The Amazing Race Asia 4 is the fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia, an Asian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Allan Wu, it featured ten teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around Asia and the Pacific Rim to win US$100,000. This season visited two continents and eight countries and travelled over during eleven legs. Starting in Kuala Lumpur, teams travelled through Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea before finishing in Singapore. This season was the first time a season within the Amazing Race franchise was filmed and broadcast for high-definition television. The season premiered on AXN Asia on 23 September 2010 and the finale aired on 9 December 2010.
Filipino friends Richard Hardin and Richard Herrera were the winners of this season, while Singaporean rebel pals Claire Goh and Michelle Ng finished in second place and Indonesian father and daughter Hussein and Natasha Sutadisastra finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
The fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia was the first Amazing Race season to be broadcast in high-definition. Besides the switch to high-definition, updated on-screen graphics (similar in appearance to those introduced in season 14 of the American version) and music, were introduced. The opening intro was also updated with a new title card and tuneup in the music. Of note is the addition of the use of split-screens.
Filming took place in June 2010, with teams spotted at Invercargill Airport on 20 June 2010.
According to AXN, this season was dubbed as "Ride of a Lifetime". Allan noted that this season will travel to exotic locations and feature new challenges. This season features a first-time visit to Sri Lanka, as well as visits to far-flung areas including Invercargill, New Zealand and Legazpi, Philippines. Indonesia, a previously visited country that had not been visited by original American edition at the time until the nineteenth season one year later, was also visited this season.
Leg 5 was said to be the most expensive production to date. This is the first season in the Asian franchise to start and end in two different countries, starting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and ending in Singapore, albeit having close proximity of the two locations. In some foreign editions, starting and ending locations are in different countries (such as Brazil, Israel and Latin America), but not in the original American edition, which starts and ends in the same country until season 34.
Lani Pillinger was absent in the Finish Line due to a broken collar bone.
Casting Applications ended 31 March 2010, after a short extension due to popular demand. Semi-finalist and finalist interviews were held between March and April.
Release Broadcast A week before the premiere of "Racers Revealed", the episode was released on the show's official website. The first episode also premiered on the show's official website on 16 September 2010, one week before the season debut. A special recap episode was aired on 2 December 2010, a week before the season finale.
Marketing The fourth season of The Amazing Race Asia had three official sponsors: Axiata, Caltex, and Sony. The official hotel partner was Hilton, and the series was supported by Tourism Malaysia and Mix FM.
Cast
The ten teams were revealed on 2 September 2010. Season 4's cast included the show's first father-daughter team, as well as martial arts experts, tattooists, social workers, and musicians. Like in previous Asian editions, this season features a large number of media personalities or their relatives. Wendy was a finalist in Miss Hong Kong 2006, Nadine was Miss Indonesia Earth 2009, while Natasha was Miss South Jakarta 2007. Dimple is a Hindi soap actress who starred in the serial Aathvaan Vachan, while her friend Sunaina is an Indian TV actress, who starred in Dill Mill Gayye, as well as a movie actress who starred in the Hindi movie Kyun! Ho Gaya Na.... Manas finished runner-up as a contestant on the Indian reality-dating show Rakhi Ka Swayamwar, similar in format to The Bachelorette of the American series. Jess & Lani, as well as Richard Herrera, have appeared in numerous media and print advertisements and commercials in the Philippines. Richard Hardin is a former pro-basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. Claire is a prominent bar musician who plays at numerous gigs around Singapore, while Michelle was a reality TV contestant on the Singaporean series S Factor. At the ages of 21 and 22 respectively, Claire & Michelle also form the youngest team in Amazing Race Asia history.
This season featured five non-Asians, Ivan, who is from Hungary and raced with his Malaysian wife Hilda, Jacinta "Jess" James & Lani Pillinger are from Australia (though Lani is of Filipino ethnicity) and Richard (Hardin) & Richard (Herrera) are from the United States who are first generation Filipino Americans but raised in Columbus, Ohio. This was the first time that Thailand was not represented this season.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 26Best FriendsJakarta, IndonesiaEliminated 1st(in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia) 28 32DatingHong Kong, ChinaEliminated 2nd(in Kalutara, Sri Lanka) 24 25CousinsNew Delhi, IndiaEliminated 3rd(in Bacacay, Philippines) 23 33MarriedKuching, MalaysiaEliminated 4th(in Queenstown, New Zealand) 38 31Best Friends Haryana, IndiaEliminated 5th(in Brisbane, Australia) 32Mumbai, India 26FriendsKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaEliminated 6th(in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia) 25 27Party GirlsManila, PhilippinesEliminated 7th(in Gyeongju, South Korea) 27 53Father & DaughterJakarta, IndonesiaThird Place 24 21Rebel PalsSingaporeSecond Place 22 34FriendsManila, PhilippinesWinners 31
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, and was marked for elimination; if the team did not place 1st in the next leg, they would receive a 30-minute penalty. An italicized and underlined placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. 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. A indicates that the team chose to use a U-Turn, and a indicates the team who received it. +Team placement (by leg) Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 112nd2nd6th1st2nd1st2nd2nd4th2nd1st Claire & Michelle3rd7th4th7th3rd3rd3rd4th3rd3rd2nd9th9th2nd5th7th2nd6th5th2nd1st3rdJess & Lani8th8th7th4th5th4th1st1st1st Ethan & Khairie1st5th5th3rd1st5th4th3rd Dimple & Sunaina4th3rd1st2nd4th6th5th Ivan & Hilda6th1st3rd6th6th Sahil & Manas7th4th8th8th Alan & Wendy5th6th Yani & Nadine Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Malaysia)
Episode 1: "Amazing Grace" (23 September 2010) Prize: A PlayStation 3 and BRAVIA television for each team member (awarded to Ethan & Khairie) Locations Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Thean Hou Temple) (Starting Line) Gombak (Batu Caves) George Town (Pinang Peranakan Mansion) George Town (Gelugor – Futsal Court) George Town (Swettenham Pier – MS Star Pisces) Episode summary Teams began from Thean Hou Temple and had to drive to Batu Caves, which had their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to ascend the Batu Caves' stairs, inhabited by monkeys, while carrying an offering of fruit and counting of steps. Once at the top, they had to give their offering to a Hindu priest and provide the correct number of steps (272) before receiving their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams were instructed to drive to "the Pit Stop from Episode 8 of The Amazing Race Season 16 USA version": the Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town. Once there, teams had to find "Baldwin", a piano, where their next clue was in the form of piano sheet music of the song "Amazing Grace" that sent them to a futsal court. There, both team member had serve as a goalkeeper against a young player, with teams receiving a two-minute penalty for each goal scored, before receiving their next clue, which directed them to the MS Star Pisces docked at the Swettenham Pier. This season's first Detour was a choice between Flags or Rags. In Flags, teams would have searched for five flags hidden around the ship using ship lingo before receiving their next clue. In Rags, one team member had to lower themselves down to clean a window on the ship, while the other had to search for and take a photo of their partner before receiving their next clue. All teams chose Rags. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the 12th deck of the MS Star Pisces. Additional note This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 2 (Malaysia)
Episode 2: "Allan Is Really Good With His Poker Face" (30 September 2010) Prize: A VAIO laptop for each team member (awarded to Ivan & Hilda) Eliminated: Yani & Nadine Locations George Town (Swettenham Pier – MS Star Pisces) George Town (Batu Ferringhi Beach) George Town (Penang International Airport) → Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu International Airport) Tuaran (Murut Warrior's Village) Kota Kinabalu (Filipino Night Market) Kota Kinabalu (Sutera Harbour Marina) Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park (Sapi Island) Tamparuli (Kiulu River White Water Rafting) Kota Kinabalu (Kampung Tanjung Aru) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to travel by taxi to Batu Ferringhi Beach in order to find their next clue, which instructed them to fly to Kota Kinabalu. Once there, teams had to find a marked car with their next clue, which instructed them to drive to the Murut Warrior's Village in Tuaran and join a ceremony involved tribal dancing and touching a snake before receiving their next clue. Teams then had to drive to the Filipino Night Market eat at least a hundred chicken balls in order to receive their next clue. The team that ate the most number of chicken balls won a 20-minute advantage in the next task. Claire & Michelle won this advantage. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to don diving equipment and guide a ring through an underwater rope maze within a time limit in order to receive their next clue. If racers were unsuccessful, they would incur a four-hour penalty. After the Roadblock, teams had to travel by boat to Sapi Island, which had their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Rapid Water or Rapid Fire. In Rapid Water, teams had to navigate a bamboo raft down river rapids in order to retrieve their next clue. In Rapid Fire, teams had to hit two targets with tribal slingshots in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: Kampung Tanjung Aru.
Leg 3 (Malaysia → Sri Lanka)
Episode 3: "I Can't Carry My Backpack" (7 October 2010) Prize: A vacation package to Colombo, Sri Lanka (awarded to Dimple & Sunaina) Locations Kota Kinabalu (Kampung Tanjung Aru) Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu International Airport) → Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) Kuala Lumpur (Axiata Tower – Axiata Telecoms Controls Centre) Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) → Colombo, Sri Lanka (Bandaranaike International Airport) Colombo (Gangaramaya Temple) Colombo (Pettah – St. John's Fish Market) Nugegoda (Nugegoda Station Road) Nugegoda (Trendy Connections Garment Factory) Colombo (Independence Square) Episode summary