Hitting the water on American Ninja Warrior is tough enough. It’s probably even tougher when you also have to lose your beard. Brett Sims has had this happen twice in a row unfortunately. For the past two years, Brett has been in a “beard bet” with Ryan Stratis. Whoever goes down first has to lose their beard. Both times, it’s been Brett.

After his fall from the new Spin Your Wheels on Stage One, Brett got a snazzy new set of muttonchops courtesy of a shave from Lucio Battista. But don’t let that distract you from Brett’s dedication to the sport. Season 11 was his ninth year on the show and his third trip to the Las Vegas National Finals. Brett completed both the Atlanta Qualifiers and City Finals courses this year. He’s not one to give up without a fight.

Before we say goodbye to Brett for the season, read on to find out more about how he felt about this season, what he predicts from the National Finals courses, and what he hoped he’d accomplish.

“City Finals was a good year for me. I’ve noticed on the courses, there are a lot more tricky obstacles this year. And I like it, but it’s so much scarier going into each course because there are so many more places now for all those little mistakes.

In the nine seasons I’ve competed, the only ways I’ve ever failed is due to mistakes. I’ve never not been able to physically complete something. Everything’s always been a mistake. So there’s definitely a little bit of nervousness I get, just knowing that fact.”

“I feel like I still have some stuff to prove because I just haven’t done well in Vegas, and I know I can. Everybody always talks to me about, ‘Man, if you ever get to Stage Three, it’s over,’ and that kind of stuff, which is not true. But I know that’s my strength -- those upper-body-oriented stages more so than the speed course that is Stage One. I know I can do it, but ... Yeah, it’s good to have another chance to prove that I can do it.”

“I think just like in our City Qualifier and City Finals courses, we’re going to have a lot of those tricky, quick obstacles -- things where you have to get your hands just right and there’s very little room for mistake. I’m expecting to see a lot of that, especially in Stage Two and Stage Three. It’s going to be interesting, for sure.”

“Right now, I mean, really, I feel like I have the ability to do everything out there. I know I do. I could get through every stage, potentially. But right now, my main focus is getting through Stage One because I just haven’t done it yet, and I feel like I have a lot to prove, still.”

Just because this year didn’t work out for Brett, that doesn’t mean he won’t prove himself on Stage One in season 12!