TheAxeNinja
588
17
3
On the last day of applications, finished my video and submitted for American Ninja Warrior season 18. If I get on, this will be the fifth time I've competed across 11 years. Kinda crazy to realize I've been applying for over a third of my life
rolliefingers
What would you say is more important as an applicant, to have a good backstory or to have strong ninja skills?
mirrorz
I laugh every single time they do a big heartfelt story about a competitor that takes up 5-10min of the show and then that person falls straight into the water on the first obstacle. Then they give a synopsis of 10 people who just ran the course more successfully but you'll never see their run.
TheAxeNinja
The only time I got airtime was a "while you were gone" segment
TheAxeNinja
MILLION PERCENT BACKSTORY. They get thousands of INSANELY talented people every year but if you don't have a good backstory they can sell or if you're shit in front of a camera, they don't want it. They want the most bang for the least amount of work that they have to put in. It's why I play up my story, my gimmick, my everything that I can use to sell myself and then every time I've been on the show, I have been polite and followed every single instruction given to me.
TheAxeNinja
I show them that I have an interesting enough backstory, a fun gimmick, and I don't make waves with producers behind the scenes and I think that's the reason I've started getting called back more frequently
rolliefingers
You sound like you have exactly the attitude they would look for. I'm feeling pretty fuckin curious to hear that backstory, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm hoping you were a cowboy at one point.
TheAxeNinja
Nah no cowboy. Though I AM friends with Lance Pekus the Cowboy Ninja lol (no joke. He's very nice). My gimmick is being a professional Axe thrower. I've got a world record up for review by Guinness and over 30 different ways to throw between 1 and 5 axes. Backstory is a lot of random work to take care of my kids and wife (one of them was a surprise baby) shifted from a handyman to head of shipping and logistics at a promo company.
rolliefingers
Absolutely killer story. Thanks for sharing it! I KNEW there was a cowboy involved somehow.