The Amazing Race Asia 2


The second season of The Amazing Race Asia is a reality television game show based on the American series, The Amazing Race. The second season of the show features ten teams of two with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win US$100,000.
This season premiered on 22 November 2007 at 9PM and ended on 14 February 2008 at 9PM.
Singaporean gym buddies Adrian Yap and Collin Low were the winners of this Race.

Production

Development and filming

The second season of The Amazing Race Asia covered in 24 days racing across 4 continents, including the first time an Amazing Race franchise visited the Czech Republic, a nation that had not been visited by the original version at the time of air. The show adopted newer rules from the original American version, such as the non-elimination penalty where the team who checked in last must make it to first place in the next leg or else incur the 30 minute penalty. Production made the Race more competitive by imposing more self-driving and reducing the chance of teams being bunched up on the same airplane flight.
This season had two different penalties for coming in last on a non-elimination leg. Edwin & Monica were marked for elimination for coming in last on the first leg, and Henry & Terri were stripped of all their money and had to begin the next leg with no money after coming in last on the seventh leg. Racers were not told that the original non-elimination penalty was still applicable. This twist led to an argument between Henry and host Allan Wu at the Seoul Pit Stop, when the former was unwilling to give up his team's money. In the following leg, the penalty reverted to the 'marked for elimination' penalty after Terri & Henry finished last consecutively.

Cast

This season featured 10 teams chosen from 2500 applicants, including racers from the original American series. Final applications were accepted 13 April 2007. This season was also open to the Japanese, who were ineligible for Season 1. Final interviews were held sometime in April or May 2007. Filming took place sometime in June or July 2007.
This season's cast included reunited siblings, childhood friends, and dating couples. Notably, Adrian is the first hearing-impaired contestant in Amazing Race history. It also featured a large number of local media personalities or their relatives. Monica Lo represented Toronto, Ontario, Canada and won the 1997 Miss Chinese International Pageant, while Paula Taylor is a Channel V|Channel VJ. Vanessa & Pamela are the sisters of famous Malaysian singer Vince Chong. Kinaryosih is a famous Indonesian movie actress and model, who has also won a Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006. Sophie is a filmmaker for the Discovery Channel, as well as a correspondent for the Asian Film Festival. Marc Saw Nelson is a model and host of the Philippine sports show Sports Unlimited, while Rovilson Fernandez is a host for another similar show, Gameplan and an editor for Maxim Philippines.
This season features three non-Asians. One is Henry, a former US Navy Petty Officer, who raced with his Filipina wife Trinidad. The other is Aurelia, a Frenchwoman residing in Hong Kong who raced with her Singaporean ex-housemate Sophie, while Brett is of Australian nationality.
Henry Reed died on May 21, 2013 at the age of 53.
Marc & Rovilson winning eight legs of this Race was, at the time, a record set for winning the most legs in a single season, which would later be matched by the winning team Rachel & Dave of twentieth season of the original American version and Tom & Tyler from the fourth season of the Australian version.

Future appearances

Paula Taylor appeared on the first leg of The Amazing Race Asia 3 as a Pit Stop greeter in Chiang Mai.

Marketing

The second season of the show had six official sponsors: Aviva, Caltex, Nokia Nseries, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific, Bintan Lagoon Resort, and Standard Chartered Bank. The sponsors played a major role in the series by providing prizes and integrating their products into various tasks. Two special episodes acted as bookends for this season; the first subtitled "Racers Revealed" was shown three weeks before the season premiere while the second, "Memories" aired one week after the season finale. The former contained racer introductions and production insight into the casting process. The latter featured the racers sharing their favorite memories and highlights of the Race, similar to that of Season 1.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Edwin & Monica, Terri & Henry and Paula & Natasha had been respectively 'marked for elimination'; however, since the teams checked-in last, each teams were eliminated without issuing the 30-minute penalty.
  2. Brett & Kinaryosih were unable to complete the Detour on Leg 3, since they arrived at the North Shore Rowing Club after business hours - they backed out of the Wall Detour. After all the remaining teams had checked in, they were instead instructed to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination.
  3. Sophie & Aurelia were unable to complete both the Roadblock and Detour since they arrived at Okere Falls after closing down for the day. After all teams had checked in, Allan came to the location to inform them of their elimination.
  4. ^ For unknown reasons on the subsequent leg, the starting placements of Terri & Henry and Vanessa & Pamela were switched, resulting in Terri & Henry and Vanessa & Pamela starting in 6th and 7th place, respectively.
  5. Leg 5 is a double-length leg. It featured a Virtual Pit Stop, and had two Detours and two Roadblocks shown over two episodes.
  6. Terri & Henry used their Yield power on Marc & Rovilson; however, they had already passed the Yield point and were therefore unaffected by it.
  7. ^ For unknown reasons on the subsequent leg, the starting placements of Paula & Natasha and Ann & Diane were switched, resulting in Paula & Natasha and Ann & Diane starting in 4th and 5th place, respectively.
  8. ^ Adrian & Collin and Vanessa & Pamela initially arrived 1st and 3rd, respectively, but they did not park their vehicles at the designated parking zones and entered through the wrong gates, and they were told to backtrack and correct those mistakes. This did not affect either teams' placements.

    Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete a leg.
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
  1. "I'm A Box of Chocolate" – Terri
  2. "This Is The Fun Bus" – Rovilson
  3. "I Don't Think I Wanna Be Rich" – Henry
  4. "It's A Really Tough Way To End" – Sophie
  5. "Sometimes It's Right In Your Face" – Natasha
  6. "We Choose To Yield Magnum, P.I." – Henry
  7. "Did That Hit Your Head?" – Paula
  8. "Can You Send Them To Spain" – Rovilson
  9. "So We're Going To The Pit Stop?" – Vanessa
  10. "Apparently Driving Like A Looney Over Here Is Fine For Them" – Diane
  11. "This Is Embarrassing, There's A Guy Running Faster Than Us" – Marc
  12. "I Haven't Seen So Much Dung In My Life" – Collin
  13. "This Is Such An Amazing, Amazing Experience That No One Should Miss" – Collin

    Race summary

Leg 1 (Singapore → Philippines)

Airdate: 22 November 2007
The first Detour of the Race was a choice between Dare or Stair. In Dare, teams had to take an elevator to the 45th-storey of Suntec Tower 3 and then Tyrolean traverse across to the adjacent Tower 4 while suspended above the ground before receiving their next clue. In Stair, teams had to climb up 45 floors to the rooftop of Tower 3 and then descend and head to Tower 4 and again climb up 45 floors before receiving their next clue.
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Airdate: 29 November 2007
In the first Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to choose a carabao and then lead it around a muddy field to plow it in a figure eight direction. Their path was marked by posts and Race flags, and teams had to lead their carabao back to where they started in the correct direction to receive their next clue. Teams were taught beforehand some common vocal commands to help control their carabao. Team members could ask for help but would have to return to the starting line.
The Detour on this leg was a choice between Heel or Wheel. In Heel, teams had to match 250 pairs of shoes from a messy pile to receive their next clue from a shopkeeper. In Wheel, teams had to choose a work station and fully assemble a bicycle with just the equipment and parts provided to get their next clue.
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Airdate: 6 December 2007
In this Roadblock, one team member had to perform a bungee jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge to receive their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between two adventure sports, Wall or Waka. In Wall, teams had to head to the Birkenhead Leisure Centre, where each team member had to climb the rock wall once to retrieve one flag each. Then, one team member had to climb the wall again to grab their next clue. In Waka, teams had to go to Lake Pupuke and paddle a traditional waka boat around the lake to collect three flags and then return to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 13 December 2007
In this Roadblock, one team member had to enter the Hell's Gate mud bath, which contains sulphur pools at temperatures of, and search for a stick, which they could exchange for their next clue.
The Detour was a choice between Flax or Stick. In Flax, teams had to weave traditional Māori headbands called a tipare out of flax plants to the satisfaction of the demonstrators to receive their next clue. In Stick, teams had to master a traditional Māori stick game called the titi torea in which team members had to pass specially carved sticks to each other in a particular rhythm without dropping the sticks to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 20 December 2007
This leg's first Detour was a choice between You Catch It or You Cart It. In You Catch It, teams had to participate in the traditional game of goldfish scooping by using paddles made of rice paper, which disintegrate very easily when immersed in water, to scoop up 40 goldfish and receive their next clue. In You Cart It, teams had to locate Dry Cleaner 24 and collect a yukata, which they had to deliver to Kimono Rental AKI to receive their next clue.
In the first Roadblock of this leg, one team member had to enter the Icebar Tokyo and decipher an ice block puzzle by arranging lettered ice blocks to form the name of one of the biggest cities in Japan to receive their next clue.
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, teams visited Nurimaru House, the location of the 2005 APEC Summit.
Airdate: 27 December 2007
The second Detour on this leg was a choice between Slither or Deliver. In Slither, teams had to find a marked fish tank filled with octopus at the Jagalchi Fish Market. Each team member then had to retrieve one 100-year-old Korean coin from the bottom of the tank before receiving their next clue. In Deliver, teams had to deliver two meals each on their heads to three different addresses to receive their next clue.
In the second Roadblock of this leg, teams had to find a gatekeeper at Yongdusan Park. Then, one team member had to then use a key to open one of the locks to receive their next clue from the gatekeeper. Racers would have to start over if they broke their key.
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Airdate: 3 January 2008
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search under the lids of 1,500 soybean jars until they found one containing their next clue. In addition, one of the jars contained the clue plus a 50 bonus from Standard Chartered.
The Detour on this leg was a choice between Too Ho and Too Heavy. In Too Ho, teams had to play a traditional Korean game where they had to throw three bamboo stickets into a cylinder away to receive their next clue. In Too Heavy, teams had to deliver 30 logs using a jige to a woman in the village before receiving their next clue.
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Airdate: 10 January 2008
In this Roadblock, one team member had to don a full suit of knight's armour and then look for a "damsel in distress", who was standing on a balcony at the Hotel U Prince. Once team members found her, they had to tie a key to a rope which the "damsel" would exchange for their next clue.
The Detour on this leg was a choice between Blow or Bow. In Blow, teams had to travel to Rückl Crystal, where each team member had to carve a star design on the bottom of a glass cup to receive their next clue. In Bow, each team member had to hit a red-and-yellow coloured target using a traditional crossbow to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 17 January 2008
The Detour on this leg for the Intersected teams was a choice between Snap or Roll. In Snap, the Intersected teams had to take photos of three historic monuments using a Sony Cyber-shot camera and show these photographs to the personnel positioned in front of the Statue of Josef Mánes to receive their next clue. In Roll, the Intersected teams had to locate Hostinec U Váhy, collect two beer kegs, and roll them over to the Admiral Botel to receive their next clue. After finishing the Detour, teams were longer Intersected.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to climb up to the high diving platform and jump into the pool to retrieve their next clue.
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Airdate: 24 January 2008
The Detour on this leg was a choice between Pitch or Pull. In Pitch, teams had to load a large pile of hay into a horse-drawn cart and then deliver it to a farmer to receive their clue. In Pull, teams had to milk a goat and obtain of milk. After milking the goat, teams had to place her in a holding pen before delivering the milk to a farmer to receive their next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to ride ten sections of a flying fox course and add up several numbers found around the course to the correct total of 1,000 to receive their next clue. Only one racer could ride the flying fox at a time, and they would have to go to the back of any line formed by other racers if they gave an incorrect answer.
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Airdate: 31 January 2008
In the only Fast Forward of the Race, teams had to count the number of vertical bars on Elisabeth Bridge and then use the number obtained to open a safe with the 4-digit figure of fence posts. The first team to open the safe would win the Fast Forward award.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to take a lantern and search through the dark and confusing labyrinth of tunnels beneath Buda Castle to search for the one out of several chests that contained their next clue.
The Detour on this leg was a choice between Say It or Play It. In Say It, teams had to correctly pronounce, in a Hungarian accent, the names of fourteen prominent Hungarian rulers listed on the square's colonnade to receive their next clue. In Play It, teams had to solve a Rubik's Cube, but were given the option to solve one colour at a time for each of six sides and alternating between team members, to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 7 February 2008
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to race eight laps around the Killarney racing circuit on a open-wheel race car to receive their next clue from a race official. After four laps, they had to enter the pit area for a mandatory tune-up and if the team members entered it after seven minutes, they would incur a five-minute penalty.
The Detour on this leg was a choice between In One End or Out The Other. In One End, teams had to prepare of food and feed it to the elephants to receive their next clue. In Out The Other, teams had to clear an elephant enclosure of dung and move it a marked area, using only the tools provided, to receive their next clue from a ranger.
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Airdate: 14 February 2008
The final Detour of the Race was a choice between Search or Assemble. In Search, teams had to go The Scratch Patch and search amongst thousands of semi-precious gemstones for three Race stones, which were yellow in colour with a red dot, that they could exchange for their next clue. In Assemble, teams had to go to Master Wire and Bead Craft and assemble a wire art radio using the tools provided to receive their next clue.
For the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member had pick out the 10 flags out of a basket of 15 representing the countries they visited on the Race, with the flags of Australia, Indonesia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, and Vanuatu as decoys, and arrange them in a circle and in chronological order. The correct order was:
CountrySingaporePhilippinesHong KongNew ZealandJapanSouth KoreaGermanyCzech RepublicHungarySouth Africa
Flag

Once team members got the correct order of correct flags, they could retrieve the final clue.
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