstacles were your favorites? Why?"
I liked the Cliffhanger alot, because it was so simple yet so deadly. I liked the Pipe Slider due to the same reasons as well. The Body Prop was always fun to watch for me, because you could never know if or when a competitor would fail it. The Jump Hang was fun to watch too, because the wipeouts were awesome haha.

"5. Which Sasuke moments will always stick in your mind?"
Nagano's Kanzenseiha in Sasuke 17, pretty much all the allstars failures in Sasuke 19, Urushihara's fail in Sasuke 25 (I'm still kind of shocked by that), and the Slider Jump fiasco of Sasuke 23.

"6. In your opinion, why is Sasuke so awesome?"
IMO, there's no other physical challenge in the world quite like it. It's unique in that it's extremely challenging, but no competitors are trying to outdo each other. Even though competitors usually compete against each other in a competition, no one's putting personal rivalries ahead of the course.

[lars072]

Well, I thought it was about time I put forth my comments as I made this thread. Here goes...


1. What was your first SASUKE?

I believe that it was 14 or 15- I remember seeing Nagano, Takeda, Shingo, Koji etc. taking on stages 2 and 3 and thought this was the best damn thing I've seen in a long time. I think the first live SASUKE was #20.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

I wasn't actually refering to this site per se, but anyways...the format of this competition was so different than anything I've seen and there was sort of this mystique about it that appealed to me. I have always loved challenge competitions- NBA slam dunk, Home run contests, strongest man com etc. This was so much better than all of them!

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

That is tough becuase I have enjoyed watching and following so many competitors over the years. But I'll pick 5..
Nagano of course. Not just because of his amazing ability to destroy the course and make it look easy, but also because of his humility and positive attitude.
Takeda has been there so long and it wouldn't be the same without him. His determination and will to put his body on the line is quite remarkable.
Jovtchev would be another favourite of mine, but I just wish he had competed more often. He always had this good-natured attitude and seemed to carry the hopes of foreigners until G4 came along. Remember when he was asked if he will return- he said" Of course. I love SASUKE!"
Guess I'd have to include Bunpei in here - heck, his performance in 15 alone just shows how far he and others are willing to go in SASUKE. He is missed...
And of course I have to include Li En Zhi here because he's from Taiwan. But also because he is one of the most easy-going and down-to-earth people. You'd have to say that he's one of the favourites to go far in 26...if we ever se it!


4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
Since I began watching SASUKE 14-17, I would have to say all of the stage 2 and 3 obstacles. I still say that stage 3 in 14-15 was the toughest ever and seeing so many copetitiors get so far only t fail the Pipe Slider jump was agony.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Bunpei overcoming heat exhaustion in 15; Jovtchev and Kane to the final stage in 8; Nagano's near miss in 12 after being in tears after Yamada's 'gloves incident;' seeing a new SASUKE in 18 and on and on. But of course seeing Shunsuke and NAgano beat the 3rd stage i 17 and Nagano's victory is by far the best moment. I still play 17 whenever I need a boost.


6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

I think everyhting I wanted to say has already been stated above. Nothing quite like it is there!

[lhii789]

1. What was your first SASUKE?

- I first saw SASUKE back in winter of 2005 (SASUKE 16), when I visited Japan. I had no idea what's the show was about so I kept watching it until the end. I watched somewhere around number 30-40 and kept watching until the end because it was so awesome. I couldn't remember the name of the show until someone posted Nagano SASUKE 17 video on Youtube on 2007.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

- Know more information about upcoming SASUKE.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

- Nagano and Urushihara. They are really good competitor and I love watching these two competes.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

- Pipe Slider - Looks fun and really hard
- Cliffhanger (any type) - What Stage 3 is all about. Plain and simple.
- Rolling Log - Most memorable in Stage 1 and fun watching people fails.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

Nagano on SASUKE 17 (Final)
Urushihara on SASUKE 24 (Final) although not as memorable as Nagano.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

I like the theme of man vs obstacle. It's one of the game show where man is competing against the impossible. A real drama that is coming from the people who's risking everything to accomplish.

[arsenette]

1. What was your first SASUKE?

Count me as one of those who saw Viking on ESPN2 first. I was channel surfing at one point during 2007 and ran into NW and didn't even realize I wasn't watching Viking.. I just thought it was the prelims for Viking since a lot of the faces were familiar. I watched Sasuke 11 first. The one with Akiyama finally making it past the first stage in ages and everyone was crying. I felt this was so different than any other obstacle course show because no one usually cares much for the competitors since most of the competitors in other shows want to take down their "rival".. these guys were cheering for each other.. I thought it was different.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"

Was part of the G4boards Exodus right before Sasuke 21.

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?

Akiyama (even wrote a blog about it.. LOL) and the rest of the All-stars and all the STQ'ers. I adored the STQ'er perseverance and their camaraderie having to go through that process over and over and over again and seeing their genuine excitement when each of their own gets to Sasuke and does well... I love underdogs.. LOL

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?

I don't fret too much over obstacles honestly. If I had to pick I'd say Circle Slider The faces these guys give when they almost miss that is priceless.. LOL

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?

Sasuke 11. I became an Akiyama fan on the spot. Seeing the TBS/JET version of that made me cry even more seeing what G4 cut from that footage. I thought that was such a spectacular tournament in general

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?

I touched on that in my first post. It's all about going against the obstacles and not against each other. It's encouraged to help your fellow "rivals".. and in the age of Survivor and Fear Factor.. it's a welcome change.

[scnoi1217]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
First ever SASUKE was SASUKE 8 on G4. I remember back in the summer of 2007 flipping through the channels one day and came across G4 (which at that point, I hadn't watched in a while). They were in a marathon of this show called "Ninja Warrior" and the name alone made me take a look at it. Once I saw what it was, I was instantly hooked. It brought back memories of me watching Legends of the Hidden Temple and GUTS and how I wanted to be on those shows, only this seemed...bigger, better. I think I watched that whole marathon afterwards.

My first TBS broadcast was SASUKE 20. I remember Ube or someone else asking if there was a way to watch TBS online. I did a search for it the day before the tournament and found this new thing called keyholetv. I shared that with the G4 board and the rest was history. (That also got me out of my shell and gave me more confidence to post more, before that I was mainly a lurker with less than 25 posts).

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
The more I got into the show, the more I wanted to know about it. I would learn one piece of info and want to learn more. It helped that I was getting more involved in the community as well.

As far as this site, around the time of SASUKE 21, most people on the G4 boards had enough of all the rules and spoiler free talk. So during that time, me and blt were talking about making a SASUKE website and the idea of making a separate board came up. He made the board, I joined, told everyone on G4 and theguy about it and the rest was history.


3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
Nagano at first. His success probably was the reason he got my attention at first but then his attitude towards the competition and the other competitors made me like him even more. Bunpei would probably be second because of how humble he is. He's a very good athlete that works hard, but doesn't let it get to his head.

4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
The classic version of the Jump Hang was an early favorite, especially with people nose-diving into the water, or flipping. Warped Wall was a cool idea and I've always liked that. Newer obstacles like the Salmon Ladder and Shin-Cliffhanger have been pretty cool to see as well.

5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
All of the live broadcasts I've been apart of will always be pretty special. Having 50-100 people all watching and cheering for something to happen is amazing, and I cannor wait for SASUKE 26. Watching Yuuji's win in 24 was awesome, and watching the video of Nagano winning in 17 will always stick with me.

6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
It's different from every other show, competition, sport I've seen before because the competitors work together and cheer each other on when someone else does well. I'm always used to the "I'm better than you" philosophy of shows, so to see this, it is exciting. Also, the shows themselves are each different and unique in some way, which makes each one interesting to watch. Plus, with them only having 2 a year, it makes the buildup and suspense that much more worth it.

[bigblind168]

1. What was your first SASUKE?
On G4? I think it was Sasuke 12... cuz I remember seeing Kinnikun timing out on the wall lift. But the first one I vividly remember is Sasuke 17 cuz me and my dad watched it religiously and I remember him saying Nagano wouldn't pass cuz he was takin it easy after the wall. First TBS, Sasuke 21, had to leave after the first stage for school. First full one was Sasuke 23.

2. Why did you become a "SASUKE Maniac?"
I started to get real into Sasuke the summer this was started. I wanted to know more about it ect... so when i saw Scnoi started up this site, i joined

3. Which competitors were your favourites over the years? Why?
I love(d) Monkiki, Kane I never really cared for Shane too much. I like the all-stars and "the anti-allstars" but not that guy tht always crushes an apple, he pisses me off.
4. Which obstacles were your favourites? Why?
I loved the plank bridge, a personal fav of mine, besides the obvious cliffhanger jumping spider ect...
5. Which SASUKE moments will always stick in your mind?
Nagano- 19,22,24 Akiyama-9 Yuuji- 22,
6. In your opinion, why is SASUKE so awesome?
Its about 60 average guys running and doing well than professional and olympic athletes on the worlds hardest obstacle course. Just the atmospher and everything about it makes it fun.