We’ve reached the halfway point of Race to Survive: New Zealand and a third of the contestants have been injured. You don’t have to be a math expert to recognize that these odds aren’t looking good for our teams. Race to Survive continues to prove that it isn’t a show for the faint of heart.
Last week, the racers squeezed their way through a spooky cave, and the Ultramarathoners were forced to exit the race after a fall on the course caused Coree to end up with a concussion. Meanwhile, the Cool Moms struggled to make their way through the course thanks to an ankle injury Ashley sustained.
This week, the racers wrapped up Race 3. The contestants lucky enough to secure a medallion into Survival Camp immediately went into struggle mode to try to refuel their tired bodies. Here’s what went down during Race to Survive: New Zealand Episode 6, “Death Snails.”
Pushing through Race 3
The contestants on Race to Survive: New Zealand have had to do some insane things, but Race 3 has been the wildest one yet. The fact that they had to descend 600 feet into a cave and then immediately continue racing through the jungle seems almost inhumane. Alas, that’s what these people signed up for.
At the beginning of this episode, most of the racers were in Zone 4 of the race: Boulder Canyon. That proved to be extra treacherous for Ashley, whose ankle seemed like it could give out at any moment. The rest of the teams managed to skip across the rocks and hit the water for a kayak race to Survival Camp.
For the usual suspects at the front of the pack, they were all fighting to get to Survival Camp first. Yes, it was about bragging rights, but more importantly, they wanted to get those Survival Crate perks. You never know when the producers are going to slide a pack of bacon in there, and these fellas were hungry.
Ultimately, the River Guides ended up finishing in first place — again. At this point, it doesn’t seem like they can be stopped. Inside the Survival Crate, they had the options of a charcuterie board, a spice kit, a camping shovel, or a fishing spear. Obviously, they chose the charcuterie board.
The Smokejumpers came in second place just a few moments later and wound up taking the spice kit. It came with a bottle of hot sauce, so you really can’t blame them. In third place, in-laws Ryan and Bronsen showed up and were so bummed to realize there was no food in the crate for them. After all, they skipped the only food cache in Race 3 in hopes of beating the rest of the teams. Too bad, too sad.
Are Nik and Kennedy the team to watch?
This episode was called “Death Snails,” not in reference to something that they tried eating at survival camp, but about an analogy that Oliver from the River Guides made at Survival Camp. He seemed genuinely surprised to see the Oil Riggers, Nik, and Kennedy cross the finish line in fifth place. Suddenly, he realized that they might be a bigger threat than anyone realized.
To explain the phenomenon, Oliver went into an analogy that sounded like something a frat bro would try to tell you after having too many Jägerbombs. It sounds insane, but then all of a sudden, it starts to make a little sense.
“Nik and Kennedy are that snail,” Oliver explained. “Have you ever heard of that?”
“You get $10 million, but there’s a snail that’s always following you, and when it touches you, you die. But that snail will get to you,” Oliver continued. “Nik and Kennedy are that snail. They’re always coming. Nothing’s going to stop them.”
If you couldn’t make sense of Oliver’s analogy, we’ll translate: The Oil Riggers are a team worth watching. They might not always come in first, but they always cross that finish line. While the River Guides are fast, the Oil Riggers have survival skills and badassery on their side. Don’t count them out.
The little ankle that could
Two other people not to count out are the Cool Moms. The way they took on this race was truly something. Ashley’s ankle was already hurting, and then she had to try to walk across a bunch of wet boulders. How in the world does that work?
In an interview, the duo said they were feeling well mentally. It was just the physical aspect holding them back. On the boulders, Ashley cried and winced with every step she took, and it was hard to watch. You kept waiting for a producer to step in and make her stop, but that doesn’t happen on this show.
“I know we’re almost there, and I want to get to that crate,” Ashley said through tears.
According to Ashley, she would keep pushing even if she had to crawl to the finish line. She meant it because, somehow, they defied the odds and made it to the finish line. How they didn’t tap out before making it to the end is nothing short of incredible, and there’s no doubt that Ashley’s ankle is the hardest-working bone on reality TV.
Although it felt like a triumph to watch Rhandi and Ashley cross the finish line, the reality of the competition came crashing down on them when they realized there wasn’t a medallion in the Survival Crate. Everybody’s favorite ultramarathoning moms were eliminated at the end of Race 3 after coming in last place. They fought a good fight!
A treasure trove of seafood
Of course, this is a Race to Survive, so food is always scarce. At Survival Camp, the five remaining teams quickly realized that things were extra scarce this time around. Throughout the camp, there were crabs in the sand, fish in the water, and teeny-tiny little creatures crawling around that didn’t look edible but we know they tried to eat them anyway. Fishing came with various successes.
After spending a lot of time on the water, Kennedy managed to hone the skills she learned from her family and caught a giant barracuda. Within seconds, she killed that bad boy and they were ready to chow down. The Smokejumpers also managed to catch a few questionable-looking fish out of the water. Seafood for (almost) everyone!
The River Guides were the only ones with a proper fishing pole because they won it as a perk for finishing first in Race 2. Ironically, they were the only people who couldn’t catch anything. They had all of the tools, but they couldn’t make it happen. For the first time in the whole race, you could feel just a little bit of tension between these two. Feeling hangry will do that.
Creighton makes another deal
In other fishy adventures, Creighton felt hungrier than anyone on this planet has ever felt before. He said he would pay $1000 for a burger because he was so hungry. He threatened to “club a dolphin to death” if it meant being able to eat. Don’t hold that against him, this show does crazy things to people.
Eventually, Creighton’s hunger led him to revisit his previous strategy of wheeling and dealing with the other teams. You have to appreciate his willingness to do whatever it takes to “survive.” That’s the point of the show!
He approached the Hunters and told them that if he could use their fishing spear, he would give them half of anything he caught. Ryan and Bronsen were starving, so they had nothing to lose. Why not?
Lo and behold, Creighton ventured off into the abyss and somehow caught a giant eel-looking creature with nothing but the fishing spear. Was it enough to win Paulina back? Probably not. But it was enough to put a smile on everyone’s faces. The Hunters rejoiced the Divorcees feasted, and the episode ended on a positive note. That won’t last long though because Race 4 is right around the corner.
As a reminder, here’s a look at how everyone finished Race 3:
- The River Guides, Oliver and Corry
- The Smokejumpers, Ethan and Tyrie
- The Hunters, Bronsen and Ryan
- The Divorcees, Creighton, and Paulina
- The Oil Riggers, Nik, and Kennedy
- ELIMINATED: The Cool Moms, Rhandi and Ashley
Race to Survive: New Zealand airs new episodes on USA Network, Monday nights at 11/10c.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF RACE TO SURVIVE: NEW ZEALAND EPISODE 6? WERE YOU SAD TO SEE RHANDI AND ASHLEY GET ELIMINATED? DO YOU THINK THE RIVER GUIDES CAN BE TAKEN DOWN?
