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Operation Balance Build is a recurring challenge of Survivor. It debuted in One World, and has since reappeared in Blood vs. Water, Millennials vs. Gen X, and Survivor 43.

Rules[]

The castaways have to attach a small wooden bowl to a prong at the end of a long pole to maneuver it through a metal structure that sits on a spring. Once they have the piece through the structure, they have to sit it at the top of their stack. The first castaway to stack all their bowls on top each other, or have the most bowls stacked by the end of a specified time limit win.

History[]

United States[]

In One World, the challenge was used as the Final Immunity Challenge, where Kim Spradlin beat Chelsea Meissner, Christina Cha, and Sabrina Thompson to win immunity.

In Blood vs. Water, the challenge was the first Redemption Island duel, between Candice Cody, Marissa Peterson, and Rupert Boneham. Candice and Rupert were close to finishing the duel when Rupert's stack toppled over. Candice cruised to finishing first, while Rupert was unable to recover, allowing Marissa to continue on.

In Millennials vs. Gen X, the challenge was once again used as the Final Immunity Challenge. After thirty minutes had elapsed, both Hannah Shapiro and Ken McNickle had ten bowls stacked. After a five-minute showdown, Ken managed to get seven bowls to Hannah's six, giving him the final immunity and a seat at the Final Tribal Council.

The challenge reappeared as the Final Immunity Challenge in Survivor 43. Mike Gabler lost his early lead when a gust of wind knocked over his tower, leaving Cassidy Clark and Owen Knight to compete for the win. With two bowls to go, Owen's tower tipped over, opening the window for Cassidy to complete her stack of fifteen bowls to win a seat at Final Tribal Council.

Australia[]

South Africa[]

The challenge was played for immunity at the final five of Philippines, where the Araw tribe was challenged to stack ten bowls on their structures. The challenge came down to a race between Tom Swartz and Werner Joubert to stack their last bowl; at the last moment, Werner's stack fell, giving Tom his second win.

Winners[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Even though three castaways have been in two seasons where this challenge occurred, none of them have ever competed in this challenge.
  • Ken McNickle is the only man to win this challenge.

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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