This is what we’re watching for in the Semifinals

American Ninja Warrior is so close to taping the season 13 Semifinals on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot. That’s about all we can say! Things are going to be pretty secretive from here on out.

We did want to let you know that we’ll be attending the taping for the next week or so, which means things will be quieter here on the site. Hope you don’t miss us too much. :)

We can’t get specific about what we’re keeping an eye out for in the upcoming Semifinals. There are a few exciting things we should all be thinking about. We’re about to see how these important elements affect the season.

The Power Tower

The Power Tower is in play for the Semifinals. The top two competitors from each night will race on the revamped vertical obstacle course. The prize on the line is the Safety Pass, which allows a re-do on Stage One or Two of the National Finals, should it be needed.

Who will race who? We’re about to find out.

The obstacles

We recently had the chance to tell you about Overpass, an exciting new obstacle we saw in the Qualifiers. We know there are more new obstacles coming and the designs we’ve seen so far are more innovative and challenging than ever. We can’t wait to see what the team has come up with this time.

Split-Decision’s important placement

In the Qualifiers, we had a chance to see the new Split-Decision in action. In that instance, the competitors needed to pick between two obstacles mid-way through the course. The pressure is turned way up for the Semifinals’ Split-Decision.

This time around, Split-Decision occurs in position nine on the course. With the buzzer almost in sight, the exhausted Ninjas will have to choose between an upper-body challenge or a balance challenge. The ramifications of their choice are imminent. Do they have enough energy left to tax their grip just a bit more? Are they willing to throw their fate to the unforgiving fickleness of a balance obstacle?

We’ll be holding our breath every time, that’s for sure.