THE AMAZING RACE CANADA IS BACK! I have been waiting for this since Season 1 ended and I wasn’t disappointed. We kept complaining about how lame the challenges were on the All Star Season of TAR well, I think we’ll be OK here. If they keep things going like this the whole season this promises to be and exciting season of facing fears and pushing your body and mind to their limits. We were introduced to our teams on the Athabaskan Glacier in Jasper National Park in Alberta. The race is staying on home soil again this year but with such beautiful scenery and amazing things to do here I am not too bothered. The only element I will miss is the teams trying to navigate through language barriers and various cultures. Our teams this season are Olympic Athletes Meaghan and Natalie, mother and son Nicole and Cormac, engaged couple Rex and Bob, dating couple Alaine and Audrey, brother and sister Suki and Jinder, co-workers Ryan and Rob, married couple Laura and Jackie, twin brothers Michel and Pierre, married couple Jen and Shawn, best friends Nabeela and Shahla and our last best friend pairing of Mickey and Pete. Starting off I really liked Suki and Jinder and Mickey and Pete from their packages. Natalie and Meaghan are a strong team and I can’t wait to watch them go through this race as well! We find out that our teams are racing for not only $250000 but a trip for 2 around the world from Air Canada, a pair of Chevy Silverado and gas for life from Petro Canada. Given the price of gas these days, that right there is worth it!
Our teams start racing and they need to travel by car to Winsport Canada Olympic Park. Once there the teams get to enjoy a ride on North America’s fastest zipline “The Monster” They will be travelling 140km/hr down this crazy thing. Part of me thought it looked crazy fun, but the chicken in me says no way no how! How would you have done on this mini challenge? On the way out of the parking lot Suki and Jinder forget to close the back of their car and end up holding up everyone else behind them. Not a great start to the race but Jinder is so funny I can’t even be mad at him. You just laugh and carry on. After completing their zipline adventure they get their next clue. Now they are on their way to Calgary International Airport and fly to Victoria, BC. There are 3 flights so they need to hurry because the first flight only has 4 seats. The first flight consists of Meaghan and Natalie, Nicole and Cormac, Rex and Bob and Alaine and Audrey. Rex and Bob are going to make great television. They are dramatic and over the top. I expect great meltdowns from this pair. They aren’t even out of the parking lot to get to the airport and Rex is already crying about getting lost and Bob is trying to get him to calm down. I didn’t think I’d like these guys but I must say Rex and Bob are growing on me.
Once in Victoria they need to go to the Viscount Aero Center and search a vintage bi-plane for their next clue. Here is where I lose the race! The first Road Block is called “Who’s Ready to Jump Into the Race” NOT ME! teams must perform a tandem ski dive from 12000 ft in the air. No Thank You. Dana stays firmly planted on the ground, my partner would definitely be doing this challenge for sure. Would you be able to skydive? Most teams get through this relatively unscathed. Poor Natalie gets up in the air and is just vomiting all over that plane. She figures the fastest way out of it is to jump so down she goes and gets sick all over the ground once she lands. Nicole is terrified of heights but conquers her fears and goes through with it. Rex and Bob debate who should do this challenge, Bob ends up doing it because the only part of this challenge that appeals to Rex is being strapped to another guy. Once on the ground they receive their next clue.
Everyone is now planted firmly on the ground and taking cabs to The Fairmont Empress Hotel. We need to know Who’s Ready to Get Steeped in Tradition. They need to search the Arbutus tree for their next clue. The team member that didn’t do the skydive is going to serve afternoon tea to Lords and Ladies. After a quick etiquette lesson they must properly present and recite the menu word for word to these people in order to get their next clue. These challenges are great to watch. People unravel so quickly, especially when they are placed at the end of a leg and you are tired and hungry. Meaghan is the first out of this challenge completing it in only 2 tries. Cormac was on his 9th try by the time Laura ended up there. Rex had a hard time getting his words right and Bob venting his frustration got us the title for this episode as he dramatically throws his hand in the air and shouts “What’s it take to get a cup of tea around here?!” They kill me. Nabeela, Shahla, Mickey and Pete show up together and Shahla states that Nabeela has this because she is a perfectionist. Pete says Mickey is too and Shahla says really and Pete laughs and says NO. Mickey and Pete are going to be this season’s Afghanimals for me. They are funny and are just having fun. They don’t seem to go to crazy and I am rooting for them to go far! Shawn is the last one to leave the challenge after having a ton of trouble with his worlds, but Jen keeps a positive attitude and they race to the next clue. Who is everyone liking so far in the race? Anyone driving you crazy yet?
I told you this is a crazy leg, everyone is now on the way to Canadian Forces Base Equimalt. Here they do damage control training. Both team members must suit up and enter a simulation of a sinking ship and using the tools provided stop 9 leaks and save the ship. At first glance you may think it’s a simple challenge and most teams have no real issues with it, but the water is freezing. We have seen what freezing cold water can do to a person in other shows like Opposite Worlds and Big Brother. You can’t breathe it’s hard to move or even think when you are that cold. Natalie and Meaghan are beasts. I have never seen such a strong female team on the race ever. They fix those leaks and are out so fast! Audrey and Alaine are right behind them though, so they need to move quick. Nicole and Cormac drove me a little bonkers, well Nicole did anyways. This poor kid is trying to fix leaks while mom is behind him shouting orders. Shut up Nicole and help him. Nabeela and Shahla struggle here. Shahla drops her tools underwater and has to go under the water to pick them up. The kiss of death for this team. She is now freezing and these two can’t pull themselves together to complete this task. They end up taking a penalty to get out of there.
Finally we get the clue to our first pit stop of the season. They need to make their way to Fort Rod Hill’s Fisgard Lighthouse to check in with Jon. We have a great foot race between Natalie and Meaghan and Audrey and Alaine. Natalie and Meaghan beat them out and check in first! For winning this leg of the race they win 2 round trip tickets to any South American destinations that Air Canada has, 2000 on their American Express card and 2 express passes. One for them and one they must give away by the end of the fifth leg of the race. Nabeela and Shahla are last to the mat and are eliminated.
What are your thoughts on this episode of The Amazing Race Canada? I am loving it so far and can’t wait to start watching these teams really battle it out.Who do you think Natalie and Meaghan should give the express pass too? There is so much strategy behind this decision, I’d give it to a weak team because it wouldn’t really do much to help them out. Do you think staying in Canada is going to hurt the season? It is the one thing I wrestle with because watching teams deal with culture shock and cabbies with language barriers is always a great source of drama. If you missed this weeks episode you can always go to CTV.ca and watch the episodes. For my American friends who want to see how we do things up here in Canada you can watch the episodes HERE The Amazing Race Canada airs on CTV Tuesdays at 9pmEST. You aren’t going to want to miss a second of it! See ya next week!
