Survivor Wiki
Survivor Wiki

This article is about the challenge. For the episode of the same name, see "Sumo at Sea".

Sumo at Sea (also known as Kung Fu Cannibals, Sumo in Mud, Water Pillow Fight, Mud Sumo Wrestling, and Sumo-ans) is a recurring challenge that originated in Survivor: Palau and was used in later seasons.

Rules[]

One member from each tribe faces off on a platform surrounded by either water (Palau, Blood vs. Water, and San Juan del Sur) or mud (Fiji and Heroes vs. Villains). Using their padded bags, or any other body part other than their hands, they must try to knock each other off the platform. Doing so would score their tribe a point. The first tribe to reach a certain number of points would win.

History[]

United States[]

In Palau, its debut season, Koror narrowly managed to beat out Ulong for immunity.

The challenge reappeared as a Reward Challenge in Fiji. Moto won, taking home fishing gear, toiletries, coffee, and potatoes.

The Heroes won this challenge in Heroes vs. Villains in a blowout 8-0 victory. In addition to immunity, the tribe also won rice, sugar, coffee, and the tribe's luxury items.

The challenge appeared once again in Blood vs. Water. Although Tadhana started off strong, Galang managed to make a comeback and ended up winning their third Immunity Challenge.

The challenge appeared again in San Juan del Sur as the second Immunity Challenge. The two tribes were very evenly matched, and Kelley Wentworth avenged her loss to Jaclyn Schultz in the first round by defeating her in the final round, securing immunity for Hunahpu for the second straight time.

During the airing of Survivor 48, Jeff Probst clarified in his On Fire podcast that combat-oriented challenges like Sumo at Sea were retired from the roster of Survivor challenges.[1]

Australia[]

Mexico (Unofficial)[]

The challenge was used as a Final Challenge in La Isla 2012, where the tribes played surrounded by water, and the first tribe to reach six points would win. The Celebridades tribe had a blowout victory, not letting the Famosos tribe score a single point.

New Zealand[]

Quebec[]

Russia (Unofficial)[]

In Serdtse Afriki, the challenge was used for immunity. During the challenge, Roman Lebedev doesn't let Dmitry Makarov get up, and Dmitry pushes Roman off the platform with his hands, both of which were against the rules. Ultimately, Sand claims immunity once again.

South Africa[]

In Santa Carolina, the tribes had to elect one member to represent them in the challenge, where the opponents would attempt to push each other off a balance beam using one of three stick weapons. Chibudu selected Okkert Brits, while Timbila selected Izak Davel. Although Izak won the first round, Okkert won the next three rounds to clinch an assortment of groceries for his tribe.

Spain[]

This was used as a reward challenge on Supervivientes 2024, in which four members of each tribe played the four from the other. Miri Pérez-Cabrero lost narrowly to Blanca Manchón; Gorka Ibarguren beat Mario González after a restart; and Arantxa del Sol beat Rocío Madrid. Carmen Borrego withdrew from the last challenge to hand the Red Team the win. The prize was meatballs with spaghetti.[2]

Sweden[]

United Kingdom[]

The challenge was used as the fifth tribal Reward Challenge of Survivor U.K. (2023), where the first tribe to score four points won camp comforts and hot chocolate. The rival Caletón and La Nena tribes were even heading into the seventh and final round, where Caletón's Rachel Golding faced off against La Nena's Christopher Haul. However, an unintentional headbutt caused both competitors to sustain injuries, prompting the Medical Team to step in and host Joel Dommett to cancel the challenge without a winner declared. Joel later showed up to both tribes with an even share of the reward.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Palau
"Sumo at Sea"
Tribal Immunity


Koror
Fiji
"Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None"
Tribal Reward

Moto
Heroes vs. Villains
"That Girl Is Like a Virus"
Tribal Reward/Immunity

Heroes
Blood vs. Water
"Opening Pandora's Box"
Tribal Reward/Immunity

Galang
San Juan del Sur
"Method to This Madness"
Tribal Immunity


Hunahpu

Episode Challenge Type Winners
La Isla 2012
Cycle 3, Episode 11
Tribal Immunity

Celebridades (2012)

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Thailand
Episode 4
Tribal Reward


Khangkhaw

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Survivor Québec 1
Episode 5
Tribal Immunity


Kalooban

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Serdtse Afriki
Episode 2
Tribal Immunity


Sand

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Santa Carolina
Episode 3
Tribal Reward
(Hero Challenge)


Chibudu
Maldives
Episode 1
Team Reward
Jacques, MXO, Roxy, Vanessa

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Supervivientes 2024
Supervivientes 2024
Tribal Reward

Red Tribe (Supervivientes 2024)

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Robinson 2023
Episode 22
Individual Reward
Erik Wahrolén

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Survivor U.K. (2023)
Episode 5
Tribal Reward None
Challenge canceled due to injury

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Tom Westman and Tyson Apostol are the only people to participate in this challenge twice.
    • However, Tom is the only person to be on the winning tribe of this challenge twice since Tyson only won it in his second attempt (despite Tyson losing his individual matchup).
    • Both competed in a variation with water and mud.
  • The occurrence of this challenge in Survivor: San Juan del Sur marks the first time a challenge has ever taken place in the ocean in seasons filmed in Nicaragua.
  • Tyson Apostol and Baylor Wilson have both been injured as a result of this challenge.
  • According to challenge producer John Kirhoffer, the matches are usually two out of three instead of one single bout.[3]

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Arch Madness · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Barreling Along · 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 · 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 · Driving Wheel · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Feel the Earn · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Full Tilt Boogey · 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 · Invertigo · 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 · Spoon Man · 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 · Super Ramp · 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 · Wizard's Staff · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me