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The Ball Drop (also known as Balance On The Line) is a recurring endurance and balance challenge that originated in Survivor: Micronesia, and has since reappeared in Philippines, Ghost Island, and Survivor 41.

Rules[]

Each castaway must balance a small metal ball on a wooden cylinder, while holding the center cylinder in place with two wooden handles. The cylinder itself is divided into nine sections, with the single, center cylinder making up the first stage. At predetermined intervals, new pieces of the wooden rod will be added on either end, making it harder to balance the ball on the center cylinder, until all nine sections have been added, making a total of five stages. The castaway who balances their ball the longest wins.

History[]

United States[]

The challenge debuted in Micronesia as the Final Immunity Challenge. Parvati Shallow dropped out first, leaving Amanda Kimmel and Cirie Fields to battle it out until the final stage. Ultimately, Amanda outlasted Cirie to win immunity.

In Philippines, the challenge was used as the Final Immunity Challenge. Prior to the challenge, Malcolm Freberg won a Challenge Advantage that allowed him to re-enter the challenge the first time his ball dropped. However, he was still the first contestant out of the challenge. The challenge lasted until the fourth stage, with Michael Skupin ultimately beating out Lisa Whelchel to win immunity.

In Ghost Island, Wendell Holland received the same advantage from Ghost Island that Malcolm Freberg had in Philippines. Notably, the challenge started on the third level, with five cylinders to balance. Despite his advantage, Wendell still failed to win the challenge, which came down to Domenick Abbate and Donathan Hurley on the final stage. Domenick outlasted Donathan to win immunity.

In Survivor 41, castaways could choose to sit out or participate in the challenge with the stipulation that, if they drop out first, they would face a Do or Die challenge at Tribal Council. The challenge started on the second level, with three cylinders in place. Deshawn Radden almost immediately dropped out first and had to participate in the Do or Die challenge. At the final stage, Ricard Foyé and Xander Hastings dropped their balls half a second apart, giving Danny McCray immunity.

New Zealand[]

South Africa[]

The challenge appeared at the final five of Santa Carolina. This challenge only ran for a single stage, as the members of Kululama attempted to outlast each other in holding a cannonball sandwiched between two stakes. Ashley Hayden won her third consecutive individual Immunity Challenge.

The challenge appeared as the Final Immunity Challenge of Island of Secrets. Laetitia Le Roux was the first person to drop out after reaching the second stage of the challenge. Shortly after the third stage began, Durão Mariano became the second person to drop out. Finally, Nicole Capper dropped her ball, giving Rob Bentele his record-matching fifth individual immunity win.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Micronesia
"Stir the Pot!"
Individual Immunity
(Final Immunity)
S16 amanda t
Amanda Kimmel
Philippines
"Million Dollar Question"
Individual Immunity
(Final Immunity)
S25 michael t
Michael Skupin
Ghost Island
"A Giant Game of Bumper Cars"
Individual Immunity S36 domenick t
Domenick Abbate
Survivor 41
"Do or Die"
Individual Immunity S41 danny t
Danny McCray

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Thailand
Episode 3
Individual Reward
(Outpost Duel)
NZS2 kaysha t
Kaysha Whakarau

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Santa Carolina
Episode 12
Individual Immunity ZAS3 ashley t
Ashley Hayden
Island of Secrets
"Action Speaks Louder"
Individual Immunity
(Final Immunity)
ZAS7 rob t
Rob Bentele

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • At the Philippines Reunion, Malcolm Freberg referred to the first time the challenge was used in Micronesia by saying that Parvati Shallow won the challenge. He was wrong, as the challenge was actually won by Amanda Kimmel.
  • Philippines is the only time this challenge did not reach its fifth and final stage, with a winner being decided by the fourth stage when there were only a total of seven cylinders to balance.
  • Amanda Kimmel is currently the only woman to win this challenge.
  • Danny McCray is the only person to win this challenge to not make it to Final Tribal Council.

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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