The Amazing Race Asia 4


The fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia is a reality television game show based on the American series, The Amazing Race. The fourth installment of the show features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around Asia and the Pacific Rim. Production for this installment was delayed in 2009. It is also the first Amazing Race series to be filmed and broadcast in high-definition.
Applications ended 31 March 2010, after a short extension due to popular demand. Semi-finalist and finalist interviews were held between March and April. Filming took place June to July 2010.
The season premiered on 23 September 2010. The identities of the contestants were revealed on 2 September 2010. The premiere episode also shown on AXN's website on 16 September 2010.
A special episode was aired on 2 December 2010, a week before the season finale.
Filipino friends Richard Hardin and Richard Herrera were the winners of the Race.

Production

Development and filming

The fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia was the first Amazing Race season to be broadcast in high-definition. Besides the switch to high-definition, updated on-screen graphics and music, were introduced. The opening intro was also updated with a new title card and tuneup in the music. Of note is the addition of the use of split-screens.
According to AXN, this season was dubbed as "Ride of a Lifetime". Allan noted that this season will travel to exotic locations and feature new challenges. This season features a first-time visit to Sri Lanka, as well as visits to far-flung areas including Invercargill, New Zealand and Legazpi, Albay, Philippines. Indonesia, a previously visited country that had not been visited by original American edition at the time until the nineteenth season one year later, was also visited this season.
Leg 5 was said to be the most expensive production to date. It featured teams riding numerous forms of transportation: airplanes, bus, passenger jeepney, carrier jeep, jet ski, and an all-terrain vehicle.
Leg 7 once again featured a double-length leg after not featuring one from the previous season. It featured two Detours and Roadblocks each, and a Virtual Pit Stop where teams were informed on their placements and that the leg was still ongoing before handing over their next clue. As such for superlegs in the previous Race installments, teams are not awarded a prize for coming first at the Virtual Pit Stop.
This is the first season in the Asian franchise to start and end in two different countries, starting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and ending in Singapore, albeit having close proximity of the two locations. In some foreign editions, starting and ending locations are in different countries, but not in the original American edition, which starts and ends in the same country.
Lani Pillinger was absent in the Finish Line due to a broken collar bone.

Cast

Season 4's cast included the show's first father-daughter team, as well as martial arts experts, tattooists, social workers, and musicians. Like in previous Asian editions, this season features a large number of media personalities or their relatives. Wendy was a finalist in Miss Hong Kong 2006, Nadine was Miss Indonesia Earth 2009, while Natasha was Miss South Jakarta 2007. Dimple is a Hindi soap actress who starred in the serial Aathvaan Vachan, while her friend Sunaina is an Indian TV actress, who starred in Dill Mill Gayye, as well as a movie actress who starred in the Hindi movie Kyun! Ho Gaya Na.... Manas finished runner-up as a contestant on the Indian reality-dating show Rakhi Ka Swayamwar, similar in format to The Bachelorette of the American series. Jess & Lani, as well as Richard Herrera, have appeared in numerous media and print advertisements and commercials in the Philippines. Richard Hardin is a former pro-basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. Claire is a prominent bar musician who plays at numerous gigs around Singapore, while Michelle was a reality TV contestant on the Singaporean series S Factor. At the ages of 21 and 22 respectively, Claire & Michelle also form the youngest team in Amazing Race Asia history.
This season featured two non-Asians, Ivan, who is from Hungary and raced with his Malaysian wife Hilda; and Australian Jess,, who raced with fellow countrywoman Lani Pillinger ; Richard & Richard were raised in Columbus, Ohio in the United States. This was the first time that Thailand was not represented this season.

Marketing

The fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia had three official sponsors: Axiata, Caltex, and Sony. The official hotel partner was Hilton, and the series was supported by Tourism Malaysia and Mix FM.
A week before the premiere of "Racers Revealed", the episode was released on the show's official website. The first episode also premiered on the official website one week before the season debut.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Five of the 10 teams arrived at the Pit Stop after incurring 4-hour penalties for failing to complete the Roadblock on time. The initial placements for all teams are as follows :
  2. :1st: Alan & Wendy; 2nd: Ivan & Hilda; 3rd: Richard & Richard; 4th: Claire & Michelle; 5th: Dimple & Sunaina; 6th: Sahil & Manas; 7th: Yani & Nadine ; 8th: Jess & Lani; 9th: Hussein & Natasha; 10th: Ethan & Khairie
  3. Yani & Nadine were further issued their 30-minute penalty for being "marked for elimination" and not arriving 1st. Jess & Lani and Hussein & Natasha were moved up to 8th and 9th, respectively, while Yani & Nadine were dropped to last place, which resulted in their elimination.
  4. Sahil & Manas initially arrived 7th, but did not pay their tuk-tuk fare correctly. They had to settle the fare before they were allowed to check-in. Jess & Lani, who checked-in ahead of Sahil & Manas as 8th, were moved up to 7th place, while Sahil & Manas were dropped to 8th.
  5. Alan & Wendy had been "marked for elimination". However, since they checked-in last, they were eliminated without being issued the 30-minute penalty.
  6. Ethan & Khairie departed the Pit Stop last at the start of Leg 6, as they were flown by helicopter directly to Legazpi Airport as part of the prize won on the previous leg.
  7. ^ In the Roadblocks of the first half of Leg 7 and Leg 10, Hussein chose to forfeit the respective Roadblocks and he & Natasha took a 4-hour penalty at the locations of those tasks.
  8. Leg 7 was a double-length leg. It featured a Virtual Pit Stop, and had two Detours and two Roadblocks shown over two episodes.
  9. During the second half of Leg 7, Dimple & Sunaina had fallen so far behind that all the other teams had already checked into the Pit Stop right after they began the Detour task; they were later shown coming to the pit-stop for their elimination. In a post-race interview, they confirmed they havd completed the Detour prior to being eliminated.

    Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete a leg
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "Amazing Grace" – Lyric Recited from Sheet Music Clue
  2. "Allan Is Really Good With His Poker Face" – Khairie
  3. "I Can't Carry My Backpack" – Hilda
  4. "You Have So Many Good Students Here" – Natasha
  5. "I Think They're Spoiled And Not Hardworking" – Hussein
  6. "There's A Bigger Race And It's Called Life" – Ivan
  7. "I'm The Sheep Whisperer" – Ethan
  8. "I Was Not Allowed To Shoot The Gun Anymore" – Jess
  9. "I Can't Believe We Let Them Step In Front Of Us" – Richard
  10. "We Don't Hate Anyone" – Richard
  11. "I'm Still In Shock" – Richard

    Race summary

Leg 1 (Malaysia)

Airdate: 23 September 2010
In the first Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to ascend the stairs at the Batu Caves complex while carrying an offering and counting the number of steps. Once at the top, they had to exchange their offering and if they provided the correct answer of the number of steps, they would receive their next clue.
In the first Detour of the Race, teams had to choose between Flags or Rags. In Flags, teams had to find five flags hidden around the ship using ship lingo to receive their next clue. In Rags, one team member had to lower themselves down to clean a window on the ship, while the other had to search for and take a photo of their partner to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 30 September 2010
The Roadblock required one team member to guide a ring through an underwater rope maze whilst using diving equipment to receive their next clue. There was a time limit to complete the task, and if teams were unable to complete within the time limit, they would incur a 4-hour penalty.
The Detour was a choice between Rapid Water or Rapid Fire. In Rapid Water, teams had to sail a bamboo raft down river rapids and across the river to retrieve their next clue. In Rapid Fire, both teammates had to shoot Malaysian slingshots at two targets to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 7 October 2010
The Detour was a choice between Count or Carry. In Count, teams had to count fish and give the correct amount of 1,100 fish to receive their next clue. In Carry, teams had to carry 12 blocks of ice to a market vendor across the fish market until they received their next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to use a professional sewing machine to properly sew fabric cuttings into a shirt to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 14 October 2010
In the only Fast Forward of the Race, one team had to proceed to the Galle Bus Station, where they would discover they had to have their heads shaved at a nearby street barber. Once completed, the team would receive the Fast Forward award and a Hilton Duck, which they had to bring to the Pit Stop, and would be taken in a marked taxi to the Pit Stop.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member needed to find out the year when Sri Lanka became a sovereign state and changed its name from Ceylon to its present name. The team member had to use this year as a combination to unlock a treasure chest, containing their next clue, located along a beach outside the Galle Lighthouse.
In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Coconut Course and Language Course. In Coconut Course, teams had climb up a laddered coconut tree and traverse on a hanging rope between two coconut trees. Once done, they would each receive a coconut which they had to give to the chieftain to get their next clue. In Language Course, teams had to go to a school and learn ten Sinhalese words from a student. Once they think they have mastered all ten words, they had to recite it to a teacher. If teams got all ten correct, the teacher would hand them their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 21 October 2010
The Detour was a choice between Jig and Pig. In Jig, teams had to don costumes and perform a traditional Ibalong dance to the satisfaction of a panel of two judges to receive their next clue. In Pig, teams would compete in a game of catch the oily pig with each team member having to catch two pigs to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to kayak along a flagged fish farm and search among hundreds of Race envelopes one of ten envelopes marked "Correct!", which contained their next clue.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
Airdate: 28 October 2010
In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Plunge or Swing. Both Detour options were located at Nevis Highwire Platform over the Nevis River. Plunge was a Switchback of a Roadblock in Season 1. In Plunge, each team member had to bungee jump from a height of above the Nevis River to receive their next clue. In Swing, both team members would be seated side by side and swing from a platform above the Nevis Canyon to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, teams traveled to Coronet Peak, where one team member had to search for their next clue buried in the snow hill using an avalanche rescue transceiver.
;Additional tasks
;Additional note
Airdate: 4 November 2010
For the Detour, teams had to choose between Pen or Pinot. In Pen, teams had to separate three marked sheep from a flock to another pen to receive their next clue. In Pinot, teams had to carry and fill a wine barrel with wine to receive their next clue.
For the Roadblock, one team member had to perform a flying trapeze routine at Circus Art School to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
.
Airdate: 11 November 2010
In this Roadblock, one team member had to drive a Subaru Impreza WRX around a lap within 102 seconds to get their next clue; otherwise, they have to do the task again.
The Detour was a choice of Bush Chucker and Bush Hunter. For both Detour options, teams needed to first participate in an Aborigine tradition of face-painting before doing their task. In Bush Chucker, teams had to throw a boomerang and have it land within a marked circular area. In Bush Hunter, teams had to throw a hunting spear to a hay bale. After doing either Detour, one team member needed to eat a live witchetty grub, an Aborigine delicacy, before receiving their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 18 November 2010
The Detour was a choice of Above or Beyond. In Above, teams travelled to Mandalika Market and had to carry a basket of vegetables above their heads without their hands touching the basket, for a distance of to receive their next clue. In Beyond, teams had to search Kuburan Cina to locate the tomb of Fam Sam Moy to find their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, teams rode an outrigger to Gili Trawangan, where one team member took scuba diving lessons at the Blue Marlin Dive Resort before diving into Halik Reef to retrieve a briefcase. They then returned to Gili Trawangan Island and rode a cidomo, a local horse carriage to the aforementioned resort.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 25 November 2010
In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Bow N' Arrow or Rock N' Roll. In Bow N' Arrow, they had to choose another team's photograph as target and hit the target three times with a traditional arrow to receive their next clue. In Rock N' Roll, teams had to build a ceremonial pagoda to a certain height using rocks to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to drive to Daereungwon Tomb Complex, where one team member needed to figure out how to get past a set of three gates. If the team member incorrectly chooses a gate, the team member would be blocked by warriors. Each team member would be given three attempts to correctly decode the warrior's code or else they have to go back to the starting point and start again. Once they passed through the gates, they would receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: 9 December 2010
The final Detour of the Race was a choice between Stay Up and Add Up. In Stay Up, teams had to travel to Wave House and ride a wave for an accumulated time of two minutes in order to receive their next clue. In Add Up, teams had to travel to the G-Max Reverse Bungy and add up three numbers called out by the host and get the correct sum to receive their next clue.
In the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to walk a tightrope from Tower 1 to Tower 2 of the Marina Bay Sands to retrieve their clue before walking back to Tower 1.
;Additional tasks