Inside the Insanely Intense 'American Ninja Warrior' Tryout Process
American Ninja Warrior will air the Tacoma/Seattle qualifier episode Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Well before the competitors got their shot at the ANW obstacle course, each of them had to go through a rigorous screening process.
Here's some behind-the-scenes intel about the application and tryout process.
There's no show that tests physical strength and athletic endurance quite like NBC's American Ninja Warrior. The sports competition, which first began in 2009, asks contestants to speed through impossible-looking obstacle courses for a chance to win a $1 million prize and be crowned the champion.
But while ANW looks incredibly difficult for those competing on it, getting through the application process may be the most challenging part of all. One Seattle Times editor recently attended the filming of an American Ninja Warrior episode, and what she discovered about the tryout process for hopeful competitors is truly incredible.
How to apply for American Ninja Warrior
Apart from being insanely in shape, you also have to be super lucky. Apparently, more than 70,000 people apply to be on the show every season, according to the Seattle Times.
The application process starts with a lengthy online form that asks you to submit your background story, athletic information, and a photo and video of yourself. According to the show's casting director, Angelou Deign, a contestant's personal story is a huge factor in deciding whether or not you're given a shot.
"If you have nothing in that story section, it makes it really challenging for any of the execs to pay attention," he explained on the website. Angelou also noted that despite the high volume of submissions, every single video is watched.
Apparently, the "perfect application video" includes these things:
A high energy level
Excellent lighting and audio
A passion outside of athletics
The ability to do workouts that mirror the challenges of the show
But even if you do submit an Oscar-worthy film, the chances of getting picked are still pretty slim. On top of that, the show also saves about 30% of its slots for contestants from past seasons.
What happens if you get picked?
If you do happen to get through despite the odds, you'll then have to report to a specific location for what's called a regional qualifying round (which is filmed). Each competitor is then asked to take on a six-part obstacle course that the Alpine Training Services team designed (a.k.a. those super muscly people you see standing around in black shirts), the Seattle Times reports. ATS is responsible for creating the the course, testing the obstacles out, monitoring for safety concerns, and resetting the route after each run.
Of course, the most iconic obstacle of all includes scaling a 14 1/2-foot wall or an 18-foot version. If you scale the 18-foot wall on your first try, you get $10,000 (for a second attempt, it's $5,000, and $2,500 for the third).
From there, the top 30 competitors with the best times then move on to the city finals, which are, believe it or not, often filmed the very next day. That means the top 15 from the qualifiers must do 10 more strenuous obstacles for a shot at the National Finals course in Las Vegas. In other words, you're out of luck if you happen to be a bit sore from the day before.
Bottom line: American Ninja Warrior starts getting hard well before the cameras even begin rolling. Don't know about you, but we're perfectly fine tuning in on Monday nights and admiring from afar, instead.
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