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Play this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_sbAx7f89I

Presented by Logan Skelton (and some edits by Alex Cunningham)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6b-ZFJCH20 Proto SASUKE 23 is just around the corner! And to get you jumping on the hype train, we are going to give you a sneak peek of what to expect in this action-packed tournament – the lineup, the new obstacles, and a very special guest! Proto SASUKE 23 is the first tournament of a year that promises to be the best for Proto SASUKE yet! Once again, 100 competitors from all four corners of the Earth will tackle the world’s most extreme obstacle course, Mt. Protoyama. But before we look at what we have in store for next week, let’s look back at what happened last time…

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNdO27F_yhw

Proto SASUKE 22 (December 17, 2015) As you may know, Alex Cunningham, lead commentator and creator of Proto SASUKE was unable to commentate the show due to “unforeseen circumstances” (don’t worry, he’s back for this tournament). SASUKE Maniac Forums Member and 15-time Proto SASUKE competitor Logan Skelton took over commentary duties as a one-off, with Philip Scott alongside him as co-commentator. The tournament saw the introduction of the new Pillar Cross, the third obstacle of Stage 1. The SASUKE Maniac Forums invited 11 of their finest members to Protoyama; including SMF All-Stars Philip Scott (Philip) and Collin Schaffer (RiderLeangle). However this tournament was also notable for the absence of two fan favorites, Masashi Hioki and Makoto Nagano. Many viewers were very unhappy about this issue, and Cunningham issued an apology, saying that he will definitely invite them next time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry18gcLNvXQ Ukrainian Vu Artem was first to run, however his run ended very early, failing at the Rolling Hill, the very first obstacle; Travis Brewer, the fifth to run, was the first to beat it along with the Dancing Deck and the new Pillar Cross, until the Square Bridge took him down. Jamie Rahn proved #13 was not unlucky for him by clearing six obstacles until eventually timing out on the Warped Lumberjack. Up next were SASUKE Maniacs Members #21 Matt Johnson (Mjyr1) and #22 Nicholas Cole (Kapitan); Johnson put in a good effort, but like many who attempted it, failed the Cannonball Swing; Cole failed the Rolling Hill. Things were not looking good as nobody out of the first 30 competitors were able to beat all nine obstacles in the time limit. That was until #31 Elet Hall stepped up to the plate, clearing with 18.77 seconds left. The second set of SASUKE Maniacs were up next: first was #36 Kyle Foley (SasukeForever), he failed the Rolling Hill alongside substitute commentator and 15-time veteran #37 Logan Skelton (ScotchNinjaLogan), and #38 Lachlan Duggan (Lachie); unfortunately for them, they were all beaten by their female team-mate #40 Emily Rose Montague (lusitaniaangel313), who eventually failed the Dancing Deck. However the standout run of the day for the crew was 15-year old Ninja Warrior of ROBLOX legend #39 Cameron Scheumann (Cameron), who proved that age is just a number by using his ROBLOX skills and going deep into the stage, until meeting his downfall at the Slider Chain. Despite his failure, everyone gave Scheumann a standing ovation for his brave effort. SASUKE Vietnam Last Man Standing #46 Le Van Thuc made a respectable Proto SASUKE debut, timing out on the Warped Lumberjack, but ANW’s #48 Casey Finley, #58 Brian Wilczewski and #60 Brian Arnold became the 2nd, 3rd and 4th

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clears respectively. However the same could not be said for the lone female clear of PS18, #52 Jessie Graff, who failed the Slider Chain. The SASUKE Maniacs’ day went from bad to worse as co-commentator #49 Philip Scott (Philip) shocked everyone by failing the Slider Chain, the same obstacle that Cameron failed earlier. #63 Steven Moul (elephant52) and #64 James Park (skythenewark) followed, failing the Square Bridge and Cannonball Swing respectively, which left Collin Schaffer (RiderLeangle) on his own. The Japanese had their first clear of the day with #71 Shingo Yamamoto proving he’s still got it at the ripe old age of 41. Former finalist #82 Keitaro Yamamoto (BTW, Keitaro and Shingo are not related in any way!) followed in his footsteps, also booking his ticket into Stage 2. That made it 6 clears on the day. #81 Collin Schaffer was the last to run for the SASUKE Maniacs, who all wished him good luck at the start line, but to the surprise of everyone, he slipped on the thin log at the Dancing Deck, ending a woeful day for the team. The first to press all six of ANW’s buzzers, #84 Geoff Britten showed that he’s still got talent by becoming the 7th clear of the day, with #85 Joe Moravsky joining alongside him. However the same could not be said for former champion #90 James McGrath, who failed the Square Bridge. Tahitian representative and rising star #93 Anastase Ragivaru (AKA Wreath Man) breezed through with 20.99 seconds left on the clock. Out of the first 95 runs so, only 9 cleared, that’s just 9.5%; however the last five to run: Paul Kasemir, Yusuke Morimoto, Ryo Matachi, Drew Drechsel and Isaac Caldiero all cleared Stage 1, boosting the total number of clears to 14. With the first stage complete, 86 were eliminated early and only 14 survived: Elet Hall, Casey Finley, Brian Wilczewski, Brian Arnold, Shingo Yamamoto, Keitaro Yamamoto, Geoff Britten, Joe Moravsky, Anastase Ragivaru, Paul Kasemir, Yusuke Morimoto, Ryo Matachi, Drew Drechsel and Isaac Caldiero. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVe01kV2K-w The Second Stage remained unchanged with a time limit of 95 seconds. Elet Hall was the first to run, and was also the first to clear with 9.49 seconds; Casey Finley followed suit, with 9.25 seconds left along with Brian Wilczewski who cleared with 8.88 seconds left. However the winning streak ended with Brian Arnold’s failure at the Skywinder, and Shingo Yamamoto falling victim to the See-Saw Jump. The next three to run: Keitaro Yamamoto, Geoff Britten and Joe Moravsky; all cleared with ease. But the same could not be said for the Wreath Man who fell early at the See-Saw Jump. Despite that blip, the Second Stage ended on a very high note as the last five to run - Paul, Yusuke, Ryo, Drew and Isaac all cleared, bringing the total clears to 11, a joint record tying with Proto SASUKE 1 and Proto SASUKE 16.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCPIjgkVUow The Third Stage remained the same as before and the 11 remaining were determined to end its reign of terror, including Isaac Caldiero, who was the first to defeat the Altitude Limit in the tournament prior. Elet Hall was first to run, he started well, breezing through the first three obstacles, until the Altitude Limit detached him from the third ledge. Next was Casey Finley, whose run ended early due to a technical glitch on the Kudari Body Prop; which displayed his stamina both over 100% and in the negative at two different points in his short run. Brian Wilczewski made his first appearance in Stage 3, however his run also ended early on the Kudari Body Prop (descent portion). Geoff Britten and Joe Moravsky’s runs both ended on the Altitude Limit; however Paul Kasemir beat it, becoming only the second competitor to do so in Proto SASUKE history, after Isaac Caldiero in the previous tournament – Kasemir’s run ended at the Snake Board. After that amazing run, Yusuke Morimoto was up next, he came very close to beating the Altitude Limit, but fell at the very end. Meanwhile, Ryo Matachi caused another technical glitch when the programme displayed a negative value of stamina similar to Finley’s run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuz3RAcDG6M With two challengers left, things were not looking good. Drew Drechsel had a second chance against his nemesis from PS20 – the Altitude Limit, however he was defeated again, shocking everyone watching on. And so with 99 defeated over three stages, only one remained, Isaac Caldiero, who made it further than anyone else in the previous tournament. His run started well, defeating the first three obstacles with ease. The Altitude Limit was next - Isaac made it look easy. After defeating the Flying Discs and his nemesis - the Cloud Ladder, only two obstacles remained: the Snake Board, and the Pipe Slider. After a long rest, he sped through the Snake Board and became the first person to attempt the Pipe Slider, an obstacle that has took down many a competitor since the very first tournament. Sliding the bar to the end of the track, Isaac knew that this was make or break for him, he took three swings to build up momentum, made one big leap of faith…

…but it wasn’t big enough! Despite his best efforts, he fell a few inches short of the platform, everyone gasped in shock. And with that, Proto SASUKE 22 ended without a final stage attempt despite 11 reaching Stage 3.

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Now we’ve covered what happened last time, let’s take a closer look at what we have this time… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clr3H78LM1A The course has changed quite a bit since the last time we saw it…

There is one new obstacle in the 1st Stage, the Abacus Bridge, replacing the Square Bridge. Competitors that pass the first three obstacles will attempt to cross four spheres on a rope suspended between the two platforms on each end. Touching the rope will result in disqualification. The rest of the stage remains the same; all nine obstacles must be completed in 125 seconds (2 minutes and 5 seconds). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D6OVQ7BgMg However as a result of what happened in the previous tournament, the 2nd Stage has been given a makeover!

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Competitors will have 100 seconds (1 minute and 40 seconds) to complete six obstacles (3 returning, 2 new and 1 old)

First is the Silk Slider, returning from the previous tournament. Second is the new Salmon Tilt, competitors will use the bar to climb up one side of the ladder, then the other side, and so on until they reach the top.

From there, competitors will transfer to the See-Saw Jump, which brought down two competitors last time. The Pinwheel is now the fourth obstacle of the course. No changes have been made to this obstacle, but it can still result in curtains for some competitors.

The new fifth obstacle is the Mega Wall, one of the largest obstacles ever seen on Proto SASUKE. Competitors must run up the slope and grab on to a ledge, jump down on to the small triangular platform, jump to another identical platform, then jump up to a second ledge then jump to the other side.

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After a six tournament absence, the Log Walls have returned as the final obstacle of the stage. Competitors must climb over 3 walls and lift 2 walls and hit the buzzer in time to complete the stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C_RpOBR6ik The Third Stage has only one change; the Vertical Junction has been removed due to the technical difficulties it caused in the last tournament. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…

…Apex of Monkey. Basically the Climbing Bars on steroids. Competitors must use their hands to climb and traverse the huge ladder that curves over the pool of cold water. Should any competitors use their feet to support themselves, they will immediately be disqualified. The rest of the stage remains the same, and of course, the final stage remains a mystery until somebody defeats the stage before it!

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Okay, now we know what the course looks like, but what about the competitors? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-cwuTmqz8c As always, 100 competitors will attempt the course. The field is very widely spread, featuring many newcomers, fan favorites from SASUKE and ANW, and many well-known faces from the world of sport and entertainment, including our very special guest who we will talk all about later… Every single competitor is more determined to defeat Mt. Protoyama than ever before. However what do they think of the changes that have been made to the course over the winter break? #38 Logan Skelton: “Well that’s me f***ed, there’s no way I’m passing that!” #41 Philip Scott: “I like the changes that have been made to the 2nd Stage, except the log walls!” #45 Emily Montague: “I will say out of all the stages, the 2nd stage was definitely the one needing the most help. I for one can't imagine anyone getting passed the new improvements so easily. Also big balls? Big... balls? Well there's my grave for a long time!“ #50 Ricky Kim: “The new 2nd Stage is crazy! I can’t wait to try it out, if I make it there that is!” #97 Drew Drechsel: “It looks tough, but I’ll give it my best shot like I always do.” #98 Yusuke Morimoto: “Oh no! Not the Log Walls! Lifting is my main weakness!” #100 Isaac Caldiero: “I feel very confident that I can defeat the new obstacles and that I can make it all the way to the final stage.” Now that we know how they feel about what’s in store…let’s check out the competitors to look out for in Proto SASUKE 23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xw6RvxBp8g Normally, SASUKE Maniac Forums holds a trial before every tournament to determine the competitors who will represent the SASUKE Maniacs. This is usually a game or quiz. For this tournament, two separate trials were held. One trial was based on a game that went by the name Nanaca Crash!!. You can play the game here. To qualify, the candidates had to achieve the longest distance. Those who achieved three longest distances were invited to Proto SASUKE 23. RESULTS 1. #38 Logan Skelton (ScotchNinjaLogan) - 11558.92m 2. #37 James Park (skythenewark) - 9019.84m 3. #17 Evan Roehl (evan19121)- 4868.73m

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The second trial involved candidates submitting strange and obscure facts about SASUKE. However due to there only being two entries, it was cancelled and the two entrants – #16 Lachlan Duggan (Lachie) and #15 Nicholas Cole (Kapitan) qualified for PS23. The other competitors representing the SASUKE Maniac Forums are: #41 Philip Scott (Philip) [Staff Member] #45 Emily Montague (lusitaniaangel313) [Puzzle Hunt Winner] #46 Steven Moul (elephant52) [Puzzle Hunt Winner] #47 Cameron Scheumann (Cameron) [Best SMF Run in previous tournament] #48 Collin Schaffer (RiderLeangle) [Staff Member] Let’s remind you who some of these are more personally... (DISCLAIMER: Theme songs presented in this Navi are not necessarily canon) #16 Lachlan Duggan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jHXu86O01w Lachlan is the first and only Australian competitor on Proto SASUKE. He made his first appearance in Proto SASUKE 10, where he failed the Curtain Cling Kai. His best performance came in Proto SASUKE 18, where he managed to reach the Warped Lumberjack. This time he is more determined than ever to defeat the first stage. But will he be able to achieve his goal? #37 James Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYJLw6TqV2g Although currently living in the United States, Park’s family originated in South Korea. He is also a notable competitor on ROBLOX game shows such as ROBLOX Ninja Warrior and its breakaway show Ninja Warrior of ROBLOX. He made his first appearance in Proto SASUKE 19, where he was given no number; he failed the very first obstacle - the Sine Wave. He returned in Proto SASUKE 21 wearing #7, and surprising everyone by putting his past failure behind him and making it all the way to the Slider Chain before timing out. In recognition of this performance, he was invited to Proto SASUKE 22 at #64, however he could not emulate his run from last time as he failed the Cannonball Swing. This time he is more prepared than ever and says that he can become the joint youngest ever to beat Stage 1 (with Takuya Oyamada in PS18) at the age of 15. But can he do it? That is the question. #38 Logan Skelton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV8X9L0qIGk Logan Skelton, from Scotland, (wait that’s me!) is one of the most experienced competitors in the history of Proto SASUKE - he is making his 16th appearance in this tournament. Despite being one of the most experienced, he has never passed the 5th obstacle of the 1st Stage, with his best result being in the 21st tournament.

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However on the plus side, he has only failed the first obstacle twice (PS14 & PS22). In preparation for this tournament, he trained in Collin Schaffer’s (virtual) backyard, where he was given tips and tricks on how to defeat the Rolling Hill, which was his downfall in the previous tournament. Will he defeat his nemesis this time? Will he finally beat the 1st Stage after three years of trying? Those questions will be answered this Saturday night! (jeez it feels weird to write about myself in third person!) #41 Philip Scott https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yVIKBHKsDo Philip Scott, a Proto SASUKE staff member, has the honour of being one of the only competitors to compete in all 23 tournaments. His best run was in Proto SASUKE 16, where he made it all the way to the Inferno Cliffhanger in Stage 3 before falling there. This makes him one of the most successful Sasuke Maniacs members, alongside Collin Schaffer. His participation in this tournament was put in jeopardy when he sprained his ankle a few weeks ago. However despite this, he says he will still participate in the tournament regardless, to the delight of the SASUKE Maniacs. But will his injury hinder him? Find out this weekend! #45 Emily Montague https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uJPvyID_Q (Emily requested it :P) Ah, Emily Montague, SASUKE Maniacs’ golden girl. She’s a huge fan of Shingo Yamamoto…but not the Americans! She made her first appearance in Proto SASUKE 14 where she did very well, reaching the Curtain Cling Kai. She achieved her best performance Proto SASUKE 18 where she failed the Domino Hill (yellow area). In preparation for this tournament she travelled all the way from Texas to Scotland just to train at Logan’s house where a scale model replica of the Dancing Deck was built on Emily’s request. She is more determined than ever to pass that obstacle, and maybe even the first stage! But the million-dollar question is, can she??? #46 Steven Moul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIWunRsdVM Steven is one of the SASUKE Maniacs’ most experienced competitors. He is also notable for appearing in American Ninja Warrior 7, where he inspired many when he fulfilled his dream of appearing on the show, putting the difficulties autism brings behind him. He is very excited to compete here again and says no matter what happens, he’s going to have a great time competing with his teammates!

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#47 Cameron Scheumann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4HQ0v0AJWc This young fan of SASUKE is considered a legend in the ROBLOX universe. He is notable for his achievements in ROBLOX SASUKE tournaments; he is a double grand champion in Ninja Warrior of ROBLOX. In the last tournament, he surprised everyone by reaching the Slider Chain before timing up there, and received a standing ovation for his performance. But can he do one better and possibly clear the first stage? #48 Collin Schaffer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq49bCJrP9k The most experienced, successful and inspirational competitor on SASUKE Maniac Forums. He has competed in Proto SASUKE in nearly every tournament, and has reached the 3rd Stage twice, including making it further than anyone else in Proto SASUKE 15! However in the last tournament, he shocked everyone when he failed the Dancing Deck, the 2nd obstacle of the 1st Stage. He also participated in American Ninja Warrior 6, failing the Bridge of Blades in the Baltimore qualifier. He says that he can make a comeback by making it to the 3rd Stage and prove that he didn’t get there by fluke, and says that he has trained for the Dancing Deck more than any other obstacle. Can he beat his nemesis and return to where he belongs, the 3rd Stage? Now that we have covered the SASUKE Maniacs, let’s see who else is in the field... #33 Nicholas Coolridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJpvURmYRU Nicholas Coolridge was invited to Proto SASUKE 18 in recognition of his success in American Ninja Warrior 7. He was first to run, and first to clear not only the 1st Stage, but the 2nd Stage too. He met his downfall at the Inferno Cliffhanger. This is the best that he has achieved, as he has not reached the 2nd Stage since. His last run was his worst run in his career, as he failed the very first obstacle. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again this time. #50 Ricky Kim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyI7q1nR-Xs Everyone’s favourite celebrity from the game show Let’s Go Dream Team!! is back once again for another shot at glory! He came out of nowhere in Proto SASUKE 14 by reaching the 3rd Stage, this is the only time he has reached this point, al though he has reached the 2nd Stage a handful of times as well. Last time he registered his worst ever performance by failing the Dancing Deck. Can he do South Korea proud and make it past the 1st Stage again?

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#73 Jessie Graff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fu3Q1giB94 “AND SHE DID IT!!! OH MY GOD!!!” – Alex Cunningham reacts to Jessie’s history-making clear in Proto SASUKE 18. The only woman to ever clear Proto SASUKE’s 1st Stage is back for another crack at the course. Last time she almost did the impossible for a second time, but fell at the Slider Chain. Will she beat the Slider Chain this time and repeat history? #75 Makoto Nagano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Jt-KyyMS0 Yup, we didn’t forget him this time! The humble grandmaster of SASUKE is still competing at the grand old age of 43. Back in Proto SASUKE 13, he made it all the way to the Final Stage, but came short of Total Victory. However he hasn’t made it there since. In Proto SASUKE 21, his last appearance, he failed the Dancing Deck. Let’s hope he doesn’t have the same result this time around. (Alex’s note: We went back and recorded his run but I forgot to put it in. He timed out at the Warped Lumberjack.) #79 James McGrath https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi_PzBsSjOg “YES! HE’S DONE IT! JAMES MCGRATH IS THE FIRST EVER PROTO SASUKE CHAMPION!” – James McGrath’s finest hour. Back in November of 2013, this young American did the impossible by becoming the first ever Proto SASUKE champion with only 7/100ths of a second remaining. However since that amazing moment, he hasn’t reached the Final Stage since. His last run ended at the now defunct Square Bridge. With that obstacle now gone, can he return to where he belongs and possibly become a two-time grand champion? #86 Casey Finley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OIGjbPcyTM Last time on Proto SASUKE, Finley proved NBC wrong when he managed to reach the Third Stage. Hopefully the producers of ANW are big fans of our show and are thinking of inviting him to ANW8. Anyways, he says he is confident that he can emulate his success from last time and has said he has built a replica of the Kudari Body Prop, training on it every day. However, he has concerns about the Altitude Limit, which he has never attempted or even practiced for before. Will he go one step further this time?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVY_9MpvQmA And now, it’s time to introduce our very special guest! Last month, he clinched the UFC Featherweight Title by defeating Jose Aldo in just 12 seconds… He is scheduled to fight Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship in March… Ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Ireland, I give you…

THE UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORLD….

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CONOR MCGREGOR!!! That’s right! Conor McGregor has been invited to Proto SASUKE 23 by popular demand. In UFC 194, he defeated Jose Aldo in record-breaking time to win the featherweight belt. Now in the Lightweight division, and with a fight against dos Anjos to look forward to, this young man’s future is almost certainly in good hands. Because he is such a high-profile guest, he has been given the high number of #90, that means he runs after #89 Keitaro Yamamoto and before #91 Anastase Ragivaru, what a lineup the final 11 is gonna be! And if he does well, who knows, we might invite him back sometime in the future! Anyways after all that let’s see who we can pick on, err…I mean talk about next…sorry, got carried away there! (Alex’s note: Kyori Horiguchi is competing too.) #91 Anastase Ragivaru (Wreath Man) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i59yBzNBUHw The Tahitian sports lover who came out of nowhere in SASUKE 31 and Proto SASUKE 20 has returned to Protoyama with a lot of confidence. Ragivaru won two gold medals at the 2010 Pacific Games for Tahiti in canoeing, and he only just moved to Japan to live with his fiancé a couple years ago, so he has a lot of history despite being only 24 years old. His last outing ended at the See-Saw Jump in the 2nd Stage although he reached the 3rd Stage back in Proto SASUKE 20. Can he shock everyone and become the first Tahitian ever to make it to the final stage and possibly even win the whole thing? Find out when the Wreath Man makes his grand return! #93 Elet Hall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB1JZTejl-Y American Ninja Warrior’s equivalent of Sonic the Hedgehog is back and better than ever. His last outing saw him speed through the 1st and 2nd Stages; however, his run ended at the Altitude Limit. In preparation, he has built a replica of his nemesis in his house and has trained on it every day up to now. Will the training pay off? Will he go one step further? Will he be the 3rd American to defeat Proto SASUKE? We’ll have to wait and see. #94 Joe Moravsky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMBJ_WhCt-A The Emergency Alert System has issued a thunderstorm warning for Mt. Protoyama, because Connecticut’s finest weatherman Joe Moravsky is back! This man has had a wild 2015, first, he made it all the way to Stage 3 in the ANW

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finals; and last month, just after Proto SASUKE 22 was filmed, where he failed the Altitude Limit, he became a dad for the first time as his wife Stephanie gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Emily. Can he overcome his worst nightmare and possibly defeat the 3rd Stage with his wife and daughter watching on? #95 Ryo Matachi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo8ZsU0P6oc Ryo Matachi, Unlimted Cliffer No.2 is one of Proto SASUKE’s top competitors competing since the very first tournament, where he shockingly slipped at the Curtain Cling. He has also made special appearances in Không giới hạn – the Vietnamese version of SASUKE, where he opened the tournament by climbing the Final Stage tower and also participated in the Vietnam vs the World special. In the last two tournaments he has reached the 3rd Stage, but has failed there both times. He has concerns about the 2nd Stage, saying he was not prepared for the changes, especially with the return of the Log Walls, but says he will give it his best shot. #96 Geoff Britten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Oh1jIa8_xU “HE DID IT! Geoff Britten did it!” – Britten presses the final stage buzzer to become the first ever American Ninja Warrior. The sporting cameraman from Maryland became the only person in ANW history to press all six buzzers and yet he still won nothing for winning, damn NBC. Anyways, he is making his 5th appearance today. Last time out, he fell straight off the Altitude Limit, thus the reason why he has been given #96 for this tournament. But with a lot of pressure on him, can Britten show that he has still got talent? #97 Drew Drechsel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs16gYQzcf0 Here we have the man who is perhaps, Proto SASUKE’s most successful competitor, he has been Last Man Standing four times out of the last seven tournaments (16, 17, 18, 20), has saved the day countless times, has reached the Final Stage twice, and one of only two men to have ever stood on top of Mt. Protoyama – Drew Drechsel. His breakthrough came in the 4th tournament, where he made it to the Crazy Cliff-Hanger and registering the 3rd best performance of the whole competition. In the 5th tournament, he failed the CCH again and in response, built a replica of the obstacle at his local parkour gym. He never got the chance to defeat it as Drew failed to reach it in the next three tournaments and it was replaced by the Inferno Cliffhanger after James McGrath’s win in PS8.

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In Proto SASUKE 11 and 14, he failed the Inferno Cliffhanger both times and became more determined to achieve total victory than ever before and built a replica of it, after tearing down the old CCH at the local gym. In Proto SASUKE 16, the training finally paid off as he cleared his worst nightmare at long last, and not only that, the entire 3rd Stage as well, becoming only the 7th person to clear it. When it came down to the final stage; a 25-meter climb up the P-Rope, he sped through the first 10 meters in 26 seconds, but then he slowed down as he was getting closer to the goal. It went down to the wire but to the shock of everyone, missed out on total victory by 0.33 meters. As a result, the entire 1st and 2nd Stage was given a complete makeover in Proto SASUKE 17. He made both stages look easy despite the low clear rates and was the only person to attempt the 3rd Stage, where his run nearly ended early when he fell off the Rumbling Dice. However, when the judges reviewed the tapes, they spotted a malfunction in the obstacle, and Drew was given a second chance, and breezed through the first six obstacles, but then, to the shock of everyone, fell at the end of the Rolling Steel, the final obstacle of the stage. When he returned in Proto SASUKE 18, he once again made it to the Rolling Steel, but unlike the previous encounter he cleared it with ease and faced off against Mt. Protoyama in the ultimate rematch. And with 2.8 seconds left, he became the 2nd ever Proto SASUKE champion. “YESSSS!!!” Drew Drechsel is the 2nd Proto SASUKE champion!” – Drew rewrites history in Proto SASUKE 18. As a result, the entire 1st and 3rd Stages were redesigned for Proto SASUKE 19, including the removal of the Inferno Cliffhanger. Everyone had high hopes for Drew in this tournament, however to the shock of everyone, his run ended very early as he timed out on the Warped Lumberjack. He eventually beat it in Proto SASUKE 20 and eventually made it to the 3rd Stage, where he failed the new Altitude Limit, however, he was the Last Man Standing. In Proto SASUKE 21, he surprisingly went out on the Pinwheel, an obstacle that he never failed before. Last time, his run ended the same way it did two tournaments prior, which led him to train on a replica built by fellow American Elet Hall. Will the training pay off? Will he do the impossible for a second time? Who knows what will happen, after all, this is Proto SASUKE, not WWE. #98 Yusuke Morimoto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDokL8x37Y8 One of the biggest SASUKE fans in the world, and one of only four men to defeat the real SASUKE course at Mt. Midoriyama, who has been competing since the age of only 15. His Proto SASUKE breakthrough came in the 19th tournament, despite the huge changes made to the course, as he made it all the way to the Walking Drum before failing there.

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In the previous tournament, he made it all the way to the 3rd Stage before failing the Altitude Limit. With the help of his parents, he has built many Proto SASUKE obstacles in his backyard to train on every day. But will the training pay off? We’ll see about that... #99 Paul Kasemir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOA2Is6Lh-I In the early days of Proto SASUKE, this software engineer had a long string of bad luck, but since Proto SASUKE 12, he has improved a lot. And in his last voyage, he became the second person ever to beat the Altitude Limit before ultimately failing the Snake Board; and in recognition, he has been assigned #99 for this tournament. But can he prove that he is one of the top competitors in Proto SASUKE? Or will he go back to his old ways? #100 Isaac Caldiero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCebJodm0lY “Isaac Caldiero is an American Ninja Warrior, and he’s a million dollars richer!” – Isaac defeats the ANW course and wins a cool million. The history-making million-dollar rock climber and part-time busboy that lives in just an RV is back, and this time he wants revenge on one obstacle in particular – the Pipe Slider. Why is that you ask? Because of what happened in the previous tournament… “Can he do it? Can he be the first to defeat Stage 3???............................................NO!!!” – Isaac comes just short of making history. That failure in the last tournament hit him hard and over the past month and a half he has been training everyday with the Wolfpack in his spare time, especially on the 3rd Stage. He has achieved the best result of the tournament twice in a row…could he do it a third time? Isaac is confident that he can do just that. But with the many changes made to the course, will Isaac get what he wants, a rematch with the Pipe Slider? Or will he be made to wait until a later date? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ0x888cgm4 So, now that you know what to expect in this tournament, I think it’s time that we wrap it up there. Just to remind you, Proto SASUKE 23 will be aired on Saturday, January 30, 2016 and will be available on-demand after it airs on Vimeo. So save the date, board the hype train, and tell all your friends, because you won’t wanna miss this, it’s going to be one for the ages! Until then, from all of us at Proto SASUKE, see ya at Mt. Protoyama this weekend!