RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesKai Beckstrand holds the "American Ninja Warrior" trophy surrounded by some of his greatest supporters. Beckstrand is seeking to defend his champion title Monday night during the Season 19 finale. His younger brother, Luke, far left, is looking for some redemption.
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NBC
Not much, if anything at all, ever seems to faze Kai Beckstrand when he’s competing on “ American Ninja Warrior. ”
When he made his debut on the show at the age of 15 , he was breezing through obstacles that even professional athletes and longtime competitors on the show struggled to complete.
“He’s making this course look like child’s play!” one of the show’s announcers said at the time.
And that has remained the case throughout Beckstrand’s four seasons on “ANW.”
Over the years, the part-time firefighter from St. George, Utah, has solidified his place as one of the most formidable ninjas in the show’s history. Throughout the seasons, he’s raced against and eliminated several competitors — including his younger brother.
But recently Beckstrand, the defending champion this season, faced perhaps one of his biggest challenges to date on the show as he had to race against the speedy teenager Jackson Erdos.
“I’m more nervous about this race than any other in my entire ninja career,” Beckstrand told producers before going up against Erdos.
The nerves were warranted. At one point, in a truly rare moment for Beckstrand, he was actually trailing Erdos. The two remained neck-and-neck until near the end, when Erdos slipped on the final obstacle and splashed down into the water.
Beckstrand dismounted and hit the buzzer. It had taken just under 50 seconds, and the Utah competitor was visibly worn out.
“I’ve never seen Kai Beckstrand bend over after a race,” “ANW” co-host Akbar Gbajabiamila said.
With that fight to the buzzer, Beckstrand earned his spot in the round of 16.
Now, on Monday night, he has the chance to secure back-to-back wins on “American Ninja Warrior.”
But to achieve that, he could potentially have to eliminate his younger brother, Luke — who isn’t going to let his older brother off the hook that easy.
“I just want to beat him,” Luke Beckstrand recently told the Deseret News. “He had his turn, and now it’s mine.”
Rooting for — and competing against — each other
Kai Beckstrand falls to the stage as he wins Season 17.
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NBC
Last season on “ANW,” as Kai Beckstrand fell to the stage after hitting the winning buzzer, his younger brother was the first one to reach him, hug him and cheer him on in his victory.
“He was on the stage before I had even comprehended that I just finished the race,” Beckstrand told the Deseret News last year. “I hit the buzzer, I was diving for it. So I fell down to that stage, and before I even knew it, I was already getting picked up by Luke.”
Luke Beckstrand is one of Kai’s biggest supporters. But he’s also one of Kai’s toughest competitors.
The brothers consistently clock some of the fastest times of each round, and are always trying to outdo each other .
“In training, we’re always pushing each other,” Kai Beckstrand previously told the Deseret News . “If he gets a faster time than me, I’ll run that course again, beat his time. He’ll go back, beat my time again. So it just goes back and forth.”
Last season, the brothers went head-to-head for the first time on the show . Competing in the round of eight, Luke Beckstrand actually held the lead for most of the race. But when he stalled a little on the second-to-last obstacle, his older brother was able to pull ahead and hit the buzzer first, as the Deseret News reported.
Now, Luke has the chance to get some redemption this season.
Brothers Kai and Luke Beckstrand go head-to-head on Season 17 of "American Ninja Warrior."
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NBC
Since the brothers are simultaneously rooting for and competing against each other, they’re hoping to make it all the way to the end and face each other in the final round of the competition.
“Ideally you want to meet in that final round so that win or lose, we were able to go as far as possible,” Kai Beckstrand recently told the Deseret News.
“It would be super unfortunate knocking him out of the competition because I know that he’s worked hard, and I’ve worked hard,” Luke Beckstrand added. “So meeting in that final round would be awesome.”
A potential rematch between brothers
It would likely be a tight race.
Determined to become a two-time “ANW” champ, Kai Beckstrand didn’t let up in his training. Looking for redemption, Luke Beckstrand got even more motivated after his elimination.
But throughout Season 18, Kai Beckstrand has been especially speedy.
Earlier this season, during his set of races in the national finals, Beckstrand somehow kept getting faster and faster — even as he stumbled.
His first two races during the national finals came in at just under 48 seconds and under 46 seconds. With those speedy wins, he’d already secured his spot in the round of 32 (where he would face Erdos). So for his third and final race of the round, he decided to go all out — and maybe be a little more careless to see just how fast he could go.
Beckstrand cruised across the course. But when he was about to dismount and hit the buzzer, he had a rare stumble. His feet slipped out from under him and he fell back.
For a moment, it looked like he was going to splash down in the water for the first time this season. But Beckstrand was able to make a quick save and get a hand on the wall. He pulled himself up and made it to the buzzer in a staggering 43 seconds.
It ended up being his fastest time of the season — and the fastest time out of all the competitors.
“That was some Cobra Kai magic!” Gbajabiamila said.
Now, as he faces the round of 16 and perhaps beyond during the Monday night season finale, Beckstrand could potentially go up against the competitor who knows him best — and who’s been training for this moment.
At the heart of the friendly sibling competition, though, is a...
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