The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Pi:
Comments from Pi
I’ve tried my best to read through every part of your design, including your notes, and make sure every picture you've added loads. For this reason, feel free to respond to me if I missed something that was included in your design.
Just so you know, I don’t read the other judges’ comments before I write my own, so it’s possible for there to be some overlap in what we say or similar questions about your content.
I'll be posting my comments in groups once I put the finishing touches on that set of comments. With that, let’s get to the first batch! Good luck! :)
Pi:
Nuku - Aosta, Italy [Mountain]
Show content• Teams begin in South Africa before going to Italy. There have been a few mountain legs previously in Italy, so I’m eager to see what new things you have brought.
• At the airport, teams receive vehicles and gnomes for the leg. They then drive a couple hours to the Arena Croix Noire. Watching the cow fighting isn’t challenging, but it is cultural. Just a note: try to add what teams are expected to do along with the description of the ARI. I didn’t understand until reading the next line that teams were just watching the cow battle.
• The grass skiing Roadblock at the ski school is interesting. Skiing requires agility and balance, and the task is adventurous and would provide good TV shots. I also like how there are two slopes. I don’t know how long the course is, so it would be nice to know how long or how many attempts this task could take an average racer. This task is quite appropriate for a Mountain theme, so good job there!
• The next clue directs teams to drive to the cable car to eventually get to Chamois. The website you provided says the cable car operates every 15-30 minutes, so I’m okay with this as the previous tasks and navigation should ensure teams arrive here at varied times and this won’t be a huge bunching point.
• Finding the locations in Chamois is okay, and I guess the Kodak part fulfills a product placement requisite? (even though we already have Travelocity and Ford :funny:) I would like to see pictures or information for these destinations either in your main presentation or in your notes. Also, I don’t know how long the Chamois portion of this leg will take, considering there isn’t a map of the locations.
• The Detour is Game On or Costume On. Initially, I think Game On seems tougher, but at least it’s a lesser driving time for the teams that pick this option. I assume the ‘3 stations’ mean 3 different teams on which the racers can play. Success at this task should vary wildly depending on teams’ athletic ability and luck. It seems that these 4 sub-tasks alternate between offense and defense, so how does that work? Are they playing against amateurs or professionals? I like how this task features a new sport, while it seems similar to cricket and baseball it is unique to the Aosta Valley.
• Costume On is a searching and attention to detail task at a carnival. These outfits look like they’ll be great to see the teams dressing in on TV. How many people in the crowd are there with costumes? Are the wrong costumes very different, or are the differences minor details teams have to use their sharp eyes to find? This Detour was cultural, but more details would be valued.
• I like the Pit Stop location!
You showed improvement from Round 1 in a few different ways, such as presentation and the composition of the tasks in the leg. The leg smoothly matched the theme you received for Round 2, and this leg would be enjoyable to see on TV. More explanation would enrich your future legs, so keep working on that. I hope you’re not as rushed for rounds in the future, because I anticipate you being able to improve each and every round. Good luck!
Declive - Altiplano, Bolivia [Mountain]
Show content• Teams start this leg in Cruz Loma, Bolivia. We haven't seen Bolivia since TAR 13, so I would love to see another leg(s) in Bolivia!
• This Fast Forward would probably be the most daring task in TAR history. Cycling the Death Road is inherently dangerous and even more so for amateurs. Having the van behind the teams is intended to augment safety, but it isn't going to help if someone bikes off a cliff. If cycling this road was somehow viable for a task, you made it practically impossible by forcing the teams to pedal continuously. It's physically strenuous to bike without stopping for 11 km and then another 9 km anywhere, let alone for amateurs at this altitude and on an unpaved road with a frightening dropoff. If most people go downhill, then wouldn't the racers be going against the grain of anyone else on the road? Typically, when two parties meet on a narrow path, the party going uphill defers to the party going downhill. This would be essentially impossible with the requirement that teams can't stop pedaling, not to mention another safety concern. I get that this task was supposed to be a jaw-dropping adventurous task, but it's simply not feasible or safe.
• The zipline RB at ZZip is well enough. Combining memory with an adventure task will make it challenging for the racers, but not too challenging. Getting it wrong once wouldn’t doom a team unless the walk back to the ziplines is lengthy. It is a first-come, first-serve task, but the memory component at least forces the racers to retain some information. This task would be exciting for TV!
• Teams then drive to El Puente Coroico, giving us the Detour. Flying Man, much like the Roadblock, is a zipline task and much like the Fast Forward, it's scary and would need tons of safety protocol. There would have to be a lot of improvements to the ziplines to ensure racer security, but aside from that, they are a cultural part of this valley and so is the coca teams would have to collect. One of the racers in the team would have just come off a ziplining Roadblock, so this task would really only provide drama if the other team member was nervous to zipline. Overall, it’s a simple task that features an interesting part of life in the valley.
• Dancing Woman is a staple dancing task. I like the unique clothing teams have to wear for the dance, and it is culturally relevant to the Yungas. Thanks for including the videos so I could see how the dance is performed!
• Teams then face a long drive to the Pit Stop, which is picturesque.
To sum things up, this was a leg that explored new horizons in rural Bolivia, and the locations were on point. However, the tasks were often either impractical or basic. I appreciate how you put a different twist on some common TAR tasks like ziplining or dancing, but I didn’t feel floored by many of the tasks. Still, I believe you have improved your presentation from Round 1, so keep your head high and work towards improving even more in future rounds!
Bookworm - Lamu, Kenya [Beach]
Show content• Teams commence in Ethiopia before flying to the neighbor to the south, Kenya. Kenya hasn’t been visited since TAR 5 and wasn’t even really visited then, so I’m glad you picked it since it’s high on the list of places we need to see in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Speedboats whisk teams to Lamu Island (I assume they are on-demand) where teams discover the Detour Clue. Donkey Routes is a nice way to involve the omnipresent donkeys and also help out the local community. I like how the task combines the navigational skill of reading the map and planning the route as well as the capricious nature of the animals. I was a tad worried that a team would be able to ride the coattails of another to the stations, but considering the different paths possible and that the donkeys will have different moods, I don't think this task will be linear.
• Trade Routes is another Detour involving transportation, although this one is more historical. This task is a mashup of unloading the bricks from TAR 17 and counting the Ikea items from TAR 6. The only thing that I can see significantly changing the standings of this task is if one team panics and can't count accurately. While it might not have as much potential for drama or shakeup as compared to the other Detour, I like how this task pays recognition to how Lamu was a nucleus of trade centuries ago. All said, it's a cultural and balanced Detour.
• I love this Roadblock! The beach hat party looks like it would be lively and vibrant, which would be great to see on TV. Obliging the racers to be creative with the given materials is good from a Race standpoint and also ties into the local culture. How exactly do teams have to incorporate the marine animal into their hat? This is far from being one of the most grueling Roadblocks we've seen this round, but it is wholesome and enriching.
• While coconuts aren't by any means exclusive to Kenya, I enjoyed how the ARI task utilized local tools. It's a nice task to transition between the Roadblock and the Pit Stop. Like the last task, it probably won't shuffle placements, but it could provide some interesting drama if two teams are in a race to be the first to finish and avoid being last to the Pit Stop.
Overall, this leg puts a spotlight on Kenya and does so well. The tasks are balanced between physical and mental and are culturally relevant. I can see this leg fitting in perfectly into the middle of the race, and also warmly received by a viewing audience. Details were well-done and the presentation was crisp. See you back for Round 3!
MikeDodgers - Sant Antoni, Spain [Beach]
Show content• This leg begins in Florence before setting its sights on Ibiza, Spain. I know this region is famous for its nightlife, so I'm excited to see what it can bring. Before we jump into the leg, let's bring up this point from your notes:
--- Quote ---- Night to dawn leg
--- End quote ---
• The One Way isn't my favorite twist, but I can respect you putting it into your design at an appropriate place.
• The Sand Shock detour option does involve these cool sculptures and requires teams to search and organize. I think this task loses a little bit of its charm being at night. Are there any decoys or non-related sculptures?
• Setting up for Spiritual Serenity really sounds like a solid attention to detail task, but I find it hard to know what teams have to do here with no clear photos, videos, or list of steps. More detail here will let us know what's going on with the task. Overall, this detour is somewhat culturally relevant, but lacks the detail for me to judge whether it's balanced.
• This Speed Bump fits into the Beach theme, but it has no special tie to Ibiza at all. It also has a safety concern with diving at night and I don't know how the film crew can get good shots of teams diving underwater when there's no sunlight. 40 minutes is pushing the upper limit of what a Speed Bump should take and even though the search area is small, the fact that this task is included in a night leg is peculiar and overcomplicating. The task itself doesn't foster any cooperation between team members; it could be completed by one person.
• This Roadblock shows Ibiza's partying culture, and its location is relevant. However, from the description this task seems super easy? They are given the songs and their lengths and have to pick six that total under half an hour. So basically, pick songs that are under five minutes each and you're golden. The Express Pass twist is the only thing that will force the racers to slow down and think, but even then, it's not hard or time-consuming to guess and check to try to get closer to 30:00. Unless the DJ has some criteria they use to either approve or possibly reject the setlist (this wasn't mentioned anywhere in the design), I have no clue why you say this task would take racers 90-120 minutes in your notes. Some more detail on this task would help, such as noting the artists given or how many songs are provided for each racer in their list. Also, I would rephrase your Roadblock question, as it could definitely come across as insensitive to viewers.
• Teams then drive to Cala Gracio and find an ARI, a swimming relay. I would have liked to see a beach ARI with some more significance to Ibiza rather than this fairly generic task that seems to have been implemented to fill the requirements. Based on the timing of this leg, this task would be appearing in the middle of the night. Not the optimal time to have teams swimming in open water from either a safety or filming standpoint. It's a physical task, but the execution is flawed. Teams then drive to the Pit Stop, an okay location.
While you got better in some aspects from your Round 1 design (improved graphics and photos!), this design unfortunately had its miscues as well. You specified this was a night leg, yet the majority of your tasks weren't suited to nighttime. I would have preferred the nightclub RB followed by an HoO and the rest of the tasks in the morning to solve that issue. The requirements of the round were filled, but the Speed Bump and ARI were filled by exceptionally generic tasks that could've been done on practically any beach. Task details as well as leg maps could have been enhanced. I like your purpose of creating a leg in Ibiza, but this leg needed more flavor. Don't lose momentum on the progress you have made and focus on improving for the next round!
MikeDodgers:
Thank you for the constructive comments, Pi. I had another design in mind with the RB going first, then the Detour and Speed Bump. The Speed Bump and ARI as well as the Sand Shock Detour would have the areas lit for both teams and production in the interest of safety. As for the RB question - I was kinda listening to Mike Posner's song 'I Took A Pill In Ibiza' to try to get into the right mindset. So that's where that came from.
Pi:
Betheactress - Bergen, Norway [Mountain]
Show content• Teams start in the Thai capital before traveling to Bergen, Norway. I don't think we've seen this city on TAR, so I'm pumped to see what you've done in this region of Norway!
• The clue at the staircase (unique location) directs teams to Flam, where teams board a train to Myrdal. I like the concept of the hidden Fast Forward, it rewards teams who go out and smell the roses. The only possible snag is that it's possible for no teams to find the clue - getting off the train might not be something teams are willing to do if they don't know how long the stop is. I would hate for this task to go unaired. At least it's fairly low-budget if it doesn't get used, although there are boats and a helicopter rented to be on standby. The Fast Forward task itself is reminiscent of the very first one ever on TAR, a hike to a pretty location.
• I like the cryptic clue to the Detour Decision Point. :tup: Cheese Bowl is a culinary task with a twist, requiring racers to fill the molds correctly. Do they have to completely start over if they don't get it right the first time, or only the cheeses that didn't make the cut? Also, how far away is the market they have to deliver to? Overall, a fine task where attention to detail is vital.
• Goat Stroll requires teams to transport goats one kilometer. This task seems reasonably balanced with the other, but it's more unpredictable because you never know what animals will do. I like both tasks here and I actually wouldn't mind a U-Turn on this Detour (not knocking you for opting not to put one in here).
• It's a 20-mile drive to Stegastein Viewpoint, another gorgeous site. Then, they drive off to a ferry to Fjærland. I'm not too worried about this becoming a bunch point, since it leaves five times per hour. I like how this Roadblock is a foot scramble to all the book stalls. Are teams given a map to the stalls or are they on their own? Are the stalls marked with a race flag? Still, the placement of this task within the leg is good.
• The rock climb to the Pit Stop adds a physical task, which nicely rounds out the back half of the leg. As with every other location, the Pit Stop is super photogenic.
Overall, this is a classic Norwegian mountain leg with a good balance of mental and physical tasks. The locations are stylish and appropriate. The Fast Forward concept is a unique twist, but my only worry is that no team finds it and there could be a letdown. Still, I won't let that overshadow your solid Detour and Roadblock, which were great for the theme. Your presentation is easy on the eyes and succinct. Can't wait to see you back in Round 3!
Stone - Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan [Mountain]
Show content• We begin in Spain before flying off to Kyrgyzstan, which has only been visited by the Israeli TAR. This is one of the unvisited countries I most want to see, so good pick!
• Once they land in Bishkek, they have to search a market for a signup board. Looks like teams will be spending most of the day in Bishkek before leaving for Karakol. Good luck to the racers for getting any sleep… :funny:
• Teams make a quick stop at an Orthodox church before picking up cars and driving to Camp Karakol, giving us the Detour of Healing or Building. The description for Healing has a lot of Kyrgyz jargon, but as far as I can tell this task in short is: dress, milk, mix, fill, ferment, and drink. I like how the task covers nearly every step from beginning to end in the process, although it may be hard to follow along for the TV viewers.
• Building involves yurt construction, providing a second cultural side to this Detour. It’s mostly grunt work, but has the chance to feature some interaction with the locals just like Healing. All in all, this Detour seems balanced in both time and skills.
• Teams then encounter a W-Turn, which is fine since the Detour isn’t right before the Pit Stop and the board isn’t too far from the Detour location. That clue instructs teams to drive to a beach, where they find a Roadblock. Archery tests accuracy and skill, so it’s admissible as long as safety is practiced. The belt wrestling task seems challenging. Do teams have to pin their competitor to move on? Technique is huge in wrestling. I wouldn’t expect myself to be able to pin an experienced wrestler, even if they are similar to my weight. This task should have something to make it easier if racers don’t succeed at first, like you included in the archery portion. Third, the racer must beat a Kyrgyz student in a mancala-like game. Is this game able to be picked up by amateurs easily? If this game has a high learning curve, it could be tough for a novice to defeat an experienced player. That also depends on the luck component present in this game. What ages are the student opponents? Overall, this Roadblock tests a lot of different skill sets and I like how it’s tough enough for placements to change following the Detour/U-Turn. However, it would likely be exhausting for the racers. Maybe videos/photos would help us visualize these tasks being performed?
• The Pit Stop provides a beautiful backdrop to end the leg.
Overall, this leg was completely harmonious with the theme of the round, featuring tasks and locations relevant to the Kyrgyz mountain/nomadic culture. The details explaining the connection to Kyrgyz culture are really comprehensive! That being said, I would have liked more explanation on the logistics of the tasks. I think there were several ways you improved from Round 1- as you said, your graphics were sharper. I like how you do a lot of research into cultures for your legs, so keep that up in future rounds!
Lemontail - Constantine, Algeria [Mountain]
Show content• This leg starts in Portugal before teams fly down to Algeria. It's unvisited and I'm hopeful for it to appear on TAR soon. There are some safety issues in this country, but I think Constantine is fairly safe.
• The first location in Constantine is the Sidi M'Cid Bridge. This task features all the types of cuisine in Algeria, but I'm confused about the mechanics of the task itself. It seems like both team members are doing the same thing, but do they both have to be right or does just one? Why do they have to eat a specified amount of food when they just eat the entire food anyway? The task description seems confusing to me. This will be a chaotic first task to separate the teams right off the bat.
• Following that, we move to a palace, the site for the Roadblock. The task is detail-intensive, and requires a steady hand. It has some potential for drama if teams mess up the stacking and have to restart.
• The next ARI at Djebel El Wahch Forest calls for carving skills. Carving five different sentences seems a bit repetitive and dull. The sentences you gave are in English, but I don't see a Berber translation; I don't know how long they are in Berber. I would have liked fewer sentences because 1 hour plus seems a bit long for this task. Getting the next clue from the last sentence is a nice touch.
• Teams then drive to Tiddis, the Detour locale. Place is both physical with the brick-carrying and mental with the Berber sentence arrangement. Another Berber task seems monotonous, as we’ve already had a RB and ARI with that element to it. Displace is also tough with teams having to carry 10 stones per member. How strict will the judge be in the volume calculation? I hope there is some leniency, due to the limitations of the measuring tools and stones being imperfectly shaped objects.
• The Pit Stop is a worthy location.
In total, it was neat to see this unexplored side of Algeria, and I admire your intent to tie in history and language. However, the tasks didn’t feel distinctive with several featuring the same type of Berber language component. Your locations hit the round’s theme nicely. Keep picking up steam for future rounds!
Jimmer - Tarawa, Kiribati [Beach]
Show content• This leg commences in the Lion City and teams make the long trek to Kiribati. Seeing these unvisited Oceanian nations would be awesome, so I look forward to this leg!
• The dancing ARI at the maneaba of Bairiki is a fine introduction to the culture of the island to start the leg. It fills the role of a genial task, involves interaction with locals, and doesn’t take up too much of the spotlight.
• The Detour is Food for Today or Fight for Tomorrow, a contrast between a day-to-day life task and a task with a long-term focus. Food for Today gets teams out in the water and will test their patience. While fishing can be luck-based, you said in a note that you would mitigate that by putting them in an area with abundant fish, so that's okay. Fight for Tomorrow exhibits the importance of conservation to Kiribati. As a task, it might seem a bit repetitive, but I think it’s fine. Overall, I like how each Detour relates to a different side of Kiribati’s needs.
• Excellent Roadblock! It helps out the locals yet also is a good puzzle for the racers to figure out. It’s another task where we can get shots of positive interactions between racers and locals. It may be fatiguing for racers to be out there in the midday heat carrying all the coral, but piecing it together at least brings in some mental and strategy into the task.
• Teams then have to ID the Pit Stop based on a photo, which should be an opportunity for another contact with locals for help. I think the nod to history puts a nice finishing touch on the leg.
Not knowing much about Kiribati, I didn’t know what to expect from this leg. After reading it, I learned a lot about the island, its culture, and the daily life of its residents. Showing how climate change is directly affecting lives is an important theme to bring to an Amazing Race leg. While the tasks might have slanted a bit more toward the physical side, they were appropriate and the locations were all fine. Details were good, so carry on with the good presentation for future rounds!
Pi:
MrDS - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea [Beach]
Show content• We'll begin in Brisbane and fly to Port Moresby, the largest city of an unvisited country. High hopes for this new area!
• The cryptic clue of course points to pyramids. I think most teams will be able to figure out the pyramids and then ask the locals where Port Moresby involves pyramids, instead of asking the locals what Giza is. It’s a satisfactory cryptic clue to begin the leg.
• Teams then taxi to Varirata NP, setting up the Detour. Feathers Flyin’ comprises hand-eye coordination and strategy, as teams don’t want to waste time shooting targets they don’t need. How many targets are present? How far away are the targets? This would bring a good deal of drama and suspense, especially if multiple teams were attempting at the same time.
• Story Tellin’ provides more of a lighthearted task, as dancing in the style of Papua New Guineans is sure to provide a comedic effect. The masks are really intricate and the freestyle method of dancing is unique and will bring out the creative side in racers. Remembering the phrases seems tough, but this is just one of those tasks that will probably take the racers a couple times to get right. Overall, I like how you featured a local tradition in each side of your Detour.
• The Port Moresby Harbor is the location of the next ARI, which is so-so. The task does in some ways involve both brawn and brain, and has the chance for a team to melt down. On the other hand, it could also be linear or dry. You did explain that oil is one of the main exports of PNG, so that helps me see some relevance.
• The Speed Bump is a culinary task that is cultural, involves a celebration with locals, and won’t be unfairly time-consuming. Kudos!
• The Ela Beach Roadblock is based on an odd tradition of exchanging seashells for a fiancée. Scouring the beach is hit or miss, so teams will have to get lucky or get to the beach first. However, getting the clue from the father and then bringing the bride with the team to the Pit Stop is cute. The PS location itself is beautiful!
I enjoyed how this leg tapped into the cultures and commodities of Papua New Guinea. While the tasks were entertaining as a whole, I thought it was a little bit strange to have both sides of the Detour and the Roadblock based on obsolete traditions. Still, the tasks and locations delivered and this would be a great leg to see on TV. Considering this was your first leg, I’m eager to see what you’ll devise in future legs!
NELs - Isla Mujeres, Mexico [Beach]
Show content• Teams start in Guatemala City and then fly via Mexico City to Merida. Mexico has only been visited twice, so I'm all for seeing more of it.
• Teams drive to Chichen Itza, giving us the obligatory Mayan ruins cluebox location before teams move on to Cancun. I'm fine with this being added as a location, especially to break up the long drive.
• Isla Mujeres is reached by ferry from Cancun. What ferry terminal do teams depart from? How often does this ferry run? Is it only for the teams or is it public? Please try to include this information somewhere in your notes.
• The Margarita Detour is okay. What are the ingredients for the drinks and what are the steps for making them? How are these drinks being judged? I'm okay with a drink-making task, but I would have liked there to be some other component such as having to transport the drinks on a tray and serve them. Also, the task as a whole needs more detail either in your presentation or in your notes.
• Mercado is an acceptable task. Do they have to set up the station perfectly before being allowed to sell? What is the typical selling price of a sombrero? What rules are in place for the racers- can they walk around and sell to different locations? Again, this task needs more detail.
• The next location, Monumento Tiburon Ballena, has a Yield. I'm pretty neutral on this here. I assume it's a Single Yield based on the description.
• Ziplining should bring the oohs and aahs, but it is a first-in, first-out task.
• The diving Roadblock is fun! I assume the clue is in the same place for everyone. This task is sure to bring good shots for TV. It’s straightforward and the underwater museum is unusual (in a good way).
• I like the selection of your Pit Stop, as well as the on-foot requirement. The sea turtle extra will also be virtuous TV.
• Your flight lands at 8:05 PM. Is there an HoO or overnight rest? If not, much of this leg could take place at night. Ziplining and diving at night aren't really feasible.
You improved a lot from Round 1! Your presentation and photos make this design feel a lot more complete. As far as the leg goes, it highlighted Mexico in a positive way. You had a good framework of tasks, but they needed a lot more explanation about the logistics. Keep exploring your presentation style and expound on your tasks. Good luck!
Redwings8831 - Kotor, Montenegro [Beach]
Show content• The leg kicks off in Italy before we get a ferry over to Montenegro. This is an unvisited country, so I have eager expectations!
• Teams taxi to Igalo and discover a beach ARI. Is this sand safe? Teams covering themselves in mud might be fun to watch, but sunbathing is rather boring from a viewer's perspective. I guess the task in TAR 28 where racers got covered in mud was good for the promos? Anyway, not exactly a thrilling task.
• Taxis and boats deliver teams to the next destination, Strand von Dobrec, where they find a Roadblock. I'm not too excited about the swimming part of the Roadblock. The Bay of Kotor is well-known for water sports, so it's not really attractive to have teams swimming in this gloomy unlit bunker (which will be hard to film in). There is also a safety concern with this being public use and motorized boats being allowed to enter. This location isn't really photogenic whatsoever, it's a lot of concrete and graffiti. The puzzle assembly and the subsequent confusion about the next destination should provide some drama, but this is still an underwhelming Roadblock.
• Teams then use kayaks (I love the variety of transportation used!) to head to Kotor and the Detour. This Detour is essentially the quintessential slow but tame or fast but scary Detour seen in early seasons of TAR. Slow Climb Up isn't engaging or culturally relevant, but it does provide some pretty views. Quick Fly Down is a captivating adventure task, but results are based on who gets there first. Between travel, setup time, safety briefing, and flight, this task is hardly faster than the other option and especially so if you're not first in line. I like how teams have to consider the risk of each Detour decision, but these types of Detours should lean towards more teams doing the scary task, imo.
• Your Pit Stop is really picturesque and I like how they have to search for the mat within the fortress.
Overall, I like how you selected an unvisited country in Montenegro to feature for your European Beach theme. However, the tasks didn't feel remarkable. The Roadblock location wasn't inspiring and the Detour didn't seem culturally unique to the region. Still, the transportation choices were good, and the rush of getting from A to B will probably shuffle some teams' placements. Overall, I think this leg was passable. I hope to see a great design in the next round!
BourkieBoy - Thredbo, Australia [Mountain]
Show content• Teams start in New Zealand and set off for Thredbo. I’m not too familiar with this alpine area of Australia, so I’m excited to see this side of Down Under.
• Just a note, you are allowed to pick dates far in the future for your flights. I know travel is crazy right now, but you can select a different date to avoid a 20-hour layover. Still, I like how your flight arrives at CBR in the morning.
• The mechanical bull task isn’t bad, it should provide some good moments for TV and does test racers’ agility. Do teams have to go to the back of the line after 1 attempt from each team member? 2? Try to add this type of detail.
• Teams then go on foot to the Memorial and lay a wreath. I like the respect this task brings, but I would prefer it to be done as the very first or very last task in the leg. It seems like an odd flow for racers to have a wild ride on a mechanical bull, a sprint across town, then shifting gears to a placid, poignant task like this before going right back into race mode.
• After a run to the Candlelight House, one team finds a Speed Bump requiring them to consume some Aussie foods. I can only see this Speed Bump being interesting to the TV audience if a team has an adverse reaction to Vegemite. Even with that, this task doesn’t relate to the Mountain theme; the round rules specified the Speed Bump has to do so.
• The Roadblock involves one team member extracting their clue from ice. What tools are in the “provided box of items”? Getting a clue from within ice has been done before, in both TAR 1 and TAR 23’s finales.
• The Detour is Search or Ski. In Search, what area do teams have to look through? How large is that area? This type of task was previously on TAR 4, 18, and some international versions. The task does have some navigational and physical components to it, but doesn’t feel eye-popping.
• The slalom task requires strength, accuracy, and technique. However…at this point, it’s a little more than just déjà vu back to TAR Australia 2 Leg 10 (Lucy/Emilia having their bottomgoddess run come to an end </3). The bull task is basically the same and the Detours have identical names and near-exact concepts and descriptions. Please aspire to be more innovative than this.
• Teams then go to another inn for the Pit Stop to end this leg. I would like for you to actually give directions for your locations on the Google Map of Thredbo; it makes it a little easier for us to see where they are.
I know it’s tough getting a Mountains theme in Oceania, but recycling exact ideas from previous races isn’t what we want to see in a DC submission. I have a high expectation when you’re designing in your own country, and this design didn’t hit the mark in originality. While Thredbo would be nice to see on TV, I hardly learned anything new about Australian culture or activities after processing this leg. None of the rounds in the future are going to be any easier, so aim to improve your designing!
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