Update: ‘American Ninja Warrior’ in KC: What you need to know

Update: All tickets are sold out for the six “American Ninja Warrior” shows at Union Station Monday, April 24, and Tuesday, April 25. Those hoping to attend tapings of the NBC sports reality show can join the waiting list for tickets here.

Local Ninjas

More than 100 super-athletes will compete, including these Kansas City area contenders:

▪ Rich Talavera, 70, of Prairie Village is a former national gymnastics champion who can do a handstand on a skateboard. Read our story about him here.

▪ We also wrote about an elementary school PE teacher and mom of two, a 23-year old in charge of an Olathe sports training camp serving hundreds of local kids, the owner of Kansas City’s first ninja warrior gym and a Kansas City athlete who has competed twice before. Learn more about them here.

Also competing, according to NBC:

▪ Lucas Pfannenstiel of Olathe, a former NCAA baseball player nicknamed “The Beast”

▪ Dan Nguyen, also of Olathe. Nguyen escaped war in Vietnam at age 6 and was separated from his parents and siblings.

▪ Brad Lynn of Kansas City, a police sergeant, former Navy helicopter rescue swimmer and a part-time magician.

How the show works

Monday is the qualifying round on a massive obstacle course currently under construction in the station’s south parking lot.

The top 30 will compete in the finals the following night.

Then the top 15 will move on to compete in the national finals in Las Vegas for the elusive title of American Ninja Warrior.

Traffic

Some streets and parking areas around Union Station are closing for the filming. Here are details.

Show times

Monday night: 8 p.m., 12:30 a.m., 2 a.m.

Tuesday night: 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m.

All shows are sold out, but you can join the waiting list here.

Host cities

Kansas City is one of six cities hosting qualifying events, along with Los Angeles, Denver, San Antonio, Cleveland and Daytona Beach, Fla. Kansas City first hosted “American Ninja Warrior” in 2015.

On TV

Season 9 will premiere at 7 p.m. June 12 on NBC.

This story was originally published April 20, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Update: ‘American Ninja Warrior’ in KC: What you need to know."