The public is invited to watch more than 3,000 top obstacle course athletes from 21 countries and 42 states compete at the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Series Finals from July 24th through July 28th at Southern California’s Anaheim Convention Center. This largest ninja event in history will be live-streamed on UNAA’s YouTube Channel and also rebroadcast on ESPN 2 on August 2. The competition will feature athletes aged six through adult seniors competing for cash prizes and establish the Season 9 World Champions and also the USA Ninja Association (USANA) U.S. National Team. UNAA is the official league for World Obstacle, the federation tasked with short-course obstacle racing meeting the requirements for inclusion in the Olympics. Single-day and four-day spectator tickets, including a discounted family ticket package, are now on sale at https://www.ultimateninja.net/2024Finals The most exciting pro finals events will be held Friday and Sunday. A 20-foot airbag jump will give spectators a chance to take part in the action!
“Fueled by the craze of top television competition shows, the sport of ninja has exploded in popularity around the world. Ninja gyms are opening in cities all the time, and we are seeing increases in youth and adult competitors at our events,” said Bob Clark, UNAA’s Founder and CEO. “The mass of athletes converging at the UNAA’s World Series Finals and short-course obstacle course racing’s impending debut in the 2028 Olympic Pentathlon demonstrates that this sport has established its legitimacy. With optimal states like California just starting to see growth in competitive ninja sports, a wave of new athletes and fans is inevitable!”
Ninja is differentiated from other obstacle-based sports in that the course is shorter and judging is based on points, based on the difficulty of the obstacle, as well as time. The athlete who has the fastest time with the most points wins. Famous athletes from the hit television show will be among the athletes competing for the US National Team, including Daniel Gil, Jesse Graff, Vance Walker, Kaden Lebsack, Isabella Wakeham and Addy Herman.
While ninja athletes had to qualify by taking top placements at competitions held worldwide, amateur and experienced obstacle course racers (OCR) aged six and older are invited to participate in the Ultimate OCR 3k starting on Sunday, July 28th. The 3K course is similar to traditional OCR events but held indoors and on dry ground. The shorter 3K course, compared to a traditional 5K course, has the same standard number of obstacles, which are simpler than ninja obstacles and include rings, cargo net, rope traverse, tire flip, herc hoist and sandbag carry.
The event is divided into seven age classes from Under 11 through Over 50, which will be timed, and a fun, open class for anyone older than six. A $2,000 payout will be awarded for each age division’s Elite Male and Elite Female winner. Everyone who crosses the finish line will get a participation medal with top competitors receiving special awards. The registration cost is $65. Interested participants can learn more and register through July 15th at https://www.ultimateninja.net/ultimate-ocr-3k
“The best part of the ninja community is how warm and inviting they are,” said Clark. “ Whether you have dreams of competing in the Olympics one day or want to challenge yourself or just have fun alongside your kids in an OCR race, we can’t wait to cheer you on! Whether you are already an addicted fan or a newbie spectator wanting to see what competitive ninja is all about, we welcome you!”
Host gyms from across the country will transport obstacles for the competition. The sole California-based host gym, Ultimate Ninjas in Anaheim Hills, has 17 members competing in age divisions ranging from U7 through over 40 and will host more than 160 athletes from Australia, Canada and the Philippines to train in the days leading to the competition. Ultimate Ninjas Anaheim Hills will also host open gym times for competitors throughout the competition week.
“Our gym’s inaugural year is also the first year that the World Series will be held in California, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Barry Sohl, owner of the Ultimate Ninjas franchise location that opened in Anaheim Hills last year. “The response to our programs — from guests experiencing ninja purely for fun by participating in summer camps, open gym and by hosting birthday parties to serious competitors in our classes and competitive Elite Team — has made me a believer that ninja is here to stay and grow in our state!”
For the first time, the UNAA Season 9 World Series Finals will bring together athletes from all the major ninja sport organizations to compete against each other — USA Ninja Association (UNAA), World Ninja Athlete Games (WNAG), The Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA) as well as UNAA.
Next year’s Season 10 UNAA competition schedule will be released in August at https://www.ultimateninja.net Those interested in exploring becoming involved in ninja sports at a recreational or competitive level should check with their local ninja gym. A list of UNAA member gyms can be found at https://www.ultimateninja.net/gym-locations
ABOUT ULTIMATE NINJA ATHLETE ASSOCIATION (UNAA)
Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA), the official ninja league of the World Obstacle/Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO.) The organization and league hosts events across the globe that adhere to World Obstacle’s Olympic requirements, offers the first ninja trainer certification program and promotes ninja sports. CEO Bob Clark founded UNAA in 2012 after getting hooked on obstacle sports by watching hit television competition shows, practicing on a hand-built course in his backyard and ultimately training and competing through a ninja gym. He started UNAA because he recognized that the sport lacked a nationwide series that anybody could enter and be judged solely on their performance on the course. The 2016 inaugural UNAA finals featured 126 athletes. Just seven seasons later, in 2023, the event had grown to the largest obstacle event in history with more than 1500 athletes competing and more than 2000 competitors in the open Obstacle Sports Expo.
INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS, OCR PARTICIPANTS & SPECTATORS
Volunteers
UNAA is seeking volunteers to help set up courses. Approved volunteers will receive free spectator passes. Learn more and apply at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FADAB2BA3FDC34-48962878-unaa
Potential OCR Participants
To learn more and register for the Obstacle Course Racing Expo, visit https://www.ultimateninja.net/ultimate-ocr-3k or email [email protected]
Spectators
The competition will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center at 800 W Katella Ave Ste 600, Anaheim, CA 92802-3496 For more information and to purchase spectator tickets, visit https://www.ultimateninja.net/2024Finals
For more information about the UNAA World Series Finals, including a complete schedule of events, https://www.ultimateninja.net/2024Finals
To watch the event live stream, visit UNAA’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ultimateninjaathleteassoci8408/streams For real-time updates during the events, including winners, follow UNAA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ultimateninjaathlete
Â
