American Ninja Warrior Season 18 premieres Monday night - A dozen Utah locals are competing

America Ninja Warrior is kicking off its 18th season Monday night, and this year, 14 Utahns are competing. Hosts Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila and co-host Zuri Hall gave us a sneak peek at what we can expect this season. They all agree Utah is turning out some top tier talent like the Beckstrand family, who opened a gym in southern Utah to train Ninjas. “Kai is the reigning champ. His brother Luke is back. His sister Bailey (is) out there. Brian's on, Holly has competed. With one gym you can turn it into a hotbed and Salt Lake City and all of Utah has been incredible,” said Iseman. Ninja’s from the West, Central, and East regions will complete, vying for a spot in the brand new regional finals on the road to the national competition and the $250,000 grand prize.

A new twist on America Ninja Warrior

A new twist for Ninjas this season is the Tripleheader. “It's going to look like a track meet. So, we're bringing the track meet to Ninja Warrior. We're showing these ninjas and putting them in this position where they're going to have to compete with that high pressure,” said Gbajabiamila. The hosts will play an active role this season. Each night they’ll predict which Ninja will post the fastest time. Hall says she’s got this locked up! “I would say put your money on me. Because at the end of the day, I am down on the sidelines with the ninjas. I know whose head is in the game. I know who's been putting in extra reps in the gym.” Whatever the outcome, Utah fans can count on a spectacular season 18! “The craziest thing is, sometimes the best moment isn't even hitting a buzzer. For some people, you'll just see a moment where they get to the start line. And that's the thing I love about our show,” said Iseman. The first episode airs Monday June 8, at 8 p.m. on KSL.

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