Author Topic: The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!  (Read 86353 times)

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Offline Pi/

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NELs - Northwest Minnesota

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• Starting in Manitoba, teams learn they’ll have to take a short hop down to Minnesota for the final leg. Minnesota hasn’t been visited and has plenty of rural sites, so this seems like a good selection.

• The first ARI puts teams to work steering a longboat. What distance do teams have to navigate? What significance does Viking history and culture have on this area? Not a bad physical task for a final leg.

• This grasshopper task comes off as a bit weird, I would like to see pictures or a video of this tradition for the task to make more sense.

• Roadblock #1 seems like basic geography, especially considering all racers are from the USA and probably learned about the Mississippi River in fifth or sixth grade. Even if they’re somehow clueless, starting in Minnesota and working their way down would generate the answer.

• Roadblock #2 is similar to the first in that it’s an American geography task involving putting 10 things in order. Teams probably know the first couple rivers, but after that, it’s down to guessing. It also feels a bit off to have a task involving the names of rivers in totally different areas of the country. I like how this pair of Roadblocks forces teams to use their brains, but they don’t seem too straining.

• Two cryptic clues were present in this leg, neither of which seems overly complex. When teams have to drive for nearly 6 hours, the tasks should be more challenging so that the leg has less of a chance of being decided by who drives the fastest. Finales are supposed to achieve high drama!

• Pictures really help us to visualize your locations and tasks and are sure to enhance your design. In the future, I would like to see more justification for why you opted to include a location or task. Leg money and estimates of time for the tasks will also improve your future scores.


This leg featured lots of rural locations in the Midwest, but the tasks didn’t pop to me. Don’t be afraid to look back at past designs and study the presentation. Adding visuals will bring your designs to a new level. More is more when it comes to details and explanations, so let us know more about the region’s culture and its connection to your tasks. I can’t wait to see you improve in future DC rounds!


Jimmer - Connecticut

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• The final 3 start in Togo before taking off for The Big Apple on their way to Connecticut. CT is an unvisited state with close proximity to transportation hubs, so it’s conceivable we could see this state visited sometime soon.

• Amtrak travel <3 Acela is one of the few routes to match other countries’ transit in terms of speed and frequency (and profitability, for that matter). The Northeast Corridor is almost surely the only region of the country we would ever see TAR racers utilize Amtrak, as most of the other long-haul routes aren’t on-time consistently enough to be considered an option by production, so I like that you chose it as the way to get teams to Connecticut from New York City.

• Teams taxi to the USCGA, where they encounter a Roadblock. This task is daring, and would provide stunning shots in HD for the episode. I’ve always wanted to see a fast-roping/rappelling from a helicopter task, so this was great. Thanks for including the videos so we could see a real-life rescue!

• Teams then have to travel by boat to New London Ledge Lighthouse, where they rip a Detour clue. Report seems like the higher variance option. Do teams have to be quick submitting the report so that an earlier measurement doesn’t change by the time they finish with the other measurements? Once teams get over the small learning curve of the various weather tools, it should be smooth sailing. Overall, I like how this task adds a “mental” task to the first half of the leg.

• Restore is mainly grunt work, but does require some attention to detail and focus. It seems like each Detour side can be made as difficult or as easy as the producers wish - changing how close teams' measurements have to be to the meteorologist and/or making a larger or smaller area to wash/repaint. Due to this, I trust that this Detour would be as balanced as possible. Three teams spread across two tasks on one lighthouse makes for a high-intensity Detour, which is of course good for a final leg. I'm fine with including both of these tasks and making it a Detour as long as it isn't the central focus of the episode. You said in your notes it wouldn't take up too much airtime, so it's fine by me.

• The next task at the Faerie Village is to recreate a fairy house given a photo. This task seems parallel to the “Restore” detour in the sense that both involve repairing/fixing structures, but the contexts are different enough as so they don’t clash. Are they decorating the exterior or interior (or both) of a house? It would be quirky to have the “receive your next clue” somehow incorporated into the house, like having a door open when teams receive approval from the judge.

• The sculpture memory task is a task teams definitely couldn’t plan for ahead of time and forces them to think in a somewhat abstract manner, making it a good difficulty for a final task. How exactly do teams have to put them in order? Obviously, they can’t pick them up and move them. Is there a number attached to each sculpture that can be used to make a string of numbers for a guess? With the placement of this task right before the Finish Line, it should be a catalyst for drama.

• A very minor kvetch: your clue says “run east to the Finish Line”, but it appears to be to the west on the aerial photo. Still, I like how teams have to run a short distance to the mat immediately after getting the thumbs-up on the final memory task, similar to TAR 8.

• Good details with flight and train screenshots (plus a production flight), maps, and money!

• I would recommend including statements such as “This task should take teams between 45 and 60 minutes”, etc. This helps give us an idea of how long the tasks and leg will take the racers to complete.


I agree with your comment that the Northeast is probably the toughest region to design in when it comes to Rural, but your design was perfect for the theme with small towns in Connecticut. Your design was stitched together with everything a final leg should have- suspenseful tasks, several different transportation methods, and a memory challenge right before the Finish Line. The last two tasks focused on the arts, but that was balanced out with the earlier daredevil Roadblock. As a whole, details were great, with just a few tiny things missing. Overall, a distinguished Round 1 design that makes me zealous to see what you’ve got in future rounds!


Leafsfan - Southern Idaho

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• Teams open the leg in Tokyo and then fly off to Idaho’s largest city, Boise. Idaho is unvisited by TAR and is underrated in terms of people knowing about its natural beauty, so it’s a good selection for this rural round.

• The skeleton assembly is an OK task with the ability to shake up placements. It’s reminiscent of tasks we’ve seen on both North American editions of the race: the TAR 18 Roadblock in China and the TARCAN 1 Detour in Alberta. I didn’t know that the Hagerman Horse is Idaho’s state fossil, so nice detail.

• Teams then head for Twin Falls, where they find the first Roadblock. Ziplining fulfills the “face your fears” task often found on final legs, and the canyon should provide great action shots for TV. The questions you cited in your notes don’t seem too difficult for anyone who has been paying attention to the race, but they at least force the participating team member to pivot from the thrill of ziplining to thinking critically in order to correctly answer the question. This task doesn’t seem to give much opportunity to shuffle placements, unless a racer can be overtaken when stumped by a question. Teams shouldn’t all arrive at the ziplines at same time due to navigation and the previous task, so it’s passable. Thanks for providing a video of the ziplines!

• Ah, the obligatory Idaho Potato task. The potato types are similar enough so that teams will have to pay close attention, which can be hard to do when they’re just trying to speed through the task. Do teams have one set of 200 pounds of potatoes that they have to sort into types, or do they have to come up with the different types of potatoes by searching through the plant? Also, are the bags checked for having the correct type before they are carried to the dock? From the way it’s described, there’s only one point where there is a clue giver/judge- at the docks- who wouldn’t know whether the potatoes were sorted correctly. That said, the task having two parts means that the teams should find it nonlinear.

• The Final Memory Roadblock is literally the gem of the leg! I would compare it to TARCAN 1 with the flowers, where teams see it every leg but may not be observant enough to string it all together. Running around to all of the booths to find the gems (I hope they’re somewhat visibly placed) should make for a nice amount of chaos, appropriate for the final task. It rewards teams who have good memories and a penchant for noticing small details, such as Pit Stop clothing. This is one of the top memory challenges in this round, and would be rousing to see on TV. Great work!

• Flight, leg money, and maps are all included in the presentation, yay!

• Between teams landing at 12:38 PM and all the driving, there’s a good chance teams wouldn’t make it to the Finish Line before nightfall. That means we wouldn’t see the gorgeous falls in the background of the final shots. I don’t hate Finish Lines being after dark, but there’s a good chance for a TAR 2-esque footrace based on the configuration of this Finish Line. If that were to occur after sundown, it would be hard to capture everything on camera considering there’s probably not great lighting for the entire 1.4-mile path from the parking lot to the mat. In the future, I would like for an enumeration of when teams would potentially get to the Finish Line, or how long the tasks are expected to take.


To sum things up: This leg brought us to an area of the country not yet seen by TAR viewers, sending teams to small towns in Idaho. Some of the ARI tasks weren’t jaw-dropping, but all of the leg’s tasks were culturally relevant to the state. The tasks are placed in a logical order from both a travel and dramatic standpoint, with everything building up to the fresh Final Memory Roadblock. The tasks constituted a good mix of brain and brawn, and locations were appropriate. I’ll be waiting for what lies ahead in terms of your future designs! :)
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Offline Alenaveda

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Hi, again.

The guys, and specially Peach, have asked me to review my decision not to offer comments for the submissions. So here they are:


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LEAFSFAN:
Nothing spectacular, loved the simplicity of the tasks and that the majority of them requires a big attention to detail what is the big enemy of a team when is running a leg that has as a prize one million dollars. In general, I liked the leg. 

NRH2110:
Good leg, again nothing spectacular. I liked all the tasks (although hitting balloons with darts…, well I guess is not far from having to win a bowling game, lol). Knowing you as a game designer I will expect more on the next rounds.

JIMMER:
Good choice of Togo as a penultimate leg, don’t think a lot of people would think of a tiny island in the Pacific. The first RB brings me back memories of the TAR20 rescue task in the season finale. For the rest, as always in your case a solid job.

NUKU:
I have mixed feelings with your leg. I liked some parts (mostly) but some of them… (the first RB… ) However, and as I think that you can improve in the upcoming rounds, my score – even not the higher of all – will be good.

STONE:
After reading your QUARANTINE TAR I was expecting your submission being the best of all here. I must say that although is a very good job, with solid tasks I felt it too short in terms that if I’m a producer I would have to fill the last episode with lot of landscapes and interaction between the racers. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, but it could’ve been better in that aspect.

TOTUMO:
Wanted to get a better score from me by picking Buenos Aires? :) . Once again not a spectacular leg, but I guess that in terms of broadcasting would fit pretty well specially for the chosen locations. Only point to note in the cons side is that the second RB is similar to a task performed in the Detour of the TAR11 leg in Tierra del Fuego.

BOOKWORM:
Although I’m not a fan of Detours on the final leg, I liked yours. Leg was fine until that moment but then… the flow. I told all of you that one of the aspects I would put a special eye on is that the leg must have a sense of logic regarding locations. So why make the teams cross the island 3 times in opposite directions using the same road? Wouldn’t be easier put the RB right after the Detour and then the sculpture task that is closer to the FL?

MIKEDODGERS:
I have to be fiercely honest: as I told to my fellow judges I don’t know if I have to give you the higher score here or kill you  :funny:; and you perfectly know why I’m saying this. Ok, now to the important part. The common theme of Civil Rights is the best of the leg because of what means to the history of the country. The rest of the task are not so good. I know you can do it better.

LEMONTAIL:
First of all, good job. Couple things: I didn’t like that teams have to wait until the other day to race the final leg, specially if they are in the area where the leg is happening; second, what if there are no ancient flags in the visited countries? On the good side, loved the absence of motor vehicles except for the ferry in the whole leg. Add points to my score.

BETHEACTRESS:
Where to start from? The cigar task was done in season one TARLA. The coral task in Thailand in TAR19. The rest of the tasks of the leg are good choices and as I give you a thumbs down for the referred tasks, I have to give you a big thumbs up for the memory task. Not the best score, but I trust you will reach the next round and have a chance to improve your work.

DAVID:
Dollywood! Although not a country fan, I’ve been listening to Dolly Parton songs since… I’ve been listening to her songs. Only doubt: what if none of the members of the team know one of her songs? Can’t get the clue? RB is fine with the air-sea-land combination. First ARM requires attention to detail, good. Tricky memory task, good. A well designed leg.

ELTHEMAGNIFICO:
Good leg, again nothing spectacular, in terms of the show the place will surely provide a lot of great landscapes to see. I liked the common theme of the Samoan heritage (I used in my last voting game) because when you have that the whole leg feels better than one with unrelated tasks.

REDWINGS8831:
Roswell! “Oh I am what I am, I’ll do what I want but I can’t hide…” As a die-hard sci-fi fan I loved the first part of your leg. The next two tasks were related to cultural heritage what is good. The memory task is nothing spectacular, but would look good in the screen. The only thing that creeps me out is the balloon travel to the FL. But this is a very good work.

BRITISHTARFAN:
Seems like great minds think alike, because is the second Cape Code leg that has a visit to a place related to John F. Kennedy. I loved the memory task (really ingenious). A good leg. Not the best of all but good.  Want to see what you have in mind for the next rounds.

BOURKIEBOY:
Honesty again here. All the controversy with the comments forced me to read your submission comments. And you know what? I don’t think is thaaaat bad as I thought. Yes, some of the tasks aren’t the best compared to the ones from your competitors, but the camp task requires attention to detail and the water ski is a physical task that requires balance from the racers. But I have to agree that the second RB – or at least the way you present it – is the less impressive part of the leg. I know you can do it much better. I’m sure about that.

NELS:
Yes, a leg that flows! Sadly that’s the only part of the leg I liked. Not an explanation of why they’re doing the grasshopper task, how is related to the place. Both RBs are basically the same thing. I don’t know… My only hope is that – if you survive this round – you’ll be able to improve your work.

ZBC COMPANY:
Liked the tea task at Japan, nice touch. McDonalds is an American trademark like ABBA in Sweden, so I guess is ok. Tricky ARM, good. The first RB is nothing spectacular. Second is definitely better than the first. The paintball is a generic task (but again, is not so far from winning a bowling game). The memory task gives me mixed feelings but I’m agree with you that would look great on TV. One last thing: you choose the Death Valley and didn’t give me an Undertaker related task? Shame on you,  :funny:.

DECLIVE:
A simple underwater RB, good. I wonder how racers will solve the postcard quiz if they have zero knowledge of that era cinema or can’t find anyone who knows. Guess that’s the difficulty level you wanted for the task. Liked the turtle task. All the airports? Even the connecting ones? Because as you presented the task implies all of them. You are probably one of the most veteran designers here, so despite this little detail of the RB I’m going to put my chips on you.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2020, 01:03:02 PM by Alenaveda »
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Offline Declive

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Thanks for the review, Alen! I'm def. going to pay more attention to details further in the competition if i make it there.
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Offline Leafsfan.

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Hi Alen,

Thank you for your comments. I noticed a lot of your comments say "not-spectacular". So what do you mean exactly by spectacular?

Offline MikeDodgers

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Thank you for that review, Alen. I was thinking about what was going on in our society at the time with the George Floyd protests when coming up with my leg. I thought about what kinds of barriers African-Americans had to break in order to attain equality and how far we still have to go in order to truly live up to what the Founding Fathers have in mind - a nation where all men, regardless of race, are created equal.
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Offline MikeDodgers

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I also do want to reveal that I did have an alternate finale leg planned that would've sent teams to Atlantic City in my home state of New Jersey, which would've entailed a Monopoly-themed memory task. But it didn't get much farther than the task planning phase because I wasn't sure if the location would fly in this round.
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Offline betheactress

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What is TARLA? Los Angeles? I never watched TAR Los Angeles or TAR19, I only see a few seasons. So immediately dismissing my tasks right away for not viewing every season seems like a real cheap shot, nor did it seem constructive. Wasn't the whole debate over you offering comments was the need to not be for lack of better word, mean, but instead focus on giving constructive comments, which hardly any of us received. I think if your comments have to be condensed and filtered down this much that you can't offer anybody constructive criticism as to what you would do to make our submissions better, maybe it's not worth it to receive feedback from you.


What works or doesn't, WHY  it worked, how it could have been better is crucial.

WHAT I do want to see and have asked ALL our judges past/present to try is to be a bit sensitive in the process.

Saying this was a lousy leg and here is why this worked or didn't is great!!
Say this was crap and you are a lousy designer/failure/ is not.

« Last Edit: July 16, 2020, 01:37:13 PM by betheactress »

Offline MikeDodgers

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What is TARLA? Los Angeles? I never watched TAR Los Angeles or TAR19, I only see a few seasons. So immediately dismissing my tasks right away for not viewing every season seems like a real cheap shot, nor did it seem constructive. Wasn't the whole debate over you offering comments was the need to not be for lack of better word, mean, but instead focus on giving constructive comments, which hardly any of us received. I think if your comments have to be condensed down this much maybe it's not worth it to receive feedback from you.


What works or doesn't, WHY  it worked, how it could have been better is crucial.

WHAT I do want to see and have asked ALL our judges past/present to try is to be a bit sensitive in the process.

Saying this was a lousy leg and here is why this worked or didn't is great!!
Say this was crap and you are a lousy designer/failure/ is not.


Amazing Race Latin America....
"When you're lost out there and you're all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home....."

-Theme song from 'Full House' (1987-1995)

Offline Bookworm

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Alen, thank you for your comments! I'm glad that you liked the Detour!
I interpreted flow slightly differently; it made more sense for the overall theme of my Leg to include the memory challenge last- I would rather that be the final task of the Race than the sculpture. The drama of the memory task, especially a well-thought one, is one of the reasons we all love them so much. Plus, since the islands are pretty small, it wouldn't make too much of a difference for teams to circle back. But the idea of keeping the RB closer to the Finish Line, in conjunction with gamer's antipathy of the location I chose, does make me reconsider the Finish Line location. So, thank you.
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Offline NELs

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I have been practicing making the fantasy game graphics on my free time. Thank you all for the feedback.


Offline Nuku

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Thank you too all judges for the comments! I really hope you see the potential in me and give me another shot to prove i belong here!

Offline ovalorange

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Quote
Good choice of Togo as a penultimate leg, don’t think a lot of people would think of a tiny island in the Pacific.

:funny: :funny: :funny:

Offline ovalorange

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Also as much as I love you Alen, I have to back what Air brought up earlier that using terms like "You are probably one of the most veteran designers here, so despite this little detail of the RB I’m going to put my chips on you" and "For the rest, as always in your case a solid job" shows the blatant lenience given to former players. I just hope this isn't also drastically apparent across the scores as well later on  :)x

Poor beth, totumo and some of the other newbies, who's legs I really liked(and clearly the viewers did too!), seem to have been slaughtered in the comments for no real reason. I just want to see everyone given a fair chance :)
« Last Edit: July 16, 2020, 08:05:21 PM by ovalorange »

Offline BritishTARFan

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Thanks Alen :)

Offline Pi/

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BourkieBoy - Northern Minnesota

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• Teams begin in Winnipeg before flying down to Minnesota. (Side note: are professional sports teams really what the city of Winnipeg is known for? :P) The final three go down to Minnesota, which hasn’t been visited previously on TAR.

• What airport do teams land at in the National Forest? You can’t just say teams fly to a place, then not specify where they land. How long is this charter flight? Knowing that, in terms of either miles or minutes, would be helpful. Can’t say I’m a fan of flights that depart right as the teams get there. That leaves results in the final leg more dependent on results on the previous leg. Finales usually bunch teams for a reason. I would suggest having the flights spaced 5 or 10 minutes apart if you wanted to give a small advantage.

• The first ARI comes to us after teams drive to Birch Lake Campground. Setting up a campsite is something we’ve seen before, but it least involves some attention to detail. I think there is a typo in your description with a sentence trailing off. I would have liked some sort of twist to make this unique from all the other campsite tasks we’ve seen before (at least twice in TARCAN and at least three times in TARUS.)

• Teams then navigate to Crescent Lake (do they follow red and yellow flags all the way there??). Finding a marked race boat is okay. The first Roadblock is to waterski, which is physical and adventurous. Why was the four-hour safety penalty included?? WRP always has stringent safety protocols in place for the racers, and these types of penalties haven’t been built into any other types of potentially dangerous tasks, including the last time they water skied. One (or two) teams getting the penalty would result in a huge buzzkill at the Finish Line. It’s supposed to be the emotional climax of the episode, so watching a team run to the mat knowing they’d have a long penalty to serve would make for an underwhelming and anticlimactic moment. Penalties on final legs are rare, but always could happen; I’d just prefer for the leg to be designed in a different way so it doesn’t have a conspicuous chance of a 4-hour penalty for one task.

• The next location is a mountain, where teams have to find photos of previous Pit Stops. Are these pictures somewhere by Race flags/markers, or are they totally hidden? Teams would figure out right away that the pictures are of Pit Stops, and I’m sure most would have the pictures in order by the time they reached the Roadblock. At the very least, they would be discussing which Pit Stop was during which leg during the hike up. Therefore, this Roadblock would be extremely easy and short. No fake pictures hurts the chances of this task changing placements at all. Arranging 11 Pit Stop pictures is hardly a challenging or memorable memory task, or final task.

• Teams then go down the mountain and drive to the Finish Line, which seems to be a fitting location.

• Details-wise, you need to step it up next round. The lack of maps doesn’t allow us to conceptualize where your destinations are in relation to each other, or how far they are apart. Thanks for including leg money and some information on flights, though.

• “don't be afaird to PM me if you have any questions about the leg!” - Include details in your design instead of expecting us to ask you questions.


This was your first-ever Design Challenge leg, and it was wishy-washy. The locations were appropriate, but the tasks as a whole weren’t really enlivening. There was only one “mental” task in this final leg, and it could be completed in a snap. A lot more details are going to be needed for your tasks, as well as including maps and distances (this is important!) Keep in mind not only what you want to put in the leg, but how your episode would come across to a TV audience. You’ve got a good foothold on the concept of Design Challenge, but you need to make strides next round.


BritishTARfan - Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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• The final Pit Start is in London, where teams figure out they’re flying to Beantown. Massachusetts would be great for a final leg and is easy enough to get to, so I’m excited to see this Cape Cod leg.

• Teams then self-drive to an oceanographic museum, the venue for RB #1. Listening to a lecture isn’t the most exciting thing for a finale, but it does test teams’ mental strength. I would like to see a list of these ten creatures that are native to Massachusetts and their Latin names included somewhere in your presentation.

• The next Route Info is a mild cryptic clue leading to the Kennedy House, where teams then learn they must drive to the Clam Shack. Lobster rolls are ubiquitous to coastal New England, so it makes sense to have this task here in Hyannis. I like how the task has a memory element to it. Does each team member have a unique set of 12 people wearing T-shirts, or does each person wearing a T-shirt accept a lobster roll and hand out a letter? I’m a bit concerned that racers could follow another around on the harbor, but it shouldn’t play too much of a factor.

• After a helicopter trip north, teams have to go to a taffy factory. Hand-stretching taffy isn’t seen too much anymore with machines overtaking this job, so this is a nice throwback sure to get teams sticky and gooey. Is there a video of this process being done? It’s hard to know how much stretching is considered good enough for teams to receive their next clue.

• The final task of the race, at Race Point Lighthouse, requires teams to decipher Morse code. This task requires sufficient brainpower and memory, so I like it as a final task. Considering the task has the second element of raising the flags, I don’t mind that it’s a two-person task and not a Roadblock. As for the Morse code, racers could shortcut the task by figuring out the first two or so letters of a country, but they would be taking a risk. The flags require teams to really be careful, as one error would require them to take all the flags down and start over. What type of decoy flags are present, if any? I hope the task doesn’t go by quickly, because we need shots of two teams side-by-side, neck-and-neck in this task. Teams then have a final sprint to the Finish Line on Race Point Beach (appropriately).

• Flights, maps, and leg money were included :tup: The only place where I would have liked to see more description was the tasks.


As your first design, this finale leg was up to scratch. The tasks are balanced between different skill sets, and the leg would provide a nice exhibit of the beautiful Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. A few different modes of transportation were utilized, and the leg gave ample chances for placement shifts. Your presentation was mostly clean, but a few more details are always appreciated. Can’t wait to see what you bring to Round 2!


Redwings8831 - Southern New Mexico

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• Teams start in Japan before setting off for New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment is unvisited and has a great mix of cultures, so it’s a place I’d really like to see on TAR. The desert Southwest hasn’t been visited enough, so this is promising!

• The Elvis-related cryptic clue is an intriguing way to connect two places on opposite sides of the world: Kobe, Japan and southern New Mexico. Teams get the clue at the Pit Start, but are all on the same flight anyway. 575 being the area code is a nice easter egg, but I don’t think any of the teams will really use that figure out they’re going to Roswell.

• Teams then drive to the UFO museum, where they encounter a ~spooky~ Roadblock. The Spacewalk is certainly eerie and focuses on Roswell’s claim to fame. I doubt teams will have to take multiple trips, since after watching the videos I only saw one candidate for the next possible location, the Trinity Site. Still, this task would be nice for TV.

• Teams then self-drive to the monument to pick up the next clue; it’s one of the most famous locales in all of Southern New Mexico. Teams are going really far out of their way to get here (at 2.5 hours away and 1.5 hours from the next task location). I know, it’s rural NM, so I can’t expect everything to be close together.

• I like the dancing ARI! American Indian culture would be nice to see on a final leg, and your explanation for why this specific dance is important to Apache lore helps to make this task feel more relevant than the various other dance tasks seen on TAR.

• The second Roadblock incorporates both food and memory, which I love! Hispanic culture in America hasn’t really been touched upon by TAR, so the sopapillas are a nice way to feature that. I like how racers have to remake the sopapilla if it’s either incorrectly stuffed or made. I’m getting hungry just reading this task.

• The next locality is the Balloon Park, which gives us the final memory task. Not only do they have to remember and search for the flags, they must sew them on to a balloon. Does each team have their own set of 100 flags, or is it a communal pile? Sewing requires intricacy, but I wonder what the process is for teams that sew incorrectly. Are they given tools such as a seam ripper to undo any incorrect sewing? After getting approval, teams fly to the Finish Line. I like how teams actually have to look for the mat and then slide there, so a team doesn’t automatically win by being the first to finish the balloon task.

• White Sands is a great inclusion as a Finish Line; it was just upgraded to National Park status last year.

• Flights, maps, and leg money were present! I like how you included videos to help us see the tasks in action. If more details were included, it should be an estimate for how long teams would take to do each task.


I liked the decision to go to a brand-new state and highlight a few underappreciated cultures in this final leg. The beginning of the leg was a bit slow- the driving length to task difficulty ratio might have been a bit imbalanced- but the two strong memory challenges at the end of the leg make for a climactic ending. This was a great start to your Design Challenge! Good luck the rest of the way!
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Offline Lemontail

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Alen, thanks for the comments. I did make sure to search all ancient flags for countries visited on the race, as can be seen on notes and task visualization. I'll improve it better!
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Offline elthemagnifico

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Thanks Alen for the comment <3 glad you like my leg since I actually was intimidated of you  :funny: , probably one note, but it's Polynesian themed leg, since Samoan and Hawaiian are part of Polynesian and the Samoan culture was only included in climbing tree task  :tup:

Also when we can expect for full comments from all judges + result of this round?
what might have been

Offline georgiapeach

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Slight Detour...

"SHOW CONTENT" is not opening for me...is it working for everyone else? I have to quote the post to see...

If anyone has any ideas please MESSAGE Me...thanks!

Moving on...
RFF's Golden Rule:
Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

Offline Kamineko

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Slight Detour...

"SHOW CONTENT" is not opening for me...is it working for everyone else? I have to quote the post to see...

If anyone has any ideas please MESSAGE Me...thanks!

Moving on...

If that happen, I usually quote the post to my PM draft and remove the spoiler tags before seeing it on preview.

It takes some steps to do but it always works! :)
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Game starts here!

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Offline Kamineko

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Also when we can expect for full comments from all judges + result of this round?

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/XqL9jl9K1o8" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/XqL9jl9K1o8</a>

:0328: :0328: :0328:
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Game starts here!

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Offline Pi/

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Elthemagnifico - Oahu, Hawaii

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• The final three begins in Manila and finds out they will be flying to Hawaii. Hawaii has been visited before, but the focus there is almost always on the natural beauty and relaxed culture of the islands, so it’s fine for this rural-themed round.

• Teams taxi to the Polynesian cultural center 35 miles away. The tree climbing task is cultural and an uncomplicated task to begin the leg. It’s unique because it’s a physically intensive task, yet the mental obstacle of figuring out the technique can be more important to a team’s performance than pure strength. There needs to be a competition between the guy in your video and the tree climbers in Al Ain during TAR 23 :funny:

• The ukulele task will challenge the racers to learn and perform and get small details exactly correct, so it appears tough. I would’ve liked to see this task in a more cultural location than a room at BYU. Hawaii isn’t known for BYU, so it would have been better to see this task somewhere on the beach or more related to Hawaiian culture, like we see in the actual Roadblock graphic. There are some logistical positives to this task being indoors, however. I don’t have any experience playing stringed instruments, so it’s hard for me to know how difficult this task is for racers. I would have liked to see an approximate amount of time each task would take somewhere in the design. Despite that, I like how this task makes use of a traditional Hawaiian instrument.

• Teams move on to Kawela Beach, where teams assemble the sail on an outrigger canoe before rowing it 160 meters. This task seems similar to the TAR22 Active Route Info in Bora Bora. It requires a bit of finesse but is mostly physical. What is the procedure for raising the sail?
The final Roadblock combines lei-making with memory, and it works perfectly! Racers actually have to perfect making the leis, which could take awhile to figure out. Then, they have to pick the right flowers AND order the leis correctly. If they are wrong in some way, are they told how/where they are wrong? I like how the task will surely take each team a different amount of time. If teams are presented with the flowers at the end of each leg, then they might be able to see this challenge coming, but that could be countered by a team not picking up on the lei making technique. Good memory task!

• The Finish Line location is picturesque. Good job finding rural locales in Hawaii for the leg! On another good note, a flight, maps, and money were all present.


This leg was classic Hawaii, between coconuts, ukuleles, canoes, and leis. The tasks sometimes felt like repeats of tasks seen previously, but they involved physical, mental, attention to detail, and memory skills. I would be delighted to see this leg on my TV screen. The presentation was well-done, with only a few details missing. Good first leg and I have confidence in you to reach even higher in the future!


David - Middle Tennessee

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• Teams begin in the Caribbean and receive an album as a cryptic clue, directing them to Knoxville, TN. It hasn’t yet been visited by TAR, so I’m excited to see Tennessee!

• Once teams figure out the clue is in reference to Dollywood, everything should be pretty easy from there as it’s a major landmark and navigating to the house within the park.

• The clue handed by Dolly Parton tells teams to taxi to another airport, where one team member will have to make a thrilling, targeted jump out of an airplane. It’s the typical “extreme” final leg task, so it’s sure to provide exciting clips for the commercials leading up to the episode. Other than that, I like how you made racers look out for the skydive area from the plane. My only complaint would be that going immediately from skydiving to swimming could be potentially dangerous.

• Teams then head off to a campground, where they must set up a campsite. This task fits the rural America theme, but it is a bit generic as we’ve seen this type of task several times before. It tests attention to detail, which I like in the final leg.

• The last ARI is a memory task, taking place on a hiking trail. How are flags placed on the trail? They should be conspicuous enough as to where teams aren’t blazing through nature to find them. A disadvantage to this task is that teams could follow each other if they get to the trail around the same time. Also, with teams potentially doubling back on the trail to find a missed flag, there’s a good chance teams could run into another and then would be within eyesight of each other as they try to find the flags. This task makes it tough for placement changes to occur, unless one team is simply physically better than another and overtakes them on the trail.

• The Final Memory Roadblock is something that we haven’t seen before with the combination of flags and highest team placements. Are teams ensured to know all team placements? I don’t think this task is too difficult, but that could lead to a great footrace at the Finish Line (which is a beautiful location, btw.)

• Flight, maps, money: All there. Good addition of detail with the time estimates for the leg!


Overall: This leg hit round’s theme well, visiting rural Tennessee. The locations were suitable and the leg had a good flow. On the other hand, tasks lacked vigor, and some felt they could be performed anywhere, not just Tennessee. Still, the leg would probably be well-received by fans with the Dolly Parton tie-in and skydiving. I’m eagerly anticipating seeing what you’ll do with future designs!


ZBC Company - Southern California

Show content
• The final three teams start in Japan. Excited to see what you’ve got!

• The tea ceremony task is fine, but let’s keep the focus on America for this round. There would probably have been an opportunity for this task to be added to the penultimate leg.

• Teams fly to San Bernardino, CA. I like this area because there’s a lot, lot more to California than just the Bay and L.A. areas, so it’s nice to see a different type of California city. San Bernardino is too big to fit the “rural’ description at 200,000 people, but at least it’s smaller than several other cities in the region?

• Teams go to the original McDonalds before going to an apple farm. I like this task, incorporating the agricultural industry (which is a major part of California) as well as having a memory aspect. I don’t know how teams will know the answer to what placement they were at the Detour, but the other questions are good. :tup:

• Good job putting in a task showcasing Native American culture. This dance task should be good at making the teams try and fail several times before finally getting it right. Thanks for including a video of this specific dance being performed!

• Teams then helicopter to the Mojave region. LOL at your Roadblock question :funny: Panning for gold is a nice throwback to the Gold Rush days in California. It seems a bit luck-based, but there definitely are techniques to increase your chances of success.
The paintball task is interesting. Teams have to avoid losing all their lives, yet still find their next clue somewhere in the area. How many people are in the game area?

• After passing by the giant thermometer, teams have their final memory task. This task is greuling and is certainly one of the hardest memory challenges. Steps aren’t an exact length, so it would be easy for a team to be off the mark.

• I also like the location you chose as the Finish Line!

• Thanks for putting in a flight, maps, and money!

• A tip for presenting Google Docs: Go to View and uncheck “Print Layout” so that your pages seem more continuous. You can also go to File > Page Setup and change the Paper Size to a longer length so the frequency of page breaks is reduced.


Proud of you for getting this leg done with all the graphics and details! I like how you showcased a different side of California other than just LA County and the Bay Area. Your tasks have a lot of good things about them. A little more explanation is always nice, but you did a good job of putting in why you decided to visit a place or do a task. Keep your head up and go strong for the next round!
“We inhabit a complex world. Some boundaries are sharp... but nature also includes continua that cannot be neatly parceled into two piles of unambiguous yeses and noes.” - S. J. Gould

“If you don't accept others who are different, it means nothing that you've learned calculus.” - Shirley Chisholm

Offline gamerfan09

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I'm currently pretty busy, but I'll keep comments short for ZBC's leg:

Show content
-Task-wise... the Tea Ceremony is a cute start. The apples was an ok memory task, but I do think that it's pretty unfeasible for the requirements of the 2nd and 3rd boxes. It's a bit too detail-oriented for box 2 and box 3 for it to really work.
-The gold digging Roadblock was okay, paintball is also okay, but doesn't really stand out.
-Your final task is also pretty unfeasibly personally, since steps can be objective in such a wide area like the dunes, but I do really like the concept.
-As a whole, ZBC, your leg is fine, despite not being a fan of your presentation. I honestly took like days to even muster up the strength to open up the Google Docs document. Task-wise, there's nothing that stands out, but I do appreciate how it's at least "full", and the memory tasks have great concepts that just get tainted by not being very feasible. I actually liked this leg a bit more than I would think, so good job.
-However.... the location. The requirement was rural. San Bernardino, last I checked, is not a rural city with a population of nearly 220k people. This will unfortunately make your leg take a hit in its score for me.

Offline Kamineko

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>> DO NOT POST (EXCEPT FOR THE HOSTS) UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. I'm reserving for the Results Show :conf: :conf:

*Expect an update within 8-9 hours from the time this post was modified.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2020, 01:13:13 PM by Kamineko »
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Offline Pi/

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Designers, the next round will start at 9:00 AM Board time tomorrow (July 18), roughly 19.5 hours from this post. There will be a simple sign-up in the thread, and it's first come first served. No proxies or reservations allowed for this, sorry. Look below for this time in your time zone.

7:00 AM Los Angeles, 8:00 AM Denver, 9:00 AM Chicago (Board Time), 10:00 AM Atlanta/Miami/Toronto, 11:00 AM Buenos Aires/São Paulo, 3:00 PM London, 4:00 PM Madrid, 9:00 PM Jakarta, 11:00 PM Tokyo, 12:00 AM Melbourne

As for now, no posting please as we get ready for the Results Show!
“We inhabit a complex world. Some boundaries are sharp... but nature also includes continua that cannot be neatly parceled into two piles of unambiguous yeses and noes.” - S. J. Gould

“If you don't accept others who are different, it means nothing that you've learned calculus.” - Shirley Chisholm

Offline Kamineko

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DAY #7:
SITE: EVERGREEN LODGE AT YOSEMITE, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA
TIME: 12.00 PM






Phil Keoghan: Designers, the results are in! All four judges have submitted their scores, which means it's time for our first Results Show. I want to say thank you very much to all 18 designers that participate in this season. We have seen some incredible legs were made, even that we're still in Round 1. However, because this is a competition, some of you are not safe tonight.

Once again, I would like for no interruptions until the Results Show has finished.

So, let's begin the Results Show!
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Game starts here!

The Amazing Race Japan - Sign up here!
*Postponed until after TAR:DC 8 finished*