The Amazing Race Asia 2 is the second season of The Amazing Race Asia, an Asian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. It featured ten teams of two with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win US$100,000. Hosted by Allan Wu, it featured ten teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the Eastern Hemisphere to win US$100,000. This season visited four continents and ten countries and travelled over during twelve legs. Starting in Singapore, teams travelled through the Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and South Africa before finishing in Singapore.
This season premiered on AXN Asia on 22 November 2007 at 9:00 p.m. (UTC+8) and ended on 14 February 2008 at 9:00 p.m. (UTC+8).
Singaporean gym buddies Adrian Yap and Collin Low were the winners of this season. Adrian Yap was the first contestant with a disability to participate & win any edition of The Amazing Race, while Malaysian sisters Pamela and Vanessa Chong finished in second place and Philippine best friends and expats Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
The second season of The Amazing Race Asia covered (the longest route to date of The Amazing Race Asia) in 24 days racing across 4 continents, including the first time an Amazing Race franchise visited the Czech Republic, a nation that had not been visited by the original version at the time of air (the nation would later be visited in the 15th season, in 2009). The show adopted newer rules from the original American version, such as the non-elimination penalty where the team who checked in last must make it to first place in the next leg or else incur the 30 minute penalty. It was also noted that the production of this season had run into the production of The Amazing Race 12 in an unknown airport. Production made the show more competitive by imposing more self-driving and reducing the chance of teams being bunched up on the same airplane flight.
This season had two different penalties for coming in last on a non-elimination leg. Edwin & Monica were marked for elimination for coming in last on the first leg, and Henry & Terri were stripped of all their money and had to begin the next leg with no money after coming in last on the seventh leg. Racers were not told that the original non-elimination penalty was still applicable. This twist led to an argument between Henry and host Allan Wu at the Seoul Pit Stop, when the former was unwilling to give up his team's money. In the following leg, the penalty reverted to the "marked for elimination" penalty after Terri & Henry finished last consecutively.
Marketing The second season of the show had six official sponsors: Aviva, Caltex, Nokia Nseries, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific, Bintan Lagoon Resort, and Standard Chartered Bank. The sponsors played a major role in the series by providing prizes and integrating their products into various tasks.
Casting This season featured 10 teams chosen from 2500 applicants, including racers from the original American series. Final applications were accepted 13 April 2007 (two weeks after the original deadline). This season was also open to the Japanese, who were ineligible for Season 1. Final interviews were held sometime in April or May 2007. Filming took place sometime in June or July 2007.The Amazing Race Asia Season 2 THE AMAZING RACE ASIA (Season 2) - APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Broadcasting Two special episodes acted as bookends for this season; the first subtitled "Racers Revealed" was shown three weeks before the season premiere while the second, "Memories" aired one week after the season finale. The former contained racer introductions and production insight into the casting process. The latter featured the racers sharing their favorite memories and highlights of the season, similar to that of Season 1.
Cast
This season's cast included reunited siblings, childhood friends, and dating couples. Notably, Adrian is the first hearing-impaired contestant in Amazing Race history. It also featured a large number of local media personalities or their relatives. Monica Lo represented Toronto, Ontario, Canada and won the 1997 Miss Chinese International Pageant, while Paula Taylor is a Channel [V] VJ. Vanessa & Pamela are the sisters of famous Malaysian singer Vince Chong. Kinaryosih is a famous Indonesian movie actress and model, who has also won a Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006. Sophie is a filmmaker for the Discovery Channel, as well as a correspondent for the Asian Film Festival. Marc Saw Nelson is a model and host of the Philippine sports show Sports Unlimited, while Rovilson Fernandez is a host for another similar show, Gameplan and an editor for Maxim Philippines.
This season features three non-Asians. One is Henry, a former US Navy Petty Officer, who raced with his Filipina wife Trinidad (better known as Terri). The other is Aurelia, a Frenchwoman residing in Hong Kong who raced with her Singaporean ex-housemate Sophie, while Brett is of Australian nationality.
Henry Reed died on May 21, 2013, at the age of 53.
Marc & Rovilson became the first team to win eight legs in a season, which was a record set for winning the most legs in a single season, and would later be matched by the winning team Rachel & Dave of twentieth season of the original American version, and Tom & Tyler and Ashleigh & Amanda respectively from the fourth and fifth seasons of the Australian version.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 26Dating 10 YearsHong Kong, ChinaEliminated 1st(in Manila, Philippines) 28 28Dating 2 YearsJakarta, IndonesiaEliminated 2nd(in Karaka, New Zealand) 26 27Ex-HousematesHong Kong, ChinaEliminated 3rd(in Rotorua, New Zealand) 27 27Brother & SisterTokyo, JapanEliminated 4th(in Busan, South Korea) 28 44Married 13 YearsManila, PhilippinesEliminated 5th(in Prague, Czech Republic) 48 24Childhood FriendsBangkok, ThailandEliminated 6th(in Budapest, Hungary) 24 33Dancing MumsKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaEliminated 7th(in Touws River, South Africa) 40 31Best Friends Manila, PhilippinesThird Place 30Dagupan, Philippines 29SistersKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaSecond Place 24 27Gym BuddiesSingaporeWinners 35
Future appearances Paula Taylor appeared on the first leg of The Amazing Race Asia 3 as a Pit Stop greeter in Chiang Mai.
Results The following teams participated in the season, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order. A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. A placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg. An placement indicates that the team was marked for elimination; if the team did not place 1st in the next leg, they would receive a 30-minute penalty. An placement indicates that the team had to relinquish all of their money and were not allotted money for the next leg. Italicised results indicate the position of the team at the midpoint of a two-episode leg. A indicates that the team won a Fast Forward. A indicates that the teams encountered an Intersection. A indicates that the team chose to use the Yield, and a indicates the team who received it. +Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5a 5b 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Adrian & Collin7th5th2nd2nd3rd2nd2nd2nd2nd1st1st2nd1stVanessa & Pamela1st4th7th6th7th4th3rd5th4th3rd3rd3rd2nd Marc & Rovilson2nd1st1st1st2nd1st1st1st1st2nd2nd1st3rd Ann & Diane3rd3rd3rd4th1st6th4th3rd3rd4th4th Paula & Natasha 6th2nd4th3rd4th5th5th4th5th Terri & Henry9th9th5th7th6th3rd Daichi & Sawaka8th8th6th5th5th Sophie & Aurelia5th7th8th Brett & Kinaryosih4th6th Edwin & Monica Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Singapore → Philippines)
Episode 1: "I'm A Box of Chocolate" (22 November 2007) Prize: Nokia N95 and N73 mobile phones, one for each team member (awarded to Vanessa & Pamela)
Locations Singapore (Singapore River Mouth) (Starting Line) Singapore (Asian Civilisations Museum) Singapore (Mount Faber – Merlion Statue) Singapore (Suntec City – Suntec Towers) Singapore (Changi Airport) → Manila, Philippines (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Pasay (CCP Complex – ASEAN Promenade Park) Manila (Plaza Miranda) Manila (Intramuros – Fort Santiago)
Episode summary Teams set off from the Mouth of Singapore River. Once there, they had received a postcard that depicted one of Singapore's many national icons and had to search for a specific taxi cab near the Asian Civilisations Museum with the souvenir from their postcard to receive their next clue from the taxi driver, directing them to Mount Faber. Atop of that, teams picked up a Nokia N95 phone and used its GPS system to guide their taxi driver to their next location: Suntec City for their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Dare or Stair. In Dare, teams had to take an elevator to the 45th-storey of Suntec Tower 3 and then Tyrolean traverse across to the adjacent Tower 4 while suspended above the ground before receiving their next clue. In Stair, teams would have had to climb up 45 floors to the rooftop of Tower 3, and then would have had to descend and head to Tower 4 and again climb up 45 floors before receiving their next clue. All teams chose Dare. After completing the Detour, teams were instructed to fly to Manila, Philippines. Once there, they must travel to ASEAN Promenade Park on CCP Complex for their next clue, heading them to Plaza Miranda, where they had to eat eight pieces of fresh balut from a bowl before receiving their next clue from the egg seller, directing them to the pit stop at Fort Santiago.
Additional note This leg was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 2 (Philippines)
Episode 2: "This is the Fun Bus" (29 November 2007) Prize: US$5,000 credit card issued by Standard Chartered Bank for each team member (awarded to Marc & Rovilson) Eliminated: Edwin & Monica
Locations Manila (Intramuros – Fort Santiago) Pasay (Green Star Bus Terminal) → Pila (Pila Municipal Center) Pila (Rivera Street Rice Paddy Field) Manila (President Quirino Avenue – Caltex Star Mart) Manila (Ermita Church – Nuestra Señora de Guía Children's Center) Manila (Carriedo Station) Manila (Paco Park & Cemetery)
Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to travel to Green Star Bus Terminal to catch a bus to Pila and disembarked at Pila Municipal Center for their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to choose a carabao and then lead it to plough a muddy rice paddy in a slalom pattern past a series of posts with Amazing Race before returning to the start to receive their next clue. Team members were taught beforehand some common vocal commands to help control their carabao but had to start over if they asked for help. After completing the Roadblock, teams must head back to Manila and find the Caltex Star Mart at President Quirino Avenue, where they had to load four boxes of donations into a marked jeepney. Teams then had to ride in the jeepney to deliver the donated boxes to an orphanage in Ermita Church before receiving their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Heel or Wheel. In Heel, teams had to match 250 pairs of shoes from a messy pile to receive their next clue from a shopkeeper. In Wheel, teams had to choose a work station and fully assemble a bicycle with just the equipment and parts provided to get their next clue, directing them to travel to the pit stop at Paco Park & Cemetery.
Additional note Joey Lina served as the Pit Stop greeter for this leg.
Leg 3 (Philippines → Hong Kong → New Zealand)
Episode 3: "I Don't Think I Wanna Be Rich" (6 December 2007) Prize: A one year's supply of fuel sponsored by Caltex (awarded to Marc & Rovilson) Eliminated: Brett & Kinaryosih
Locations Manila (Paco Park & Cemetery)