The Amazing Race 2

Development and Filming

The second season of The Amazing Race traveled 52,000 miles in 28 days, spanning 5 continents and 8 different countries. Filming occurred between January and February 2002. The Race visited the countries of Brazil, Namibia, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the continents of South America and, for the first time, Oceania. It was the only season (excluding The Amazing Race 8 that was run only in North America) to non-stop in Europe.

The edition marked the debut of several Race traditions. The color scheme for all route markers and flags was changed to yellow and red after the previous season's yellow and white. In addition, host Phil Keoghan and a local greeter welcomed all teams arriving at the Pit Stops at the end of each leg; previously, Keoghan appeared only to greet (and usually eliminate) the last-place team.

Contestant Cyndi Kalenberg claimed that there was confusion about the vehicle replacement rules in Leg 2, in which the racers were informed that if their designated jeep broke down the racers themselves would have to pay for repairs and wait for it to be fixed. Blake and Paige, however, were provided with a new vehicle when their jeep broke down, helping them to beat Hope and Norm in a race for second-to-last place to the Pit Stop. This enabled Blake and Paige to stay in the race while Hope and Norm were eliminated. For the next season, Race policy was changed so that a team would receive a replacement if a production-provided vehicle broke down or became unsafe to drive through no fault of the team. Teams would not be given any time credit in the event of a break down.

Towards the end of the final leg, Chris and Alex passed Tara (and later Wil) in a foot race to the finish line. This marks the closest finish in the U.S. version of The Amazing Race; the second season of the Latin American version ended with the winning team beating the second-place team by just a few yards.

Cast

Eleven teams participated in the second season of The Amazing Race. The cast featured twins, a mother/daughter duo, siblings, grandmothers, pastors, and childhood friends.

Oswald and Danny were selected to race in The Amazing Race: All-Stars among a cast of returning teams from the first ten seasons.

The season featured Heloísa Pinheiro, the real-life "Girl from Ipanema", as the woman teams were to find on the "Beach" Detour option in the first leg.

Alex Boylan went on to create and host the first season of Around the World For Free, in which he journeyed around the world with no money to his name, relying on the generosity and hospitality of locals to continue on.

Gary Rosen later returned to The Amazing Race to work as a story producer for the 5th season

Blake Mycoskie went on to found TOMS Shoes, a footwear company that donates a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair sold.

Marketing

This season had two official sponsors: American Airlines and Royal Caribbean International. These two sponsors provided the prizes that were sometimes awarded to first place teams.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:

Episode title quotes

Starting with this season, episode titles are taken from quotes made by the racers in each episode. Quotes were sometimes altered slightly for humorous effect.

1. "The World Is Waiting: Go!" – Phil Keoghan
2. "Help Me, I'm American!" – Blake
3. "My Alarm Clock Didn't Go Off!" – Claire
4. "This Game Is About Minutes" – Shola
5. "Welcome To The World Of Being Human" – Mary
6. "I'm Gonna Take His Girl" – Alex
7. "I'm Gonna Throw Up On Phil's Shoes" – Oswald
8. "I'm Not a Miner! No, You're An Idiot!" – Wil/Tara
9. "Ready To Lose Our Lives" – Oswald
10. "It's Hammer Time" – Chris
11. "Follow That Plane!" – Wil

Prizes

Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete certain legs.

Leg 1 (United States → Brazil)

Airdate: March 11, 2002

The Race's first Detour was an option of Mountain or Beach. In Mountain, teams had to rappel 590 ft (180 m) down the face of Sugarloaf Mountain. At the bottom, teams would receive their next clue. In Beach, teams had to take the gondola back to the ground and proceed to Ipanema Beach to find the woman who inspired the song "The Girl from Ipanema" (Heloísa Pinheiro) with only a photo and a specific lifeguard station for reference. Once the woman was found, she would give them their next clue.

Leg 2 (Brazil)

Airdate: March 13, 2002

The Fast Forward which required teams to travel to Copacabana Beach and play a volleyball game against a local team. While the participating team was allowed to use their hands, the locals they were playing against could only use their feet, as per local regulations. The leg's Detour was a choice between Freak Out or Seek Out. In Freak Out, teams had to hang glide in tandem with a local instructor gliding from the mountain to the beach below. Once both teammates had landed on the beach, they were immediately given their next clue. In Seek Out, teams had to travel down to the same beach and use a marked metal detector to find the next clue buried somewhere along a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) stretch of sand.

For this Roadblock, one team member had to ride a speedboat and use a map to direct the driver to Iguaçu falls. At the falls, teams then had to spot the route marker at the top of a rock formation to retrieve it, and head back to the dock.

Leg 3 (Brazil → South Africa)

Airdate: March 20, 2002

The Detour was a choice of Dance or Deliver. In Dance, teams had to put on a costume and sing and dance with a local troupe until they made R25 in tips. Once the team had accomplished this task, the troupe leader took the money and gave the team the next clue. In Deliver, teams had to carry fish from a boat and transfer it to the marked scales. Once they had transferred 125 kg (276 lb) of fish, the fish monger gave the team the next clue. At the bay, teams were also provided the option of choosing the Fast Forward which required teams to find the Mooiberge Strawberry Field in Stellenbosch. Once there, the teams were required to look inside a "Zebra," (actually a large zebra-shaped scarecrow) to find the Fast Forward Pass. This option did not appear on air as no team selected it.

For this Roadblock, one team member had to search through the Langa township to buy a box of Epsom salts and a "Smiley" (a local name for a roasted sheep's head). After finding the items, they then had to deliver the Smiley as an offering to Ndaba Sangoma, who made a bitter potion out of the salts which the team member had to drink to receive the next clue.

Leg 4 (South Africa → Namibia)

Airdate: March 27, 2002

The Fast Forward which teams were told to look "where the railway tracks used to run". Once teams realized that the Swakopmund Hotel had been a railway station, they then searched the Hotel grounds for the Fast Forward pass, which was in the center of the pool. The Detour was a choice between Slide or Stride. In Slide, teams had to take a safety briefing from an instructor and then slide down the steep side of a dune to a route marker at the bottom, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph. In Stride, teams had to walk down the opposite side of the dune, following a path of flags to the next clue.

For this Roadblock, one team member had to buy five wood animal carvings (lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard and elephant) for the lowest price possible, using their own money. Once this was accomplished, each team took the five woodcarvings to a bushman, who exchanged them for a carving of a large wood giraffe with the next clue attached.

Leg 5 (Namibia → Thailand)

Airdate: April 3, 2002

There was a Fast Forward which required teams to find the Amulet Market at Wat Ratchanadda. Here, one team member was required to have their head shaved - a Buddhist tradition. However, the Fast Forward went unaired. The Detour was a choice between Confusion Now and Confusion Later. In Confusion Now, teams had to search for a specific water taxi dock to find the correct taxi that would take them to a bird market. Once there, they simply had to buy and release a cage full of sparrows for good karma. In Confusion Later, teams had to take a taxi to Chinatown in Charoen Krung Soi 21, where they had to purchase a "car" to burn and send to their ancestors from the Lee Ti Biew shrine. However, teams had to figure out that the "car" they needed was one of the many small paper cars sold at multiple booths near the shrine. For this Roadblock, one team member had to don a protective mask, gloves and boots (due to dangerous bacterium) and venture into a nearby cave filled with millions of bats to retrieve the next clue.

Leg 6 (Thailand)

Airdate: April 10, 2002

The Detour was a choice between Boat and Beast. In Boat, teams had to travel 1.5 miles (2.4 km) down the river using a bamboo raft with long wooden poles as the locals do. In Beast, teams had to ride the same 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on the back of an elephant down the path next to the river. For this Roadblock, one team member had to wash a series of chalk decorations from a religious ceremony off an elephant using only water, some soap and sponge. When the elephant master was satisfied, they were given their next clue.

Leg 7 (Thailand → Hong Kong, China)

Airdate: April 17, 2002

The Fast Forward which teams were required to travel to Wong Tai Sin Temple in Wong Tai Sin, where they found a fortune teller in the basement who then gave one team member a face reading and the other a palm reading. The Detour was a choice between Wishing Tree and Herbal Tea. In Wishing Tree, teams had to take a taxi 18 miles (29 km) to Lam Tsuen and find a special wishing tree. Once there, they needed to write one wish on a scroll and throw it into the tree's branches to receive the next clue. In Herbal Tea, teams had to walk to a nearby herbal shop in a marketplace on Saigon Street and ask for a bitter herbal tea. At the herbal shop, both team members then had to drink a cup of foul-tasting tea to receive the next clue.

For this Roadblock, one team member had to climb into a crane and use the controls to lift one 2,000 lb (910 kg) shipping container off of a truck and onto the ground. The same team member then had to return the crane to its original position. Once this was done, the other team member was allowed to get the next clue from the side of the shipping container.

Leg 8 (Hong Kong, China → Australia)

Airdate: April 24, 2002

The Fast Forward which required for to find Po Lin Monastery, and then climb 268 steps to the Tian Tan Buddha to find the Fast Forward award. The leg's Detour was a choice between Dragon and Lion. In Dragon, teams had to row a dragon boat, usually suited for twelve people, through a short, marked 600 m (2,000 ft) course to receive the next clue. In Lion, teams had to carry a ceremonial lion normally made for two through a 2,400 m (7,900 ft) course through narrow markets and steep stairs to receive the next clue.

For this Roadblock, one team member from each team had to follow a series of clues written in Australian slang to receive the next clue. First, they had to find: the surfie (surfer) in the lairy daks (flashy, colorful shorts) at Martin Place, then the anklebiter (child) riding a bicycle around Archibald Fountain at Hyde Park, then find a Sheila (woman, usually single and attractive) in the Aussie cozzie (swim suit) near Captain Cook Statue in Hyde Park and ask for "the good oil", then the bushie (country person who resides in the Australian Outback) in Circular Quay. Once the slang was done, they may allow to return to their partner.

Leg 9 (Australia)

Airdate: April 24, 2002

The Fast Forward required the teams go to Harry's Cafe de Wheels where both team members had to eat a meat pie to win the Fast Forward award. The Detour was a choice between Cool Down and Heat Up. In Cool Down, teams had to find the Opal Quest mine in Coober Pedy. Once at the mining company, teams headed down into the cool tunnels and search within a large pile of dirt that hid an opal using traditional mining tools. After finding an "opal", they returned to the surface to show the judge their opals and collect the next clue. In Heat Up, teams played three holes of golf on the driest golf course in the world. However, the holes all criss-cross each other and play in the intense heat of up to 130 °F (54 °C) using only a map and one ball. For this Roadblock, one team member had to throw a boomerang from within a circle such that the boomerang would leave, return to, and land within the circle.

Leg 10 (Australia → New Zealand)

Airdate: May 1, 2002

The Detour was a choice between Quick Jump or Long Hike. In Quick Jump, teams had to take a tandem bungee jump 450 feet (140 m) down to the clue at the bottom of the canyon, the second-highest bungee-jump in the world at the time. In Long Hike, teams had to hike down a long trail to the bottom of the canyon with reaching the clue box. For this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to enter a pen full of sheep and separate the three black sheep from 22 white sheep to a second pen at the end of the corral. When they were finished, the team then ran to the Pit Stop nearby.

Leg 11 (New Zealand)

Airdate: May 8, 2002

The last Fast Forward of the Race where one team had to perform a "scree run" down Mount Tarawera — a run down the loose rock walls directly into the mouth of the dormant volcano. The Detour was a choice between Drop and Climb. In Drop, teams had to descend 350 feet (110 m) into a cavern known as "The Lost World" and then walk a short distance to Jesus Rock to receive the next clue. In Climb, teams had to climb down a 100 feet (30 m) ladder into the same cavern, then walk a much longer distance to reach the next clue. For this Roadblock, one team member had to ride an ATV through a challenging off-road course over difficult terrain, then collect the clue at the end of the course.

Leg 12 (New Zealand → United States)

Airdate: May 15, 2002

The Detour was a choice between Bike and Walk. In Bike, teams had to search the large pineapple field on a pair of bikes to find the only red plastic pineapple for the clue inside. In Walk, teams searched the same field on foot to find one of four yellow plastic pineapples also for the clue inside. For this Roadblock, one team member had to snorkel near the sunken island and find and open one of three yellow cases chained underwater to retrieve the clue sealed inside.

Leg 13 (United States)

Airdate: May 15, 2002

The final Roadblock of the Race where one team member used the tools picked up from the hardware store - a hammer, chisel, drill and/or flamethrower - to retrieve the clue frozen inside a large globe of ice.