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Amazing Race

By Tiff Wells.

The Amazing Race. A 33,000-mile trek around the world for a $1-millon grand prize starts in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Bowl. One of the eleven teams for Season 32 is comprised of a pair of Punahou School alums, brothers Riley (’07) and Maddison (’09) McKibbin. The professional volleyball players on the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals), more commonly known as “The Beard Brothers,” are also easily spotted throughout this season by the yellow shirts they wear. We’ve gone to Trinidad & Tobago. We’ve gone to Colombia. We’vegone to Brazil. Now we’re headed to Paraguay. 8 teams remain. Season 32 of The Amazing Race airs each Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. on KGMB. We here at ESPN Honolulu will follow their journey throughout the race with a Wednesday recap that looks back at the previous episode and previews what to expect for the upcoming episode.

Episode 4 (“Olé, Olé!”) into a preview of episode 5 – We left off with Riley and Maddison on the Barco Correa Filho along the Rio Negro headed back to Manaus, fourth out of 10.

Despite trying to complete the tasks at hand (constructing a cello, watermelon stacking, performing a choreographed routine with a glass bottle on their head), while wondering who’s ahead or behind you, all the while traveling the world and unsure if it’s an elimination portion of the racers, it’s nice to see teams find ways to take it all in and enjoy the moment. Riley and Maddison have already done this a couple of times throughout the race so far. Now we see it again while the teams rest on the pit stop, traveling along the Amazon.

You must be strategic about what team to yield and when. Yes, it’s a competition around the world for $1 million, but some won’t forget if you tried to deliberately slow them down, even though it’s part of the race and you’re taking advantage of something that’s being given to you.

Teams spend a lot of time together, mainly at each pit stop. Just how much does the alliance talk amongst one another in public? Or are they strategic in how they discreetly help one another?

We’ve seen Riley and Maddison spread the aloha. They want to get to know everyone. No awkward moment for them with any of the teams, unlike the clip we just saw between the two Dating Couple teams (Will and James, Alana and Leo). You can’t be offended or upset by another team because they were the ones who tried to use a part of the game to try and slow you down during the race. But the drama between these two teams is just another reason to watch. As DeAngelo Williams says, “Andthe plot thickens!”

Communication is key. Not just for each team throughout the race, but also in helping AND strengthening their relationship after the season is complete. Of course the professional athletes would say things like, “Survive and Advancing” and “you can have that one mess up in a double-elimination tournament, but you might not be as lucky in a race.”

Oh, the importance of the taxi cab driver.

Even if you know where you’re going, driving in traffic is stressful (am I right for those heading H-1 Westbound at 5:00 p.m.?). If your driver doesn’t know where to go…how long would you wait to get a new cab? It helps to know the language (hmm, where have we heard this before?) as both Riley and Maddison both tell their driver in his native tongue to wait.

Last week, they were in the jungle city (Manaus). Now they seem to be in another sort of jungle, this being a landfill. The biggest jungle seemed to be putting the instrument together. Any parents out there having flashbacks of opting to build that bicycle for their kid or that furniture piece for the family room…all the while saying, I should have just paid that assembly fee and have it done for me? Patience…it must be had while doing this. Mom and dad must be quite proud that their boys behaving nicely for the world to see as Riley is concerned about Maddison’s building skills but isn’t angry with him. Both Riley and Maddison take a little time to celebrate with the little boy who gives them their next clue.

Sorry DeAngelo, we here in Hawai`i don’t have an IKEA (we wish we did, tho!). Seeing the kids and their joy, it hits home a little bit. These kids that play for the Recycled Orchestra of Cateuraare so cute and VERY talented!


Hmmm, paying attention to detail (effectively using tools, watching street vendors, eyeing which ingredients and how much of each to use)…where have we heard this before? Then there’s brute strength meeting engineering as some teams choose building a 10-by-10 pyramid of watermelons. Does that sound easier than dancing with a bottle on your head?

In comparison to the remaining two teams of professional athletes, the Dating Couple (Will and James) showcased in the detour that concentration can beat strength. Paying attention to detailwhile using teamwork (anyone catch Maddison holding Riley placing the last watermelon to complete the pyramid?), Maddison follows the vendor around, convincing him to give approvalby saying Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si! Si!. These brothers are having so much fun but Riley does jokingly say “I’m never eating watermelon again.” They find the Plaza Italia, the fourth pit stop of the race. As long as you’re not last, you still have a chance.

For the second straight week, the brothers are fourth place. In the end, the Sisters team of Kaylynn and Haley are the last team to arrive…BUT…are not eliminated. As we later learn, they must perform an extra task (known as a speed bump, penalty for a team finishing last in a non-elimination leg) in the next portion of the race in order to receive the clue they would gotten at the next Route Marker had they not been the last team. Remember the episode title? One member from one of the other sisters teams (Michelle) said, “Olé, Olé!”

Episode 5 is titled “You Don’t Strike Me as a Renaissance Man.” In episode five, Riley and Maddison will make their way from Asunción, Paraguay to Paris, France. We all know their alma mater has one of the most popular carnivals in the state, but will that help…or hurt themhere? And with teams having to drive themselves around for a portion, how good are they at driving a car with…manual transmission? Find out who says the quote for this episode TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m. For more of a video preview, click here:


To follow along via social media, visit @AmazingRaceCBS and @TheMcKibbinBros on Twitter or you can head to Instagram to visit @theamazingrace or @themckibbinbros. You can also subscribe to their YouTube page by searching for The McKibbin Brothers.

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