TAR 30, Recap Leg 1, 1/3/18

Welcome to Leg 1 of The Amazing Race 30! (Toyouke: “I can't believe this show is on a normal night where it won't be preempted by football.”) The Amazing Camera careens through New York City (Toyouke: “Hey it's not LA!”), as usual, to Phil, who is flying through the air in a helicopter high above the city. Phil lands in Washington Square Park, the Starting Line for The Amazing Race 30. However, the teams are racing through the city as they are the Most Competitive Teams Ever!

So the eleven Most Competitive Teams Ever for The Amazing Race 30 are: (click for more)

Joey and Tim, Team Bring On the Food Challenge, #TeamChomp. They are both world champion eaters. Joey is Joey Chestnut (Toyouke: “Fricking Joey Chestnut.”), number one in the world, and Tim is number 2. They are excited to compete together since they usually compete against each other.

Cedric and Shawn, Team Globetrotters Redux. #TeamSlamDunk. They are NBA all stars, and Shawn has won an NBA Championship. This, however, does not a winning TAR Team make (see: Globetrotters).

Dessie and Kayla, The Prerequisite Model Team, #TheRingGirls. They are models who work at boxing matches. They have decided to call themselves the Mitchfits. I will not. They feel they are the underdogs. They probably are. (Toyouke: “These models are completely ridiculous. ‘Oh I'm a hot model but we're short and it's HARD’ Ugh.”)

Alex and Conor, The Race Car Drivers, #TeamIndyCar. Alex has actually won the Indy 500. Conor lives on his couch. They say they need to get the checkered flag. I’ll be just fine if this season is full of puns. (Toyouke: "I won't.")

Kristi and Jen, The Freestyle Skiers, #TeamExtreme. They are professional skiers mostly specializing in halfpipe and slopestyle. They are world champions, and Jen has looked up to Kristi as a pioneer in the sport. They want to prove that girls can do dangerous things.

Cody and Jessica, Team Reality Show YDC, #TeamBigBrother. They met in the Big Brother house. They connected “right away”. Cody thinks he’s found the love of his life. Please go away quickly.

Lucas and Brittany, Team Baywatch, #TeamOceanRescue. Lucas states that they have been dating for nine years. Brittany says she deserves a proposal. (Kmanpat: “NO! Save Lucas!”) Lucas says he has bought a ring and is bringing it with him on the Race, so watch for the perfect moment folks.

April and Sarah, The Southwest Moms, #TeamGoatYoga. April owns goats. Sarah is a twenty year yoga instructor. So together they do goat yoga. That is, apparently, a thing. They also do trapeze and parkour, so there’s that. (Toyouke: “"We goat this" is possibly the worst slogan.”)

Henry and Evan, Beauty and the Geek Take 2, #TeamYale. After the Vanck and Ashton fiasco last season, the last thing I want is another Asian male paired with a blond girl, but they actually like each other, are smart, and have a good personality. They have been dating 18 months, and Evan is an American Debate champion. This could be good.

Eric and Daniel, The Wondertwins, #TheFirefighters. Twin firefighters. I’m done. They are also TAR superfans. Good, then you won’t make any stupid mistakes.

Trevor and Chris, Team Classical Rainbow, #TeamWellStrung. They want to be friends with everyone. They are two of four singing violin players in the quartet Well Strung. They have also lived together for three years. Also, hot boys, so I’m still done. (Toyouke: “Such strong Chippendale vibes.”)

Teams run into Washington Square Park with smoke machines and fanfare. (Toyouke: “This fanfare bothers me. I'm afraid the whole season will be like this. Also, SHUT UP JUSTIN.” Kmanpat: “That’s who that is! I remembered the hat.”) Phil decides to chat up the teams before getting down to business. Teams are instructed to head into the fountain to get their clues and then make their way to JFK, where they will catch their flight. Oh, and the first team to finish will win ONE MILLION DOLLARS (US$1000000)! Then oh so sexy Phil does his standard patter: “Ready? The world is waiting for you. Good luck, travel safe. Cue Phil's eyebrow pop. GO!” Who will be eliminated . . . tonight?

Washington Square Park, New York, New York, USA

Teams grab their bags and jump through the water to graph their clues on the fountain.

Clue: Fly to Reykjavik, Iceland! Once there, choose a marked car and drive yourselves to Geitárgljúfur Waterfall to get your next clue.

So, teams make their ways to JFK to catch their flight (Toyouke: “Not even fighting over two flights!? SIGH”), and depart in the following order:

1- Kristi/Jen

2- April/Sarah

3- Eric/Daniel

4- Lucas/Brittany

5- Trevor/Chris

6- Cedric/Shawn

7- Alex/Conor

8- Henry/Evan

9- Joey/Tim

10- Dessie/Kayla

11- Cody/Jessica

Teams arrive at JFK in the following order:

1- Dessie/Kayla

2- Eric/Daniel

3- Kristi/Jen

4- April/Sarah

5- Lucas/Brittany

6- Trevor/Chris

7- Cedric/Shawn

8- Alex/Conor

9- Henry/Evan

10- Joey/Tim

11- Cody/Jessica

So, teams board the one flight to Reykjavik. The Amazing Yellow Line take us to Keflavik International Airport in Reykjavik. Teams land and get their cars in the following order:

1- Kristi/Jen

2- Henry/Evan

3- Alex/Conor

4- Cody/Jessica

5- Lucas/Brittany – Brittany: “Don’t steer me wrong!” (Kmanpat: “Oh, yeah, she’s a real catch. Save Lucas!”)

6- April/Sarah – who immediately get lost. (Toyouke: “I knew the mental game would defeat the goat yoga girls, but I didn't think it would be this quickly.”)

7- Cedric/Shawn

8- Dessie/Kayla

9- Joey/Tim

10- Trevor/Chris

11- Eric/Daniel

Teams drive themselves to the Geitárgljúfur Waterfall. (Toyouke: “Well at least they started right away with navigation.”) The teams arrive and get their clues in the following order:

1- Henry/Evan

2- Cody/Jessica

3- Alex/Conor

4- Cedric/Shawn

5- Kristi/Jen

6- Dessie/Kayla

7- Trevor/Chris

8- Joey/Tim

9- Lucas/Brittany

10- April/Sarah

11- Eric/Daniel

Teams are now instructed to send one member out on a zip line over the Geita River canyon to retrieve a flag of Iceland. The other team member stays behind to pull them back and help maintain balance. The teammates that complete the challenge are:

1- Evan

2- Jessica

3- Alex

4- Cedric

5- Kristi

6- Dessie

7- Chris

8- Joey

9- Lucas

10- April

11- Eric

Teams complete the task in the following order:

1- Henry/Evan

2- Cody/Jessica

3- Alex/Conor

4- Cedric/Shawn

5- Kristi/Jen

6- Dessie/Kayla

7- Trevor/Chris

8- Joey/Tim

9- Lucas/Brittany

10- April/Sarah

11- Eric/Daniel

Teams are now instructed to drive themselves to Esjumelar to get their next clue.

Teams arrive at Esjumelar in the following order:

1- Henry/Evan

2- Alex/Conor

3- Cody/Jessica

4- Kristi/Jen

5- Cedric/Shawn

6- Trevor/Chris

7- Lucas/Brittany

8- Dessie/Kayla

9- Joey/Tim

10- Eric/Daniel

11- April/Sarah

Once they arrive, teams get the first roadblock clue.

ROADBLOCK:

Do I have to spell it out?

In this roadblock, one team member must ride in a dune buggy driven by a professional driver in the foothills of Mt. Esja. As they race across the riverbed, the roadblocker must find the eleven letters that spell out their next destination (INGÓLFSTORG) and put them in order according to the numbers on each of the letters. Once a judge has approved their ice letter order, teams may proceed to their next destination, Ingólfstorg Square back in Reykjavik.

(Toyouke: “Weird. Why is the one a Roadblock but not the other?”)

The following teammates take the Roadblock:

1- Henry – who switches the o’s.

2- Conor - who missed the numbers on the letters the first time he went through the course.

3- Cody

4- Jen

5- Shawn – who never really figures out that he’s switched the o’s. Cedric: “Watch your O’s and P’s!” Whatever, Cedric. (Toyouke: “Wait is yelling advice allowed? I thought it wasn't.”)

6- Trevor

7- Brittany

8- Dessie

9- Tim

10- Daniel

11- Sarah

(Toyouke: “This is so complicated. But I don't mind, somehow.  Although that's a lot of numbers and letters to memorize.”) After much off-roading and letter ordering, teams complete the roadblock in the following order:

1- Cody/Jessica

2- Henry/Evan

3- Kristi/Jen

4- Trevor/Chris

5- Alex/Conor

6- Joey/Tim – (Toyouke: “I really do not want to spend a whole season listening to hot dog metaphors.”)

7- Eric/Daniel

8- Lucas/Brittany

9- Dessie/Kayla

10- April/Sarah

11- Cedric/Shawn

Teams now head to Ingólfstorg Square in downtown Reykjavik, where they are instructed to find Katrin. Teams find Katrin in the following order:

1- Cody/Jessica

2- Kristi/Jen

3- Henry/Evan

4- Trevor/Chris

5- Alex/Conor

6- Joey/Tim

7- Lucas/Brittany

8- Cedric/Shawn

9- Eric/Daniel

10- April/Sarah

11- Dessie/Kayla

Teams find Katrin who asks them two questions: 1) What do Icelanders call the drink known as 'Black Death'?" (Brennivín) and 2) "What is Þorskalýsi?" (cod liver oil). (Toyouke: “How are you supposed to know tonics?”) Teams find the answers to the questions (Toyouke: “Interesting. I wonder if this dumb display is so there would be locals to bother?”), and then Katrin has each team member take a shot of one of the two drinks. Once complete, she gives them their next clue. Team members answer questions and drink shots, and then get their clues in the following order:

1- Cody/Jessica – (Toyouke: “They're less objectionable than most Big Brother teams but it's not like that means a lot.”)

2- Kristi/Jen

3- Henry/Evan

4- Trevor/Chris

5- Alex/Conor

6- Joey/Tim

7- Lucas/Brittany

8- Cedric/Shawn

9- Eric/Daniel

10- April/Sarah

11- Dessie/Kayla

Teams are now instructed to travel by foot to the PIT STOP, the shore of the Reykjavikurtjorn. This is the first pit stop in a racearoundtheworld. The last team to arrive WILL be eliminated!

1- Kristi/Jen – who win a trip for two from Travelocity to Santorini Greece.

2- Cody/Jessica – who got lost on their way to the Pit Stop because they misinterpreted the word shore.

3- Henry/Evan

4- Trevor/Chris

5- Alex/Conor – and Alex wants his couch back.

6- Joey/Tim – and Phil has to tell everyone that Joey is an eating champion. (Toyouke: “Miss Iceland is not impressed.”)

7- Lucas/Brittany

8- Eric/Daniel

9- Cedric/Shawn – who were actually eighth, but because of the nature of Cedric’s encouragement at the Roadblock, it was construed as help, and as such, they incurred a 30 minute penalty which ended seconds before the next two teams checked in.

10- April/Sarah

11- Dessie/Kayla

The actual arrival order was Kayla, April, Sarah, Dessie, based on the way they stepped onto the mat. However, because Dessie was the last one to step on the mat, Dessie and Kayla are eliminated. (Toyouke: “Holy crap that was close.”) Dessie: “We’ve been KOed!”

ORDER NOW:

1^st – Kristi/Jen

2^nd – Cody/Jessica

3^rd – Henry/Evan

4^th – Trevor/Chris

5^th – Alex/Conor

6^th – Joey/Tim

7^th – Lucas/Brittany

8^th – Eric/Daniel

9^th – Cedric/Shawn

10^th – April/Sarah

Next week: The Most Competitive Season Ever continues! There is racing in French fry costumes! And our first ever Head to Head competition! Until next time!