It’s nearly impossible to win ‘American Ninja Warrior.’ This Utah teen has a shot

After Kai Beckstrand’s run on “American Ninja Warrior” came to a surprising and disappointing end last season, with the teen falling early on in the finals, he promised to “come back stronger next season.”
He really wasn’t kidding. This season, the 18-year-old from St. George, Utah, is in it to win it.
Throughout Season 16, Beckstrand — one of the fastest ninjas to ever compete on the show — has maintained his usual brisk pace. During the first round of the competition, he had the fastest time of his episode, completing the course in 1 minute and 6 seconds. He cruised through six obstacles in a staggering 36 seconds during the semifinals, leading one of the announcers to declare: “This is the Kai Beckstrand show!”
During the “ANW” episode that aired Sept. 2, Beckstrand was the only competitor to clear Stage 3 of the four-stage national finals course. It’s the farthest Beckstrand — who was 15 when he made his “ANW” debut in Season 13 — has ever made it on the show.
Now, the Utah teen has his sights on claiming the $1 million prize.
On Sept. 9, during the “ANW” finale, Beckstrand will attempt a 75-foot rope climb in 30 seconds. If he’s successful, he will become only the fourth official winner in “ANW” history.
If there’s anything “American Ninja Warrior” has illustrated over the years, it’s that winning the show is no easy feat.
While a number of competitors have completed the rope climb, few have been able to do it within 30 seconds. The show awards a $100,000 prize to the “Last Ninja Standing” each season, but the $1 million prize remains fairly elusive.
And if there are multiple competitors in a season who do manage to complete the rope climb in 30 seconds — which has happened at least twice in the show’s history — the $1 million prize goes only to the competitor with the fastest time.
On the surface, the show’s format can seem discouraging, but Beckstrand’s father and “ANW” veteran Brian Beckstrand previously told the Deseret News he found it motivating.
“Obviously they don’t want winners every time, because that would water it down and people would look at it and say, ‘Well that’s easy. Someone beats it every year,’” he told the Deseret News during his Season 13 run. “This is motivation — it leaves it for anybody to complete. If even the seasoned veterans that are there every year haven’t done it, then it just leaves room for improvement every time.”
Now Beckstrand, who has been training to be a firefighter and recently completed a six-month fire academy course, could be the show’s fourth winner — and the second from Utah (in 2015, Orem native Isaac Caldiero became the show’s first official winner). It’s a goal Beckstrand, who trains at his family’s gyms in St. George, has been eyeing for a long time.
Beckstrand started training for “American Ninja Warrior” roughly 10 years ago, when his dad began building obstacles after another son requested an “American Ninja Warrior”-themed birthday party, the Deseret News reported.
At its peak, the Beckstrands’ backyard had anywhere between 40 and 50 obstacles, but that’s now given way to two gyms the family co-operates in the St. George area dedicated to training for the show.
That prepared Beckstrand for “American Ninja Warrior Junior,” which he won when he was 12. He made his official “ANW” debut at 15, competing in Season 13, when he and his dad became the first father-son duo to ever hit the buzzer and move on to the semifinals together, the Deseret News reported. This season, Beckstrand and his brother, Luke, became the first brother duo to reach Stage 2 of the national finals.
Now, Beckstrand has completed Stage 3 of the finals course for the first time — and he had his family of fellow “ANW” competitors cheering him on from the sidelines. Throughout his Stage 3 run, the announcers frequently noted his size and questioned if that would be a challenge for Beckstrand (the 18-year-old is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds). Their doubts were quickly put to rest as Beckstrand navigated the course.
“His family’s got those gyms in St. George, and it’s paying off,” one announcer said, noting that Beckstrand was the heaviest ninja to ever complete the Ultimate Cliffhanger obstacle.
When the teen completed the course and hit the buzzer — becoming the first competitor of the season to clear Stage 3 — his family cheered and rushed to him to celebrate.
“That was probably the best experience of my whole life,” a smiling Beckstrand told the announcers.
“We’re going to see you on Stage 4, climbing for a million dollars!” “ANW” co-announcer Matt Iseman exclaimed.
The “American Ninja Warrior” Season 16 finale airs Monday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. MDT on NBC.