The Amazing Race 8

The Amazing Race 8: Family Edition
Season run September 27 – December 13, 2005
Filming dates July 7 – July 31, 2005
No. of episodes 11
Winning team Nick, Alex, Megan & Tommy Linz
Continents visited 1
Countries visited 4
States visited 12
Cities visited 50
Distance traveled 11,000 miles (18,000 km)
No. of legs 11
Season Chronology
Season 7 ◄ Chronology ► Season 9

The Amazing Race 8 (also known as The Amazing Race: Family Edition) is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. As opposed to previous installments of The Amazing Race, which featured pairs of adults with a pre-existing relationship, The Amazing Race 8 featured ten families of four and allowed the participation of minors as young as eight years old. The Race returned to the original teams of two adults for The Amazing Race 9. Filming ran from July 7, 2005, to July 31, 2005. The show premiered on Tuesday, September 27, 2005, and concluded on Tuesday, December 13, 2005.

Siblings Nick, Alex, Megan, and Tommy Linz were the winners of this Race. This is the last of four consecutive seasons in which the winning teams consisted of at least one man and one woman. At 19 and 21 years of age respectively, Tommy and Megan became the youngest male and female to win the Race (Starr Spangler of Season 13 later equaled Megan's record).

A DVD set of this season was released on October 23, 2012, via Amazon.com's CreateSpace program.

Production

Development and filming

The starting line of The Amazing Race: Family Edition was at Empire – Fulton Ferry State Park close to Brooklyn Bridge.

The eighth season of The Amazing Race spanned a total of 11,000 miles (18,000 km). In addition to featuring easier challenges, the Race also placed less emphasis on international travel as numerous legs were contained within the continental United States, and all race locations were inside North America. The new countries of the race were Panama and Costa Rica. Filming took place on July 7–31, 2005.

Route Markers were colored yellow and white with black lining, similar to the yellow & white Route Markers of Season 1 (and in contrast to the yellow and red markers used in all other seasons). As with Season 7, the winners of the race were revealed in an online betting scandal well before the airing of the final episode.

For this race, the supplied credit card covers not only airfare but also gasoline. Previously, gasoline had to be purchased with the supplied cash. The rule change was made necessary by the fact that most of the transportation takes place in cars rather than airplanes.

The limits on individual Roadblock attempts, found in Seasons 6 and 7, did not apply to this season. Furthermore, some Roadblocks in this edition required the participation of two team members. Also, for the first time since season 5, a mid-race leg (4) was aired without a Roadblock.

During Leg 1, Renee Rogers fell at the starting line and suffered a concussion. The Rogers family did not realize the severity of the injury until they had gone to a hospital after being eliminated from the race the next leg.[1]

At the end of Leg 4, The Schroeder family was eliminated in New Orleans, their hometown. One month after the end of the race, their home was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. They evacuated their New Orleans home due to Hurricane Katrina and stayed with the Rogers family in Shreveport, Louisiana for a short period of time. Denny Rogers even supplied a truck to help the Schroeders evacuate the flood-ravaged area. The Schroeder home was seriously damaged and was being rebuilt at the time of the show's airing.[2]

During Leg 6, at Poás Volcano, the clue envelope appeared to contain Fast Forward instructions; however, this was not mentioned or described, perhaps because no team took advantage, or because plans for the task fell through. The Fast Forward in Leg 5 was introduced as the only one in the race when the show was televised. An online source claims that the task was simply not used, and all references were excised.[3]

According to an interview with Wally Bransen on RFFRadio, Hurricane Emily forced producers to cancel a leg in Belize. Teams had an extra day off in Costa Rica after Leg 6.

After the Linz family were named the official winners, it was revealed that the Bransen and Weaver Families would compete in the "Final Amazing Challenge". The two families would race back and forth between the last roadblock of the race (a map of North and Central America) and a set of 12 clue boxes, each of which contained an icon, representing something the families did on the race. The object of the challenge was to race (as a family) out to the clue boxes, get the icons one at a time, and then place them on the appropriate place on the map. Whichever team finished this challenge first would win a brand new GMC Yukon XL, the same vehicle that had been used on the race. The Bransen family won the challenge and the vehicle.

In an RFF Radio podcast interview with Wally Bransen, he said that the Linzes beat them to the finish mat by one or two minutes in the final leg, making it the third closest finish ever. The Weavers finished in third place an "hour or two" later.

Cast

In March 2005, host Phil Keoghan toured major cities in the United States (Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Los Angeles) to scout contestants for the race. Final casting interviews took place in Las Vegas.

The full list of families participated the race (with their relationships), listed in alphabetical order:

Kevin and Drew from season 1 made a cameo appearance during the first leg of the race, handing out clues to teams in New York at a frank stand.

Linda Weaver's husband, Roy, was killed in an accident when he was run over by a race car at Daytona International Speedway in 2004. She reluctantly participated in two challenges directly related to racing. One was a go-kart race in Arizona, and the other involved traveling around Talladega Superspeedway in a bicycle.

Billy and Carissa Gaghan wrote introductions for "My Ox is Broken", a book about the Amazing Race.[4]

Stassi Schroeder later appeared in Oxygen reality series Queen Bees and later finished 7th place.[5] Schroeder later appeared on Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules.

Renee Rogers died on November 24, 2013, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, at the age of 51.[6]

This is one of the three seasons that was not represented in The Amazing Race: All-Stars.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Family Relationship Position (by leg) Roadblocks performed
<1> 2 3 41 5 6 7 8 9 102 112
Linz Family Siblings 9th 2nd 2nd 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st> 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st Nick 5, Alex 4, Megan 2, Tommy 4
Bransen Family Dad and Daughters 7th 6th 1st 1st 3rd 3rd 5th 4th 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd4 Wally 4, Beth 5, Lauren 4, Lindsay 2
Weaver Family Widow and Kids 3rd 1st 5th 5th 2nd 5th< 2nd 3rd 4th< 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd Linda 2, Rebecca 33, Rachel 2, Rolly 7
Godlewski Family Sisters 1st 3rd 4th 4th 6th 4th 1st 1st 3rd 4th 4th Michelle 4, Sharon 5, Christine 2, Tricia 2
Paolo Family Dad, Mom and Kids 6th 8th 6th 2nd 1stƒ 1st> 4th 5th Tony 1, Marion 1, DJ 3, Brian 2
Gaghan Family Dad, Mom and Kids 2nd 7th 7th 6th 5th 6th Bill 2, Tammy 2, Billy 1, Carissa 1
Schroeder Family Dad, Step-Mom and Kids 5th 4th 3rd 7th Mark 2, Char 0, Stassi 1, Hunter 1
Aiello Family Father and Sons-in-Law 8th 5th 8th Tony 0, Kevin 0, Matt 1, David 2
Rogers Family Dad, Mom and Kids 4th 9th Denny 0, Renee 0, Brittney 1, Brock 0
Black Family Dad, Mom and Kids 10th Reggie 0, Kim 0, Kenneth 0, Austin 0
  1. ^ An additional task in Leg 4 was presented to teams as a Roadblock but was aired as a miscellaneous task. This task is included in the roadblock tally, though, because every team was shown having a particular member performing it.
  2. ^ Legs 10 and 11 were a double-length leg with two Detours and two Roadblocks.
  3. ^ The Weaver Family was not shown performing the Roadblock on air, as the Linz and Bransen Families had already crossed the Finish Line. The interview after the race with the family revealed that Rebecca was the team member who did the Roadblock.
  4. ^ The Bransen Family won "The Final Amazing Challenge" task shown on the CBS website after the end of the race.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.

  1. "Go, Mommy, Go! We Can Beat Them!" – Billy Gaghan
  2. "How Do We Know We Aren't Going to Get Shot?" – Carissa Gaghan
  3. "I Don't Kiss I Make Out" – Stassi Schroeder
  4. "Think Like An Office Chair" – Rachel Weaver
  5. "We're Getting Out of the Country, Girls" – Tommy Linz
  6. "I'm Sick of Doing Stuff I Can't Do" – Linda Weaver
  7. "You Look Ridiculous" – Phil Keoghan[lower-roman 1]
  8. "How's That Face Feel?" – Megan Linz
  9. "Don't Talk To Me Like I Was An Animal Or Something" – Christine Godlewski
  10. "The Family Christmas Card" – Wally Bransen
  11. "25 Days, 50 Cities, And More Than 600 Consecutive Hours Together as a Family" – Phil Keoghan
Notes
  1. ↑ This airing was a combination of 2 episodes. The 2nd hour's standalone episode title quote is "I Don't Roll with the Punches, I Punch" from Tommy Linz.

Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first family to complete each leg. Trips provided by Travelocity

Race summary

Route map
Destinations Air travel    Rail travel    Water travel    Bus travel
Route Markers Detour    Roadblock    Fast Forward    Yield    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (New York → New Jersey → Pennsylvania)

At the Amish community in Pennsylvania, one of the detour choices to teams doing a buggy course of 1.5 miles (2.4 km).

Airdate: September 27, 2005

The starting line of The Amazing Race: Family Edition took place near Brooklyn Bridge, where teams of four from one family embarked from their starting point at Empire–Fulton Ferry State Park in New York City. Teams held their clues from at the top of their luggage and were instructed to pick a GMC Yukon XL to drive to Eastern Mountain Sports at SoHo, where they had to pick up camping gear (four sleeping bags, four camping mats, four headlamps and one tent) for the rest of the Race, then the store cashier would give them their next clue.

The clue instructed the teams to find a "frank on a 91st street" between Park and Lexington boroughs where Kevin and Drew of season 1 (posing as hot dog stand men) would give the next clue, sending them to Washington Crossing Historic Park between New Jersey and Pennsylvania where teams had to relive American history by choosing a rowboat and cross the Delaware River into New Jersey with four boats per one team. Then they were to retrieve a 13-star flag, and row the boat back to the Pennsylvania shore to observe a flag folding ceremony to get their next clue. There was a Yield right before this task; however it was not used nor aired.

The clue told the teams to head to Philadelphia and find Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, where they had to pitch a tent where they would be staying overnight as quickly as possible. Once the tent was assembled, an Eagle Scout approved their work, and they would be given a pass to leave the next morning at 10:00, 10:30 or 11:00 A.M.

The next morning, teams received their clues which directed them to travel to Brubaker Family Farm in Mount Joy, where they discovered the farming-themed first Detour: Build it or Buggy It. In Build It, teams needed to find a scale model of a watermill and use the materials provided to build a miniature working watermill. They then got two buckets of water and proved their work by filling the mill until receiving their next clue. In Buggy It, teams must transport a traditional Amish buggy along a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) course with two members pulling at the driver's seat and two members changing back and forth while riding. The clues instructed the teams to head to the Pit Stop at the Rohrer Family Farm in Lancaster.

Leg 2 (Pennsylvania → Washington, D.C. → Virginia)

The Detours on this leg featured tasks about the American Civil War reenactment (the pictured reenactment is in Danville, Illinois).

Airdate: October 4, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to travel to York, to Shoe House Road, and had to find Haines Shoe House. At the Shoe House, teams had to search the giant shoe with one team member per team to get their next clue, sending teams to drive themselves to the national capital of Washington, D.C.

Upon arriving in Washington D.C., teams had to head to the Capitol Reflecting Pool at the United States Capitol (not the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool), where they searched for their next clue, instructing them to find a limousine parked on a 3rd Street and search for an unseen contact who would give them a briefcase which they would take to Tidal Basin. Here they picked up the clue for the first Roadblock, which asked, "Who's ready for a covert operation?" One team member had to search for a spy carrying a briefcase identical to their own, with 50 people walking in the area around the Tidal Basin but only 10 of whom were confirmed spies. They had to whisper a code phrase ("The sky is blue") and the spy would reply with a countersign phrase ("The sea is green"). Once they had found one of the spies, they exchanged their briefcase with the spy's briefcase to receive their next clue. This task reappeared in The Amazing Race 22 as a Switchback.

The clue inside the briefcase instructed teams to travel to Middleburg, Virginia, and to the Welbourne Manor, where they searched with their next clue, and it was soon discovered on an American Civil War-themed Detour: Heat of the Battle and Heat of the Night. In Heat of the Battle, teams must take part in a full-scale American Civil War reenactment and use stretchers to transport five wounded soldiers off the battlefield to a surgical tent. In Heat of the Night, teams had to take a barrel of oil and keg of kerosene to a workstation. Once there, they had to fill 20 oil lamps on a table. Then, they must take the kerosene and light them all to the quartermaster. After completing the Detours, the teams had to grab a Civil War flag and take it to the nearby Pit Stop.

Leg 3 (Virginia → South Carolina → Alabama)

In Huntsville, teams visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for this leg.

Airdate: October 11, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to Charleston, South Carolina. Upon arrival, they had to choose a marked car and drive themselves to The Battery and find a gazebo to receive their next clue.

The clue was the Detour and the choice between Forrest Gump or Muddy Waters. In Forrest Gump, teams had to drive 7 miles (11 km) to Wando Shrimp Co. in Mount Pleasant and hop onto a shrimp boat. Then, they used their hands to de-head 200 pounds (91 kg) of shrimp to receive their next clue. In Muddy Waters, teams had to drive 37 miles (60 km) to Ridgeville and find Ridgeville Mud Run. Then, teams drove a 4X4 SUV through an obstacle course to a 400 feet (120 m) gully filled with mud. They had to make one complete round course before receiving their next clue. If they got stuck, they would have to wait to be towed out and restart the course.

Teams were then instructed to go to Charleston Visitor Center and sign up for a charter bus. The first bus departed at 3:00 pm, the second bus two hours later, and they would travel to a mystery destination, revealed to viewers as Huntsville, Alabama. Once there, they must pick a marked vehicle and drive themselves to U.S. Space & Rocket Center where they searched for their next clue at Edward O. Buckbee Hangar, which was a Roadblock asking "Who's ready to feel the pull of more than 3 Gs?" For this special Roadblock, two members from each team rode a centrifuge at 3.2g. If the teams can endure the 3.2g, they would get their next clue.

The clue instructed teams to walk almost 1 mile (1.6 km) to the Rocket Park. Upon arrival, teams need to enter the space mission, search for the computers and log on to their AOL account to receive the video clue from Phil, instructing them to travel by foot to the Pit Stop at Space Shuttle Pathfinder.

Leg 4 (Alabama → Mississippi → Louisiana)

Teams rode one complete lap at the Talladega Superspeedway on a party bike on their visit to Alabama.

Airdate: October 18, 2005

Teams started the leg in Space Shuttle Pathfinder, where they were informed to travel to Anniston and had to find the World's Largest Office Chair. This task was a Roadblock; one team member from each team had to climb to the top of the seat to receive their next clue, although this was aired as a miscellaneous task.

The clue instructed teams to travel to Talladega and had to find the International Motorsports Hall of Fame where they searched inside the museum to find their next clue, and make their way to Talladega Superspeedway where teams had to choose a party bike then had to complete one lap around the Superspeedway. Once they completed a 2.6 miles (4.2 km) ride, a race official would give them their next clue. The clue told teams to find "Southern Colonel" in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and figure out that their destination was a mobile home dealership. Upon arrival, teams had to search through the thirty-seven mobile homes for one of three departure times (leaving 20 minutes apart) for the next day. The teams then had to "rough it" in the mobile home where they found their departure time.

The next day, teams received their clues on the top of the marked cars and instructed to drive to Richland and find a BP gas station. There they must find a station clerk named Les to receive their next clue and drive to the "Pelican State" which they must figure out is the state of Louisiana which is their next destination.

Once the teams arrive in Louisiana, they had to head to Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville and searched the fishing dock for their next clue: the Detour giving the choice of Work or Play. For either task, teams had to put on traditional attire for the chosen task; flannel for Work or traditional New Orleans clothes for Play. In Work, teams used a two-person handsaw to cut slices off a log 12 inches (300 mm) in diameter. Once they cut four slices, a log sawyer would give them their clue. In Play, teams made their way by canoe to a riverboat where they played a game of "21" against a professional dealer. To win a round, the hand of each team member needed to total more than the dealer's hand, or the dealer must bust (the dealer's hand must go over 21). When the team won three rounds, a dealer would give them their clue.

The clue instructed teams to drive themselves across the longest bridge on Lake Pontchartrain to the state's largest city of New Orleans. They must parked their car on Esplanade Avenue and search the grounds in Preservation Hall in French Quarter for the Pit Stop.

Leg 5 (Louisiana → Panama)

The Pit Stop for this leg of the race was located at the Miraflores Locks on the edge of Panama Canal in Panama City.

Airdate: October 25, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to travel to Panama City, Panama. Upon arrival, they made their way to Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Gamboa where they had to search for a Scientist named Ricardo Diaz, who would give them their next clue. The clue contained the Race's only aired Fast Forward, team members had to find a crane at the Pacific side of Panama Canal – Pier 12 in Balboa. Once there, the family must split into pairs and each pair would perform on tandem bungee jump 140 feet (43 m) above sea level. When all members completed the drop, they would win the Fast Forward.

Otherwise, teams had to do the Detour, a choice between Rhythm or Coos. For this leg, teams teams traveled by Red Devil Bus (also known as Diablo Rojo). In Rhythm, teams were required to travel to Casco Viejo. They visited several locations to collect four musical instruments – saxophone (in Teatro Nacional de Panamá), trumpet (in Escuela Simón Bolívar), conga drum (in Casa Góngora) and trombone (Instituto Nacional de Cultura). Once they retrieved all the instruments, they delivered them by foot to Take Five Jazz and Wine where a band leader would hand them their next clue. In Coos, teams travel to El Parque Metropolitan and use binoculars and search within the rainforest canopy for wooden replicas of five local bird species. They had to circle the correct bird species discovered on a chart on the provided bird identification card. When all five were circled, they presented the card to the bird expert to get their next clue. However, if they circled the wrong birds, they would repeat the task until getting it right.

The clues instructed teams to travel to Estadio Juan Demostenes Arosemena and searched for their next clue, asking "Who can hit in a pinch?" One team member to had to play baseball and must step up to a plate where they had to get a base hit or home run off a championship local little leaguer. Each player would get a maximum of 3 pitches to attempt to hit. However, if they did not get a hit, they had to go back to the end of the line. When they finally got on base, the umpire would get them their next clue. The clue instructed teams to the Pit Stop at Miraflores Locks.

Leg 6 (Panama → Costa Rica)

In Costa Rica, teams made their way to Poás Volcano National Park for a Route Info clue.

Airdate: November 1, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to the city of San José, Costa Rica. Upon departing, they were required to choose one of three charter buses to San José and pull a ticket to pick a time at the Tica Bus Terminal departing thirty minutes apart starting at 11:30 a.m. Once they arrived in San José, they had to choose a marked vehicle at Parqueo Publico Adrian and drive themselves to Poás Volcano National Park where they will find their next clue.

At the Volcano National Park, there was a Fast Forward and no details were to be found, however, it was unaired. Teams had to pick up the clue which sent teams to Doka Estate in Alajuela where they had to search for their next clue. At the Estate, teams found the Yield sign as well as the Roadblock clue, where teams were asked "Who can tell the difference between colors?" One team member from each team searched through 800 pounds (360 kg) of coffee beans to find the one red colored bean. Once found, the plantation manager would give them their next clue.

The clue instructed teams to drive themselves to Jacó and find Roca Loca Surf Shop where they ask for a man named Xavier to receive their next clue. It was a Detour, giving the teams a choice between Relic or Ripe. In Relic, teams travel to a nearby rainforest at Manuel Antonio National Park and traverse six road bridges while searching for four Mayan relics. After delivering each of these relics to the archaeologist, they would receive the next clue. In Ripe, teams traveled to Frutas Selectas del Tropico (a banana plantation) where they were to gather 15 bushels of bananas and load them on hanging tracks. Then, using a local pulling system, they hauled them to the distribution center and the foreman would give their next clue. The clue directed teams to drive themselves to Quepos and make their way to Malecon for the Pit Stop.

Leg 7 (Costa Rica → Arizona)

La Iglesia de Metal in Grecia was the location of the Detour clue on this Leg.

Airdate: November 8, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel by foot to Playa Maracas in Quepos and one team member had to swim to a buoy that had their clue attached to it. The clue told teams to travel to La Iglesia de Metal in Grecia and picked up with the clue, the Detour and a choice between Brush or Barrel. In Brush, teams had to travel 10 miles (16 km) to Taller Eloy Alfaro in Sarchí and paint two cartwheels. Once there, they must choose two of these partial painted cartwheels, then follow the pattern on a painted section to finish decorating the wheel. When the artist approved their work, they would receive their clue. In Barrel, teams travel 10 miles (16 km) to Ingenio La Argentina (a Sugarcane factory) where they had to load a tractor with a 1 tonne (0.98 long tons; 1.1 short tons) of harvested sugarcane. Then, they transported them 6 miles (9.7 km) to a rum factory of Fabrica Nacional de Licores. After delivering the cane, they searched a warehouse to find a hidden marked barrel rack among dozens of rum barrels which contained their clue.

The clue told the teams to travel on their next destination: Phoenix, Arizona. Upon arrival, they had to head to Bondurant Superkart School in Chandler where they picked up their next clue, a kart racing-Roadblock where teams were asking, "Who's ready to start their engines?" One team member had to drive 50 laps on a Superkart track to receive their next clue. The clue directed teams to Fountain Hills' Fort McDowell Adventures for the Pit Stop.

Leg 8 (Arizona)

In Page, Arizona, teams visited Glen Canyon Dam and looked to find the Detour clue. Beside the dam, Colorado River is shown on photo (foreground).

Airdate: November 8, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams had to drive to Fighter Combat International at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa and searching for their next route marker: the Roadblock where they were asked, "Who's feeling the need for speed?" One team member had to fly in a fighter plane and following the pilot's direction pilot the plane to perform a 360 degree loop, with the assistance of trained pilot in the air. Once the loop was completed, they would land and get their next clue.

The clue instructed teams to head to the Grand Canyon and find Lipan Point and search for their next clue. The clue told them to travel to Page where they must find Glen Canyon Dam. Once there, teams choose a guide and disembark to the dam to receive their next clue: the Detour, a choice between Bearing or Bailing. For both Detours, the teams traveled on a motorized raft to Horseshoe Bend along the Colorado River. In Bearing, teams had to choose five color-coded cards to a unique compass coordinate. Then, they used a compass to follow the coordinate to the next card and locate three locations on three different islands in a same color-coded card in each island, then they exchanged them for the clue. In Bailing, teams had to pour water into a boat until it submerged. Then, using only their hands and tools provided, they had bail water out of the boat to lighten it enough to carry onshore. Once the boat had been carried across a line in the sand, they would receive their next clue.

The clues directed teams to travel to Antelope Point, they would head down the path to Lake Powell and race on motorboats to the marked houseboat, their Pit Stop.

Leg 9 (Arizona → Utah)

The rooftop of the Salt Lake City Public Library was the Pit Stop of this Leg of the The Amazing Race: Family Edition.

Airdate: November 22, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were told to head to Monument Valley, Utah. Once there, they had to find John Ford's Point and search for their next clue. At the John Ford's Point, teams had to take a helicopter ride to Elephant Butte at Arches National Park where they must choose two team members on each two teams to the summit Elephant Butte to retrieve their clue.

When two team members landed back at John Ford's Point and reunited with their other team members, the clue told them to travel to Moab and find Gemini Bridges where they found their next clue: the Detour, the choice between Ride Down or Drop Down. Both Detours traveled to Bull Canyon. In Ride Down, teams had to choose bikes and rode a 6 miles (9.7 km) course down the mountain. In Drop Down, teams completed a two-stage rappel 270 feet (82 m) down the same mountain. Once at the bottom, they had to follow the marked path. At the end of both Detours, they could get their next clue. The clue instructed teams to travel to Green River and they had to find Green River State Park where they would stay for the night and they would receive departure times 15 minutes apart depending on arrival order.

The next morning, teams received their clues at the top of marked vehicles and told to travel to Heber City and find Bart the Bear who had their next clue in his mouth. This sent them to Utah Olympic Park in Park City with the Yield sign and their next clue, which was the Roadblock, asking "Who's ready to jump in the air?" One team member had to put on skis, rode a 60 feet (18 m) ramp and did a ski jump into a Olympic pool to get their next clue. The clue sent teams to the rooftop of Salt Lake City's Public Library for the Pit Stop.

Leg 10 (Utah → Wyoming → Montana)

One side of the Detour involved teams building a teepee in honor to the people of American Indians.
At Yellowstone National Park, teams had to wait for the eruption of Old Faithful before receiving their next clue.

Airdate: November 29 & December 6, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams had to head to Park City High School in Park City, where they had to help the pilot inflate a hot air balloon. There, they can get on board for a scenic ride across the Utah countryside. Upon landing, teams would receive their next clue.

The clue told teams to travel to Heber Valley Railway in Heber City and searched for their next clue, where they soon found out was a manual labor-inspired railroad Detour: Spike It or Steam It. In Spike It, teams used old-time materials and tools to complete a 20 feet (6.1 m) section of railway track. In Steam It, teams used buckets to fill the tender of an old-time steam locomotive with nearly 400 pounds (180 kg) of coal. In both Detours, teams would need to get their work approved by a railway engineer before receiving their next clue.

The clue directed teams to the Tree of Utah in Bonneville Salt Flats and had to search for their next clue, sending them to Bear Lake Rendezvous Beach in Garden City, where teams had to spend the night and receive their departure times 15 minutes apart depending on arrival order.

The next day, teams received the clues at the top of marked vehicles and instructed to drive to Wyoming and find Dunham Ranch passed Big Piney to search for the next clue, and found out it was the Roadblock, asking "Who's ready to cowboy up?" In this special Roadblock, two team members mount horses and took six cattle from a holding pen and herd them 0.25 miles (0.40 km) into a corral. Once completed, the cowboy would get their next clue. The clue was "I'm old, I'm faithful", and teams had to figure out that the next location is Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park. At the Park, the teams had to wait with a fireman at Yellowstone for the geyser to erupt then were given their next clue. The clue sent teams to the "Pit Stop" at Pinto Ranch at 15200 Highway 287 and search for Phil. However, Phil give the teams their next clue and told them that the leg is not over.

The clue received at the "Pit Stop" told them to travel to Turtle Ranch at Dubois where they received their next clue. However, they were closed for the evening and teams must wait for the next morning. The next day, teams had to find a marked SUV in an Open Plateau to be chauffeured to find their next clue on the Old Western-themed Detour: Pioneer Spirit or Native Tradition. In Pioneer Spirit, teams had to attach four wheels to a covered wagon, hook up a team of horses, and drive along a 0.25 miles (0.40 km) course. In Native Tradition, teams had to use materials and traditional tools provided to build a teepee.

The clue instructed teams to head to Cody and stated "Do you know the hotel named after Buffalo Bill's daughter?" The teams had to figure out that refers to Irma, and instructed to Irma Hotel. Upon entering the hotel, teams had to dress in period clothing, then take a picture with Buffalo Bill. Once the photo showing up, he would give them their next clue.

The clue told teams to travel to Red Lodge, Montana. Once there, they had to find the "Tenth Tee" at Red Lodge Mountain Golf Course and search for their next clue: the Roadblock asking "Who's up to par?" In this special Roadblock, two team members chose a colored flags and attached it to a Buick Lucerne golf cart. Then, they drove to the golf course and searched for colored balls the same color of the flag they picked. Once the task was completed, the golf pro would give them their next clue, sending them to Larry Arnold's Green Meadow Ranch in Absarokee for the Pit Stop.

Leg 11 (Montana → Canada → New York)

Teams visited the American Pavilion in Montreal built when the city hosted Expo 67 where they had to search for their next clue.
The second part of the final leg of the race took place in Downtown Toronto: the CN Tower and Toronto Harbour.

Airdate: December 13, 2005

At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to travel to Montreal, Canada. Upon departing, they must drive themselves to the international airport in Billings and take a flight to Montreal. Once arriving in Montreal, they had to head to Square-Victoria Metro Station and find Underground City beneath the passageways of Centre CDP building to find their next clue.

The clue was for the first Detour, a choice between Slide It or Roll It. In Slide It, teams traveled to Macdonald Campus to participate in the sport of curling. Each team member glided a granite stone 120 feet (37 m) down the ice to the house target. Once team member got a stone into the house or touched the house with a total of 4 targets, they would receive their next clue. In Roll It, teams traveled to Morgan Arboretum and had to use lumberjack tools to roll four wooden logs along the 100 feet (30 m) course and in order to receive their next clue from the lumberjack.

The clue instructed teams that Montreal hosted the World Expo 67 and to figure out that the next destination is at Montreal Biosphère (known as "American Pavilion" in the show). Once there, teams had to climb to the 5th floor and get the next clue at the top. The clue sent teams to find "La Porte J" in Trapezium and had to find their next clue: the first Roadblock and asking, "Who wants to fly from the air?" One team member had to successfully complete a flying trapeze maneuver known as a catch in order to receive their clue.

Teams were instructed to travel to Olympic Park where they had to ride on a golf cart from the park to the Olympic Stadium and enter it through the one door large enough for them to drive through to the stadium to find their next clue. Upon arriving at the stadium, teams had to search through 56,000 stadium seats for one of three charter flight departure times for the mystery destination, five minutes apart.

The teams arrived in the mystery destination, revealed to viewers as Toronto. Upon arrival, they had to find a clue on the top of the marked SUV and made their way to CN Tower. Once there, teams had to take an elevator to the observation deck over 1,100 feet (340 m) in the air. On the deck, they would need binoculars to search through the city streets for the next clue at Polson Pier.

Once teams descended down to the ground and traveled, they found a clue for the second Detour, a choice between Ship or Shoe. In Ship, teams sailed across Toronto Harbour from Queens Quay to the Kajama boat. One team member climbed 100 feet (30 m) to the top of the mast and retrieved a nautical flag. Once they retrieved the flag, the captain would hand them their next clue. In Shoe, teams traveled to Bata Shoe Museum where they would choose a pair of shoes and search through 100 women standing around the museum to find a woman wearing a matching shoe to receive their next clue.

The clue directed teams to travel to Queenston, on the Canadian side of Niagara Gorge and find Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours where they had to choose a jet boat from the boat ramp and take a ride up the gorge. Once there, teams had to grab their next clue from the buoy. The clue instructed them to take the same jet boat across the border to Lewiston, New York, their final destination city. Upon arriving in Lewiston, teams had to find Joseph Davis State Environmental Park and find the final Roadblock, asking "Who paid attention in Geography?" One team member had to use 71 giant jigsaw puzzle pieces and complete a map of Central and North America (excluding the Caribbean). Once the puzzle was completed, teams were allowed to go to the Finish Line.

After the race ended, CBS hosted "The Final Amazing Challenge" on the official website where the second and third place teams competed for a GMC Yukon XL. By using the completed map in the final Roadblock, the Weaver and Bransen families ran out to one of twelve clue boxes at a time, picking up cutouts representing tasks they performed on the Race. They then had to place the cutout on the map and then go back to get another cutout. The first team to have all twelve cutouts in the right locations on the map won.

Criticisms and reactions

Fans, critics, and racers were lukewarm over the format changes implemented in this edition of The Amazing Race. The main issues were the lack of international travel and watered down challenges tailored to families. The expanded cast also made it more difficult to develop individual story lines. Entertainment Weekly commented that "Half the fun of The Amazing Race has always been watching the inter and intra-couple bickering that goes with being chronically late and lost in a foreign land. Seeing parents yell at their children in exotic New Jersey? Not so fun".[7] USA Today shared similar opinions, adding that "the idea of being trapped in the back seat for a forced cross-country family drive comes closer to a nightmare relived than a dream come true."[8] Racers were also disappointed that they did not have a chance to travel to more exotic locations; in one episode Marion Paolo commented "Why are we going to Phoenix, Arizona for? I want to go to New Zealand!" – a statement that also summed up the general opinion of the season.

In hindsight, the production team has admitted that the concept of a Family Edition "looked good on paper" but failed in execution, since child racers limited foreign travel for that season. Creators Bertram Van Munster and Jonathan Littman doubt that the family format will be revived in the future.[9]

Ratings

Canadian ratings

Order Episode Viewers (millions) Rank
1 "Go Mommy Go We Can Beat Them" 2.62 #5[10]
2 "How Do We Know We Arent Going to Get Shot?" 2.34 #4
3 "I Dont Kiss, I Make Out" 2.30 #4
4 "Think Like An Office Chair" 2.65 #5
5 "Were Getting Out of the Country, Girls" 2.14 #5
6 "Im Sick of Doing Stuff I Can't Do" 2.14 #5
7 "You Look Ridiculous" 2.12 #8
8 "Hows That Face Feel" 2.20 #7
9 "Dont Talk To Me Like I Was An Animal Or Something" 1.97 #9
10 "The Family Christmas Card 2.25 #5
11 "25 Days 50 Cities And More Than 600 Consecutive Hours Together as a Family" 2.66 #1

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "rogers eliminated from amazing race family edition - Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. 2005-10-10. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
    2. ↑ "A Family Beyond The 'Race'". CBS News. October 5, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2005.
    3. ↑ "TAR Timeline: When, Where, What, and How - TWoP Forums - Page 74.733333333333". Forums.televisionwithoutpity.com. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
    4. ↑ "Amazon.com – "My Ox is Broken!"". Retrieved September 2006.
    5. ↑ Hesse, Monica (2008-07-11). "'Queen Bees': Do You Catch More Eyes With Honey?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
    6. ↑ "Rhonda Reneé Rogers Obituary". shreveporttimes.com. 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
    7. ↑ Ross, Dalton (October 14, 2005). "What's wrong with The Amazing Race?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 14, 2005.
    8. ↑ Bianco, Robert (October 25, 2005). "'Amazing Race' is not family friendly". USA Today. Retrieved October 25, 2005.
    9. ↑ "Amazing Race 10 Teams Announced". Retrieved July 15, 2006.
    10. ↑ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English): September 26 – October 2, 2005" (PDF).

    External links

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