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The Obstacle Course (also known as Double Play, Wicker Ball Relay, Rats in the Rigging, Big Bad O-Course, Pitfalls and Pitstops, Balance Beam Maze, Dragon Slayer, Tower of Power, Battle of Evermore, and High Deck Matsui) is a recurring physical challenge that debuted in Survivor: Borneo.

Rules[]

Castaways must race through a series of physical and mental obstacles. The first tribe, team, or individual to complete the course wins.

History[]

United States[]

The challenge was first used as a tribal Immunity Challenge in Borneo, with each tribe having two pairs racing through obstacles. The first pair must run the first half of the course before meeting up with the second pair at an obstacle called the "blown bridge". Once they reach the other side, all four members must run the second half of the course to the finish line. In a close race, Tagi held a narrow lead throughout the challenge, crossing the finish line seconds before Pagong, sending Pagong to Tribal Council.

The challenge reappeared in The Australian Outback where the final eight were required to split up into pairs consisting of one man and one woman in a Reward Challenge. Two pairs would face off in each heat, with the winners of each heat then facing each other in a final heat. In the final heat, the team more physical team of Colby Donaldson and Jerri Manthey maintained a lead from the pair of Amber Brkich and Keith Famie, holding onto it to win reward.

In Africa, the castaways are again teamed up in four pairs of two. Like in The Australian Outback, the winners of the first two heats would face off in the final round. In the final round, the unlikely pair of Brandon Quinton and Frank Garrison defeated the pair of Ethan Zohn and Kim Johnson to win reward.

In Thailand, the final eight were divided into pairs and run the course in two separate heats, with the winning team in each heat again facing off in the final round. However, the winning pair would then face each other in a puzzle. In the end, the team of Brian Heidik and Helen Glover came out on top, with Brian besting Helen in the puzzle to win reward.

In Pearl Islands, the challenge took place at the wreck of an old Spanish galleon. The castaways again ran in pairs, with the winning pair in each heat moving on to the final round. In the final round, each pair would have to run the same course, but now collect bags of puzzle pieces along the way, then use the pieces to solve a puzzle. The team of Burton Roberts and Lillian Morris defeated the team of Jon Dalton and Rupert Boneham in the final round to win reward.

In All-Stars, the challenge was used as both a Reward and an Immunity Challenge. In the first part, the castaways would compete in an obstacle course in two teams of four, with the winning team earning the right to compete for immunity. In the obstacle course, the team of Jenna Lewis, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Rupert Boneham, and Tom Buchanan fell behind early when Rupert and Tom had difficulty crossing the balance beam, allowing the team of Alicia Calaway, Amber Brkich, Rob Mariano, and Shii Ann Huang to pull ahead and win reward. In the second part, Rob M. defeated the other three in a slide puzzle to win immunity.

In One World, it was used as the final five Immunity Challenge, where the castaways had to open a gate stuck by knots, cross a maze, and pick up bags of puzzle pieces strung on a net. After assembling the puzzle, they must decipher clues that would give them three numbers. They must then climb up a platform, use the three numbers to unlock a key and raise the flag. In a tight race, Kim Spradlin raised her flag before Alicia Rosa and Chelsea Meissner to win immunity.

In Philippines, the final four competed for a Challenge Advantage in the Final Immunity Challenge. The Dangrayne tribe had to run through a series of obstacles and collect three bags of puzzle pieces, which they will use to solve a hanging layered dragon puzzle. Malcolm Freberg won the challenge and the advantage.

In Millennials vs. Gen X, the challenge was used as the final six Reward/Immunity Challenge in which the castaways had to race through an obstacle course while collecting bags of number tiles which they would use to solve a combination lock and release a key. The key would unlock a set of puzzle pieces which they must use to solve a hanging bat puzzle. Jay Starrett took the early lead, but made a critical error in not covering his combination lock, allowing everyone to copy him. The copying continued at the bat puzzle, in which David Wright surged ahead to win immunity.

The Tower of Power format used in Millennials vs. Gen X was reused as the final six Immunity Challenge in Survivor 43. Cassidy Clark won the challenge.

Australia[]

The challenge appeared at the final four of Heroes v Villains. That night, the final four would vote to eliminate a jury member; the winner of the challenge would have an extra vote in this decision at Tribal Council. The final four would first race through the water to collect a bag of two balls. Once on shore, they would throw both balls and attempt to land them on an overhead chute before proceeding to crawl underneath a net obstacle. They would then piece together a vertical block puzzle, after which they would race up a tower and toss sandbags, attempting to land a sandbag on each of five perches. Matt Sharp gained a lead at the ball toss that he never relinquished, thus winning the extra vote.

France[]

Mexico (Unofficial)[]

It was used as a Final Challenge in La Isla 2012. Everyone was tied to one singular rope, and had to cross the obstacles and balance beams that way. In two of the checkpoints, there were chests containing knives, and they'd use the first one to cut the rope, splitting themselves into two groups, and the second one to split both trios up. Celebridades and Famosos competed in the challenge, and Famosos etched out the win by mere seconds.

South Africa[]

At the final four of Santa Carolina, the contestants had to cross an extensive obstacle course to reach a puzzle station, where the first person to solve their block puzzle would win immunity. Ashley Hayden and Sade Giliberti held the lead for most of the challenge, and Ashley completed her puzzle first to win her fourth straight Immunity Challenge.

The challenge appeared as the first Reward Challenge following the unification of the tribes in Maldives. Raituhn held a consistent lead over Goma and won the challenge.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Blood v Water
Episode 22
Individual Immunity AUS9 josh t
Josh Millgate
Heroes v Villains
Episode 23
Individual Reward AUS10 matt t
Matt Sharp

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Les Aventuriers
Episode 6
Tribal Immunity FRS1 guenaelle tFRS1 michele t
FRS1 patricia tFRS1 romain tFRS1 william t
Korok (Les Aventuriers de Koh-Lanta)
Nicoya
Episode 10
Individual Reward FRS2 francoisxavier t
François-Xavier Arguillère
FRS2 isabelle t
Isabelle Vial
Bocas del Toro
Episode 10
Individual Reward FRS3 delphine t
Delphine Bano
Panama
Episode 9
Individual Reward FRS4 amelie t
Amélie Grégoire
Pacifique
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS5 mohamed t
Mohamed Derradji
Vanuatu
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS6 sebastien t
Sébastien Roullé
Palawan
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS7 gregoire t
Grégoire Delachaux
Caramoan
Episode 8
Individual Reward FRS8 christelle t
Christelle Gauzet
Le Retour des Héros
Episode 4
Individual Immunity FRS9 francoisdavid t
François-David Cardonnel
Palau
Episode 6
Individual Immunity FRS10 christina t
Christina Chevry
Le Choc des Héros
Episode 7
Individual Immunity FRS11 myriam t
Myriam Lamare
Viêtnam
Episode 10
Individual Immunity FRS12 claude t
Claude Dartois
Raja Ampat
Episode 9
Individual Immunity FRS13 martin t
Martin Bazin
La Revanche des Héros
Episode 4
Individual Immunity FRS14 freddy t
Freddy Boucher
Malaisie
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS15 philippe t
Phil Bizet
La Nouvelle Édition
Episode 6
Individual Immunity FRS16 laurent t
Laurent Maistret
Johor
Episode 10
Individual Immunity FRS17 jessica t
Jessica Potel
Thaïlande
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS18 karima t
Karima Najjarine
L'Île au Trésor
Episode 9
Individual Immunity FRS19 jeremy t
Jérémy Raffin
Cambodge
Episode 9
Individual Immunity FRS20 vincent t
Vincent Roux
Fidji
Episode 10
Individual Immunity FRS21 melanie t
Mélanie Moret
Le Combat des Héros
Episode 6
Individual Immunity FRS22 candice t
Candice Boisson
La Guerre des Chefs
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS23 maxime t
Maxime Berthon
L'Île des Héros
Episode 7
Individual Immunity FRS24 claude t
Claude Dartois
Les 4 Terres
Episode 8
Individual Immunity FRS25 alix t
Alix Noblat
Les Armes Secrètes
Episode 6
Individual Immunity FRS26 laure t
Laure Canevarolo
La Légende
Episode 1
Individual Immunity FRS27 claude t
Claude Dartois
FRS27 laurent t
Laurent Maistret
Le Totem Maudit
Episode 11
Individual Immunity FRS28 louana t
Louana Roy
Le Feu Sacré
Episode 1
Individual Reward FRS29 Nicolas t
Nicolas Pretot

Episode Challenge Type Winners
La Isla 2012
Cycle 1, Episode 3
Tribal Immunity 2012LI travieso t2012LI juanito t2012LI julia t
2012LI mariana t2012LI rafael t2012LI yanilen t
Famosos (2012)

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Santa Carolina
Episode 13
Individual Immunity ZAS3 ashley t
Ashley Hayden
Maldives
Episode 2
Tribal Reward ZAS4 bonnie tZAS4 carmel tZAS4 harry t
ZAS4 hykie tZAS4 letshego tZAS4 malusi t
ZAS4 tasleem tZAS4 tejan tZAS4 tshepo t
Raituhn

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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