The Amazing Race 1

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
The Amazing Race 1
The Amazing Race logo
Season run September 5, 2001
– December 13, 2001
Filming dates March 8, 2001
– April 8, 2001
No. of episodes 13
Winning team Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain
Continents visited 4
Countries visited 9
Cities visited 24
Distance traveled 35,000 miles (56,000 km)
No. of legs 13
All-Stars Joe Baldassare & Bill Bartek,
Kevin O'Connor & Drew Feinberg
Season Chronology
Chronology ► Season 2

The Amazing Race 1 (originally broadcast under the name The Amazing Race) is the first season of the American reality television series The Amazing Race. It was broadcast for the first time on September 5, 2001, and ended on December 13, 2001, on American television.

Lawyers and best friends Rob Frisbee and Brennan Swain were the winners of the inaugural Race.

The complete season set, featuring commentary from four of the teams, was released on DVD in September 2005.

Production

Development and filming

The first season of The Amazing Race traveled 35,000 miles (56,000 km) in 39 days, spanning 4 continents and 9 different countries. The season was hit with multiple filming delays, including an airport strike in Rome and a sandstorm in Tunisia, the latter of which forced teams to begin leg 6 in Gabès, rather than the original Saharan desert Pit Stop.

Other aspects of filming were unique to the first season of the series. Host Phil Keoghan handed out clues at the beginning of some legs and only greeted the last-place team at each Pit Stop; all other teams were greeted and informed of their placements by local representatives. Each leg's Pit Stop mat featured a localized design; subsequent seasons have used a single mat design throughout the entire race.

During Leg 5, Paul and Amie got lost in the Sahara desert after trying numerous routes; they found the desert oasis Pit Stop by luck, unknowingly skipping the roadblock and final route marker.

Amazing Race courses were planned so that the final three teams will all reach the finish line. However, Joe and Bill were so far behind that they could not catch up and did not finish the race. When they were still completing Leg 12 (which aired alongside Leg 13 in final episode), Team Guido was required to have villagers bounce one teammate upwards by the use of an Alaskan tapestry. According to the DVD commentary, the tapestry broke under the weight the day before, so a trampoline had to be used instead.

Cast

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Eleven teams participated in the first season of The Amazing Race, ranging from best friends to couples, and a mother and daughter duo. Kevin and Drew made an appearance in Season 8, handing out clues from a hot dog stand in New York City. They also returned, along with Joe and Bill, to participate in the All-Stars edition among a cast of returning teams from seasons 1-10. Runner up Frank Mesa made an appearance at the starting line of season 25. Winners Rob & Brennan made an appearance at the starting line of Season 27.

Margaretta Groark died on October 26, 2008, after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 67.[1]

Nancy Hoyt died on December 8, 2011, after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, at the age of 56.[2]

Ratings

Season 1 was not particularly a ratings' success, though it was co-directed by Michael Bay. The series premiered six days prior to the September 11 attacks, after which interest in foreign travel waned and viewership fell correspondingly. The show was further hindered by the lack of media coverage and promotion as networks focused on news stories and more patriotic programming. Additionally, the show premiered and competed in the same time slot as with NBC's short-lived Lost, another reality show with a similar premise.[3] The show did just well enough to earn a second season, which aired the following spring.

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 due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Team Relationship Position (by leg) Roadblocks Performed1
1 2 3 4ƒ 5ƒ 6ƒ 7 8ƒ 9 10ƒ 11 12 13
Rob & Brennan Lawyers/Best Friends 1stƒ 3rd 3rd 6th 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st Rob 5, Brennan 7
Frank & Margarita Separated Parents 3rd 4th 2nd 5th 5th 1st6 1stƒ 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd Frank 9, Margarita 3
Joe & Bill Life Partners 2nd 2nd 4th 1st 2nd 2nd6 2nd 4th 4thƒ 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd9 Joe 7, Bill 4
Kevin & Drew Fraternity Brothers 9th 5th 1stƒ 2nd 1st 4th 4th 1st 3rd 3rd 4th Kevin 5, Drew 5
Nancy & Emily Mother/Daughter 10th 7th 8th 3rd 3rd 5th 5th 5th 5th8 Nancy 2, Emily 7
Lenny & Karyn Dating 4th 9th 7th 7th 6th 6th7 6th Lenny 2, Karyn 5
Paul & Amie Engaged 7th 6th 6th 4th4 7th5 Paul 3, Amie 1
Dave & Margaretta Grandparents 8th2 8th3 5th 8th Dave 2, Margaretta 1
Pat & Brenda Working Moms 5th 1stƒ 9th Pat 1, Brenda 0
Kim & Leslie Teachers/Roommates 6th 10th Kim 2, Leslie 0
Matt & Ana Married 11th Matt 0, Ana 0
  • A red team placement indicates that the team was eliminated.
  • An underlined blue team placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg of the race.
  • An green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue. If placed next to a leg number, this indicates that the Fast Forward was available for that leg but not used.
  1. ^ Leg 1 featured an un-aired Roadblock that was only partially shown in the DVD release. Pat & Brenda and Matt & Ana were not shown completing this Roadblock.
  2. ^ Dave & Margaretta initially were checked in at the Pit Stop in 7th, but they were retroactively penalized for not completing the Detour correctly. They served their penalty before the start of the next leg, dropping them to 8th to depart.
  3. ^ Dave & Margaretta initially were checked in at the Pit Stop in 6th, but they were retroactively penalized for not completing the Roadblock correctly. This Roadblock was not included in their Roadblock count because neither Dave nor Margaretta completed it properly. They served their penalty before the start of the next leg, dropping them to 8th to depart.
  4. ^ Paul & Amie checked in 5th at the end of the Leg, but were 4th to depart on the next leg after being awarded a time credit due to production difficulties.
  5. ^ Paul & Amie arrived at the Pit Stop by chance after getting lost and unknowingly skipping the Roadblock. However, since they were already in last place, they were eliminated without being assessed the 4-hour penalty.
  6. ^a b Frank & Margarita and Joe & Bill initially arrived 1st and 2nd, respectively, but were each issued a 30-minute penalty for failing to follow a clue correctly. The penalty did not affect their placements.
  7. ^ Lenny & Karyn were granted a time credit for production difficulties. This did not affect their placement.
  8. ^ Nancy & Emily initially arrived 4th, but were issued a 24-hour penalty for failing to complete either Detour option after getting lost and taking a cab to the Roadblock. Joe & Bill checked in during the penalty time, causing Nancy & Emily to fall to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  9. ^ Joe & Bill had fallen so far behind that they were unable to complete the final leg. When Joe & Bill departed from Takosha Lodge in Alaska and reached the last Detour, they were informed that the race was over and accepted a third-place finish.

Episode titles

The episode titles are:

  1. The Race Begins
  2. Divide And Conquer
  3. Home For Some
  4. Colossal Showdown
  5. Desert Storm
  6. Whatever It Takes To Win
  7. Triumph And Loss
  8. Competition To The Fullest
  9. The Unexpected Twist
  10. To The Physical And Mental Limit
  11. Fight To The Last Minute
  12. Race To The Finish — Part 1
  13. Race To The Finish — Part 2

Race summary

File:The Amazing Race 1 map.png
Route map, the green dot represents both the starting line and the finish line
Destinations Legenda lotnisko.svg Air travel   Legenda kolej.svg Rail travel   Legenda prom.svg Water travel   Bus-logo.svg Bus travel
Route Markers Detour icon.svg Detour   Roadblock icon.svg Roadblock   Fast Forward icon.svg Fast Forward   TAR-pitstop-icon.png Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → South Africa → Zambia)

File:Knife edge bridge over a chasm at the Victoria Falls.jpg
Knife's Edge Bridge in the midst of Victoria Falls' inverted rain was the first ever location visited in the entire series of The Amazing Race.

Airdate: September 5, 2001

At the start of the first season of The Amazing Race, host Phil Keoghan informed the teams on the race of some basic rules and showed them the first clue containing the needed information with some cash, which they could use at their own discretion. The clue directed the teams to fly to their first destination, Johannesburg, South Africa with one of three flights: the first flight is a direct flight to Johannesburg and arrives first with seats for five teams, the second flight has a connection to Zurich also arrives second and would carry two teams, and the third flight connects through Milan arrives third with the last four teams.

Upon arriving in the city of Johannesburg, teams must head to Lanseria Airport and find Ryan Blake Air to take one of charter flights to Livingstone, Zambia with first come, first served seats leaving in different times. Upon arriving at Livingstone Airport, teams had to take one of marked cars with their next clue on the windshield, instructing them to proceed to Knife's Edge Bridge in Victoria Falls. Teams have the choice to drive themselves or hire a local driver. The clue also included the race's very first Fast Forward, which teams had to hike down a steep canyon to the Boiling Pot on the Zambezi River.

Once at the Knife's Edge, the next clue tells them to head to Batoka Gorge and led into the first Detour of the race, with a choice between Air or Land. In Air, teams had to take a quick trip along a zipline across the gorge and then experience a 54 metres (177 ft) gorge swing down to the bottom to receive their next clue. In Land, teams had to take a long hike down the rim of the gorge to receive the next clue. Once the Detour was finished, teams had to drive themselves to Songwe Village, the very first Pit Stop of the Race. Near the Pit Stop, there was a Roadblock that required one team member to cook an ostrich egg, after which both team members were required to eat it. However, it went unaired and it became available as a bonus feature on the DVD.

Leg 2 (Zambia → France)

File:EiffelTower.jpg
Upon arriving in the city of Paris, France, teams visited the iconic Eiffel Tower for a Roadblock.

Airdate: September 19, 2001[lower-alpha 1]

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to the nearby Songwe Museum, just 100 yards from the Pit Stop. The first clue also had the next Fast Forward and instructed teams to find the Bundu Adventures rafting company near the Zambezi River. For the Fast Forward at Bundu Adventures, one team had to whitewater raft down the treacherous rapids of the Zambezi River to reach the Fast Forward pass. Back at the museum, teams found some cameras along with the next Detour, with a choice between Near or Far. In Near, teams had to go to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park only 20 kilometres (12 mi) away and had to photograph three hard to find animals from a provided list of five (giraffe, impala, water buffalo, zebra, rhino). In Far, teams had to go to Chobe National Park in the nearby nation of Botswana 110 kilometres (68 mi) away and photograph a single elephant.

After either Detour option, teams had to travel to Mukuni Village. Once there, teams had to take part in a traditional welcome ceremony for honored guests, which included meeting the village chief (who would spit on them) as well as viewing and participating in a tribal dance. Teams then gave the village chief the photographs, and received the next clue; a miniature model of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Once at the Eiffel Tower, the teams found first aired Roadblock, which said "This task requires strong legs and keen eyes". For this Roadblock, one team member had to take the stairway up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower and use a 10 coin to operate a telescope to search the city skyline for a famous monument with a race flag on top, which happened to be the Arc de Triomphe, the Pit Stop for this leg.

Leg 3 (France)

File:Baux - Château 1ère base cour 2.JPG
After leaving Paris, teams ended this leg of the race in the ruins of Château des Baux at the Alpilles mountains.

Airdate: September 26, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams were informed to travel to the nearby Roue de Paris, known as La Grande Roue "The Big Wheel" to find the next clue. At La Grande Roue was the next Fast Forward which required one team to find an obscure tea shop called Mariage Frères in Rive Gauche and ask for a specific tea called Le Venturier.

Back at La Grande Roue, the teams also found the next Detour, which was either Tough Climb or Easy Walk. In Tough Climb, teams must travel to Notre Dame de Paris and had to climb up the 297 steps of the cathedral and ring Quasimodo's bell to receive their next clue. In Easy Walk, teams had to locate a statue of a cat sitting beside Foucault pendulum. What they don't know is that there are two Foucault pendulums in Paris; only the one at the Panthéon, which has the statue and the other at the Museum of Arts and Crafts, it doesn't have the clue.

After the Detour, teams had to go to Hôtel de Ville and must find a man dressed in blue suit standing across from the hotel to find the next clue, leading to the next Roadblock (the actual clue went unaired). For this Roadblock, one team member had to walk underground through the sewers of Paris to the Place du Châtelet, two blocks away. Following the Roadblock, teams then must travel by train to Avignon or Marseille and then to Château des Baux in the town of Les Baux de Provence, the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race.

Leg 4 (France → Tunisia)

File:Amphi El Jem.jpg
Amphitheater of Thysdrus in El Djem, the site of this leg's Roadblock, where one team member was to light a torch and find the pit of death

Airdate: October 3, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams were told to travel to Marseille Ferry Port travel to the country represented by the small unidentified flag of Tunisia and to travel by boat from Marseille to the country represented by the flag. Once they identified the flag as Tunisian, they had to arrive in the capital and port city of Tunis. They also received a picture of the man they had to find when they arrived at their destination, which is La Goulette (which bears strong resemblance to Paris' Arc de Triomphe) with the traditional greeting of "As Salaami" to receive the next clue.

Upon arriving at La Goulette, the teams were taken into the Bab Bhar for the next Detour, which was a choice between Full Body Brew and Full Body Massage. In Full Body Brew, teams had to find Café Mouche inside the Bab Bhar marketplace using only a picture for reference. Once there, they must order two cafés to get their next clue. In Full Body Massage, teams had to search for a massage parlor marked on a provided map. Once there, they had to sit through a 20-minute massage before they received the next clue. There was also an unused Fast Forward, in an unaired segment, where the teams were told to go fishing on board the Kinsa in the port of Sidi Bou Said.[4]

After the Detour, teams received a lighter marked with a picture of the Amphitheater of Thysdrus in El Djem with the words "Go Here" on the back. Upon arriving at Amphitheater of Thysdrus, teams found the next Roadblock, warning this task was "Not for anyone who is afraid of the dark". For this Roadblock, one team member had to light a torch and, with some basic instructions, navigate the ancient arena to find the pit of death. Then, they had to retrieve a sword dangling above the pit, find a way out of the maze of tunnels, then bring it to the Pit Stop. Then, the teams had to slide the sword into the sheath to finish the leg.

Leg 5 (Tunisia)

Ksar Hadada was the location for a Listening Detour in this leg

Airdate: October 10, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams received an enclosed photograph of a Globe monument and instructions to find Tataouine for their next clue. At Tatouine, they found the next Detour, a choice between Listening and Puzzling. In both Detours, teams must take a marked truck to their next destination in the middle Tunisia and they must pay the driver with US$50, who cannot provide directions. In Listening, teams had to find the well-known Star Wars movie set Ksar Hadada and use supplied walkie talkie and their sense of hearing to locate the radio's counterpart, hidden somewhere in the labyrinth of caves. In Puzzling, teams had to find Ksar Ouled Soltane and had to solve a simple Tunisian dice game at the hard-to-find castle. There was Fast Forward in this leg, and in an unaired segment, a team had to use a map that had an arrow pointing to a location to find a cave and take a picture of something inside.[5]

After the Detour, teams had to travel approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to Gremsa using a compass and a series of painted yellow stones to fond their next destination in the Sahara Desert, Ksar Ghilane to a Camel Outpost for the leg's Roadblock, which asked "Who wants to go for a ride?". In this Roadblcok, one team member rode a camel and use a set of compass directions to the flag visible in the distance of to find a route marker in the middle of the desert. A camel handler was also provided to help. The non-participating member must make the trek on foot. Once they reached the route marker, teams had to use a new set of compass directions to the next Pit Stop, the Ksar Ghilane oasis.

Leg 6 (Tunisia → Italy)

File:Basilica di San Pietro (492461058).jpg
In an unaired Fast Forward in Rome, teams visited the Vatican City, "the keys to the arms of St. Peter".

Airdate: October 17, 2001

During the Pit Stop, word of sandstorm in Sahara forced the teams to move to Gabès to start the leg for safety. At the start of the leg, the teams required to travel to Palace Hotel in Tunis for their next clue. At the hotel, the teams were informed to travel to Rome, Italy and head to a spot marked near the Colosseum on a provided picture. However, when teams arrived at Tunis-Carthage International Airport, all flights to Rome were fully booked or cancelled due to airport strike, only connecting flights were allowed, with several connected through European cities.

Upon arriving in Rome and making their way to the Colosseum, they found their next clue was the next Detour, which was a choice between Foot and Hoof. In Foot, teams had to find a large, well-known statue of a foot at Palazzo dei Conservatori, using a provided picture that contained the entire statue. In Hoof, teams were given a partial picture of another, more obscure statue. The statue was a mounted horse at Altare della Patria, but teams only received a picture of its hoof. However, if teams completed this task, they would find a line of taxis waiting for them.

There was a Fast Forward, which went unused and in an unaired segment. Here, teams were instructed to find "the keys to the arms of St. Peter" in Vatican City. After the Detour, teams were instructed to travel by train to Castelfranco Emilia in Modena (not disembarking into Bologna Centrale railway station in Bologna). Upon arrival, they and had to find the Pagani Auto Factory for this leg's Roadblock, which asked "For someone who likes to take things slowly". In this Roadblock, one team member had to drive a Smart car to the town square of Sant'Agata Bolognese, the leg's Pit Stop, using a map written entirely in Italian. The other team member received a free ride to the Pit Stop in a sports car traveling at 180 miles/per hour.

Leg 7 (Italy → India)

File:Red fort,delhi.JPG
Upon arriving in Delhi, India, teams visited Red Fort for a Roadblock clue.

Airdate: October 24, 2001

At the start of a leg, teams found the Fast Forward, which had one team find Castello Estense and ride a rowboat through its moat around the castle to find the Fast Forward pass hidden in the wall. The other teams had to participate the Detour also given at the start: the choice was between Glide and Ride. In Glide, teams traveled to the town of Ferrara and one team member take a glider ride with a professional glider, and the other member rode in the towing plane, the prior also being treated to a surprise nose-dive. Once completed, the team would receive a free taxi ride to Ferrara railway station and to their next clue. In Ride, teams had to ride bikes 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the bike shop to Ferrara railway station following a street map to receive the next clue.

After completing either the Detour or the Fast Forward, the teams were instructed to fly to Delhi, India, catching a train to Rome or Milan to then fly to Delhi. Upon arriving in Delhi, teams traveled to Red Fort for the Roadblock, which asked "For a person with a good sense of direction". In this Roadblock, one team member had to hire a rickshaw and find a shopkeeper in Ashkov Sadev somewhere in the congested Chandni Chowk market. Once found, the shopkeeper would show the team member a blue box containing a replica of the Taj Mahal with their next clue. However, the clue he gave them instead told the teams to find the Taj Khema Hotel in Agra near the Taj Mahal, the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race. After checking in, all teams who had not been eliminated received letters from home.

Leg 8 (India)

Airdate: October 31, 2001

At the start of the leg, the teams were informed to travel to the world-famous Taj Mahal and search the expansive grounds for the next clue. At the palace, teams were told to travel to the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur, for their next clue. There was a Fast Forward, in an unaired segment, and had the teams traveling to Jantar Mantar to climb 22 or 33 steps.[6]

Upon arriving at the Palace of the Winds, teams found the next Detour, a choice between Elephant and Rowboat. In Elephant, teams had to find a holy man inside the Amber Fort. To reach the fort, teams had to ride a back of an elephant up a steep path. In Rowboat, teams had to find a holy man at the Jal Mahal water palace and reach him using a rowboat.

After the Detour, the teams traveled by train to Bikaner and then to Deshnoke to find the Karni Mata Temple and their next clue. At the Karni Mata Temple, the teams found the next Roadblock, stating "The person who performs this task may want to put on some extra socks". For this Roadblock, one team member had to find a clay pot with clues somewhere in the Karni Mata Temple, a temple devoted to the worship of rats, which are sacred to locals and number in the range of thousands. In the temple, the member performing the could only wear socks (since shoes are prohibited inside). After the Roadblock, teams traveled back Bikaner to find the Laxmi Niwas Palace, the next Pit Stop.

Leg 9 (India → Thailand)

Airdate: November 14, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams were told to travel to Bangkok, Thailand. First, they had to travel by either bus or train back to Delhi, then fly to Thailand. Upon arriving in Bangkok, teams headed to the Temple of Dawn to find their next clue. At the temple, next was the next Detour: a choice between Public or Private. For both Detours, teams needed to find transportation to the town of Kanchanaburi, their next destination. In Public, teams had to go to a local bus station and ride a public bus to Kanchanaburi leaving every 15 minutes, using their own money. In Private, teams had to find a specified private vehicle using only license plate number and a crude map of the area. If they found the vehicle, the team would receive a free ride to Kanchanburi.

Also at the temple was the Fast Forward, which required one team to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and were required to play a traditional Buddhist Game that used the 108 urns alongside the giant reclining Buddha. They had to choose a bowl of coins and drop exactly one coin in every urn. If the bowl they chose had too little or too many, they had to choose another bowl to play the game again. The first team to find the bowl with exactly 108 coins would win the Fast Forward.

After traveling to Kanchanaburi, teams made their way to the Buddhist Monastery where they found the next Roadblock, warning "The person who performs this task should be a 'cat' lover". For this Roadblock, one team member had to dress like a Buddhist Monk and walk through a pit of tigers to retrieve the clue, noting that they must remain calm the entire time. After completing the Roadblock, teams traveled to Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi, the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race.

Leg 10 (Thailand)

File:Railay Beach 4.jpg
Railay Beach in southern Thailand was also visited by the race.

Airdate: November 21, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams were told to find "The King" at Railay Beach, which actually meant the King's Climbing rock-climbing company, where they received special rock climbing gear, and then hiked half a mile through tropical jungle to reach Thaiwand Wall and their next clue. At the wall was the Detour, a choice between Hike and Climb. In Hike, teams had to travel on a long, winding path up around the wall path to find their next clue. In Climb, teams had to take an arduous rock climb straight up Thaiwand Wall to find their next clue. There was a Fast Forward in this leg, in an unaired segment, the team had to climb 1,200 steps at Wat Tum Sua (tiger cave temple) to get the clue.[6]

After completing the Detour, teams then had to rappel into a boat to continue and proceed to "Sea, Land and Trek" rafting company in Bor Tor, Ao Luk. At Sea, Land and Trek, teams found the next Roadblock, stating "Upper body strength is the key to success". In this Roadblock, one team member had to paddle a kayak with their team member and all their luggage down the river in search of a route marker flag. Once the flag was spotted, the team would climb into a nearby cave Tham Hua Kalok to get the next clue along with snorkeling gear.

After the Roadblock, the team must paddle back to Sea, Land and Trek (this time though either person could paddle). Then, teams had to hire a boat and find a route marker bobbing in the water 4 miles (6.4 km) from the mainland near Chicken Island. Once they found the floating route arker, they had to use the snorkel gear they collected at the Roadblock to dive in the water to get their next clue, sending teams to travel by boat to the Pit Stop, Pai Plong Beach.

Leg 11 (Thailand → China)

File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - China-6931.jpg
The Temple of Heaven alongside Tiantan Park in Beijing was the 11th Pit Stop and final elimination point of the Race

Airdate: November 28, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams were informed that they had to travel to Beijing, China and must fly out of the city of Phuket. Once they arrived in Beijing, teams must travel to the Top Pavilion in Jingshan Park to get their next clue. At the pavilion, the teams found the next Detour, a choice between Volley and Rally. In Volley, teams had to score five points in a game of ping pong against a local champion at a nearby community center to receive their next clue. In Rally, teams had to take three common forms of local transportation used throughout China to follow a series of clues. First, teams had to travel by Bus to Hu Jia Lou. Next, teams had to ride a motorcycle taxi to Liu Jia Yao. Finally, teams had to a ride a Chinese Bicycle Taxi to Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant. When they complete the trip, teams would get their next clue. There was a Fast Forward, in an unaired segment, the team had to travel to the Forbidden City.[5]

After the Detour, teams made their way to Hongqiao Market and they had to use a shopping list written almost entirely in Mandarin Chinese to buy three Chinese delicacies; (five beetle larvae, one squid, and two chicken feet) listed. Once all the items had been purchased, they were directed to stall #57 of the Donghuamen Night Market for the next Roadblock, asking "Who's hungry?". In this Roadblock, one team member had to give all the items previously bought to a chef at the night market and eat all three delicacies. Once all the food were eaten, they would receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams then had to travel to the south gate of the Temple of Heaven for the next Pit Stop.

Leg 12 (China → United States)

File:MatanuskaGlacier2.JPG
In Alaska, teams visited Matanuska Glacier for the leg's Roadblock.

Airdate: December 5, 2001

At the start of the leg, teams had to use a marked map to find three kite flyers in Tiantan Park, who had their next clue. Once they found the kite fliers, the teams were then instructed to go to the Great Wall of China for their next clue. At the Great Wall teams found the next Detour, a choice between Flat and Steep. In Flat, teams had to walk to a long, flat path to a marked pavilion farther away for the next clue. In Steep, teams had to take a much shorter but extremely steep hill climb to the closer marked pavilion for the next clue.

After the Detour, teams were told to fly to Anchorage, Alaska. Upon arriving in Anchorage, teams had to pick a marked vehicle to drive themselves to North Country Bed and Breakfast in Scotty Lake, where teams would spend the night. The following morning, one team member had to bounce on an Alaskan blanket toss known as Nalukataq until they spotted the next route marker nearby on the ice.

After the blanket toss, teams had to head to Matanuska Glacier for the next Roadblock, stating that this "Could be a slippery situation". In this Roadblock, one team member had to go climb an ice wall to retrieve information from the glacier using provided gear and a lesson from an instructor. After the Roadblock, the teams needed to reach highway Mile Marker 131 near Denali State Park where teams had to leave their vehicles behind and ride a snowmobile to the Wilderness Cabin, the final Pit Stop.

Leg 13 (United States)

The Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Park in the New York borough of Queens hosted the finish line of the inaugural season of The Amazing Race

Airdate: December 13, 2001

At the start of the final leg, teams had to use snowshoes to follow the flags 1 mile (1.6 km) to Takosha Lodge for the next clue clue. At the lodge, they found the final Detour; a choice between Dog Power and Horsepower. In Dog Power, teams rode a slower dog sled with Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). to their next clue. In Horsepower, teams used much faster snowmobiles to ride Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). to the next clue.

After the Detour, the teams had to drive themselves to Fish Lake in the town of Talkeetna for the final Roadblock, asking "Who likes cold water?". In this Roadblock, one team member had to strip down to their underwear or a bathing suit and plunge into the freezing waters of Fish Lake with temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit, completely submerge their heads, and then swim to their next clue.

After the Roadblock, the teams had to fly to their final destination: New York City. Once they arrived in NYC, they had to travel to Vincent Daniels Square along 51st and Roosevelt in Queens for the final clue. At the square, teams must use public transportation to Shea Stadium, then follow the signs to Flushing Meadows Park, the finish line of the inaugural Amazing Race.

Ratings

USA ratings

Order Episode Rating/Share
(18-49)
Viewers
(millions)
Rank
1 "The Race Begins" 5.1[7] 11.80 N/A
6 "Whatever It Takes to Win" 3.6/9 8.37 N/A
7 "Triumph and Loss" 4.0/10[8] 9.17 N/A
13 "Race To The Finish – Part 2" 6.0[9] 13.65 #20

Notes

  1. The episode was originally scheduled to air on September 12, 2001, but CBS postponed its airing to focus on news coverage regarding the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • The Amazing Race: The First Season. CBS. DVD. Paramount, 2005.

External links