Like the popular NBC competition, American Ninja Warrior Junior is an obstacle course race that tests strength and endurance ⏤ but for ages 9- to 14-years old. It was filmed in July and kids competed against in one of three age brackets: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14. It’s hosted by the same two guys, Matt Iseman, and Akbar Gbajabiamila, but they’ve added Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez as a sideline host. “The obstacles look exactly like the ones on American Ninja Warrior because they are,” says executive producer and director Kent Weed. “They’re just scaled down just a little bit for the different heights and the different sizes of the kids we’re dealing with.” There are two courses side-by-side and they start off with Archer Steps (spaced slightly closer together) to a rope before transitioning into the Tic Toc pendulum (with a smaller diameter) and jump to a cargo net. Older kids move on to Devil Steps, while others proceed to the Floating Tiles (there’s a bigger tile in the middle), Floating Shelf Grab, and finally on to a 13-foot-tall Warped Wall that has openings at 10-feet and 11.5-feet for the younger competitors. Watch below to get a full tour of the course before next week’s big premiere.
