Predictions and background info on American Ninja Warrior’s return to Denver

American Ninja Warrior has a soft spot for Denver, Colorado. The show taped Qualifying and City Finals courses there in both seasons five and six. In May of 2017, the crew will roll into town again to tape for season nine.

When asked why the show likes to return to Denver, Executive in Charge of Production Kristen Stabile said,

It’s been reported that the course will set up once again at Civic Center Park, which provides ample space for the course and the audience, while providing the backdrop of the State Capitol.

In the past, Denver has been the originating course for some of the most prolific American Ninja Warriors.

It’s where Isaac Caldiero first appeared as a walk-on.

He would go on to be crowned the first American Ninja Warrior, completing the final climb of Mount Midoriyama with the fastest time in season seven.

Denver is close to home for Brian Arnold, who has qualified for the National Finals season after season.

In 2014, we saw Meagan Martin become the third woman to defeat the Warped Wall.

Recording the show in Denver is a home court advantage for the Wolfpack, four American Ninja Warriors who have made domination of the National Finals their singular goal.

The Wolfpack consists of some of the most respected American Ninja Warriors in the show’s history. They all train together in the Fort Collins area of Colorado. Each being an avid rock climber, they’d adapted their climbing skills to the Ninja Warrior course, and it’s paying off in a huge way.

Meagan Martin is a professional rock climber and the only Ninja Warrior woman to complete three qualifying courses three seasons in a row. She also is one of the few women to qualify for the National Finals.

Brian Arnold has competed on the last five seasons of American Ninja Warrior, and has made it to National Finals each and every time. He is the first American to complete Stage Three, doing so during a USA vs The World competition.

Ian Dory is another professional rock climber and has competed on seasons six, seven and eight of the show. He’s qualified for the National Finals every season and consistently is one of the last Ninjas standing.

Noah Kaufman is an emergency room physician who has competed on seasons five, six and seven, and advanced to the National Finals twice. He acts as the leader of the Wolfpack and has been rock climbing for 25 years.

You can learn more about the Wolfpack, and get tickets to their upcoming tour, here.

Currently, Denver is slated to be the last city filmed before the National Finals in Las Vegas. While the dates may change, it’s currently planned for May 23 and 24.

This is a strategic decision made with both the Ninja Warriors and crew in mind. Denver is notorious for its unpredictable weather. In past seasons, the Warped Wall has needed to be cleared of snow for the competitors.

In an effort to keep everyone as warm as possible, producers put Denver as close to the late spring weather as they could.

Adam Larkey/NBC

While casting is still in the very early stages, here are a few of our predictions of which American Ninja Warrior veterans we’ll see in the Mile-High City:

• Meagan Martin
• Brian Arnold
• Ian Dory
• Noah Kaufman
• Lance Pekus
• Jake Murray
• Jon Stewart
• Carl Fantauzzo

We can’t help but hope we’ll spot Isaac Caldiero, even though he took a break from the show for season eight. With the Denver area having an incredibly strong climbing community, we have no doubts the walk-on line is going to have a few surprises for us as well.

Who do you think we’ll see in Denver? What do you think about the producers’ decision to return there for a third year? Tell us in the comments.