No. of legs 12 Air date November 16, 2004 Cities visited 24 Countries visited 11 | Distance traveled 40,000 mi (64,000 km) Number of episodes 12 (13 including recap) Continents visited 4 Number of legs 12 | |
Season Run November 16, 2004 – February 8, 2005 Filming dates August 13 – September 12, 2004 No. of Episodes 12 (13 including recap) Winning team Freddy Holliday and Kendra Bentley | ||
The Amazing Race 6 was the sixth installment of the U.S. reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005. Season 6 featured 11 teams of two people, each with a pre-existing relationship, racing around the world.
Contents
- Development and filming
- Cast
- Results
- Episode title quotes
- Prizes
- Leg 1 United States Iceland
- Leg 2 Iceland Norway
- Leg 3 Norway Sweden
- Leg 4 Sweden Senegal
- Leg 5 Senegal Germany
- Leg 6 Germany Hungary
- Leg 7 Hungary France
- Leg 8 France Ethiopia
- Leg 9 Ethiopia Sri Lanka
- Leg 10 Sri Lanka China
- Leg 11 China
- Leg 12 China United States
- References
Engaged couple Freddy Holliday and Kendra Bentley were the winners of this season.
A DVD for this season was released on April 24, 2012, via Amazon.com's CreateSpace program.
Development and filming
In May 2004, CBS ordered the sixth installment of the show, despite the fact that The Amazing Race 5 had not yet aired. Early renewal was likely due to the success of the changes made in Season 5. CBS also delayed the airing of Season 6 until late in the fall and moved it out of its proposed Saturday time-slot, to create a "cool down" period between races, in the hopes that this would help continue the newfound ratings success.
The Amazing Race 6 spanned a total of 40,000 miles (64,000 km) over ten countries on four continents. The 30 days of filming began on August 13, 2004, and finished on September 12, 2004. The race made its first trip to seven countries: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and Senegal.
This season was the first in which team members had to complete an equal number of Roadblock tasks. No team member was permitted to complete more than six Roadblocks on the entire race. Throughout the season, Phil Keoghan verbally stated this rule when introducing each leg's Roadblock. While the rule has remained in all subsequent seasons (except the Family Edition), Keoghan eventually stopped reciting it in each episode.
This season featured many Olympic-themed challenges such as water polo, track and field, swimming, and archery. The race also visited past Olympic cities including Oslo, Stockholm, and Berlin. This was likely a result of the 2004 Summer Olympics taking place in Athens, Greece, while the race was being filmed.
A task in the second leg of the race marked the first time teams were required to work with each other. The ten teams had to split themselves into two groups of five, each of which had to row a Viking boat across a fjord to a marked dock with a clue box.
During the fifth leg, one of the show's most controversial moments occurred at the Pit Stop when Jonathan, angry at his wife Victoria for picking up his bag during a footrace to the mat, shoved her. He was modestly rebuked by Phil Keoghan at the mat. They later appeared on a Dr. Phil special to try to improve their marriage. Later, in a celebrity version of Fear Factor, Victoria attacked contestant Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton (of Survivor: Pearl Islands), and Jonathan attacked host Joe Rogan – these incidents resulted in their expulsion from the show.
The sixth leg was originally planned as two separate legs with the first part being a non-elimination point (with the losing team being stripped of their money). These planned legs were combined into one after producers realized that begging was prohibited in Hungary.
This season featured a visit to Sri Lanka, where filming occurred just a few weeks before the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The episodes aired after the earthquake had devastated the island nation and all of the sights and locations the teams had visited. A special message was inserted at the beginning of the episodes featuring Sri Lanka, dedicating them to the victims and to those helping the recovery.
Post-game interviews suggested that Kris & Jon were less than a minute behind winning team Freddy & Kendra before they were held back by a train at a railway crossing. At thefishbowl.com, Bolo suggested that Kris & Jon were only 30–40 seconds behind Freddy & Kendra to the finish. At RealityReel, Kristy said that "Right after Freddy & Kendra started running, literally within 30 seconds or a minute later the train came, and Kris & Jon arrived. Otherwise, it would have come down to a neck-to-neck race." This would be the Race's second closest finish ever, after Season 2.
The hay bales roadblock of the third leg was revisited by The Amazing Race 15 as a "switchback".
Cast
Applications for The Amazing Race 6 were due on April 13, 2004. Semi-finalist interviews were held in May 2004 and final casting interviews were selected at Los Angeles in June 2004.
This season's cast included married professional wrestlers, dating actors, Jewish high school buddies, engaged models, and a team of married entrepreneurs. Subsequent to the race:
Don & Mary Jean were chosen for the race after an open casting call in San Diego. Early Show hosts Harry Smith and Dave Price ran the first leg of the race (United States – Iceland) with the actual teams, as part of a special segment on their morning show.
This is one of the three seasons (among the first ten) that was not represented in The Amazing Race: All-Stars.
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
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.
- "The Game's Afoot" – Gus
- "I'm Not His Wife, He Doesn't Need to Scream At Me" – Meredith
- "Counting Bears Is Not Rocket Science" – Don
- "What If It Isn't Sanitary" – Kendra
- "Quit Following Us" – Jonathan
- "They Should Probably Have Some Counseling" – Kris
- "Phil Is A Choo-Choo Charlie" (recap episode) – Kristy
- "One of You, I'm Gonna Break in Half" – Freddy
- "Tell My Mom I Love Her" – Adam
- "Are There Instructions on Donkey Handling?" – Rebecca
- "It Always Comes Down to Details" – Kris
- "You Deal With This Before I Hyperventilate" – Hayden
- "4 Continents, 24 Cities, 40,000 Miles" – Phil Keoghan
Prizes
Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete each leg:
Leg 1 (United States → Iceland)
Airdate: November 16, 2004
The sixth season of The Amazing Race started at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, where the teams were instructed to take the train to O'Hare International Airport and fly to Reykjavik, Iceland. There were three available flights scheduled to arrive within 5 minutes of each other, but some of these arrival times changed due to weather. Once in Iceland, teams found marked cars and clues, which directed them to drive to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.
Behind the waterfall was the next clue, which told the teams to drive to the base of Vatnajökull (Vatna Glacier). Teams then had to sign-up for a shuttle bus to take them 10 miles (16 km) to the glacier's edge for their next clue; each shuttle could take up to 3 teams. Upon arriving at the glacier's edge, teams chose a marked snowmobile and drove 2.5 miles (4.0 km) across the glacier to a camp. Once there, teams had to choose a tent and shuttle departure time for the following morning.
The next day, in order of their departure times, teams took shuttle buses back down the glacier and received their next clue, to drive to Glacier Ice Beach in Jökulsárlón. On the beach, they found the first Detour: a choice between Ice Climb or Ice Search. In Ice Climb, teams traveled 35 miles (56 km) to a marked bay and used special gear to climb the face of a steep ice wall to reach the clue at the top. In Ice Search, teams had to travel to a nearby glacial lagoon to use a boat and (accompanied by a pilot) search the 7-mile (11 km) lagoon, scattered with thousands of icebergs, for an orange buoy containing their next clue. Following the Detour, teams drove to the first Pit Stop, the Blue Lagoon spa in Grindavík.
Leg 2 (Iceland → Norway)
Airdate: November 23, 2004
At the start of the leg, the teams were instructed to fly to Oslo, Norway. Once they arrived, they drove to the Holmenkollen ski jump where they found the first Roadblock, which asked "Who's ready to perform an Olympian feat?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the top of the ski jump, then ride a zipline 1,000 feet (300 m) to the bottom. After the Roadblock, teams drove to the Viking village at Brandbu for an overnight rest.
The next morning, the ten teams split into two groups and had to row across a fjord to their next clue. Once across the fjord, teams were instructed to take a train to Voss and then drive to a marked bridge.
At the bridge was the next Detour, a choice between Endurance or Accuracy. In Endurance, teams had to roller ski down a 1.75-mile (2.82 km) course to receive their next clue. In Accuracy, teams had to successfully complete three traditional Viking games. First, they had to throw sticks to knock over a circle of eight logs called kubbs before knocking over the king in the center. After knocking over the king, one team member had to throw an axe into a tree trunk target and make it stick. The other team member then had to shoot an arrow into a target 30 feet (9.1 m) away to get their next clue. After the Detour, teams drove to the leg's Pit Stop at the Nesheimstunet Farm.
Leg 3 (Norway → Sweden)
Airdate: November 30, 2004
The teams took a train from Voss to Oslo, then a bus to Stockholm, Sweden. Upon arriving in Sweden, the teams headed to the Nordic Sea Hotel's Ice Bar, a nightclub made entirely of ice. There, team members slid ice shot glasses across the bar. If either hit a target at the end, they received their next clue; if both missed, they had to go back to the end of the line and wait to try again.
From the club, teams headed to the world's largest IKEA at Kungens Kurva and searched the store for their next clue. At the IKEA was the Detour, a choice between Count It or Build It. In Count It, teams had to count the number of pots, pans, and stuffed animals in three large bins. If they gave the correct number (2,304) to the supervisor, he would give them their clue; otherwise, they had to count again. In Build It, teams had to assemble a desk using all of the provided parts and an instruction manual. Once the desk was properly assembled according to a supervisor, the team would receive their next clue.
After the Detour, the teams were instructed to take a train to Häggvik, then ride a tandem bicycle 2 miles (3.2 km) to their next clue at a farm. There, they found the first Yield (which went unused) and the next Roadblock, which asked "Who's got hay fever?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to unroll bales of hay and search for their next clue hidden inside. Out of the 270 bales, only 20 had clues. (This task was later revisited in The Amazing Race 15 as a Switchback). After the Roadblock, the teams were instructed to ride their tendem bicycle to the Häggvik Train Station, and ride a train to Stockholm to find the next Pit Stop: the af Chapman.
Leg 4 (Sweden → Senegal)
Airdate: December 7, 2004
At the start of the leg, the teams were directed to the top of Stockholm City Hall for their next clue, which directed teams to fly to the African city of Dakar, Senegal. Upon arrival, they found their next clue just outside the airport. Teams were given a poem and told to go to its author's grave. They had to figure out that it was by former Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor, whose grave was at the Bel Aire Cemetery.
From the cemetery, teams were directed to a marked carpenter's shop in Kayar. At the shop was the next Detour, a choice between Stack 'Em Up or Pull 'Em Up. In Stack 'Em Up, teams had to stack enough fish to properly cover a drying table. Once the table was properly covered, the fisherwoman would hand them their next clue. In Pull 'Em Up, teams traveled on fishing boats and used traditional fishing gear to catch four fish. When they brought the four fish to a bounty man on the shore, he would give them their next clue.
After the Detour, teams took taxis to the Lac Rose Salt Mounds where they found the Roadblock, which asked "Who wants to bathe in rose water?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to use the traditional tools provided to harvest enough salt from the bed of Lac Rose to fill a 25-US-gallon (95 L) basket. Once the basket on shore was completely filled, a supervisor would hand them their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams to took a ferry to Ile de Goree where they would find the next Pit Stop.
Leg 5 (Senegal → Germany)
Airdate: December 14, 2004
At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to go to Slave House and read a poem recounting the events of slavery on Goree Island. Afterwards, they laid a single rose at the historic archway known as the Door of No Return as a tribute to African slavery before being given their next clue.
Teams then took the ferry back to the mainland, and flew to Berlin, Germany. Upon arrival, teams took the train to the East Side Gallery, and searched a stretch of the former Berlin Wall for the clue box. From the wall, they made their way to the Broken Chain Sculpture across the street from a partially destroyed church. At the church they found the Detour, a choice between Beer or Brats. In Beer, teams traveled to the Brauhaus Spandau bar, where each team member had to search the tables at the crowded bar for five coasters bearing his or her teams' name and picture. They then had to trade two full steins of beer to the patron in exchange for each coaster. Once both team members collected five of their coasters, they would receive their next clue. In Brats, teams traveled to Zitadelle where they had to use a hand-operated sausage-maker to create one rope of five 7-inch (18 cm) bratwursts in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams made their way to the base of Teufelsberg (Devil's Mountain) where they found the Roadblock, which asked "Who feels the need for speed?" For the Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the top of Teufelsberg and complete a soap box derby course in 37 seconds or less to reeive the next clue. After the Roadblock, teams were instructed to choose a marked car, drive themselves to a marked parking area, and run on foot to the next Pit Stop: the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Leg 6 (Germany → Hungary)
Airdates: December 21, 2004 & January 4, 2005
At the start of the leg, teams made their way to Checkpoint Charlie, a former Cold War crossing point of the Berlin Wall. Once there, the teams traveled to the Olympic Stadium, where they found the first Roadblock, which asked "Who's ready to be stretched to the limit?" For this Roadblock, one team member was strapped into a "hot rocket bungee" and launched 200 feet (61 m) in the air. After returning to the ground, the jump master handed them their next clue. (Note: teams had to sign-in to determine the jump order.) After the Roadblock, teams had to fly from Berlin to Budapest, Hungary.
Upon arriving in Budapest, teams had to search for a marked Trabant car and drive to Eger Castle in Eger. At the castle was the first Detour, a choice between Catapult Crash or Cannonball Run. In Catapult Crash, teams had to use a catapult to hurl a watermelon 150 feet (46 m) onto a wooden target to retrieve the clue hidden within. In Cannonball Run, teams had to push a cannon up a hill to the castle courtyard, then carry 55 4-pound (1.8 kg) cannonballs and stack them into a pyramid next to the cannon to receive their next clue. From there, teams took the train back to Budapest and took a taxi to the Net Klub Internet Kafé, ending the first part of the leg.
At the start of the second part of the leg at the café, teams logged onto their AOL accounts with a wireless laptop and received a clue via e-mail. This instructed teams to take a taxi to the Heritage Rail Museum, then pick a number in order to ride a draisine down the tracks at speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) to get their next clue. The next clue contained the first of two Fast Forwards on the Race. To claim the first Fast Forward award, one team had to travel to Buda Castle, descend through a cavernous labyrinth and partake in the legend of vampires by drinking a goblet of pig's blood, recalling when Transylvania was part of Hungary.
The other teams had to take taxis to Margaret Island on the Danube River and travel to the Nemzeti Sportuszoda. Here, teams found the second Detour, a choice between Swim or Paddle. In Swim, teams made their way to an Olympic-sized swimming pool and participated in a game of water polo. Working together, they had to score a goal against a top Hungarian water polo player to receive the next clue. In Paddle, teams inflated a raft with a hand pump and paddled across the Danube River to a flag on the other side in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, the teams had to take a taxi to the Gundel Restaurant and find the second Roadblock, which asked "Who's ready to spice up their life?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to eat a 24-ounce (680 g) bowl of a traditional Hungarian spicy soup. Once the bowl was finished, they'd get their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams were directed to the next Pit Stop: the Fisherman's Bastion.
Leg 7 (Hungary → France)
Airdate: January 11, 2005
At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to find the Promontor Borudvar winery and follow the marked path towards the 14,000-US-gallon (53,000 l; 12,000 imp gal) wine cask where their next clue was located. They were then told to fly to the French island of Corsica. Upon arrival to its capital city of Ajaccio, they made their way to Napoleon's birthplace, to find the next clue in the room where he was born.
At the house was the second Fast Forward of the Race. To claim this Fast Forward, one team must locate a harbor in Ajaccio and don old-style diving suits, weighing more than 100 pounds (45 kg) each, to walk across the ocean floor to a lobster trap and retrieve the award.
The other teams chose a marked car and drove to Camp Raffalli in Calvi where they found the Detour, a choice between Climb Up or Fly Behind. In Climb Up, teams had to use a mechanical ascender to climb a 45-foot (14 m) rock wall. Once at the top, they received a medal from a French legionnaire on the terrace, and proceeded to rappel 75 feet (23 m) down to receive their next clue. In Fly Behind, teams had to choose a Zodiac boat and, with one member directing the pilot and the other trailing behind on a raft, search among 25 buoys for one of 12 with a clue attached.
After the Detour, teams drove to a winery in the village of Zilia where they found the Roadblock, which asked "Who's ready to have a barrel of fun?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to stomp 55 pounds (25 kg) of grapes with their feet in order to squeeze enough juice to fill five wine bottles. They then had to drink a glass of this juice to receive the next clue. After the Roadblock, teams drove to the next Pit Stop: a red rock peak known as La Pietra in L'Île-Rousse.
Leg 8 (France → Ethiopia)
Airdate: January 18, 2005
At the start of the leg, teams boarded a ferry to Nice, then made their way to the city gardens and found their clue at a bust of Albert I. From there, teams were instructed to fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Upon arrival, teams searched for a marked airline counter to sign-up for one of two charter flight to Lalibela, with each flight carrying three teams. Once in Lalibela, teams found their next clue on the windshields of marked vans outside the airport. Teams then directed the provided driver to take them to the marked overlook of Lewz Village.
At the outlook was the next Detour, a choice between Raise the Roof or Mud the Hut. In Raise the Roof, teams assisted a group of locals carrying a roof two-thirds of a mile (1,100 m) and placed it on top of a house. Once the roof was on, one team member would then place a jug on the roof to receive their next clue. In Mud the Hut, teams had to use a plaster made of dirt, water, and straw to cover an entire wall of a traditional Ethiopian house to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams then took two donkeys from a marked pen and delivered them to a farmer 3 miles (4.8 km) away, near St. George's Church, to receive the next clue.
After passing the second Yield, the teams found the next Roadblock, which asked "Who has an eye for detail?" For this Roadblock, one team member must enter the 850-year-old church to receive a pendant from the head priest. The team member then had to search among hundreds of worshipers standing outside for one with a matching pendant; this person would give them their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams then traveled approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) on foot to the next Pit Stop: the Lalibela Lookout.
Leg 9 (Ethiopia → Sri Lanka)
Airdate: January 25, 2005
At the start the leg, teams returned to Lalibela Airport to sign-up for one of two charter flights to Addis Ababa, leaving 30 minutes apart with 3 teams on the first flight. Once in Addis Ababa, they searched for the Addis Ababa Stadium, and chose two locals runners with whom to complete a 4-man track relay to receive their next clue.
After finishing the relay, teams flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka and took a train to the city of Galle. Once there, they traveled by tuk-tuks to Fort Galle where they found the Detour, a choice between Tree Trunks or Elephant Trunks. In Tree Trunks, teams traveled 2 miles (3.2 km) by tuk-tuk to a coconut plantation. Once there, each person had to climb to the top of a 50-foot (15 m) tree to retrieve a jug filled with tree sap, which each person must pour into a container to receive the next clue. In Elephant Trunks, teams traveled 2.5 miles (4.0 km) by tuk-tuk to an elephant polo field, where each team member had to ride an elephant down the length of the field, hitting a polo ball around a large pole and scoring a goal in order to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams took a bus to the city of Kandy and made their way to the Kandyan Art Association. Once there, they purchased an offering which they exchanged at the nearby Temple of the Tooth for their clue. From there, teams took another bus to Dambulla, then a tuktuk to the Lion Rock in the ancient city of Sigiriya, where they found their next clue.
At Lion Rock, teams found the Roadblock, which asked "Who's got strong legs and keen eyes?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to ascend more than 1,000 steps to the top of Lion Rock. Once at the top, from a vantage point 600 feet (180 m) above the ground, the racer then used binoculars to scan the jungle for a flag near the pool at the Hotel Sigiriya. Once found, the teams proceeded to the hotel and swam the length of the pool before checking in at the Pit Stop.
Leg 10 (Sri Lanka → China)
Airdate: February 1, 2005
At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to Shanghai, China. Upon arrival, they had to make their way to the Yuyuan Gardens and search the grounds for their next clue. Teams then took taxis to Yincheng Road and searched the area for Huaneng Union Tower and their next clue.
After passing the third Yield, teams found the next Roadblock, which said "The HuaXia Bank Tower is 40 stories high – but someone has to wash it!!!" For this Roadblock, one team member must wash a window on the exterior of the HuaXia Bank Tower, 40 stories above the ground, to reveal a hidden message. Once they understood the message, they had to lower themselves to the ground and repeat the message to the supervisor, who would hand them their next clue.
After the Roadblock, teams made their way to the Monument to the People's Heroes on The Bund. Once there, they had to find a group of Tai Chi performers and search for one of four masters holding their clue.
From there, teams took a taxi to the end of Jiang Pu Road, where they found the Detour: a choice between Bricks or Ice. In Bricks, teams had to use a traditional device to transport 300 clay bricks off a barge while balancing on a narrow wooden plank. From there, they had to stack the bricks on a wooden pallet to receive their clue. In Ice, teams had to load two 220-pound (100 kg) blocks of ice onto the back of flatbed tricycles and deliver them to a fish market four blocks away. Once there, they would have to break them into smaller pieces and place them into a tub to receive the next clue. After the Detour, teams had to take a taxi to the Pit Stop: the roof of the Peace Hotel South.
Leg 11 (China)
Airdate: February 8, 2005
At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to take a train to city of Xi'an. Once there, they took taxis to Drum Tower to find their next clue. At the tower was the next Detour, a choice between Spray or Scroll. In Spray, teams traveled 34 miles (55 km) to a car factory, put on uniforms, and spray painted the shell of a Chinese-made car to receive the next clue. In Scroll, teams traveled 31 miles (50 km) to a textile factory and searched through 10 bolts of fabric with a light table. When they found and cut out the two Chinese characters stamped within 2 of the 10 bolts, they received the next clue.
After the Detour, teams made their way to the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum and found the viewing platform of pit 1 to reach the next clue. From there, teams were directed to the North Peak of Mount Hua, which required traveling by shuttle bus and a gondola.
At the peak, teams found the Roadblock, which asked "Which of you is more methodical?" For this Roadblock, one team member had to find which of 3,000 padlocks would open with a provided key. Teams were required to complete the task before the last gondola's departure at 7:00 p.m. After the Roadblock, the teams traveled to the Pit Stop: the South Gate of the Xi'an Wall.
Leg 12 (China → United States)
Airdate: February 8, 2005
At the start of the final leg, teams flew to Honolulu, Hawaii, but were required to book their flights at a travel agency before proceeding to the airport. Once in Hawaii, they then drove to Puu Ualakaa State Park and found their next clue on the marked lookout point.
On the lookout point was the final Detour, a choice between Outfits or Out-riggers. In Outfits, teams traveled 10 miles (16 km) to a tropical clothing distributor and searched racks filled with 165,000 Aloha shirts for the match of a provided mannequin to receive their next clue. In Out-riggers, teams had to drive 6 miles (9.7 km) to a canoe club and, with the help of a provided assistant, paddle an outrigger canoe down a 2-mile (3.2 km) course to receive their next clue.
After the Detour, teams drove to Kamaka Air and found the final Roadblock, which asked "Who's ready for an ocean drive?" For this Roadblock, one team member must tandem skydive with an instructor from 11,000 feet (3,400 m), landing on a sandbar in Kaneohe Bay, where their next clue waited.
After the Roadblock, teams took a boat back to shore and flew to their final destination city: Chicago, Illinois. Upon arrival, teams took the train to the Chicago Water Tower. From there, they were instructed to take a taxi to Gino's East Pizzeria where each person had to eat two slices of a deep dish pizza. Completing this task, teams were given their final clue, directing them to the Finish Line at Ping Tom Memorial Park.