Fuji-Q Highland on Amazing Race 9

What a great race and great season. I am so pleased with the outcome and have been rooting for BJ and Tyler since the race started. That looked like a pretty cool park too. Too bad they didn't have time for more rides.

It sure looked like that 'Pizza' ride went much higher than the one here in the states. Did anyone else seem to think the thing almost went vertical?

I noticed that, too. In fact at one point I thought I was seeing it go all the way around [it didn't].

Ok, went to the Fuji-Q Highland site to find out more about this ride. It is known as Pizza-La Tondemina. Here are the facts (thanks to translation tools since the english site version does not include this ride).

The length 25m arms like "the pendulum" the attraction where the disk type seat of 50 passengers whom it swings, install in the point turns simultaneously round and round.

The arm at speed per hour 102km, wobbles largely to left and right 120 degrees and maximum angular 240 degree, the summit of trajectory reaches into ground 43 m.

The brassiere being able to point to the foot to facing outside, because it sits down, as for the seat although it does not become the true upside-down, you say that view is visible the true upside down, at all the strange thrill impression and the speed impression

This is an incredible ride and much more extreme than any US version that I am aware of.

Go to the Fuji-Q site and use the Japanese version. Find the ride page and click to watch the video. It is quite a rush.....

I never watch Amazing Race but last night got me to pay attention for a few minutes. The on-ride stuff was disappointing, although I'm not sure I was expecting a lot more. I found it funny that one of the rules read that if something wasn't accomplished, the team would have to ride all three again, as if it was some kind of punishment.

From what I saw, it looked like a nice park.

I thought it wasa nice park, but I've heard others say differently. THe best comparison is that if Nagashima Spaland is the Cedar Point of Japanm, Fuji-Q is the SFMM of Japan. Both in the good and especially in the bad ways.

That's disheartening. At least Mt. Fuji looked pretty cool.

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Rob Ascough said:
I found it funny that one of the rules read that if something wasn't accomplished, the team would have to ride all three again, as if it was some kind of punishment.

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Actually, it would be a huge punishment as that would cost one of teams time, which is something you never want to lose on the Amazing Race. Teams have been eliminated by mere seconds to minutes.

Let what happened to Ray & Yolanda be a lesson to all drivers--find a secure place to put your toll ticket! I'm sure the ticket never really went missing. It's not like it walked out of the car. As I heard a bookwriter talk about finding lost items many years ago, it's usually within fifteen feet or less from where you remember having it last. Damn if he hasn't been right everytime.

Maybe the camerman was instructed by producers to hide the ticket? ;)

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Mamoosh said:
Maybe the camerman was instructed by producers to hide the ticket? ;)

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Would not surprise me. Also, they all landed in Denver at the exact same time, how did Ray and Yolanda get so far behind? I mean, they weren't even really a factor the entire last leg.

Some weird things have happened on the A.R. that make you go "hmmm..."

a) Joyce & Uchenna were told they couldn't board the plane in the last leg of the race they won. All the sudden they got permission. If they hadn't boarded the plane, Rob & Amber would've won by default. I think some money exchanged hands or there would've been no showdown and hence no reason to watch the last episode.
b) Lake's beard this year disappeared in a single episode. When did he have time to shave?
c) In the family edition, the Weavers were clearly not that up on geography. The last challenge required teams to put together an entire map of North America before running to the mat. We never saw the Weavers doing this task...(nor did we see Ray & Yolanda putting the flags of the countries they visited in order-their last task)

a) agree that 'somthing' happened for them to get on board....

b) Sometimes the pitstop is 24 or even 36 hours in which he would have plenty of time.

c) We have not seen the 3rd place team do the last task because it is not necessary. No one is left 'please proceed to finish line'. Remember team Guido in Alaska 'You just lost the Amazing Race'.....

One thing I always liked about the show was its lack of fakeness to it. You tend to overlook the fact the pitstops are a lot longer than one night they appear to be.

Most pit stops are exactly 12 hours.

"Eric and Jeremy, who where the first team to arrive at 12:23 pm, will depart at 12:23 am."

That's what they say, but that's not completly true. Let's say they get there at 8:00am Monday. They then leave at 8:00pm Tuesday. Or sometimes even more.

I've watched every single episode of every single season and I can't recall a pit-stop longer than 12 hours.

It's because they don't tell you. Amazing Race's website has an online show, called Finishline, that talks to all the eliminated teams. They often say how they can be at a pitstop for almost 36 hours, but to us (the viewer) it seems like 12 hours.

Most people don't realize that when the teams are driving, they're really driving for a good 5 hours at times to get to the next thing.

Best finish to the Amazing Race yet! BJ & Tyler were great. I know it's been mentioned already, but their attitudes throughout the whole thing were incredible. Always smiling, always joking, even when they were on the verge of elimination. That had to really tick off people like....oh, I don't know...maybe MOJO!

Eric & Jeremy may have done better on the flag matching if they hadn't spent the whole race cutting down other teams, cheating, and trying to get lucky in every country they visited. Should've been paying attention frat girls!

What an ending though. The muscular, athletic jocks getting beat by the skinny, not-so-athletic hippies. And the razzing between the two teams was the best I can remember in many seasons.