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Wicker Flicker (also known as What's for Launch?, Cross Fire, Slosh Pit, Water Mortar, Beach Balls, and Philipping Out) is a physical challenge in Survivor. One member of each tribe fires a ball from a large slingshot, while other members attempt to catch the ball to score points. The challenge debuted in Survivor: Thailand, and has been adapted in many subsequent seasons.

Rules

Each tribe selects a given number of people to shoot balls from a slingshot into an open field. The remaining contestants spread out to designated locations and compete to catch the balls with either wicker baskets, a handheld net, or their bare hands. Every time a ball is caught (including balls fired by the opposing tribe) that tribe scores a point, and the first tribe to reach a given score wins the challenge.

Usage

This challenge debuted as Wicker Flicker in Survivor: Thailand as a Reward Challenge. One tribemember was chosen to fire the slingshots, while the others attempted to catch their tribes' ball in a wicker basket. In this version, only balls fired by one's own tribe would contribute to the score. Sook Jai won the challenge and an authentic Thai feast.

Survivor: Guatemala introduced the use of nets for catching the launched balls, when the challenge appeared for immunity as What's For Launch?. The first tribe to catch five balls won the challenge. Nakúm won the challenge and immunity.

In Survivor: Panama, the challenge was called Cross Fire and was used as a tribal reward. Three members of each tribe were selected as launchers, while the remaining four lined up on a balance beam in the water and attempted to catch the launched ball with their bare hands. La Mina was the first tribe to score five catches, and won a collection of camp equipment (tarp, rope, blankets, pillows, watercans and fuel). As part of the Exile Island twist, they sent Bruce Kanegai into exile.

The challenge was next featured as an individual Reward Challenge in Survivor: Fiji, under the name Slosh Pit. The contestants were randomly divided into two teams of four, and fought to catch the fired balls in baskets. Alex Angarita, Dreamz Herd, Earl Cole, and Stacy Kimball won the reward: a spa day at a local resort.

The challenge, here known as Water Mortar, was first used for immunity in Survivor: Tocantins. This season also introduced the handheld nets that have been used in all subsequent versions of the challenge. The tribes alternated firing a ball across a shallow pool of water, with the first tribe to make five catches winning. Notably, J.T. Thomas lost a tooth while scoring a point for his tribe. However, Timbira won the challenge, and immunity.

In Survivor: Redemption Island, the challenge was used as a combined Reward/Immunity Challenge, and was played on the beachside. Ometepe was the first tribe to score five catches, winning immunity and a picnic at San Juan del Sur.

The challenge reappeared (renamed Philipping Out) as an Immunity Challenge in Survivor: Philippines. Denise Stapley and Lisa Whelchel were selected to fire the slingshots for Kalabaw and Tandang, respectively. The evenly matched challenge ended when Malcolm Freberg scored the final catch, winning immunity for Tandang, 5 to 4.

The challenge reappeared in Survivor: Worlds Apart and as the first Reward Challenge after the tribe switch. The tribes launched balls into the ocean where their tribemates attempted to catch a ball. The first tribe to reach five points won. Escameca ended up beating Nagarote to win a reward of cooking supplies and sausages.

Winners

Episode Challenge Type Winner
Thailand
"The Power of One"
Tribal Reward File:S5 erin t.jpgFile:S5 jake t.jpgFile:S5 ken t.jpg
File:S5 penny t.jpgFile:S5 robb t.jpgFile:S5 shiiann t.jpg
Sook Jai
Guatemala
"Crocs, Cowboys and City Slickers"
Tribal Immunity File:S11 cindy t.jpgFile:S11 jamie t.jpgFile:S11 judd t.jpg
File:S11 lydia t.jpgFile:S11 margaret t.jpgFile:S11 rafe t.jpgFile:S11 stephenie t.jpg
Nakúm
Panama
"Crazy Fights, Snake Dinners"
Tribal Reward File:S12 austin t.jpgFile:S12 dan t.jpgFile:S12 misty t.jpg
File:S12 nick t.jpgFile:S12 ruthmarie t.jpgFile:S12 sally t.jpgFile:S12 terry t.jpg
La Mina
Fiji
"Blackmail or Betrayal"
Team Reward File:S14 alex t.jpgFile:S14 dreamz t.jpgFile:S14 earl t.jpgFile:S14 stacy t.jpg
Alex, Dreamz, Earl, & Stacy
Tocantins
"You're Going to Want That Tooth"
Tribal Immunity File:S18 brendan t.jpgFile:S18 coach t.jpgFile:S18 debbie t.jpg
File:S18 erinn t.jpgFile:S18 sierra t.jpgFile:S18 tyson t.jpg
Timbira
Redemption Island
"Their Red-Headed Stepchild"
Tribal Immunity/Reward File:S22 andrea t.jpgFile:S22 ashley t.jpgFile:S22 grant t.jpg
File:S22 natalie t.jpgFile:S22 phillip t.jpgFile:S22 rob t.jpg
Ometepe
Philippines
"Down and Dirty"
Tribal Immunity File:S25 abimaria t.jpgFile:S25 artis t.jpgFile:S25 lisa t.jpg
File:S25 malcolm t.jpgFile:S25 michael t.jpgFile:S25 pete t.jpgFile:S25 rc t.jpg
Tandang
Worlds Apart
"We're Finally Playing Some Survivor"
Tribal Reward S30 dan tS30 joaquin tS30 joe t
S30 mike tS30 rodney tS30 sierra tS30 tyler t
Escameca

Gallery

Trivia

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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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