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Shoulder the Load (also known as Water Torture and Pole Axed) is a recurring endurance challenge that originated in Survivor: Borneo and was modified and reused in later seasons.

Rules[]

In Borneo, one man from each tribe would hold weight on poles until they could no longer do so. Due to the challenge going unaired, it currently unknown if the polebearers had to simply hold a set weight for as long as they could or if their was a method for increasing the weight of the poles similar to later seasons.

When used in The Australian Outback, one man from each tribe was chosen to be the designated water bearer who would hold weight in water from the other tribe until the weight became too much to bear.

Starting in Pearl Islands and since, three members from each tribe will have a pole across their shoulders. Each round, weight (20 lbs.) will be added to that pole. The decision about which tribe member gets the weight will be made by the other tribe. When the weight becomes too much to bear, the tribe member will drop the pole and be out of the challenge. Last person left standing wins reward or immunity for their tribe.

Starting in Tocantins, a requirement was added that two men and one woman must compete in this challenge. This requirement was kept for South Pacific.

History[]

United States[]

This challenge was first used as an unaired Reward Challenge in Borneo that occurred on Day 4. Richard Hatch and Joel Klug bore the poles for Tagi and Pagong respectively. Joel managed to endure longer than Richard, earning the Pagong tribe a map to a closer water source.

In its on-screen debut during Survivor: The Australian Outback, Michael and Colby were the two designated water bearers. After time elapsed they were both carrying approximately 400 lbs. of water, where soon Michael's pole snapped in half. The two went into a timed tiebreaker in which Colby won for his tribe, Ogakor.

In Pearl Islands, Andrew and Ryan O. won this challenge for Morgan.

Taj won this challenge for Jalapao for reward in Survivor: Tocantins.

Dawn won this challenge for Savaii most recently in Survivor: South Pacific, where the challenge was for reward and immunity.

Total weight when dropped Polebearer
240 lbs. S23 jim tS23 brandon t
220 lbs. S7 rupert tS18 jt tS18 brendan t
180 lbs. S23 keith tS23 albert t
160 lbs. S7 osten tS7 christa tS7 andrew t
140 lbs. S7 shawn tS7 ryano tS18 joe t
S18 tyson tS23 stacey tS23 dawn t
100 lbs. S18 taj tS18 debbie t

Australia[]

In Brains v Brawn, the challenge was used as a Reward Challenge, where the tribes competed for tacos and margaritas. Emmett Pugh, Gerald Youles, and Kez McGee stood as the polebearers for the Brains, while Baden Cooke, Chelsea Hackett, and Simon Mee stood as the polebearers for Brawn. After one hour, the challenge came down to a showdown between Emmett and Simon, with Simon dropping his pole first to give the new Brains tribe their first reward win.

France[]

New Zealand[]

Quebec[]

The challenge appeared as an Immunity Challenge in Survivor Québec (2023), where Pierre-Alexandre Guillot and Karine Lavigne-Fortin shouldered the load for Kalooban, while Jean-Junior Morin and Sandrine Fortier served as polebearers for Tiyaga. Jean-Junior was the first person to drop out after bearing 240 lbs. on his shoulders. He was followed by Sandrine who dropped at 120 lbs. After enduring 200 lbs. and 160 lbs. of weight respectively, Pierre-Alexandre and Karine won the challenge for Kalooban, sending Tiyaga to Tribal Council. Kalooban also won the right to send two of their own to observe Tiyaga's Tribal Council.

South Africa[]

In Santa Carolina, the challenge was used as the third Immunity Challenge of the season. Hanna Grobler and Okkert Brits were the polebearers for Chibudu, while Lady Lea Moscou Barrett and Louw Venter were the polebearers for Timbila. Every minute, the opposing tribe will fill one of the polebearers' barrels with 4 liters of water. Louw was the first to drop with 80 kg of water in his barrels. Then, after 30 minutes, Okkert dropped his pole with 84 kg of water in his barrels. Finally, after 37 minutes, Hanna dropped at 64 kg, while Lady Lea endured 68 kg of weight to win the challenge for Timbila.

United Kingdom[]

The challenge was used as the first Immunity Challenge after the tribe switch on Survivor U.K. (2023). Doug Swinbanks, Jess Woburn, and Nathan Dyke served as polebearers for Caletón, while Christopher Haul, Hannah Baptiste, and Matthew Haywood served as La Nena's polebearers. After one hour in 37-degree weather, Hannah became the last person to drop out of the challenge, losing immunity for La Nena.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Borneo
"The Generation Gap"
Tribal Reward

(Unaired)

S1 bb tS1 colleen tS1 gervase tS1 greg t
S1 gretchen tS1 jenna tS1 joel tS1 ramona t
Pagong
The Australian Outback
"Trust No One"
Tribal Reward S2 amber tS2 colby tS2 jerri t
S2 keith tS2 maralyn tS2 mitchell tS2 tina t
Ogakor
Pearl Islands
"Me and My Snake"
Tribal Immunity S7 andrew tS7 darrah t
S7 osten tS7 ryano tS7 tijuana t
Morgan
Tocantins
"The Strongest Man Alive"
Tribal Reward S18 joe tS18 jt tS18 sandy t
S18 spencer tS18 stephen tS18 sydney tS18 taj t
Jalapao
South Pacific
"Survivalism"
Tribal Reward/Immunity S23 cochran tS23 dawn tS23 elyse t
S23 jim tS23 keith tS23 ozzy tS23 whitney t
Savaii

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Brains v Brawn
Episode 10
Tribal Reward AUS8 cara tAUS8 emmett tAUS8 gerald tAUS8 george t
AUS8 georgia tAUS8 kez tAUS8 laura tAUS8 rachel t
Brains

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Nicoya
Episode 4
Tribal Immunity FRS2 adonis tFRS2 bernard tFRS2 francoisxavier t
FRS2 isabelle tFRS2 marianne tFRS2 nicolas t
Ventanas

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Thailand
Episode 2
Tribal Immunity NZS2 adam tNZS2 brad tNZS2 dylan t
NZS2 josh tNZS2 kaysha tNZS2 lisa t
NZS2 matt tNZS2 tara tNZS2 tess t
Khangkhaw

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Survivor Québec (2023)
Episode 17
Tribal Reward/Immunity QCS1 denis tQCS1 justine tQCS1 karine t
QCS1 martine tQCS1 maryse tQCS1 nicolas tQCS1 pierrealexandre t
Kalooban

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Santa Carolina
Episode 3
Tribal Immunity ZAS3 ashley tZAS3 darren tZAS3 izak tZAS3 kaseran t
ZAS3 ladylea tZAS3 louw tZAS3 proverb tZAS3 sandi t
Timbila

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Survivor U.K. (2023)
Episode 6
Tribal Immunity UKS3 doug tUKS3 jess tUKS3 laurence t
UKS3 nathan tUKS3 pegleg tUKS3 shai t
Caletón

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Basket Brawl · Better Homes and Island Living · Beyond the Wheel · Blind Leading the Blind · Blue Lagoon Bustle · Blue Plate Special · Boats, Brains & Brawn · Bone to Pick · Boulder Smash · Bow Diddley · Box Your Mind · Braille Maze · Broken China · Buggin' Out · Build It Up, Break It Down · Butch Cassidy · By Any Means Necessary · By the Numbers · Cage Against the Machine · Can't Buoy Me Love · Cannonball Run · Caught in the Web · Cell Block Sea · Challenge Pitch · Chief's Choice · Chimney Sweep · Chinese Zodiac Symbols · Cling Ons · Choose Your Weapon · Coconut Juice · Crate Escape · Crocodile Rock · Crosswalk · Cube Crisis · Dear Liza · Dive Masters · Dizzy Gillespie · Dizzy Miss Lizzy · Domino Effect · Draggin' the Dragon · Dragging the River · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Game of Bridge · Gatecrasher · Get a Grip · Get Barreled · Get Hooked · Get Your Goat · Gimme Three Steps · Great Escape Run · Hands on a Hard Idol · Hear About It Ladder · Hot Pursuit · House of Cards · House of the Holey · Idol Hands · Jail Break · Jump Shot · Jungle Relay · Kamikaze · Keel Hauling · Keep It Up · Keep on Your Toes · Kenny Log-Ins · Kicking and Screaming · Kitty Litter · Know Your Loved One · Ladder Tree Golf · Last Gasp · Letter Hunt · Lock, Load and Light · Lock Step · Log Jam · Losing Face · Mask Match · Matchmaker · Matt Finish · Mayan Pizza · Memory · Mud Pack · Mud Slide · Muddy Waters · New School · New Tribe Member · Nut Bucket · O-Black Water · Odd Shaped Bottoms · Operation Balance Build · Out on a Limb · Over-Extended · Paddle Battle · Paddle Out · Perch · Pilfering Pirates · Piranha Feast · Pole Dancing · Pot Head · Push Me, Pull You · Puzzle Dig · Q and A · Quest for Fire · Race to Shore · Ram-Ball On · Rescue Mission · Rice Race · Rise and Shrine · Rock Bottom · Rock n' Roll · Rock the Boat · Rod Screw-It · Roll With It · Roller Ball · Rung O Star · Running Down a Dream · Sacrificial Lamb · Schmergen Brawl · Sea Crates · Sea Legs · Sea Salvage · Shipwrecked · Shoot 'n' Shuffle · Shooting Gallery · Shoulder the Load · Simmotion · Slip, Slide & Score · Slither Me Timbers · Smash and Grab · Snag, Drag and Bag · Snake in the Grass · Snake Island Relay · SOS Signal · Spear-it Hunt · Spit It Out · Splash Back · Sprung a Leak · Squared Off · Squatty Probst · Stacked Up · Stairway to Heaven · Stairway to the Stars · Star Man · Station By Station · Step on Up · Stomp-ede · Strung Out · Sumo at Sea · Survivor Auction · Survivor History · Survivor Pentathlon · Survivor Quiz Show · Swahili Scramble · Swing Break · Tangled Up · Temple Transfer · The Ball Drop · The Cruel Sea · The Game is Afoot · The Gauntlet · The Home Stretch · The Maze · The Obstacle Course · This Much · Thrash, Splash & Bash · TLP O-Course · Tomb Raider · Total Recall · Troubled Water · Uncomfortably Numb · United We Stand · Vampire Bats · Vertically Challenged · Vertigo · Wall to Wall · Well Stacked · What-er Drag · When It Rains, It Pours · Wicker Flicker · Will It Go Round · Witch Hunt · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me
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