Tom
Westman (voiceover): "Survivor challenges can
make or break a tribe. That's why challenge producer John
Kirhoffer makes sure every challenge is not only tough and
gruelling, but planned way in advance."
John Kirhoffer: "The challenge creative
team starts six weeks before we get to location."
Tom Westman: "And only TV Guide Channel
can give you this sneak peek at a real challenge from this
season." |
John
Kirhoffer: "It's called a 'Paddle Battle,' for
obvious reasons. Basically, it's about... like the Maya did,
you know, if they had to transport a boat [from] where they
built it to the water, they had to carry it across land. Like
anything they built that was heavy, they had to transport
it over rolling logs."
Tom Westman: "The challenges need to
be tested. That's when John calls on the 'Dream Team,' a practice
squad made up of Survivor's production staff. This
year, several members of the press, including TV Guide's own
Shawna Malcom, were on hand to help test the challenge." |
John
Kirhoffer (explaining challenge to Dream Teamers):
"The tribe will race down, grab their boat, push it into
the water. Everybody jumps into the boat, you paddle out to
that pontoon, and if you can see there's torches hanging,
unlit torches."
Shawna Malcom (TV Guide): "Kirhoffer
explained it, butI don't know that I understand it. I'm just
gonna follow them, and do whatever they do."
Kirhoffer (playing Jeff Probst): "For
immunity, and two cases of beer... go!" [Challenge run-through
starts] |
| [Shawna's
team takes the lead, amidst lots of yells of "Stroke!
Stroke!"] |
| [Lots
of grunting and yelling; the wannabe Yaxha tribe wins. Cheering
follows]. |
[John
Kirhoffer hands the immunity idol to Shawna, amid cheers].
Shawna Malcom: "On the way back in the
boat, that was the worst part. 'Cuz my arm on this side was
so tired, like I couldn't even dig in any more. The rowing?
That was where I got scared, because I thought they were catching
up, and I thought they were gonna..." Kevin Dickson
(In Touch Weekly): "Yeah."
Shawna Malcom: "... lose. But losing
was not an option." Kevin Dickson: "No."
Shawna Malcom: "It just wasn't."
John Kirhoffer (end of challenge): "You
guys, you won immunity." Fake Yaxhá tribe:
"Woo! Yeah!" |
