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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 2016)
LIFESTYLES Navy Band to rock SAGE Center/3C WEEKEND, OCTOBER 8-9, 2016 Creamy frozen coffee without the cream/4C Tuna fi shing trip worth the ride/8C For video of the obstacle course visit eastoregonian.com Staff photo by E.J. Harris Lucas Simpson constructed an obstacle course in the front yard of his Milton-Freewater home as a way to practice for the American Ninja Warrior competition. Photo contributed by Charles Dean Bailey Harter scales the warped wall during at a ninja warrior-style compe- tition last August at Lucas Simpson’s homemade course outside Milton- Freewater. Saxophonist builds obstacle course to train for television competition Photo contributed by Charles Dean Daniel Elfers swings through cannonball alley during an obsta- cle course competition at Lucas Simpson’s homemade course outside of Milton-Freewater. By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Lucas Simpson conquered the cliffhanger four years ago, but he still takes a brief moment to collect himself before he hoists himself up. He jumps and grabs a wooden ledge that ascends diagonally above him, before swinging to a higher ledge parallel to the ground. The third stage of the cliff- hanger features a pair of ledges that offer barely enough room for both hands, but Simpson is athletic enough to swing his way onto the second ledge before fi nishing the obstacle. The 22-year-old’s feet never touch the ground. There are no stakes during Simpson’s demonstration for a couple of reporters on a stormy Tuesday morning just north of Milton-Freewater. But the home- built course on his parents’ ample front lawn isn’t just for a grueling workout. Instead, he’s using it as a training center to compete on a televised competition with the same obstacles on a much larger scale — American Ninja Warrior. The competition fi rst caught Simpson’s attention in its original Japanese iteration, Sasuke, and he and his grandfather started building the course after the show was imported to the United States in 2009. Simpson lived in Sacramento, California, until he was 10, before moving to Milton-Freewater to be closer to his grandparents who are local orchard farmers. Instead of basing the cliff- hanger on set plans or designs, Simpson said he would pause “IT’S LIKE THE BIGGEST PLAYGROUND FOR ADULTS THERE IS.” LUCAS SIMPSON, OF MILTON-FREEWATER, ON AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR’S APPEAL Staff photo by E.J. Harris Lucas Simpson hangs one of the obstacles on his homemade course he built at his home in Milton-Freewater. the show during the broadcast, approximating the contestants’ wingspan to get a sense of how it’s built. He and his grandfather fi nished the fi rst two obstacles fi ve years ago. Even as Simpson left home to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music at Central Washington University (Simpson is also a dedicated saxophonist), the pair continued to add onto the obstacle course. “It’s like the biggest play- ground for adults there is,” Simpson said of American Ninja Warrior’s appeal. Simpson estimated he now has 11-12 obstacles on his course depending on how he confi gures some of the interchangeable pieces. He needs each one of the obstacles if he’s going to try to improve on his performance at a qualifying round last April. The competition completed a relentless 8-day period where Simpson fl ew to the University of Northern Colorado to audition for a jazz studies master’s program, fl ew back to Ellensburg for a performance with his jazz band and a long drive down to Los Angeles to compete in American Ninja Warrior’s regional quali- fi ers. Starting his run at 3 a.m., Simpson was able to get through the fi rst three obstacles before faltering on the “ring toss,” a series of three diagonal rails with pegs sticking out of the side that a competitor must climb across using plastic rings. Simpson’s run was enough to get him into the top 40 of 125 competitors, but he didn’t make the cut to get into the next round. Top competitors eventually compete in Las Vegas on Mount Midoriyama, the show’s ultimate course that only two people have ever completed. Although Simpson’s friends and family across Milton-Free- water and Ellensburg tuned in to see the hometown kid, the closest Simpson got to a broadcast appearance was being featured in the background taping his hands as the cameras focused on another competitor. An avid rock climber, a hobby not uncommon to American Ninja Warrior competitors, Simpson said he focused too much of his training on his grip strength rather than his upper body strength as a whole. In addition to fi xing that, Simpson said it was important to work on his balancing skills, an area where rock climbers tradi- tionally struggle. “One little slip and your entire run is done,” he said. Simpson missed some schol- arship opportunities because of jazz band commitments. So he decided to take a year off before applying to graduate schools again and use time not spent on music and applications to focus on his ninja training. While he plans to compete every year, Simpson thinks this is the year he can put the most preparation and work into succeeding at the show. In the meantime, Simpson has invited the community to get into the ninja spirit as well, hosting a local competition and scheduling an open gym for children and adults Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. Among them might be Eastern Oregon’s next ninja warrior. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.
