How the Amazing Race is won

Tour de force. This best describes reality TV show Amazing Race which airs its ninth season every Wednesday, 9 p.m. on AXN. It has attracted a huge following worldwide for its mentally and physically demanding challenges. In the show, contestants race head on defying time, hopping from one country to another and finishing tasks in the shortest time possible.

For the first time, the show, which has visited Asian destinations like Palawan and Manila, will hit the small screen with its 13-episode The Amazing Race Asia special, with Oriental-looking challengers in it. The Philippine audition is set until today.

Brothers Eric and Epi Quizon recently auditioned for the show’s Asian episode. Epi won last year’s AXN’s Amazing Mall Challenge in Manila.

Local organizers say we might see more familiar faces in the show. The winning partner will take home $100,000 prize money.

Before Eric, Epi and the rest of the Pinoy contenders begin the race – and wherever the challenges will bring them, Amazing Race Season 7’s Brian and Greg Smith tell their experiences and share survival tips on how to race and win.

"Be yourself. Pretend not to be someone else," begins Brian. Besides, Amazing Race is looking for people whose strong bonding cannot be dampened nor shaken by unforeseen challenges. It’s a kind of relationship that could endure the test of time.

Motivated by the challenge to travel to unseen places, Brian, a graduate from Central Missouri University, and Greg, a B.S. in Radio, Television and Film graduate of Auburn University, were off for the show. They were pitted against 10 other pairs of two members each. The brothers went to Chile, South Africa and Botswana. At the end of the day, they placed sixth overall and were booted out of the race.

It’s doing things under pressure, Brian describes the show. Contestants are focused from Day One until the end of the race. Every detail is scrutinized. Every word in the clue is pondered upon. One missed second or an oversight could make and break the pair’s bid to reach the finish line first.

Participating pairs are asked to read a task and accomplish it soonest. Challenges range from simple to extreme. For instance, participants are made to find a pair of clothes mixed up with other items of almost the same design. They traverse an entire river, find an unfamiliar place, climb a peak and skydive. Then they rush to the airport and book the earliest flight to win the race. After each round, each pair is ranked, based on the time spent accomplishing the challenge. One pair is sent home.

Since the competition is tough, Brian and Greg turned to each other for comfort, especially in the hardest challenges. They tried to bring out the best in each other. They cheered up one another. The brothers never had the chance to see the countries they went to up close and enjoy. It was business over pleasure for the two.

Thus, Brian and Greg plan to visit these countries and enjoy a safari in South Africa.

The brothers say the energy level in the show is high. Everybody wants to get ahead of the others. This attitude sometimes leads to disqualification and early withdrawal from the contest.

One must do basic things right if one is to breeze through the race. Brian and Greg advise challengers to read and understand the clues and tasks well. Before going to a place, review the directions and instructions. Chart the location using the map. (Brian and Greg went to the wrong city because they didn’t familiarize themselves with the directions.)

Time is gold in Amazing Race. A wrong turn or move can lead to losing the race. Although pairs should take things slowly but surely, they should be aware this is a contest. Winning means reaching the finish line first.

Brian and Greg add that knowing the local language is an advantage. There are countries whose signage are not in English. Knowing a bit of this and that helps challengers survive. Be aware of detours and fast forwards, they caution. These can make things easier or worse.

Detours give contestants two options to accomplish the task or reach a destination. One seems difficult but quicker; the other looks easy but has a surprise.

Fast forward helps pairs finish the challenge and leads them directly to the pit stop without performing other tasks. Competing teams should understand terms like Pit Stop, Yield, Road Block and Route Marker.

Trust your partner, Brian and Greg chorus. The race is a team effort. One has to give way and control his temper, too.

If challengers don’t make it to the end, the brothers think being in the show is a prize in itself. Amazing Race is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet people, travel places for free and understand your partner more. It puts the relationship in a different light. After all, partners will always have each other in the end.

Asked if there’s life after the race, Brian and Greg give a resounding yes. In fact, the brothers have been appearing in comedy shows and bars in the US. Indeed, there’s life after Amazing Race.