Poster Alex Carson is the Tuba Ninja.
Alex Carson holds his tuba on the set of 'American Ninja Warrior.'
NBC

Tuba Ninja toots his own horn on 'American Ninja Warrior'

Tuba-playing athlete Alex Carson has been lighting up the course on American Ninja Warrior. Now competing in his sixth season on the popular NBC show, he has a sizable number of fans made up of locals from his hometown of Kansas City and — you guessed it — tuba players. Known as the Big Brass Ninja or Tuba Ninja, Carson starts each of his runs on the TV show's giant obstacle course by playing the sweet, sultry sounds of the tuba.

He started playing the tuba in the fifth grade. At that time, he was not the 6-foot-2 athlete he is today, gliding through the strenuous physical challenges. He felt that he was an overlooked runt in his youth because of his 5-foot-2 skinny stature back then. He told the Kansas City Star, "I chose the tuba. I've always liked a challenge. Plus, the tuba, with it being so big, it helped me stand out a bit."

Unfortunately, the Tuba Ninja did not make it past the semifinals, falling to an especially challenging obstacle called the Slingshot. Watch the finals of American Ninja Warrior at 7 p.m. central Friday, Nov. 6 (rescheduled from Wednesday, Nov. 4, due to election coverage), on NBC. We look forward to seeing the Tuba Ninja compete again next season.

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