Christopher "Chris" Underwood is the Sole Survivor of Survivor: Edge of Extinction.
An unlikely winner, Chris's supposed disloyalty led to him being the third person voted out, but after lasting 26 full days on the Edge of Extinction and winning the second re-entry duel on Day 35, Chris made the most of his second chance by catching up to speed strategically and socially, as well as winning the Final Immunity Challenge. Believing his last-minute return and sudden progress would not suffice for a win, he gave up his immunity and faced Rick Devens in the fire-making challenge, earning himself a spot in the Final Tribal Council. His strong relationships with the jury, formed during his stay on the Edge, and overall resilience won him the title of Sole Survivor in a 9-4-0 vote.
Chris' win is considered to be one of controversy, as he was not involved in most of the season's votes due to his long stay on the Edge. Instead, he relied heavily on providing for and building bonds with his fellow eliminated competitors.
Profile
Retrieved from CBS.com
Age: 25
Hometown: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Current residence: Greenville, South Carolina
Occupation: District Sales Manager
Hobbies: Surfing, sailing, camping, anything outdoors!
Pet peeves: Laziness, political Facebook posts, people who are all talk and no walk.
Three words to describe you: Personable, hustler, and intuitive.
What is your personal claim to fame? My professional career. I went from being a barista to managing the #1 sales team in my solar company within a year.
Who or what is your inspiration in life? The people who have taught me to get back up when I'm knocked down, to fight for the things that matter in life, and to never let my goals get away from me, no matter how big or small.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why? A surfboard because Fiji has amazing waves! A skillet because literally everything tastes better on a skillet. Scuba gear equipped with a spear gun because I love diving and spearfishing.
Which Survivor contestant are you the most like? Malcolm because of his charm, Rob because he is a leader but also manipulative, Spencer because of how well he understands strategy, and Ozzy because of his skills in the water.
What's your reason for being on Survivor? My primary motivation is to say that I accomplished the goal that I was set out to do—win! Even if the grand prize was $1,000, if I say I am going to do something, then I am everything in my control to achieve it.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor? I can make fire, fish, build shelter, and I will most likely be cooking a lot of meals (I'm big into cooking). Also, I'd work hard and won't lay around camp. I'm a team player in terms of getting a group to work together, I am extremely competitive, and I will do whatever it takes to help my team win![2]
Survivor
Voting History
| Chris's Voting History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Chris's Votes |
Voted Against Chris |
| 1 | Reem | - |
| 2 | Keith | - |
| 3 | Kelley | David, Kelley, Lauren, Rick, Wardog |
| Voted Out, Day 8 | ||
| 4 | On Edge of Extinction | |
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| Returned, Day 35 | ||
| 13 | Victoria | |
| Lauren | ||
| Jury Votes for Chris |
Aubry, David, Eric, Joe, Julia, Reem, Ron, Victoria, Wardog | |
| Sole Survivor, Day 39 | ||
^1 In I See the Million Dollars, Lauren used a Hidden Immunity Idol on Chris, negating 1 vote against him.
^2 Also in I See the Million Dollars, Chris used a Hidden Immunity Idol, negating 3 votes against him.
Post-Survivor
- Chris married his college sweetheart, Katelyn Jermstad on April 26, 2019, a few weeks before the Edge of Extinction finale.[3]
Trivia
- Chris is the fifth Survivor contestant to give away the Immunity Necklace, following Jenna Morasca, Burton Roberts*, Erik Reichenbach, and Brandon Hantz.
- Chris is the first to do so after winning the Final Immunity Challenge.
- Chris is the third to do so and survive that Tribal Council, following Jenna and Burton.
- Chris is the second to do so and subsequently win the game, following Jenna.
- Chris' strategy of giving up Immunity to place himself in the fire-making challenge against his target was first suggested by Ghost Island runner-up Domenick Abbate. Ghost Island was the last season that the Edge of Extinction cast had seen before their season started filming.
- Chris is the second person to reach the Final Tribal Council after being voted out and returning, following Lillian Morris.
- Chris is the first person to win in such circumstances.
- Spending 27 days on the Edge of Extinction, Chris has the fewest in-game days out of any finalist with 12.
- Born in 1992, Chris is currently the youngest winner by birth year.
- Due to his stay on the Edge of Extinction, Chris is the second finalist (and second Sole Survivor) to never have been eligible to be voted out post-merge, following Yul Kwon. Unlike Yul, who received five counted votes, Chris could never have had a vote counted against him after the merge.
- Due to the nature of the Edge of Extinction, Chris became the second person to be removed from the Jury, following Neal Gottlieb in Survivor: Kaôh Rōng.
- Chris is the first person to be removed from the Jury but still have the chance to join it again.
- Chris is tied with Natalie White for having the least number of challenge wins for a winner, with three.
- Chris only attended six regular Tribal Councils, the joint fewest of any finalist and winner, alongside Michele Fitzgerald.
- As he was on the Edge of Extinction at the time, Chris is the first winner to not participate in a Tribe Switch despite his season having one.
References
| Preceded by David vs. Goliath  Nick Wilson |
Sole Survivor Titleholder Edge of Extinction  Chris Underwood |
Succeeded by Island of the Idols Incumbent |
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