The Amazing Race 2


The Amazing Race 2 is the second season of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Race features eleven teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. It was premiered on March 11, 2002 and ended on May 15, 2002.
Lifelong friends Chris Luca and Alex Boylan were the winners of this Race.

Production

Development and filming

The second season of The Amazing Race traveled 52,000 miles in 28 days, spanning 5 continents and 8 different countries. Filming occurred between January and February 2002. The Race visited the countries of Brazil, Namibia, Australia and New Zealand, the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, as well as the continents of South America and, for the first time, Oceania. It was the only season to not stop in Europe.
The edition marked the debut of several Race traditions. The color scheme for all route markers and flags was changed to yellow and red after the previous season's yellow and white. In addition, host Phil Keoghan and a local greeter welcomed all teams arriving at the Pit Stops at the end of each leg.; previously, Keoghan appeared only to greet the last-place team.
Leg 1 featured Heloísa Pinheiro, the real-life "Girl from Ipanema", who teams had to find on the "Beach" Detour option.
Contestant Cyndi Kalenberg claimed that there was confusion about the vehicle replacement rules in Leg 2, in which the racers were informed that if their designated jeep broke down, the racers themselves would have to pay for repairs and wait for it to be fixed. Blake & Paige, however, were provided with a new vehicle when their jeep broke down, helping them to beat Hope & Norm in a race for second-to-last place to the Pit Stop. This enabled Blake & Paige to stay in the Race, while Hope & Norm were eliminated. For the next season, Race policy was changed so that a team would receive a replacement if a production-provided vehicle broke down or became unsafe to drive through no fault of the team. Teams would not be given any time credit in the event of a break down.
Graham Keating, Sydney's famous town crier, served as the Pit Stop greeter during Leg 8.
Towards the end of the final leg, Chris & Alex passed Tara in a footrace to the Finish Line. This marks the closest finish in the American version of The Amazing Race.

Cast

Eleven teams participated in the second season of The Amazing Race. The cast featured twins, a mother/daughter duo, siblings, grandmothers, pastors, and childhood friends.
Gary Rosen later returned to The Amazing Race to work as a story producer for the fifth season.
Blake Mycoskie went on to found Toms Shoes, a footwear company that donates a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair sold.

Future appearances

Oswald & Danny were selected to race in The Amazing Race: All-Stars among a cast of returning teams from the first ten seasons.
Alex Boylan went on to create and host the first season of the WGN America online reality show Around the World For Free, in which he journeyed around the world with no money to his name, relying on the generosity and hospitality of locals to continue on.

Marketing

This season had two official sponsors: American Airlines and Royal Caribbean International. These two sponsors provided the prizes that were sometimes awarded to first place teams.

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. There is ambiguity over the spelling of Deidre's name. In the first two episodes, the opening and on-screen graphics show her name as "Deidre". Beginning with the third episode, the opening shows her name as "Diedre".
  2. ^ Blake & Paige and Hope & Norm both agreed to a 4th place tie after both teams stepped on the Pit Stop mat at the same time.
  3. ^ Blake & Paige and Shola & Doyin both agreed to a 5th place tie after both teams stepped on the Pit Stop mat at the same time.
  4. Peggy & Claire left the Pit Start in Foz do Iguaçu 37 minutes late since they overslept and missed their departure time. This did not affect their departure placement in Leg 3.
  5. ^ In their respective elimination legs, Peggy & Claire, Shola & Doyin, and Mary & Peach all fell so far behind by the time where all the other teams had already checked in. Instead of being allowed to complete all tasks left in the leg, they were each instructed to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.
  6. ^ Gary & Dave and Chris & Alex initially arrived 2nd and 7th, respectively, but they were each issued a retroactive 42-minute penalty for speeding during the leg. Both teams elect to serve their penalties at the start of Leg 5; while Chris & Alex position was not affected by the penalty, Gary & Dave departed 3rd on the next leg.
  7. Tara & Wil attempted to do the Fast Forward on Leg 8, but they did not want to wait with the hours of operation. As a result, no team claimed the Fast Forward.
  8. ^ Wil and Blake both incorrectly performed the Roadblock with their partners and had to completely re-do the Roadblock before getting their next clue. This did not affect either of their placements.
  9. Tara & Wil initially arrived 2nd, but were given a 1-minute credit due to a minor production difficulty. This allowed them to tie for first with Blake & Paige, and were also given the prize for winning the leg as a result.

    Episode title quotes

Starting with this season, episode titles are taken from quotes made by the racers in each episode. Quotes were sometimes altered slightly for humorous effect.
  1. "The World Is Waiting: Go!" – Phil Keoghan
  2. "Help Me, I'm American!" – Blake
  3. "My Alarm Clock Didn't Go Off!" – Claire
  4. "This Game Is About Minutes" – Shola
  5. "Welcome To The World Of Being Human" – Mary
  6. "I'm Gonna Take His Girl" – Alex
  7. "I'm Gonna Throw Up On Phil's Shoes" – Oswald
  8. "I'm Not a Miner! No, You're An Idiot!" – Wil/Tara
  9. "Ready To Lose Our Lives" – Oswald
  10. "It's Hammer Time" – Chris
  11. "Follow That Plane!" – Wil

    Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete certain legs.

Leg 1 (United States → Brazil)

Airdate: March 11, 2002
The first Detour of the Race was an option of Mountain or Beach. In Mountain, teams had to rappel down the face of Sugarloaf Mountain to receive their next clue. In Beach, teams had to take the gondola back to the ground and proceed to Ipanema Beach to find the woman who inspired the song "The Girl from Ipanema" with only a photo and a specific lifeguard station for reference who would give teams their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: March 13, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to travel to Copacabana Beach and play a volleyball game against a local team. While the participating team was allowed to use their hands, the locals they were playing against could only use their feet, as per local regulations. The first team to score ten points would win the Fast Forward award.
The leg's Detour was a choice between Freak Out or Seek Out. In Freak Out, teams had to hang glide in tandem with a local instructor, gliding from the mountain to the beach below. Once both teammates had landed on the beach, they were immediately given their next clue. In Seek Out, teams had to travel down to the same beach and use a marked metal detector to find the next clue buried somewhere along a stretch of sand.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to ride a speedboat and use a map to direct the driver to Iguaçu falls. At the falls, teams then had to spot the route marker at the top of a rock formation to retrieve it, and head back to the dock.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: March 20, 2002
The Detour was a choice of Dance or Deliver. In Dance, teams had to put on a costume and sing and dance with a local troupe until they made R25 in tips, which they could exchange with the troupe leader for their next clue. In Deliver, teams had to carry fish from a boat and transfer it to the marked scales until they had transferred of fish to receive their next clue from a fishmonger.
At Kalk Bay Harbour, teams were also provided the option of obtaining the Fast Forward, which required one team to find the Mooiberge Strawberry Field in Stellenbosch. Once there, the teams were required to look inside a "Zebra", a large zebra-shaped scarecrow, to find the Fast Forward award. This option did not appear on air as no team selected it.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to search through the Langa township to buy a box of Epsom salts and a "Smiley". After finding the items, they then had to deliver the Smiley as an offering to Ndaba Sangoma, who made a bitter potion out of the salts which the team member had to drink to receive the next clue.
;Additional task
;Additional note
Airdate: March 27, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to look "where the railway tracks used to run". Once teams realized that the Swakopmund Hotel had been a railway station, they then searched the hotel grounds for the Fast Forward award, which was in the center of the pool.
The Detour was a choice between Slide or Stride. In Slide, teams had to take a safety briefing from an instructor and then slide down the steep side of a dune to a route marker at the bottom, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph. In Stride, teams had to walk down the opposite side of the dune along a marked path to the next clue.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to buy five wood animal carvings for the lowest price possible, using their own money, and bring the carvings to a bushman, who exchanged them for a large wood giraffe carving with the next clue attached.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: April 3, 2002
There was a Fast Forward which required one team to find the Amulet Market at Wat Ratchanadda. Here, one team member was required to have their head shaved - a Buddhist tradition. However, the Fast Forward went unaired.
The Detour was a choice between Confusion Now and Confusion Later. In Confusion Now, teams had to search for a specific water taxi dock to find the correct taxi that would take them to a bird market. Once there, they simply had to buy and release a cage full of sparrows for good karma. In Confusion Later, teams had to take a taxi to Chinatown in Charoen Krung Soi 21, where they had to purchase a "car" to burn and send to their ancestors from the Lee Ti Biew shrine. However, teams had to figure out that the "car" they needed was one of the many small paper cars sold at multiple booths near the shrine.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to don a protective mask, gloves, and boots due to dangerous bacteria and venture into a nearby cave filled with millions of bats to retrieve the next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: April 10, 2002
The Detour was a choice between Boat and Beast. In Boat, teams had to travel down the river using a bamboo raft with long wooden poles as the locals do. In Beast, teams had to ride the same on the back of an elephant down the path next to the river. For both tasks, teams would find their next clue on a marked car at Mae Taeng River Camp.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to wash a series of chalk decorations from a religious ceremony off an elephant using only water, some soap, and sponge to receive their next clue.
;Additional task
Airdate: April 17, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to travel to Wong Tai Sin Temple in Wong Tai Sin, where they found fortune teller Amelia Chow in the basement of the :File:Wong Tai Sin Fortune-telling and Oblation Arcade.jpg|Fortune-telling and Oblation Arcade, who then gave one team member a face reading and the other a palm reading before giving them the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Wishing Tree and Herbal Tea. In Wishing Tree, teams had to take a taxi to Lam Tsuen and find a wishing tree. Once there, they needed to each write one wish on a scroll and throw it into the tree's branches to receive the next clue. In Herbal Tea, teams had to walk to a nearby herbalist shop on Reclamation Street and ask for a bitter herbal tea that both team members had to each drink a cup of to receive the next clue.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to climb into a crane and use the controls to lift one shipping container off of a truck and onto the ground. The same team member then had to return the crane to its original position. Once this was done, the other team member was allowed to get the next clue from the side of the shipping container.
;Additional tasks
;Additional notes
Airdate: April 24, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to find Po Lin Monastery and then climb 268 steps to the Tian Tan Buddha to find the Fast Forward award.
The leg's Detour was a choice between Dragon and Lion. In Dragon, teams had to row a dragon boat, usually suited for twelve people, through a short, marked course to receive the next clue. In Lion, teams had to carry a ceremonial lion normally made for two through a course through narrow markets and steep stairs to receive the next clue.
For this Roadblock, one member from each team had to follow a series of clues written in Australian slang to receive the next clue. First, they had to find a surfie in the lairy daks at Martin Place, then an anklebiter riding a bicycle around Archibald Fountain at Hyde Park, then a :wiktionary:sheila#English|Sheila in the Aussie cozzie near Captain Cook Statue in Hyde Park and ask for "the good oil", then a :wiktionary:bushie|bushie in Circular Quay. Team members had to continue this task until they received a clue instructing them to reunite with their partner and travel to the Pit Stop.
;Additional task
Airdate: April 24, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to go to Harry's Cafe de Wheels, where each team member had to eat a meat pie to win the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Cool Down and Heat Up. In Cool Down, teams had to find the "Opal Quest" mine at Tom's Working Opal Mine in Coober Pedy. Once at the mining company, teams headed down into the cool tunnels and search within a large pile of dirt that hid an opal using traditional mining tools. After finding an "opal", they returned to the surface to show the judge their opals and collect the next clue. In Heat Up, teams played three holes of golf on the driest golf course in the world. However, the holes all criss-cross each other and teams had to play in the intense heat of up to using only a map and one ball.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to throw a boomerang from within a circle such that the boomerang would leave, return to, and land within the circle.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: May 1, 2002
The Fast Forward required one team to make their way to Shotover River. There, they had to ride a jetboat and spot a Race flag to find the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Quick Jump or Long Hike. In Quick Jump, teams had to take a tandem bungee jump down to the clue at the bottom of the canyon, the second-highest bungee-jump in the world at the time. In Long Hike, teams had to hike down a long trail to the bottom of the canyon to reach the clue box.
For this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to enter a pen full of sheep and separate the three black sheep from 22 white sheep to a second pen at the end of the corral. When they were finished, the team then ran to the Pit Stop nearby.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: May 8, 2002
In the last Fast Forward of the Race, one team had to perform a "scree run" down Mount Tarawera, a run down the loose rock walls directly into the mouth of the dormant volcano, to obtain the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Drop and Climb. In Drop, teams had to descend into a cavern known as "The Lost World" and then walk a short distance to Jesus Rock to receive the next clue. In Climb, teams had to climb down a ladder into the same cavern, then walk a much longer distance to reach the next clue.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to ride an ATV through a challenging off-road course over difficult terrain, then collect the clue at the end of the course.
;Additional note
Airdate: May 15, 2002
The Detour was a choice between Bike and Walk. In Bike, teams had to search the large pineapple field on a pair of bikes to find the only red plastic pineapple for the clue inside. In Walk, teams searched the same field on foot to find one of four yellow plastic pineapples also for the clue inside.
For this Roadblock, one team member had to snorkel near the sunken island and find and open one of three yellow cases chained underwater to retrieve the clue sealed inside.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: May 15, 2002
The final Roadblock of the Race required one team member used the tools picked up from the hardware store - a hammer, chisel, drill, and/or flamethrower - to retrieve the clue frozen inside a large globe of ice.
;Additional tasks