The Pipe Slider (パイプスライダー) was the final obstacle of the Third Stage from SASUKE 2 (replacing the Hariyama) until SASUKE 17, where it was replaced in favor of the Gliding Ring after Nagano Makoto's kanzenseiha. The competitor must hang from a metal bar and slide it along a track. At the end of the track, the competitor must gain enough momentum to make the transfer from the pipe to a landing pad. There were four versions of this obstacle. The obstacle became a staple of the course during its time and even well into its retirement, being used in many replicas including the SASUKE sections of Muscle Park Odaiba (closed in 2010) and Chitose as the final obstacle. A modified version of this obstacle, the Bar Glider, was used as the final obstacle of the Third Stage for SASUKE 27.
Version 1 (SASUKE 2~3)
This version of the obstacle consisted of two tracks with a rest area between the two. Once competitors got to the end of the track, all they needed to do was step down to the landing mat; the mat itself was still placed away from the competitor (as proven by Miura Eiichi losing his balance on the mat in SASUKE 2). It proved to be very difficult, as it took out eight competitors in two tournaments, whereas no one failed any other obstacle in the Third Stage during this span. If a competitor pulls the bar off the railings, he or she will be disqualified, which happened to Travis Allen Schroeder in SASUKE 4 And Ebihara Masakazu in SASUKE 2. For Ebiharu's mistake, when he pulled the bar off the tracks, he fell in the water and for Travis's mistake, he did the same thing as Ebiharu, but managed to hang onto the bar and work his way onto the resting bar before being disqualified.
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 9 | 22.22% |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 83.33% |
| Total | 7 | 15 | 46.67% |
Version 2 (SASUKE 4~13)
This version shortened the second track, now requiring a jump to the finish mat. As competitions went on, the landing mat was placed slightly farther away from the end of the track.
In order to clear the obstacle, competitors must completely hold their balance on the mat; Yamada Katsumi landed on the mat in SASUKE 6 but tipped off the mat to the side, causing him to fail. Cushions were added to the sides of the mat in the next tournament.
This version of Pipe Slider was also used as the fifth (final) obstacle in BLACK Stage (Third Stage) of KUNOICHI 10, with the green resting bar and the second track were removed entirely, leaving with just one track. Two competitors reached this obstacle, and all of them failed to complete it (including KUNOICHI 9 finalist, Izumi Hikari). Also, both competitors showed struggles while sliding the pipe and locking the pipe at the end of the track.
KUNOICHI 10's Pipe Slider
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 20% |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| 12 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| 13 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| Total | 9 | 22 | 40.91% |
KUNOICHI
| KUNOICHI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Total | 0 | 2 | 0% |
Version 3 (SASUKE 14~17)
The third version of the Pipe Slider contained only one track, as the first track was eliminated in favor of the Jumping Bars and Climbing Bars. In order to reach the track, competitors had to swing from the Devil Balanço and grab the pipe. On two occasions (Kobayashi Shinji in SASUKE 14 and Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 16), the competitor knocked the pipe away while still on the Devil Balanço, causing the obstacle to be nearly impossible (both failed). In addition to these changes, both the track and the jump to the mat were lengthened.
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| Total | 2 | 5 | 40% |
Version 4 (SASUKE 28~)
The Pipe Slider was brought back for SASUKE 28. Here, it was similar to the Version 3 version with it having only one track. However, unlike the Version 3 version, there is no Devil Balanço preceding it. In SASUKE 33, a net is placed above the green resting bars thus no competitor can rest and must directly use the green bars as a medium to transit to the Pipe Slider (similar to Devil Balanço).
Competitors' Success Rate
- All results based on the TBS broadcast and external information found
| SASUKE | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 29 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 30 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 31 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 32 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 33 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 75% |
American Ninja Warrior
The Pipe Slider was also used on American Ninja Warrior 1. Unlike in SASUKE, this version required competitors to slide the bar across one track that had three drops in it. However, this obstacle proved to be brutal, as several competitors slid the bar off the track or lost the grip, due to the drops from the track. Several competitors who failed on this obstacle were Brett Sims and Luci Romberg. Later, this obstacle was used as the fifth obstacle in Northwest qualifier on American Ninja Warrior 4 (in Northwest finals, it was replaced by the Devil Steps). The obstacle consisted of a single track, much like the third version, but without a jump at the end. Also, the platform was placed slightly away from the end of the track. However, this obstacle proved to be brutal, as several competitors slid the bar off the track.
