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Uncomfortably Numb is a recurring endurance challenge in Survivor. The challenge debuted in Survivor: San Juan del Sur and has since re-appeared in Kaôh Rōng, David vs. Goliath, Survivor 41, and Survivor 42.

Rules[]

Each person will balance their feet on a very narrow perch adjusted for their height while holding a handle above their head. If at any point, they let go of the handle or a foot comes off the perch, they are out of the challenge. The last person left standing wins.

In Survivor 41, in order to increase the difficulty of the challenge, there was an additional rule that the person's back must maintain contact with the stand.[1]

History[]

United States[]

The challenge debuted as the final nine Immunity Challenge in San Juan del Sur. In addition to staying on the perch, host Jeff Probst also tempted castaways throughout the challenge to step down in exchange for food. After over three hours, the challenge came down to Natalie Anderson and Reed Kelly. Realizing that she was not going to be able to outlast Reed, Natalie bargained for a large platter of food from Jeff before stepping down, giving Reed immunity.

The challenge re-appeared in Kaôh Rōng as the final ten Immunity Challenge. Early on, Jeff Probst announced that he would only offer food at one point in the challenge, causing several castaways to drop out and take the large platter of food. Eventually, the challenge came down to Cydney Gillon and Tai Trang. After over 40 minutes, Cydney dropped and Tai won immunity.

The challenge appeared in David vs. Goliath, once again as the final ten Immunity Challenge. Before the challenge, Jeff Probst offered the castaways a large plate of nachos, margaritas, and beer in exchange for not competing in the challenge. Angelina Keeley, Carl Boudreaux, and Nick Wilson decided to opt out and take the plate of nachos. After over five and a half hours, the challenge came down to Alec Merlino and Christian Hubicki, the latter of whom employed the strategy of irritating Alec with a prolonged monologue. Despite desperately needing immunity, Alec could not hold on, allowing Christian to win immunity.

The challenge appeared in Survivor 41 as an Immunity Challenge where the Viakana tribe was divided into two teams of five for a Double Elimination that evening. The last person standing on each team would win immunity, and the last person standing overall would win their team reward and the right to vote second. After over 10 minutes, Erika Casupanan beat out Naseer Muttalif to win immunity on the yellow team, but immediately stepped down afterwards, giving reward to the blue team. Xander Hastings then outlasted Deshawn Radden after 33 minutes to win immunity on the blue team.

In Survivor 42, the challenge appeared as the final seven Immunity Challenge in conjunction with the Do or Die twist. The Kula Kula tribe was allowed to sit out to avoid being subjected to a potentially game-ending gamble at Tribal Council; the entire tribe opted out, sans Jonathan Young and Lindsay Dolashewich. After around 12 minutes, Lindsay fell from her perch, giving Jonathan immunity and leaving her fate up in the air at Tribal Council.

Australia[]

The challenge appeared as the Final Immunity Challenge of Heroes v Villains. Set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, the final four stood on a perch with their hands maintaining contact with a handle behind their back at all times. At regular intervals, a winch will be turned, pushing a set of spikes deeper and deeper into the contestants' backs. The challenge came down to a showdown between Liz Parnov and Matt Sharp, both of whom challenged Jonathan LaPaglia to give the winch one final crank, leaving both of them to brave the full 32 cm (12.6 inches) of spikes. After 4 hours and 10 minutes, Matt let go of the handle, giving Liz the win.

France[]

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Heroes v Villains
Episode 24
Individual Immunity
(Final Immunity)
AUS10 liz t
Liz Parnov

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Palawan
Episode 10
Individual Immunity FRS7 jade t
Jade Handi
La Revanche des Héros
Episode 1
Sudden-Death Challenge None
There is no winner, the challenge stops when a castaway falls first.
Fabienne Lefebvre-Trehoux is eliminated.
Les 4 Terres
Episode 5
Individual Reward FRS25 alix t
Alix Noblat
FRS25 bertrandkamal t
Bertrand-Kamal Loudrhiri

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • This challenge's name is a reference to the song Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.
  • All five times this challenge appeared:
  • Despite food being offered each of the first four times this challenge appeared, it has been done a different way each time:
    • In San Juan del Sur, host Jeff Probst tempted the castaways with food throughout the challenge.
    • In Kaôh Rōng, Probst announced that he would only tempt the castaways with food once at an early point in the challenge.
    • In David vs. Goliath, Probst offered food to the castaways before the challenge, provided that they sit out and give up their shot at immunity.
    • Though no food temptations were offered in Survivor 41, food was provided as a team reward to be claimed following the challenge.
  • Survivor 42 is the first time that no food was offered in any form during the challenge. Instead, a disincentive in the form of the Do or Die twist was introduced to discourage players from competing in the challenge.
  • Erika Casupanan is the only woman to win this challenge individually.

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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