The Amazing Race 31, Episode 10 Recap

In the penultimate episode (10th out of 11) of The Amazing Race season 31 on CBS (April-June 2019), teams left the city of Split, CROATIA and flew to Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS. Episode 10 is named “Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!” as a direct quote from contestant Becca Droz, whose fellow team member is Floyd Pierce. The four other teams competing in this episode are Nicole Franzel with Victor Arroyo, Korey Kuhl with Tyler Oakley, Christie Woods with Colin Guinn, and Jamal Zadran with Leo Temory. Sorted by chronological order, here were the challenges and happenings encountered by the five remaining teams in this June 19th, 2019 episode (“leg of the race”) of The Amazing Race, UNITED STATES series:

● Departures: Like in episode (leg) 9, teammates Korey & Tyler were allowed to begin this leg of the race first due to arriving at the previous episode’s Pit Stop first. They departed in the morning at 8:53 AM Central European Time from Matejuška Pier and were followed by these teams: Nicole & Victor, then Becca & Floyd, then Christie & Colin, and lastly Jamal & Leo.

● Once arriving in Amsterdam, teams trekked eastward by train to Kampen, a northeastern Netherlands city in Overijssel Province. Here, team members operated tandem (two-seater) bikes in hopes of finding the clue cards, which led them to the local jachthaven (marina) — where on foot they had to find the next clue among the piers and boats at the marina.

● Detour, choice between “High” and “Dry”: Teams choosing the High Detour visited a local farm where the teammates placed a gigantic cow statue on a tractor’s trailer. Becca & Floyd, Christie & Colin, Jamal & Leo, and Korey & Tyler rode on the back of their respective tractor to the Nieuwe Toren (New Tower), a 17th-century bell tower located near the IJssel river waterfront in downtown Kampen. IJssel is a tributary of the mighty Rhine river. With the help of a pulley device, the four teams attempted to elevate the bovine figure to the top of a building but only had 40 seconds to complete the heavy task. Nicole & Victor successfully completed the Dry Detour, which required the couple to pole vault over a marshy ditch. On the other side are a dozen eggs and packs of cheese that they had to pick up and transfer back over the ditch. The team delivered these items to the Kampen Market.

● As an homage to the popular two-wheeled form of transportation in the Netherlands, bicycles were utilized yet again for the trek to a different area by the IJssel river.

● U-Turn: Arriving at a U-Turn display, Jamal & Leo employed a U-Turn card on Nicole & Victor. Nicole & Victor found out that they were U-Turned and gave a U-Turn to Becca & Floyd, who did not show up at the display yet. Both U-Turned teams had to complete the opposite Detour task before proceeding with the normal itinerary; since Nicole & Victor completed the Dry (cheese and eggs) Detour, they had to participate in the High (cow statue-lifting) Detour. Inversely, Becca & Floyd had to attempt the Dry Detour.

● Teams drove to Smit Giethoorn, a restaurant and boat-rental service. Teams sought a marked boat and sailed along a complex, cramped, and disorienting system of canals in order to find two more boats. These boats were supposed to be attached together like boxcars on a railroad before teams were allowed to sail to the Pit Stop. When Becca & Floyd found the third and final boat for their boat train, Becca joyfully shouted “Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!” which became the title of this episode of The Amazing Race. Keeping their exemplary positive attitude, Becca & Floyd unfortunately found themselves in last place and could not advance to the final episode in season 31.

● Pit Stop: an island (52°43'22.8" N, 6°06'00.5" E) in Bovenwijde lake

  Season 31, Episode 10
  First and Last Places at the Pit Stop

  1st — Christie Woods and Colin Guinn
       1st place prize — $7,500 for each teammate

  Last — Becca Droz and Floyd Pierce
       Eliminated from the competition? Yes