The 8th Competition, official name: SASUKE2001秋 (literally SASUKE 2001 Fall) was arguably one of the best and emotional tournaments. For the whole tournament, Typhoon Nari showered Midoriyama in rains, causing several long rain delays. The rains also caused the course to be very slick, affecting the performance of competitors.
This tournament introduced a new first obstacle, the Godantobi (which would later become the basis for many other obstacles throughout SASUKE).In the Second Stage, the time limit was raised to 100 seconds, the highest Second Stage time limit in history at the time. Due to the rains, the electric Gyakusō Conveyor had to be halted to prevent shocking the competitors who crossed it, making the obstacle far easier. Starting in this tournament, a button was added at the finish line, and competitors were required to press it in time in order to stop the clock, open the gate, and advance to the Third Stage.