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Log Jam (also known as Balancing Spider and Lake Log Jam) is a recurring skill challenge in Survivor. Based on the sport of log rolling, it debuted in The Amazon and has reappeared in three subsequent seasons.

Rules[]

There is a revolving log over a pit of mud or water. All castaways will compete against each other in one-on-one matches. Whoever outlasts their opponents wins.

In team and tribal based challenges, the winner earns a point for their team or tribe. The tribe who reaches a certain amount of points win.

History[]

United States[]

This challenge was first used in Survivor: The Amazon. Deena was chosen to sit out as the matches were man-on-man and woman-on-woman. In this appearance, the winner was the first tribe to reach five points. DaveButch, and Christy won all their respective rounds for the Tambaqui tribe. They won a large fruit basket and various seasonings.

This challenge returned in Survivor: All-Stars. Tom was chosen to sit out of the challenge because all matches are of the same gender. The winner was the first tribe to gain five points. Jenna L.Rob M., and Amber all won their respective rounds, winning the Chapera tribe the items that Jenna L. selected to steal from the Mogo Mogo camp.

The challenge made its return in Survivor: Gabon. Unlike the past two appearances, this was an pre-merge individual Immunity Challenge. The winner of the match advances to the next round. The last person standing in the last round wins immunity. In the first round, AceCharlieMarcusRandySugar, and Bob outlasted DanCrystalMattySusieKen, and Corinne respectively. In second round, Ace beat Charlie, Marcus beat Randy, and Sugar outlasted Bob. In the final round, all three remaining competitors were on the log. Sugar was the first person out. Marcus outlasted Ace and won individual immunity. He then awarded a second individual immunity to Sugar.

In Survivor: Redemption Island, the challenge appeared as an individual Immunity Challenge, accompanied with reward. The castaways paired off, with the winners progressing to the next round and the last person standing wins. Grant won immunity and a giant chocolate cake, the latter of which he was permitted to share with two other tribe mates. He chose to share the cake with Andrea and Rob.

Australia[]

In Brains v Brawn, the challenge appeared as the fifth Reward Challenge, where the tribes competed for ingredients and a cooking kit to make cheese toasties. The first tribe to win three log-rolling matches wins. While Hayley Leake scored the first point for Brains against Flick Palmateer, the Brawn tribe's Emmett Pugh, Simon Mee and Dani Beale defeated Andrew Ucles, Joey McCann, and Cara Atchison in the next three matches to win the reward.

Russia (Unofficial)[]

In Serdtse Afriki, the challenge appeared as an individual Immunity Challenge. The castaways paired off, with the winners progressing to the next round and the last person standing wins immunity. The winners must to reach two points. In the first round, Roman LebedevSamir MakhmudovDmitry Makarov and Lena Pinchuk outlasted Elena IvankovaConan AlexeevLyubov Glazkova and Anna Karpova respectively. In second round, Roman beat Dmitry, and Samir outlasted Lena. In the final round, Roman outlasted Samir and won individual immunity.

South Africa[]

In Malaysia, the log-rolling competition appeared as the final stage of the final six Reward Challenge. Angela Beck and Mandla Mbau faced off, with a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol at stake. In the end, Mandla defeated Angela to claim the clue, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to a skiing holiday.

In Champions, the challenge appeared as the fourth Salvation Duel. Mark Fish employed the strategy of getting on the log first, which allowed him to defeat Corné Krige in the first and third rounds (with the second round being called a draw). Corné caught on to Mark's strategy and won the next two rounds, with the sixth round being called a draw. In the end, Mark scored his third point first to win control over the Salvation Cup for the third time.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
The Amazon
"More than Meats the Eye"
Tribal Reward S6 butch tS6 christy t
S6 dave tS6 heidi tS6 roger t
Tambaqui
All-Stars
"Pick a Tribemate"
Tribal Reward S8 alicia tS8 amber tS8 jennal t
S8 robm tS8 rupert tS8 tom t
Chapera
Gabon
"It All Depends on the Pin-Up Girl"
Individual Immunity S17 marcus t
Marcus Lehman
Redemption Island
"A Mystery Package"
Individual Reward/Immunity S22 grant t
Grant Mattos

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Champions v Contenders (2018)
Episode 6
Tribal Reward AUS5 brian tAUS5 jackie tAUS5 lydia t
AUS5 mat tAUS5 moana tAUS5 monika tAUS5 samuel t
AUS5 shane tAUS5 sharn tAUS5 stevew t
Champions (2018)
Individual Reward AUS5 mat t
Mat Rogers
Brains v Brawn
Episode 5
Tribal Reward AUS8 chelsea tAUS8 daini tAUS8 dani t
AUS8 emmett tAUS8 flick tAUS8 gerald t
AUS8 kez tAUS8 shannon tAUS8 simon t
Brawn

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Serdtse Afriki
Episode 11
Individual Immunity RUU1 roman t
Roman Lebedev

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Malaysia
Episode 11
Individual Reward ZAS2 mandla t
Mandla Mbau
Champions
Episode 14
Salvation Duel ZAS5 mark t
Mark Fish

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In Survivor: All-Stars, the three people who won points for Chapera comprised the final three.
  • Only men have won this challenge as an individual challenge.
  • Rob Mariano is the only castaway to compete in this challenge more than once.

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Basket Brawl · Better Homes and Island Living · Beyond the Wheel · Blind Leading the Blind · Blue Lagoon Bustle · Blue Plate Special · Boats, Brains & Brawn · Bone to Pick · Boulder Smash · Bow Diddley · Box Your Mind · Braille Maze · Broken China · Buggin' Out · Build It Up, Break It Down · Butch Cassidy · By Any Means Necessary · By the Numbers · Cage Against the Machine · Can't Buoy Me Love · Cannonball Run · Caught in the Web · Cell Block Sea · Challenge Pitch · Chief's Choice · Chimney Sweep · Chinese Zodiac Symbols · Cling Ons · Choose Your Weapon · Coconut Juice · Crate Escape · Crocodile Rock · Crosswalk · Cube Crisis · Dear Liza · Dive Masters · Dizzy Gillespie · Dizzy Miss Lizzy · Domino Effect · Draggin' the Dragon · Dragging the River · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Game of Bridge · Gatecrasher · Get a Grip · Get Barreled · Get Hooked · Get Your Goat · Gimme Three Steps · Great Escape Run · Hands on a Hard Idol · Hear About It Ladder · Hot Pursuit · House of Cards · House of the Holey · Idol Hands · Jail Break · Jump Shot · Jungle Relay · Kamikaze · Keel Hauling · Keep It Up · Keep on Your Toes · Kenny Log-Ins · Kicking and Screaming · Kitty Litter · Know Your Loved One · Ladder Tree Golf · Last Gasp · Letter Hunt · Lock, Load and Light · Lock Step · Log Jam · Losing Face · Mask Match · Matchmaker · Matt Finish · Mayan Pizza · Memory · Mud Pack · Mud Slide · Muddy Waters · New School · New Tribe Member · Nut Bucket · O-Black Water · Odd Shaped Bottoms · Operation Balance Build · Out on a Limb · Over-Extended · Paddle Battle · Paddle Out · Perch · Pilfering Pirates · Piranha Feast · Pole Dancing · Pot Head · Push Me, Pull You · Puzzle Dig · Q and A · Quest for Fire · Race to Shore · Ram-Ball On · Rescue Mission · Rice Race · Rise and Shrine · Rock Bottom · Rock n' Roll · Rock the Boat · Rod Screw-It · Roll With It · Roller Ball · Rung O Star · Running Down a Dream · Sacrificial Lamb · Schmergen Brawl · Sea Crates · Sea Legs · Sea Salvage · Shipwrecked · Shoot 'n' Shuffle · Shooting Gallery · Shoulder the Load · Simmotion · Slip, Slide & Score · Slither Me Timbers · Smash and Grab · Snag, Drag and Bag · Snake in the Grass · Snake Island Relay · SOS Signal · Spear-it Hunt · Spit It Out · Splash Back · Sprung a Leak · Squared Off · Squatty Probst · Stacked Up · Stairway to Heaven · Stairway to the Stars · Star Man · Station By Station · Step on Up · Stomp-ede · Strung Out · Sumo at Sea · Survivor Auction · Survivor History · Survivor Pentathlon · Survivor Quiz Show · Swahili Scramble · Swing Break · Tangled Up · Temple Transfer · The Ball Drop · The Cruel Sea · The Game is Afoot · The Gauntlet · The Home Stretch · The Maze · The Obstacle Course · This Much · Thrash, Splash & Bash · TLP O-Course · Tomb Raider · Total Recall · Troubled Water · Uncomfortably Numb · United We Stand · Vampire Bats · Vertically Challenged · Vertigo · Wall to Wall · Well Stacked · What-er Drag · When It Rains, It Pours · Wicker Flicker · Will It Go Round · Witch Hunt · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me
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