The Obstacle Course (also known as Double Play, Wicker Ball Relay, Rats in the Rigging, Big Bad O-Course, Pitfalls and Pitstops, Balance Beam Maze, Dragon Slayer, Tower of Power, Battle of Evermore, High Deck Matsui, Fifth Element, Suzi Quatro, and Sir Mix a Lot) is a recurring physical challenge that debuted in Survivor: Borneo.
Rules[]
Castaways must race through a series of physical and mental obstacles. The first tribe, team, or individual to complete the course wins.
History[]
United States[]
The challenge was first used as a tribal Immunity Challenge in Borneo, with each tribe having two pairs racing through obstacles. The first pair must run the first half of the course before meeting up with the second pair at an obstacle called the "blown bridge". Once they reach the other side, all four members must run the second half of the course to the finish line. In a close race, Tagi held a narrow lead throughout the challenge, crossing the finish line seconds before Pagong, sending Pagong to Tribal Council.
The challenge reappeared in The Australian Outback where the final eight were required to split up into pairs consisting of one man and one woman in a Reward Challenge. Two pairs would face off in each heat, with the winners of each heat then facing each other in a final heat. In the final heat, the more physical team of Colby Donaldson and Jerri Manthey maintained a lead from the pair of Amber Brkich and Keith Famie, holding onto it to win reward.
In Africa, the castaways are again teamed up in four pairs of two. Like in The Australian Outback, the winners of the first two heats would face off in the final round. In the final round, the unlikely pair of Brandon Quinton and Frank Garrison defeated the pair of Ethan Zohn and Kim Johnson to win reward.
In Thailand, the final eight were divided into pairs and run the course in two separate heats, with the winning team in each heat again facing off in the final round. However, the winning pair would then face each other in a puzzle. In the end, the team of Brian Heidik and Helen Glover came out on top, with Brian besting Helen in the puzzle to win reward.
In Pearl Islands, the challenge took place at the wreck of an old Spanish galleon. The castaways again ran in pairs, with the winning pair in each heat moving on to the final round. In the final round, each pair would have to run the same course, but now collect bags of puzzle pieces along the way, then use the pieces to solve a puzzle. The team of Burton Roberts and Lillian Morris defeated the team of Jon Dalton and Rupert Boneham in the final round to win reward.
In All-Stars, the challenge was used as both a Reward and an Immunity Challenge. In the first part, the castaways would compete in an obstacle course in two teams of four, with the winning team earning the right to compete for immunity. In the obstacle course, the team of Jenna Lewis, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Rupert Boneham, and Tom Buchanan fell behind early when Rupert and Tom had difficulty crossing the balance beam, allowing the team of Alicia Calaway, Amber Brkich, Rob Mariano, and Shii Ann Huang to pull ahead and win reward. In the second part, Rob M. defeated the other three in a slide puzzle to win immunity.
In One World, it was used as the final five Immunity Challenge, where the castaways had to open a gate stuck by knots, cross a maze, and pick up bags of puzzle pieces strung on a net. After assembling the puzzle, they must decipher clues that would give them three numbers. They must then climb up a platform, use the three numbers to unlock a key and raise the flag. In a tight race, Kim Spradlin raised her flag before Alicia Rosa and Chelsea Meissner to win immunity.
In Philippines, the final four competed for a Challenge Advantage in the Final Immunity Challenge. The Dangrayne tribe had to run through a series of obstacles and collect three bags of puzzle pieces, which they will use to solve a hanging layered dragon puzzle. Malcolm Freberg won the challenge and the advantage.
In Millennials vs. Gen X, the challenge was used as the final six Reward/Immunity Challenge in which the castaways had to race through an obstacle course while collecting bags of number tiles which they would use to solve a combination lock and release a key. The key would unlock a set of puzzle pieces which they must use to solve a hanging bat puzzle. Jay Starrett took the early lead, but made a critical error in not covering his combination lock, allowing everyone to copy him. The copying continued at the bat puzzle, in which David Wright surged ahead to win immunity.
The Tower of Power format used in Millennials vs. Gen X was reused as the final six Immunity Challenge in Survivor 43. Cassidy Clark won the challenge.
In Survivor 46, the final five had to go through a net crawl and a rope tunnel before scaling a tower to solve a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle would reveal a series of instructions directing each player to count the number of geckos on the puzzle, the number of puzzle pieces, and the number of holes in a plank used in a previous obstacle. Kenzie Petty was the first person to solve the puzzle, but was blindsided by the counting task. Sharing a common interest in voting out Maria Shrime Gonzalez, Liz Wilcox swooped in to help Kenzie retrieve her plank to assist her in counting. The teamwork succeeded, allowing Kenzie to win her second Immunity Challenge and a pasta meal at the sanctuary.
A modified version of the Tower of Power format appeared as the Final Immunity Challenge of Survivor 47. The final four had to complete an obstacle course and collect a bag of letter tiles, which they would use to spell a word they would input into a combination lock. Once they put in the word "UNLOCK", they would release a machete that they would use to chop a rope, releasing a ladder for them to scale to the puzzle station. Sam Phalen was the first person to make it to the puzzle, but Rachel LaMont surged ahead, finishing the bat puzzle to win her record-matching fourth immunity win.
In Survivor 48, the final five had to run up and down a net A-frame, they would then crawl through a twisted rope tunnel, before throwing a ball into a chute, after this they would push the ball and some sandbags through a net tunnel, once the ball was free, they would throw the ball into a basket that would reveal a string of numbers to input into a combination lock that would release a key which would unlock pieces to solve a flame puzzle. A Challenge Advantage found by Eva Erickson meant she did not have to throw the ball into the basket, and automatically received her string of numbers. Despite being in last place throughout the physical portions of the challenge, Kamilla Karthigesu used her aptitude with puzzles to overtake the competition and win her second immunity challenge.
The Survivor 47 variant was featured as an option against Pinball Wizard and Simmotion in the second fan poll for In the Hands of the Fans to determine which challenge would become the Final Immunity Challenge. The results are set to be revealed when the episode airs.
Australia[]
The challenge appeared at the final four of Heroes v Villains. That night, the final four would vote to eliminate a jury member; the winner of the challenge would have an extra vote in this decision at Tribal Council. The final four would first race through the water to collect a bag of two balls. Once on shore, they would throw both balls and attempt to land them on an overhead chute before proceeding to crawl underneath a net obstacle. They would then piece together a vertical block puzzle, after which they would race up a tower and toss sandbags, attempting to land a sandbag on each of five perches. Matt Sharp gained a lead at the ball toss that he never relinquished, thus winning the extra vote.
The challenge appeared as an individual Immunity Challenge at the final nine of Brains v Brawn II, where the castaways had to complete three continuous stages with limited spots available for each stage. The first stage consisted of players rolling a barrel across a track, placing it upright and then landing three sandbags onto the barrel. The first five to complete this would advance to stage two. Karin Gunatilake, Kate Gloufchis, Myles Kuah, and Zara Callianiotis were eliminated after stage one. Stage two consisted of throwing a monkey's fist to the other end of a balance beam and using the rope to balance their way across before climbing a large A-frame to reach one of three puzzle stations. The first three to complete this would advance to the final stage. Kristin Alston and Logan Johannisen were eliminated. The final stage required the finalists to complete a Survivor logo jigsaw puzzle. Kaelan Lockhart's overall lead gained through the challenge allowed him to easily beat AJ Antonios and Morgan Mitchell for his third immunity win.
France[]
Mexico (Unofficial)[]
It was used as a Final Challenge in La Isla 2012. Everyone was tied to one singular rope, and had to cross the obstacles and balance beams that way. In two of the checkpoints, there were chests containing knives, and they'd use the first one to cut the rope, splitting themselves into two groups, and the second one to split both trios up. Celebridades and Famosos competed in the challenge, and Famosos etched out the win by mere seconds.
South Africa[]
At the final four of Santa Carolina, the contestants had to cross an extensive obstacle course to reach a puzzle station, where the first person to solve their block puzzle would win immunity. Ashley Hayden and Sade Giliberti held the lead for most of the challenge, and Ashley completed her puzzle first to win her fourth straight Immunity Challenge.
The challenge appeared as the first Reward Challenge following the unification of the tribes in Maldives. Raituhn held a consistent lead over Goma and won the challenge.
Winners[]
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Blood v Water Episode 22 |
Individual Immunity |  Josh Millgate |
| Heroes v Villains Episode 23 |
Individual Reward |  Matt Sharp |
| Brains v Brawn II "Operation: Shut Your Pie Hole" |
Individual Immunity |  Kaelan Lockhart |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| La Isla 2012 Cycle 1, Episode 3 |
Tribal Immunity |       Famosos (2012) |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Carolina Episode 13 |
Individual Immunity |  Ashley Hayden |
| Maldives Episode 2 |
Tribal Reward |          Raituhn |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- David Wright and Malcolm Freberg are the only people who have won this challenge individually but not make the Final Tribal Council.
- Jenna Lewis, Amber Mariano, Tom Buchanan, and Rupert Boneham have competed in this challenge in multiple seasons.
- Amber has won once, while Jenna, Rupert, and Tom have never won this challenge.
References[]