The Amazing Race Asia 1

Infobox Television Amazing Race
show_name = The Amazing Race Asia 1
caption = The Amazing Race Asia logo


first_aired = 2006-11-09
last_aired = 2007-02-01
filming_started = late May, 2006
filming_ended = late June, 2006
num_episodes = 13
countries_visited = 8
continents_visited = 2
cities_visited = 17
winning_team = Zabrina & Joe Jer
km_traveled = 36000
number_legs = 12
previous_season =
next_season = The Amazing Race Asia 2

"The Amazing Race Asia 1" is the first season of the reality television game show "The Amazing Race Asia". The show features ten teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around Asia and Pacific Rim to win US$100,000. Applications were accepted through March 31, 2006 and filming began in late May and ended in late June 2006. [cite web|url=http://www.axn-asia.com/buzzsites/the_amazing_race_asia/host-announcement.html |title=AXN unveils the identity of the reality show's host and regional sponsors as production reaches a new milestone |accessdate=2006-10-06] The season began on November 9, 2006 and the season finale aired on February 1, 2007.

Production

Development and filming

In October 2005, Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific and Sony Pictures Television International's AXN Asia announced that it had earned the right to produce the first localized production of "The Amazing Race".cite web|url=http://www.thailand4.com/news/2005-10-19/1054-the-amazing-race-format-makes-a-pit-stop-in/ |title= "The Amazing Race Format makes a pit stop in ASIA PACIFIC"|publisher= Thailand News and Press Releases|Date=2006-10-19|accessdate=2008-03-04] AXN Asia, which airs the original American series, had received many written requests for an Asian production from local viewers.

Casting

In July 2006, Singaporean television personality Allan Wu was introduced as the host of "The Amazing Race Asia".cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/story/180 |title="And the Host of The Amazing Race Asia is..."|publisher=The Amazing Race Asia|date=2006-07-04|accessdate=2007-02-23] Ricky Ow, General Manager of SPE Networks Asia described Wu as " a big fan of "The Amazing Race" and felt that "his good looks and natural charisma will offer a different appeal from the US version."

Over 1000 teams across Asian applied for the series, with registration accepted through March 31, 2006.cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/story/139 |title="Over 1000 teams apply for The Amazing Race Asia"|publisher=The Amazing Race Asia|date=2006-04-10|accessdate=2007-02-24] Ultimately, ten teams were selected to participate in the race; the cast included expatriates in Thailand and Hong Kong and Indian models.cite web|url=http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/story/238 |title="Asia Is Waiting - Teams Revealed!"|publisher=The Amazing Race Asia|date=2006-09-25|accessdate=2007-02-24] Host Allan Wu commented that "the producers definitely took the time and did their homework to select the most diverse, entertaining, and controversial batch of contestants for our first season."

Marketing

"The Amazing Race Asia 1" was supported by the following regional sponsors: Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, AirAsia, Caltex, MSN, Nokia, and Bintan Lagoon Resort. Ford was a local sponsor, while the series was also supported by the Malaysian Tourism and Promotion Board. The sponsors played a major role in the series by providing prizes and integrating their products into various tasks. In addition, AirAsia was the sole airline used by racers, while Bintan Lagoon Resort was the sequester location for eliminated teams.cite web|url=http://web.bintanlagoon.com/press/BLR%20Partners%20Amazing%20Race%20Asia.pdf |title="BINTAN LAGOON RESORT OFFICIAL HOSPITALITY PARTNER FOR AMAZING RACE"|publisher=Bintan Lagoon Resort|date=July 2006|accessdate=2007-02-23]

To introduce the new series to an Asian audience, a promotional tour visited Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Delhi prior to the series premiere. An additional episode, subtitled "Memories" was an after-race interview special that aired one week after the season finale.cite web|url=http://www.thailand4.com/news/2006-12-29/0959-the-amazing-race-asia-memories/ |title="HE AMAZING RACE ASIA: MEMORIES"|publisher=T4|date=2006-12-29|accessdate=2007-02-23]

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order:

fnb|1 On the way to the Pit Stop, teams were instructed to follow a certain trail in the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve to the top of the Kuala Lumpur Tower. Andrew & Syeon arrived at the Pit Stop 1st. However, they did not follow the required trail to the tower, and were asked to complete it before checking in; they ended up checking in 5th.
fnb|2 Zabrina & Joe Jer (who arrived 1st), Mardy & Marsio (4th), Andy & Laura (5th), Andrew & Syeon (6th) and Aubrey & Jacqueline (9th) faced a four-hour penalty for failing to complete the Roadblock. However, Aubrey & Jacqueline were not given the penalty because they were already the last team to arrive and were immediately eliminated.
fnb|3 Laura suffered an injury to her left leg on the way to Oceanworld. Tests were done and she was allowed to continue the next leg of the race.
fnb|4 Howard & Sahran incurred a four-hour penalty because Howard failed to complete the Roadblock.
fnb|5 Sahil & Prashant arrived at the Pit Stop in 5th but incurred a one-hour penalty because they were driven around in a private vehicle in Devonport, contravening a Race rule prohibiting hitch-hiking. The last 3 teams (Sandy & Francesca, Mardy & Marsio and Sharon & Melody) checked in during the penalty hour and Sahil & Prashant were consequently eliminated.
fnb|6 Andy & Laura were caught speeding at 146km/h while the speed limit was 100km/h. The penalty was 2 minutes times the number of km/h by which they had exceeded the speed limit. They incurred a 92-minute penalty on their departure time, therefore departing for Leg 7 last.
fnb|7 Leg 9 is a double-length leg and shown over two episodes.

*Red means the team was eliminated.
*Blue means the team was the last to arrive at a pit stop in a non-elimination leg of the race. This means that while the team was not eliminated, they were forced to give up all their money, did not receive any money at the beginning of the next leg, and were not permitted to acquire money before the start of the next leg.
*Green means the team won the Fast Forward clue.
*A yellow > means that team choose to use the Yield; < indicates the team who received it. <> indicates a leg where the Yield was available but not used.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.

#I Don't Think I Can Do This &ndash; "Sahran"
#They're Speedy, They're Fast And They're First &ndash; "Howard"
#Give Me The Strength, Give Me The Strength &ndash; "Howard"
#Just Shut Up And Do It &ndash; "Mardy"
#It's Blowing Like Your Mum's Pants On A Windy Day &ndash; "Howard"
#What Have You Been Eating! &ndash; "Zabrina"
#Don't Stand There Doing Nothing! &ndash; "Andy"
#My Legs Are Shaking Like Jelly &ndash; "Andrew"
#This Is Totally, Totally Out Of This World! &ndash; "Marsio"
#War Has Begun! &ndash; "Andy"
#This Is Going To Be Embarrassing! &ndash; "Zabrina"
#Oh My Goodness, I Have To Eat A Brain! &ndash; "Syeon"
#24 Days, 15 Cities, 39,000 Kilometres And It Comes Down To This &ndash; "Allan Wu"

Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete a leg.

*Leg 3 &ndash; Each member won a Sony High-Definition Handycam
*Leg 7 &ndash; A year's supply of an engine-cleaning fuel, Caltex Fuel with Techron
*Leg 9 &ndash; A holiday to Langkawi, Malaysia, courtesy of AirAsia.
*Leg 11 &ndash; A holiday to Gold Coast, Australia, courtesy of Caltex.
*Leg 12 &ndash; US$100,000

Race summary

Leg 1 (Malaysia)

*Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flagicon|Malaysia (Independence Square) (Starting Line)
*Kuala Lumpur (Berjaya Times Square)
*Kuala Lumpur (Craft Cultural Complex) TAR clue|Detour|Paint or Pot
*Shah Alam (Shah Alam Stadium – City Carting Enterprise)
*Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Tower) TAR clue|Pit Stop|1

The Detour for this leg was Paint or Pot, which describes two craft techniques. In Paint, members of each team would work together to make a batik painting based on the design shown to them. In Pot, one team member would make a pot from clay using a pottery wheel while the other member controlled the wheel's spin. In both cases, teams would receive the next clue if the person in charge of the Detour option selected was satisfied with the result.

Additional tasks
*At Berjaya Times Square, teams had to rappel down from the 8-story level of the shopping mall. It was mentioned that it was optional but teams would face a time penalty.
*At Shah Alam Stadium, team members must each complete four consecutive laps around the circuit in go-karts before receiving their next clue.

Leg 2 (Malaysia → Indonesia)

*)
*Jakarta (Ragunan Zoo) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who likes animals? TAR clue|Fast Forward|Find Sony Walkman (SMA Negeri 60 School, Kemang Timur)
*Jakarta (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah – West Sumatera Pavilion) TAR clue|Detour|Push or Sell
*Jakarta (National Monument) TAR clue|Pit Stop|2

The first Roadblock in the race was that a team member must retrieve the clue in a box located inside a snake pit containing a dangerous species second to anaconda in size, within 2 minutes. In Ragunan Zoo, teams also received a Fast Forward clue. In this Fast Forward, teams must go to SMA Negeri 60 School and search among students listening to a Sony Walkman MP3 player that plays the "Fast Forward Award" message. In this leg's Detour teams must choose between Push or Sell. In Push, teams had to push their "bakso" (meatball soup) carts 500m along a marked route, without spilling any soy sauce, while singing a traditional song. In Sell, teams had to sell (or eat) 15 bowls of "bakso", each with a minimum selling price of 2,000 rupiah.

;Additional task
*At Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, teams must perform a native Minangkabau plate dance called "tari piring" correctly before they received their next clue.

Leg 3 (Indonesia)

*)
*Kuta, Bali (Kuta Beach) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who digs the seaside?
*Kuta, Bali (Internet Outpost Travellers Lounge cybercafe)
*Ubud, Bali (Ubud Monkey Forest) TAR clue|Detour|Wet or Dry
*Uluwatu, Bali (caves near Uluwatu surfing site)
*Tanah Lot, Bali (Tanah Lot Temple) TAR clue|Pit Stop|3

This leg's Roadblock required a team member to dig in a marked area of sand on the beach for a small wooden surfboard token hidden up to 40cm beneath the sand. In this leg's Detour was Wet or Dry. In Wet, teams had to ride through white water rapids and complete a two-mile course on the water. In Dry, teams had to ride on an elephant and go through a course after which they will be given the next clue.

;Additional task
*At the cybercafe, teams must access the MSN Search website at the internet cafe's computers and search for the words "Amazing Race Asia" to find their next clue, which they may print out or received from an attendant.

Leg 4 (Indonesia → Australia)

*)
*Sydney (Dawes Point – Pier 1) TAR clue|Detour|Elevation or Crustacean (Elevation or [http://www.doyles.com.au/ Crustacean] )
*Sydney (Mrs Macquarie's Chair)
*Sydney ( [http://www.worldsquare.com.au/ World Square] – [http://www.sonycentralsydney.com.au/ SonyCentral] )
*Sydney (Oceanworld Manly) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's ready to dive with a nurse?
*Sydney (Circular Quay – The Tall Bounty) TAR clue|Pit Stop|4

In this Leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Elevation and Crustacean. In Elevation, teams climbed up a large number of steps to get to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where they received their next clue. In Crustacean, teams made their way on foot to Circular Quay, where they searched for the seafood restaurant Doyle's at the Quay. Once there, they shelled 14 kilograms of cold prawns. They had to ensure that the tail, the head and the back were properly removed. Once the restaurant chef/waiter gave his approval, they received their next clue, on a silver platter. In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member had to dive into the Aquarium in Oceanworld Manly, where they had to swim with sharks, stingrays, turtles, fishes, etc. Once inside, they had to look for their clue underwater and swim to it in order to retrieve it.

;Additional task
*At the SonyCentral store, teams had to take a Sony HD Camera and use it to record a video of someone singing a local bushman ballad, titled "Click Goes The Shears". Once they were done, they had to go back to SonyCentral and have the video be played on a television. If the person they filmed had sung the lyrics to the correct tune, the staff at SonyCentral would hand them their next clue. If not, they would have to re-do the task.

Leg 5 (Australia → New Zealand)

*)
*Devonport, Auckland (Ferry Terminal) TAR clue|Detour|Rugby or Rigging (Rugby or [http://www.westhaven.co.nz Rigging] )
*Auckland (Sky Tower) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's ready to take a leap of faith?
*Auckland (Auckland War Memorial Museum) TAR clue|Pit Stop|5

In this leg's Detour, teams have to choose between Rugby or Rigging. In both Detour options, teams will have to take the ferry from Devonport, back to Auckland. In Rugby, teams have to take a taxi to Victoria Park. Once there, they will have put on rugby jerseys and kick rugby balls to score 3 goals. The goals would only be counted if the rugby ball is kicked into the enclosed posts and is 22 meters and above. In Rigging, teams would have to travel to WestHaven Marina and find the yachts. Once there, the instructor will give the teams instructions on how to use ropes and knots to get the sail up. Once everything is done correctly and the instructor is happy, teams will receive their next clue. In this Roadblock, that person has to jump off the Sky Tower while their teammate uses a Sony Ericsson Cybershot camera to take a picture of them doing this task.

;Additional tasks
*After alighting from the ferry from Auckland, teams had to search near the Devonport Terminal for a girl on a swing. She would hand them their next clue.
*At the Sky Tower, teams had to put on orange jumpsuits and perform the Sky City Vertigo Climb. This task involved teams having to climb up a ladder to the top of the Sky Tower where they would have the nicest view of Auckland. Their next clue will be handed to them only after they have completed the climb.

Leg 6 (New Zealand)

*)
*Queenstown (Caltex Petrol Kiosk) TAR clue|Detour|Luge or Ledge ( [http://www.skyline.co.nz Skyline Gondola] &ndash; Bob's Peak)
*Queenstown (Arrowtown)
*Queenstown ( [http://offroad.co.nz/splash.php Offroad Adventures] )
*Nevis River, Central Otago (Nevis Valley) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's can drop 134m in 8.5 seconds?
*Central Otago ( [http://www.chardfarm.co.nz/ Chard Farm] ) TAR clue|Pit Stop|6

In this Detour, teams can choose between Luge or Ledge. In Luge, each team member must complete a 830m circuit on a luge 4 times before getting their next clue. In Ledge, each team member will take turns performing the ledge swing, which hurls them 400m above Queenstown. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member will have to bungee jump 134m over Nevis Valley, reputedly the world’s wildest bungee jump. They only have 2 minutes after they step on the platform to do so, or forfeit their turn.

;Additional tasks
*Teams had to go to a Caltex Petrol Kiosk and fill up their vehicles with fuel and pay for it using a Caltex Cash Card.
*At Offroad Adventures, teams had to drive in Quad Bikes around a tricky and muddy course to get to their next clue.

Leg 7 (New Zealand → Singapore → Thailand)

*)
*Singapore (MacPherson &ndash; Caltex Petrol Station)
*Singapore (Suntec City &ndash; Fountain of Wealth)
*)
*Ayutthaya Province (Wat Niwet Thamaprawat)
*Bangkok (Golden Mount) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who rings a bell? TAR clue|Detour|Bacon or Egg
*Bangkok (Wat Pho) TAR clue|Pit Stop|7

In this Roadblock, one member of each team has to climb to the top of the temple and then search through 560 golden bells for 100 clue capsules containing silver slips of paper. Out of the 100 silver slips of paper, only 6 would contain the correct slip of paper. They would have to show it to a temple worker, who will give them the teams their next clue if it is indeed the correct clue.

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Egg and Bacon. In Egg, teams would have to travel to an egg stall and using a trolley, deliver 26 trays of eggs to a nearby egg market. However, if any eggs are delivered broken, the stall owner would instruct the teams to re-deliver that number of unbroken eggs. In Bacon, teams would have to find marked Tuk-Tuks on Larnlong Road and then direct their Tuk-Tuk drivers to drive them to the Pig Memorial Monument. Teams are allowed to seek directions from locals.

;Additional tasks
*At the Caltex station, each team had to clean up an extremely dirty Ford Focus car until the Caltex employee in charge is satisfied.
*At Wat Niwet Thamaprawat, teams had to take a cable car over the river and then search the temple grounds for several clue boxes. Only one of these clue boxes would contain the right clue. Teams then had to figure out that their next destination is the Golden Mount, by finding out the monument on the Thai 2 Baht coin enclosed in their clue envelope.

Leg 8 (Thailand)

*Bangkok (Southern Bus Terminal) to Krabi (Krabi Bus Terminal)
*Krabi (Nopparat Thara Bay – National Park)
*Krabi (Ko Poda Island) TAR clue|Detour|Smash or Grab TAR clue|Fast Forward|Pranang Bay
*Krabi (Railey East 123 Wall) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who wants to rock?
*Krabi (Ko Hong Lagoon)
*Krabi (Ko Phak Bia) TAR clue|Pit Stop|8

The Fast Forward in this leg involved teams having to find a kayak on Pranang Bay and then using it to look for a Fast Forward clue in one of the many hidden caves near the area.

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Smash or Grab. In Smash, teams would have to smash 75 coconuts with a hammer to find one with red ink inside it. In Grab, teams would have to snorkel and swim around 100 buoys which contain 100 clues, only ten of which are the correct clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member will have to climb up the face of a rocky cliff in order to retrieve the next clue.

Leg 9 (Thailand → India)

*)
*Kolkata (St. Teresa of Avila Church) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's ready to shine? (Tollygunge Metro Train Station)
*Kolkata ( [http://www.peerlesshotels.com/kolhome.html Peerless Inn Hotel] – [http://www.peerlesshotels.com/aaheli.html Aaheli Restaurant] )
*Kolkata ( [http://www.kanishkas.com Kanishka's Sari Boutique] ) TAR clue|Detour|Carry or Count
*Kolkata (Kolay Market) (Leg midpoint; teams are told this is not a Pit Stop and the leg is not over)
*Kolkata (Sealdah Train Station) to New Delhi (New Delhi Train Station)
*New Delhi (Red Fort) TAR clue|Yield|Sandy & Francesca Yieded Andy & Laura TAR clue|Detour|Deliver or Donkey
*New Delhi (Tibetan Monastery Market – Garib Guashala) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's ready to help out at the farm?
*New Delhi (Jain Mandir Dada Bari) TAR clue|Pit Stop|9

The Roadblock of the first half of the leg was to have one team member polish 7 bystanders' shoes and charge at least 5 rupees for their service. Once they are done, the professional would hand them their next clue. The Detour in the first half of the leg was to choose between Carry or Count. In Carry, teams would have to carry pots of milk on their heads and pour them into a metal bucket a distance away. Once they filled it to the marked level, teams would receive their next clue. In Count, teams would have to go to a market and then count the number of betel nuts in a basket, which is well over 1,000. Teams can only guess once per time they are seen counting the entire basket of nuts.

The Detour of the second half of the leg was Donkey or Deliver. In Donkey, teams would have to transport onions using a donkey and walk it to the onion store before the vendor will hand teams their next clue. In Deliver, teams would have to carry sacks of spices and deliver them to a spice shop which they only have a picture for reference. In the Roadblock for the second half of the leg, one team member from each team had to carry pails of cow manure and then use it to make dung pies by adding water and sticking them onto the wall. If they drop, teams would have to re-do that one.

;Additional tasks
*At Aaheli Restaurant, teams had to eat a traditional Bengali Indian meal which is extremely spicy and is served in large amounts. Only when they have eaten it the waiters/chef would hand them their next clue.
*Teams had to search for Kanishka's Sari Boutique for their next clue hidden amongst hundreds of saris and silks.

Leg 10 (India → United Arab Emirates)

*)
*Dubai (Abra Station) TAR clue|Yield|Not used TAR clue|Roadblock|Who's ready to play a round? ( [http://www.dubaigolf.com/web/creek.nsf/web/index.html Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club] )
*Dubai ( [http://www.dimc-uae.com/english_html/index.html Dubai International Marine Club] – Leopard of Dubai)
*Dubai (Mall of the Emirates – Ski Dubai) TAR clue|Detour|Hack or Hike
*Dubai (Gold Souk &ndash; Modern Jewellery Shop)
*Dubai (Margham Desert Camp) TAR clue|Pit Stop|10

The roadblock required one team member to complete a 9-hole golf course, using only a putter and a club. As shown, lost balls required the player to return to the first tee for a replacement. In the detour, teams had to choose between Hack or Hike. In Hack, teams had to chisel their way through a 150 kg block of ice to release their next clue, using only a chisel and a hammer. In Hike, teams had to climb the steepest slope in Ski Dubai while carrying 25 kg worth of skiing equipment. Their next clue would be collected at the top of the slope.

Leg 11 (United Arab Emirates)

*Dubai (Desert Area 53) TAR clue|Detour|Ride or Seek
*Dubai (Eye of the Emirates) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who has the brains in the team?
*Dubai (Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house)
*Dubai (Jumeirah – Wild Wadi Water Park)
*Dubai (Jumeirah – Mina A' Salam Beach) TAR clue|Pit Stop|11

Teams had to choose between Ride or Seek in this leg's detour. In Ride, the Team members had to sit on a camel and guide it through a marked course and collect five flags while using only a camel stick. In Seek, Teams must find a souvenir in a marked plot of sand, using a metal detector. The roadblock called for one team member to eat an Arabian specialty dish, which consisted of brains and bread.

;Additional tasks
*Teams had to choose one of the 42 cabins on the Eye of the Emirates that held a clue, with only five of the cabins containing their actual correct clue. The other cabins held clues that read "sorry, try again" and teams had to complete one revolution of the ferris wheel before they could pick again.
*Upon arriving at the Wild Wadi Water Park, team members had to take turns to ride a freefall water slide. This is similar to Leg 9 on American version's season 5.

Leg 12 (United Arab Emirates → Malaysia)

*Dubai (Mina A' Salam Beach)
* Dubai (Dubai International Airport) to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flagicon|Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur International Airport)
*Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Tower)
*)
*Kuching (Cat Statue)
*Kuching (Old Courthouse) TAR clue|Detour|Brains or Brawn
*Kuching (Sarawak Cultural Village) TAR clue|Roadblock|Who can swing like Tarzan? (Permai Rainforest Resort)
*Kuching (Bako National Park) TAR clue|Pit Stop (Finish Line)

Teams had to choose between Brains or Brawn in this leg's detour. In Brains, teams had to assemble a bench using only a Sony Cybershot picture as reference. In Brawns, teams had to go to a wet market and use traditional methods to carry 30kg of fruits a certain distance. The roadblock required one team member to complete a rope-based obstacle course.

;Additional tasks
*Prior to departure from the Pit Stop at Min A' Salam Beach, teams had to complete a jigsaw puzzle to figure out the next location.
*In Kuching, teams had to find a specific cat statue.
*Teams had to search the Sarawak Cultural Village for their next clue hidden inside one of the longhouses. Their next clue instructed each team member must hit three colored pineapples each using darts and a blowpipe.

References

External links

* [http://amazing-race-asia.axn-asia.com/ Official Website]
* [http://amazing-spaces.spaces.live.com/ Official Teams Blog]