The Amazing Race 14


The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.
The season premiered on Sunday, February 15, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and aired on Sunday nights with the season finale on May 10, 2009. The show was again hosted by Phil Keoghan.
Siblings Tamara Tien-Jan "Tammy" and Victor Jih were the winners of the Race and were the first Asian American contestants to win the competition.
The complete season was released on DVD on May 21, 2014.

Production

Development and filming

The Amazing Race 14 lasted for 22 days and traveled over. The teams raced in nine countries, including Romania and the Russian region of Siberia for the first time, as well as Switzerland, Germany, Austria, India, China, and Thailand, with the Finish Line in Maui, Hawaii. In an interview, executive producer Bertram van Munster revealed that the teams took a 13-hour train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway and got into a Siberian snowstorm with below-zero temperatures. He also revealed that the teams suffered extreme climates, intense Roadblocks, and less time in airports, which added up to an exhausting course for the racers. In addition, CBS revealed the Race included the world's second tallest bungee jump, suffocating heat in India, and an Olympic-themed challenge that left the teams "gasping for air."
The show's route map was updated via Google Earth, and according to Bertram van Munster prior to the show's debut, the season included new graphics, a new opening sequence, and a tuneup in the musical score, as well as the use of a split screen to show several scenes at the same time. This season also changed its main team names and route info font from Microgramma to Bank Gothic.
Season 14 introduced a new twist to the U-Turn: the U-Turn in Leg 4 was a Blind U-Turn, in which the team electing to use it did so anonymously; other U-Turns required teams utilizing them to acknowledge their use to subsequent teams. The U-Turn in the second half of Leg 10 was a normal U-Turn.
Leg 10 was a double-length leg, a surprise feature of every Race from Season 6 to Season 10 but has not been seen since; however, this double-length leg was the first where it was revealed to the teams at a location that was explicitly called a Pit Stop but teams were not warned of an elimination in the clue. In previous seasons, teams were either given some implicit reference to a Pit Stop, such as "go and meet Phil Keoghan at the mat" and were handed their next clue by Keoghan or were given a clue to continue racing at a clue box where a clue directing teams to the Pit Stop would have been expected. This time however, after checking in, teams were told "this leg of the Race is not over" and were given a clue to continue racing.
Mel & Mike confirmed in a post-show interview that there was an unaired, unused, Fast Forward in Leg 7 that involved purchasing items for an orphanage using the team's own money. This was the first season ever where no team took the Fast Forward option throughout the Race.
The Maui Finish Line was the southernmost finish location in the American version of the Race.

Cast

Applications were due on May 28, 2008. Semi-finalist interviews were held sometime in June 2008, and the final casting interviews were held in Los Angeles around late June or early July 2008. Scouting for locations was performed during August. Filming took place during November 2008.
One member of the cast, Luke Adams, was the first deaf contestant in the American series and relied on his mother Margie Adams to communicate in the Race. Margie & Luke had originally applied to be on The Amazing Race 8, but ended up being one of the last families cut. Mike White had originally been chosen to participate on The Amazing Race 13 with director Jon Kasdan, but the latter dropped out before filming. The show's casting director wanted White for Season 14 and he was ultimately paired with his father for the Race.
As of 2013, Amanda & Kris were married, and Jen is married and has a daughter. In 2015, Jaime married MLB player Evan Longoria and has two children. Cara was married and then divorced, and has since remarried and had a daughter too.

Future appearances

Amanda & Kris, Mel & Mike, Kisha & Jen, Margie & Luke, and Jaime & Cara raced again in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business among a cast made up of returning teams from seasons 12–17. Margie & Luke also competed in the second All-Star edition.
Outside of The Amazing Race, Victoria Hunt appeared on the TLC reality show Extreme Cheapskates in 2012. Mike White later competed in his third reality TV appearance on the thirty-seventh season of Survivor, entitled , and finished as the first runner-up.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Mark & Michael initially arrived 1st, but were issued two 30-minute penalties totalling 1-hour. With approximately 4 minutes left of their penalty time, Tammy & Victor and Jaime & Cara checked in during their penalty time, dropping Mark & Michael to 3rd.
  2. Kisha & Jen initially arrived 3rd, but were not allowed to check in because they had left their travel documents and money at the location of the Roadblock; they were instructed to retrieve them before they could check in again. Tammy & Victor checked in while Kisha & Jen went back, dropping them to 4th; Mark & Michael also arrived during this time, but were unable to check in due to penalties accumulated during the Leg.
  3. Mark & Michael initially arrived 4th, but were issued two 2-hour penalties, both for "using personal belongings to settle a bill". With approximately 3 hours 10 minutes remaining of the penalty time, Kisha & Jen checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Mark & Michael to last place; however, they were notified the Leg was non-elimination, and the remaining penalty would be assessed at the start of the next Leg.
  4. Leg 10 is a double-length leg. It featured a Virtual Pit Stop, and had two Detours and two Roadblocks shown over two episodes.

    Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me" – Mel
  2. "Your Target is Your Partner's Face" – Instructions for the "Austrian Folly" Detour option
  3. "I'm Not Wearing That Girl's Leotard!" – Luke
  4. "It Was Like a Caravan of Idiots" – Mike
  5. "She's a Little Scared of Stick, But I Think She'll Be OK!" – Victor
  6. "Alright Guys We're at War!" – Mark
  7. "Gorilla? Gorilla?? Gorilla???" – Victor
  8. "Rooting Around in People's Mouths Could Be Unpleasant" – Phil Keoghan
  9. "Our Parents Will Cry Themselves to Death" – Victor in Mandarin Chinese
  10. "Having a Baby's Gotta Be Easier Than This" – Cara
  11. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" – Victor
  12. "This is How You Lose a Million Dollars" – Jaime

    Prizes

The prize for each Leg is awarded to the first place team for that Leg. All trips are sponsored by Travelocity.
Jaime revealed in a post-show interview that she and Cara were awarded jet skis for coming in first at the midpoint of Leg 10.

Elimination Station

After elimination, the first six teams eliminated were sequestered at a villa in Ko Samui, Thailand to await the finale. CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific time zone to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.

Leg 1 (United States → Switzerland)

Airdate: February 15, 2009
The first Roadblock of the Race required one team member to bungee jump off the Verzasca Dam, the second highest commercial bungee in the world, at a height of 70 stories in order to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
Airdate: February 22, 2009
For this Roadblock, one team member had to choose an instructor and tandem paraglide off a mountain below to a landing area, where their partner was waiting with their next clue. In the event of unfavorable winds, they had a choice between waiting an undetermined amount of time for optimal conditions or taking a 60-minute hike down the mountain.
The first Detour of the Race was a choice between Balancing Dolly or Austrian Folly. In Balancing Dolly, each team member had to navigate a Segways over a road obstacle course to get their next clue. In Austrian Folly, teams had to enter a party tent and throw Bavarian pies at a target, unaware that their target would be their partner's face. They had to take turns smacking each other in the face until they found a pie with cherry filling to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: March 1, 2009
The Roadblock for this leg was in honor of notable gymnast Nadia Comăneci. For this task, one team member had to go through a series of moves for three gymnastics disciplines: the balance beam, the parallel bars, and floor exercises before receiving their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Gypsy Moves or Vampire Remains. In Gypsy Moves, teams made their way to a gypsy encampment and had to help a family of gypsies move from one camp to another by loading their belongings on a traditional horse-drawn cart and unloading them at another location to receive their next clue from the head of the family. In Vampire Remains, teams had to drag a chained coffin to a field of stakes in the shadow of Bran Castle. There, they had to undo the coffin's chains to find several antique frames which they then had to impale them by smashing the stakes, referencing Vlad the Impaler, who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, until they found one containing a Race flag that they could trade them for their next clue.

Leg 4 (Romania → Russia)

Airdate: March 8, 2009
The Detour for the leg was a choice between Stack or Construct. In Stack, teams had to stack wood into a large wall formation in front of an existing stack. If their wall collapsed into the existing one, they would have to rebuild both. Once the wood was properly stacked, a lumberjack would give them their next clue. In Construct, teams had to travel to a workshop and assemble a local-style window frame, then they have to look for a house marked with a "Repairs Needed" sign and install the window. Once the window was installed, a carpenter would give the teams their next clue.
The Roadblock required one team member to complete a lap on a bobsled roller coaster in under four minutes while looking for seven letters scattered around the track. They then had to arrange the letters correctly in order to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: March 15, 2009
The Detour in this leg was a choice between Russian Bride or Russian Snowplow. For both Detours, teams will have to pick up a Lada car. In Russian Bride, teams drove themselves to the Soviet-era apartment building 4 on Komsomolskaya Street to fetch a Russian bride and bring her to the Voznesensky Cathedral, where her groom was waiting. Once the team had a picture taken with the couple, the groom would give teams their next clue. In Russian Snowplow, teams headed to Stadium Spartak, where each team member took turns driving a snowplow through a marked course while being directed by their partner. When both team members completed the course, they would receive their next clue.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to choose two Russian marathon runners who would help them warm up, before they were stripped down to their underwear and run a course to the Pit Stop at Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, where their partner, who was transported there separately, would join them.

Leg 6 (Russia → India)

Airdate: March 22, 2009
The Roadblock for this leg had to choose group of herding camels belonging to a Maharaja and use traditional tools to load and carry enough hay to the camels so that it could reach a designated marking line, as well as fill a trough with water until it spills out to receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Christie & Jodi had to make their way to Kala Hanuman Temple, where they had to decorate an elephant's face with various paints to the satisfaction of the mahout before they could continue racing.
The Detour was a choice between Movers or Shakers. In Movers, teams headed to the Sanganeri Gate, and have to choose two rickshaws that loaded with barrels of hay. They will then have to transport the hay along the City wall of Jaipur. When they reached the Zorawar Singh Gate, they had to search through the hay for a small metal elephant charm which they could then trade it for their next clue. In Shakers, teams make their way to a junction. They would be dressed in traditional costumes and joined a local dance troupe to collect 100 worth of tips. They then gave the money they had earned to the band leader for their next clue.
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Airdate: March 29, 2009
There was an unaired Fast Forward which involved going to a market and buying items for a local orphanage using the team's own cash resources. Once a team bought enough items, they would win the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between 100 Barrels or 2 Miles. In 100 Barrels, teams had to travel to Pae Yod to prepare a fishing boat for ten days out at sea by filling 47 barrels with water and loading the other 53 barrels on the upper deck. Once the fishing boat was prepared, teams would receive their next clue. In 2 Miles, one team member had to pull a rickshaw, with their partner sitting in it, from Wat Phutta Mongkhon Nimit to King Rama IX Park to find their next clue. Bike pumps were provided with the rickshaws in the event of a flat tire, and teams couldn't hire anyone to guide them.
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Airdate: April 12, 2009
For this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to attach a propeller on a traditional Thai long-tail boat properly in order to receive the next clue.
The leg's Detour was a choice of Broken Teeth or Broken Record. In Broken Teeth, teams make their way to the "Street of Happy Smiles", where they had to match five patients with the correct set of dentures to receive their next clue. In Broken Record, teams had to travel to Wat Samphanthawong and choose a group of kathoeys and a "party taxi". Then, teams had to sing karaoke with the other travelers while the taxi driver drove them through the traffic of Bangkok's Chinatown until they returned to the temple to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: April 19, 2009
For their Speed Bump, Mark & Michael had to wash and dry the hair of two waiting women outside the Qing Xiu Lu Hair Salon before they could continue racing.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to direct a cormorant to retrieve fish they had thrown in the Li River. Once the cormorant retrieved 10 fishes, teams would receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice of Choreography or Calligraphy. In Choreography, teams had to perform a traditional dance routine. If their dance was to the satisfaction of two judges, teams would receive their next clue. In Calligraphy, teams had to copy Chinese characters written by a calligrapher at four stations. Once the calligrapher was satisfied with the teams' calligraphy, he stamped their paper, and they proceeded to find the next station, which was named in the characters they had just copied. Once teams acquired all four stamps, they were given their next clue.
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Airdate: April 26, 2009
For the first Roadblock, one team member had to drink a cup of Chinese medicinal tea, then endure a traditional therapeutic foot massage for ten minutes. After the massage and another cup of tea, they received their next clue. In the event the racer was unable to bear the painful part of the massage, they would tap one side of their chair and say "uncle" to signal the masseuse to stop; however, the consequence of doing so would result in restarting the massage from the beginning.
The first Detour was a choice between Sync or Swim. In Sync, teams jumped off three-meter springboards and attempt to touch the water in unison. Teams had to score a five from the judges to receive their next clue. In Swim, teams donned a pair of Speedo LZR Racer suits, the same type of suit worn by Michael Phelps in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and then teams had to swim eight lengths of the pool with each team member alternating after two lengths. When they swam the whole eight lengths, they received their next clue.
at Beijing National Stadium, known locally as the 'Bird's Nest', the main venue of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Airdate: May 3, 2009
The second Detour required teams to travel to Huguang Guild Hall before performing either Detours: Beijing Opera or Chinese Waiter. In Beijing Opera, teams made their way to the Huguang Huiguan Opera House. There, they had to apply make-up on each other exactly like the two models next to them. When teams' makeup was approved, they had to go to the stage and bow to the master, who handed them their next clue. After completing the task, teams were required to stay in costume for the duration of the leg. In Chinese Waiter, teams had to travel to Huguang Huiguan restaurant. Once there, they had to record five customer orders, spoken in Mandarin. Then, teams had to take their pad to a chef and pronounce the Mandarin orders correctly to have the chef prepare them. When teams served the plates to the customers, they received their next clue.
The second Roadblock required one team member to eat a plate of four fried Chinese delicacies, a grasshopper, beetle larvae, a scorpion, and a starfish, to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: May 10, 2009
In the one aired choice for the final Detour, they had to season a pig with island flavoring, then carry it suspended on a bamboo pole along the beach to a Hawaiian luau. At the luau, they had to properly cover the pig for traditional kalua cooking to receive their next clue.
The final Roadblock of the Race required one team member to search through a pile of more than three hundred surfboards for eleven that displayed a picture depicting a task, location, or person related to the ten previous legs of the race—one from each of the first nine legs, and two for the tenth leg. Then, they must arrange the surfboards along a fence in chronological order of their appearance during the Race:
LegPictureTask/Source
1Saint ChristopherClue at Church of Sant'Antonio
2Ruhpolding GondolaGondola Ride to Rauschberg
3GymnastRomanian Gymnastics Roadblock Task
410 Ruble billClue at Krasnoyarsk Dam
5Lada AutomobileNovosibirsk Lada used at the Detour
6Nose FlutistPit Stop Greeter at Jaipur
7Esso the TigerClue at Phuket Zoo
8Long-Tail BoatBoat Riding in Bangkok
9CormorantGuilin Cormorant Roadblock Task
10Reflexology Foot ChartBeijing Foot Massage Roadblock Task
10Skewered ScorpionsBeijing Delicacies Roadblock Task

When all eleven surfboards were displayed in the correct order, teams would receive their final clue.
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U.S. Nielsen ratings

Canadian ratings