Work has been steadily proceeding on expanding the Competitors area (if there is someone you’d really like to see added send in a suggestion to webmaster@sasukecentral.net).

The Obstacles page now provide indicators for whether we have photos and videos available. In addition, new photos and videos were added for the four new obstacles from Sasuke #22 (Circle Hammer, Slider Jump, Heavenly Ladder & G Rope).

Currently we are working on translating listings for the 100 starting competitors from each competition. We hope to have this completed during the summer.

If you have any feedback, suggestions or corrections please send an email to webmaster@sasukecentral.net.

Cheers!

Sasuke Maniacs (http://sasukemaniac.netau.net/) is a great Sasuke/Ninja Warrior resource. The site is loaded with forums, galleries, videos and one of the coolest items that you probably won’t find anywhere else is the Sasukepedia Wiki (http://www.sasukepedia.wikia.com) . Lots of great information is to be had for all Sasuke maniacs!

It’s awesome to have so many great Sasuke/Ninja Warrior resources available for fans to satiate our Sasuke/Ninja Warrior appetites while we are between events. If you’re not already a regular over at Sasuke Maniac…you soon will be.

Sasuke Maniac Fansite image

The 22nd SASUKE/NInja Warrior Competition are in at http://www.sasukecentral.net/sasuke_competitions_details.php?a_id=22 if you are waiting to watch Sasuke #22 on G4 I suggest not reading as it is has spoilers.

As far as changes to the course go there were two new obstacles in the 1ST STAGE: Circle Hammer (bumping Pole Maze) and Slider Jump (which replaced Flying Chute) and we were finally able to see the FINAL STAGE which has changed somewhat since Sasuke #17 when NAGASAKI Shunsuke made it and NAGANO Makoto beat it.

Cheers!

It’s high time to post about the Rambling Rican Blog and the excellent Sasuke information over there. As luck would have it Arsenette has posted that the next Sasuke will air March 30th, 2009 in Japan.

Be sure to have some time available when you drop by the Rambling Rican as the Sasuke material is quite extensive. Ostukaresama Arsenette!

I began watching SASUKE with my wife while we were living in Osaka back in 2005. 2005 was a good year for SASUKE since there was 3 competitions (Sasuke 14, 15 and 16) that year. The three SASUKES I saw that year got me hooked and a few things made me come to the conclusion that SASUKE rocks: the competitors for the most part are amateurs, see themselves as team members (competing against the obstacle course instead of each other) and they compete for very little prize money.

The COMPETITORS
Most competitors are amateurs. Just doing a roll call of the SASUKE ALL-STARS reveals that: Mister Sasuke (KATSUMI Yamada) has had many jobs, TAKEDA Toshihiro and YAMADA Koji are fire fighters, NAGANO Makoto is a fisherman, SHIRATORI Bunpei is a government worker, AKIYAMA Kazuhiko was a crab fisherman and is now a massage therapist and last but certainly not least YAMAMOTO Shingo started out as a gas jockey and is now a district manager.

The TEAM SPIRIT
Apparently during the earlier SASUKES there was a greater degree of competition and even “bad blood” between competitors. But watching any SASUKE from 14 or so onward reveals a great deal of camaraderie between the competitors. Even relative a newcomer like Levi Meeuwenberg can be seen getting coaching and encouragement from the more experienced without a hint of animosity. The fact that the course is so hard I think contributes to this “band of brothers” type mentality. It’s is by far my favourite aspect of watching the SASUKE competitions.

The REWARD
The grand prize if you completed SASUKE 1-17 was ¥2,000,000 or about ($20,000.00 US) which was hardly enough to cover all the expenses travelling back and forth to SASUKE twice a year. SASUKE was redesigned after Competition 17 to make the course more difficult so from SASUKE 18 onward the prize money has increased to ¥4,000,000 (or $40,000.00 US).

My wife and I love to host SASUKE parties at our home and everyone who has come to one has left with an appreciation and respect of SASUKE not to mention a deep feeling that…SASUKE ROCKS!