Time for this round's comments. Results Show to follow shortly after!Bookworm - Temuco and Saavedra, ChileShow content
• Beginning in Barcelona, teams fly to another Hispanic country, Chile. A night time layover in Santiago leads to two separate flights to Temuco, a city in an area we haven’t seen before. I’m excited to see this new region!
• Nice nod to Pablo Neruda. Similar to what you said, this task should be especially gettable for anyone who is familiar with Spanish. However, there is still both skill and luck in this task to some extent, so it’s fine for a quick opener to start things out.
• Then, the first task around Lago Budi requires teams to use the weapon to break tiles. I don’t mind it because it does tie into Mapuche culture, but I would also be fine with it being left out.
• I like the seaweed Detour, creating the bales requires correct folding and tying skills and there is good potential for dramatic moments if a bale were to fall apart or untie. Shaman is a strong Detour choice as well- it takes multiple angles of Mapuche culture between the drums and the symbolism. 10 minutes per each incorrect guess sounds about right; does that include the time to re-sew the drum skin? I like how both Detours and the U-Turn board are all in close proximity to each other.
• The Roadblock takes place on and in Lago Budi, and the task requires racers to dive to claim sea urchins. It’s both cultural and recreational, so it makes for a fun task premise. Also, the physical facet means that some teams will be faster or slower than others, which is important because the U-Turned team(s) need to be able to catch up in some way other than navigation. Requiring teams to hold their breath could be dangerous. If a team has to take 25+ dive trips, the rescue divers might have to be used. Good thing they’re on close standby.
• Teams then drive to Mirador Cerro Maule, which makes for a good Pit Stop- I like the totem!
• This leg could work really well as a late-game South American episode; we’ve unfortunately never seen Chile appear anywhere other than the first few legs of the Race in Anglophone TAR.
What I Liked Most: The indigenous theme was used well, with many of the tasks relating to the Mapuche. That fact, along with the Neruda ARI, will allow viewers to see different sides of Chile.
What I Disliked Most: The ability to catch up after a U-Turn could be a very uphill battle for a team that does not have physical skill as its number one strength.
MikeDodgers - Paramaribo and Onverwacht, SurinameShow content
• Suriname, the only new country of the round. First of all, it’s interesting that you designed this as a Leg 1. I won’t take the USA parts of the leg into consideration too much for scoring of the round; still, my view on the pre-flight portion of the leg is below.
• I’m neutral on the Salvage Pass twist, but I don’t like the fact that the U-Turn is a vote at the Starting Line. “First impressions” can be interesting twists, but those are more fitting in Survivor or BB than the Race.
• As for the SLT, searching for the flag of the first country is something done before. In relation to the Starting Line in general: I know that putting in NASCAR material is fun for you, but remember that TAR is not sponsored by NASCAR.
• Do you have permission from Alenaveda to use that image of Phil with the text on it?
• Teams then fly to Suriname, and I’m not sure why you picked flights that take about 2 days to arrive. That’s way too long for the first leg unless said leg is in Oceania. Also, with teams being placed on two different flights based on their SLT performance, I would have slightly preferred a signup board for entry to the first task instead of an even release time for everyone. Anyway, the first task- performing the Arawak ritual- is culturally important and is a good way to get teams shuffled and separated. Is there an ongoing performance for teams to watch and learn from?
• The second Roadblock requires teams to create a menorah and partake in a Jewish story and ceremony. This task is very similar in concept to the first task just before. When you choose to feature an idea that’s not well-known to be part of the local culture (such as Judaism in Suriname), you should do some explaining why it’s important to that culture or location. I know that there is some history with Judaism in Suriname, but that wasn’t mentioned in the design at all, so some sort of detail in the design is critically needed to clarify why this task is relevant to Suriname.
• Detour time. “Hunt and Gather” is an okay concept with the archery, but the picture supplied does not do it justice. How far away are the targets? On the other side, “Live and Learn” is just off-putting. Of all the things possible to feature in Suriname, four-century-old imperialism shouldn’t be near the top of the list. There’s no specific procedure given for the game teams are supposed to play. Details, details, details.
• Having the Detour Decision Point + Detour A at one location and Detour B + the U-Turn board at another is not okay when the two locations are 87 minutes apart. This means that one team could have to drive to the village, drive to the school to do a Detour, be U-Turned, then have to take a 3-hour round-trip loop back to the village to do the other Detour. That doesn’t even take into consideration a team switching. Especially when teams don’t know whether they’re U-Turned until after the Detour, this is a logistical nightmare. Making the Detours closer together or at the same location would solve so many problems- and, based on the tasks, it does appear as you could have done this. Take transportation into account when designing Detours.
• The Pit Stop doesn’t look all that impressive given the photo- maybe a different pic or location would be better suited. However, I do like how it’s close to the last location.
• Based on the maps, there seems to be a lot of backtracking. Maybe rearranging the order of tasks/locations could help reduce repetitive driving?
What I Liked Most: The first Roadblock was the star task of the leg and I do have to respect you picking a lesser-known country the round.
What I Disliked Most: The second Roadblock didn’t appear to be as culturally relevant or engaging as the other tasks. The U-Turn wasn’t well-implemented between the voting and the driving, and the team introductions and the starting line/NASCAR spiel took up too much space in the design.
Show content
• Teams begin in Barcelona and fly via Lima to Cusco. Lots of potential in the Sacred Valley, so I’m anticipating something good!
• The coca task at Plaza de Armas is fine with the high elevation being a factor. Fairly minor task overall but a good piece to the puzzle.
• Saqsaywaman hosts the Inca-themed Detour. Celebrate is a unique take on the common dance task, with teams now observing the differences rather than performing it themselves. Is there a list of the dances or what the difference between dance types is? It’s a bit tough to judge how difficult this task is without that info, but overall I do believe the task is at least close to being matched with the other. Communicate is physically demanding with all of the high-elevation running. Finding and memorizing the message is a nod to what the chasquis did. I really hope that the quipus and conches are replicas, as trusting teams to run around with actual artifacts is risky business in case they get dropped or damaged. Like the other task, it’s hard to know exactly how difficult this task is because we don’t know the message length/complexity. Still, navigating the labyrinthine complex should be engaging for TV.
• Teams then face the U-Turn. I like how there are still many tasks after the Detour, as the Detour tasks are challenging enough to necessitate time afterwards for U-Turned teams to catch up.
• Afterwards, teams travel to Amaru and must eat cuy. Is one serving one of the pigs as seen in the pictures? I would be careful to not be forcing teams to eat too much. Consuming too much food during your first day at a higher elevation can be a health risk. On the other hand, teams might be looking for a good meal after doing all that running in the Detour.
• For the Roadblock, weaving is just fine because it is an important part of the Quecha culture. Dressing up the camels is also a nice touch. Most teams will probably try to get it right on the first attempt, as a 1 km round-trip if they get it wrong eats up a lot of time and energy.
• In Pisac, teams have to put together an Incan temple puzzle. Personally, I would have liked to see this task left on the drawing board. The Roadblock makes for a better lead-in to the Pit Stop than this, which is a demanding task in a leg that already has several physical tasks. Anyway, the panflute music leading to the Pit Stop is a good way to round out this leg.
What I Liked Most: The tasks were great in terms of bringing Peruvian culture as well as featuring ancient Incan practices. The locations were also stunning.
What I Disliked Most: For some of the tasks, there felt like an absence of details. You’re doing okay, but more explanations for the tasks help tie up loose ends.
Betheactess - Santiago, ChileShow content
• Teams begin in the Falkland Islands - interesting choice! - before flying to Santiago de Chile. This capital city is dynamic so I can see a lot of potential in the locality. Putting all teams on the same flight is a good move here.
• I enjoy how teams will have to wait for sunrise and the We Tripantu celebration to get the clue. It sets teams up to run the rest of the leg in the early morning and is an educational experience for the racers and viewers.
• The Detour is Bikes & Beans vs. Cable Cars & Ciueca, with both sides having the same objective of reaching the top of the mount. I like how both options each have a different type of Mapuche pastime to perform before getting clearance. Shots of teams ascending the mountain should be good for TV. The hockey-esque game does seem much more difficult than the chance game but it’s nicely balanced out with the faster gondola.
• I’m typically not too warm towards Voting U-Turns, but after this specific Detour is a scenario where I don’t have a preference between the voting type or the traditional. The board being close to the Detour site is a plus as well.
• The Roadblock is a task that makes me think “we haven’t seen anything quite like this before”, which is good! Assembling the silver to match the nearby model and using the tools require lots of precision. Spending more time to potentially grab the prizes is a good risk-reward concept, although a team may be advantaged if they know that 2 or more teams happened to get the most U-Turn votes and are behind. I take it that multiple teams can claim the same prize? Also, it does seem a tad off to have U-Turn Immunity require twice as much extra effort as getting an Express Pass, but I digress- this is a great twist to enhance an already solid task.
• The Paseo Bandera task is a test of short-term memory, and I like how it features a Chilean artist and the vibrancy of Santiago. How many images do they have to put in order? After the Roadblock, the Pit Stop at La Moneda is a beautiful building and an appropriate place to end the leg.
What I Liked Most: I wasn’t really expecting anyone to take an urban take on the round theme, much less pull it off excellently. The tasks fit into the city’s environment well, which was refreshing.
What I Disliked Most: The Detour (and thus U-Turn) could be somewhat underwhelming if all teams get there around the same time and all pick the same side. However, this is unlikely to happen.
Nrh2110 - Puno, PerúShow content
• A Belgian start leads to flights to Juliaca, Peru, where teams grab a taxi to Puno. It’s always interesting to be able to design in a place that’s part of your heritage, so I hope this was a fun round for you.
• Teams take boats to Uros Floating Islands and encounter the Detour. Lay it Down is a key part of the local day-to-day work of the islands, as this task must be performed frequently. It’s straightforward and could provide some fun with racers trying to operate the boats. Pull it Up looks at local cuisine. Are teams catching the fish by net or by pole? Cleaning fish is probably a new skill for most racers, but can be learned quickly. What quantity of seagull meat is given? Consuming the meats may be distasteful for some teams but it’s nothing they can’t get over.
• I like how the U-Turn board is close by to the Detour options. After the U-Turn, teams return to Puno and find an ARI at the plaza. I really like this ARI- it’s simple, easy to follow along with, and is a way to incorporate the dancers without dance becoming a major theme for the leg. Good job!
• The Roadblock requires teams to assemble a panpipe. This reminds me of the angklung task in Bandung in TAR23. There’s lots of trial and error in the task and it shouldn’t be overly difficult or too easy for anyone.
• Taxi drivers should easily be able to interpret the “gato gigante” clue and get teams to the Pit Stop, an impressive statue and overlook.
Regarding your Pit Starts, the judges don’t take into consideration where you begin your leg when you build your final route. So don’t worry about having to go from Belgium to Peru and then making it back to Barcelona to fly to Newark. Those can always be changed.
What I Liked Most: The tasks hit the theme well, were cultural, and felt balanced in skill. Also, it’s very possible for any U-Turned teams to race hard enough to catch up. It was also nice to see this region of Peru.
What I Disliked Most: The tasks were good overall, but might not be the most exciting to watch.
Lemontail - Copacabana, BoliviaShow content
• We’ll get going in Belize. Bolivia has only been visited once and needs another visit! It would be great to see a non-urban location in this country.
• The cryptic clue for the initial destination (“Fly to the highest navigable lake in the world and find the city with the same name with a beach in Rio de Janeiro”) is a bit awkward. Teams aren’t actually flying to the lake; they’re flying to La Paz, and it doesn’t make it clear how teams get to Copacabana. I would have liked to see teams told to figure out one or both of the parts of your cryptic clue and give the correct answer to be given tickets on a flight, like in TAR 22 Leg 5 where teams had to identify Botswana before they left Hanoi. Anyhow, let’s get on to the Bolivian portion of the leg.
• Drive and Enjoy utilizes the celebration of cars in Copacabana, which is an interesting tradition I didn’t know about. Buying the decorative items for the market could cause teams to switch from this task if they don’t want to give up their money; haggling isn’t an option, so there’s no risk-reward of taking more time to try to get a better price. What rules do they have to follow?
• Flute and Play- they have to play an instrument while riding on a llama? Imagine if the llama gets spooked, lol. Thankfully for the racers, they only have to play notes and not a full song. Arranging the planets adds a mental component to the task. The task explanation was a bit confusing but I think I understand it and it’s a fun task overall.
• Teams then drive to the U-Turn at Intikala, then to Cerro Calvario for the Roadblock. It’s a delivery task that highlights the Stations. However, I would really like to see an example of each ‘route marker’.
• The next destination is the Inca Steps on Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca. This llama task means teams will be going all over the island to find the correct potatoes. I like how they’ll have to interact with different locals, but this task could be very unpredictable when teams are having to rely on the mood of an animal.
• After that, teams finish out at the Temple of the Sun. I like how you stayed at Lake Titicaca for the Pit Stop.
What I Liked Most: I liked the visit to Bolivia and how the tasks and locations featured new cultures and unexplored traditions.
What I Disliked Most: Some tasks were confusing to read; the presentation felt a little rushed.
