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Most Memorable 'Amazing Race' Teams

Noah Camarena |
October 2, 2014 | 9:56 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Flight Time and Big Easy (flickr)
Flight Time and Big Easy (flickr)
"The Amazing Race" moved to Friday nights for its 25th season. A show that has lasted this long has had its share of interesting contestants. Let’s revisit some of the most memorable teams to ever compete on this reality show.

Kent and Vyxsin

This gothic couple competed in both season 12 and 18. If their pink zebra print outfits and penciled eyebrows did not give them enough attention, their attitudes certainly did. The couple argued often on the show and made critical mistakes that cost them valuable time in both of their seasons. They were the first team in the show’s history to ever U-Turn a team that was ahead of them, thus nullifying the normally strategic move. In their second season, they missed a required flight and misread a clue that eventually eliminated them from the race. While they always looked fabulous, they definitely did not compete to the level of their fashion.

Bopper and Mark

These two best friends from Kentucky competed on the 20th season of the show and then Mark competed again on season 24 without Bopper, who had suffered pancreatitis before the race. Mark ended up teaming with Mallory, another former contestant from Kentucky.

These friends made it a mission to win the race and the money in order to help pay for the treatment of Bopper’s daughter, who has respiratory problems. 

The team technically should have been eliminated twice before they actually did get the boot from the show. They were fortunate enough to finish in last in the two legs that were non-elimination legs and were saved each time. The second time this occurred was one of the most memorable moments of season 20. Bopper hurt his knee and Mark was forced to complete a Bollywood dancing challenge that he just could not complete. Bopper urged his buddy to quit and take the penalty in fear that Mark would get a heart attack in the heat. However, Mark gave it a final try and completed the task. Having accepted the fact that they would be going home, the team was grateful and relieved when told that they had been saved from elimination once again.

Jet and Cord

These cowboy brothers competed on three seasons of the show, 16, 18 and 24. They were clad in their cowboy hats for the entire season, almost as if they were glued to their heads. Cord was also a professional bull rider.

They made it to the top three in their first stint on the show, partly because of how loveable and friendly they were with other contestants. They were a little less likeable in the next season, I personally think because people were tired of their country schtick. 

This team is memorable because they were successful on all three seasons of the show, and yes, partly because they had accents and wore cowboy hats.

BJ and Tyler

These two friends met during a Semester at Sea program where they got to travel around the world; good practice for a competition like this. They embraced the roles of stereotypical hippies and even had the long hair to match as they competed in season 9.

They took the most of their time in foreign nations by taking the time to meet the locals and genuinely enjoyed the experience. They were also living on the edge as they narrowly avoided elimination twice, thanks to two timely non-elimination legs. Without these fortunate finishes, the team would not have won the race, which they ended up accomplishing, beating the team of fraternity brothers that they developed a friendly relationship with throughout the season.

Read More: 9 Most Controversial Reality Stars

Flight Time and Big Easy

The Globetrotters turned globerunners became one of the most loved teams in the history of the show thanks to their enthusiasm and jubilant attitudes throughout the show. The two friends competed on seasons 15, 18 and 24.

Their background in the entertainment business made them a fun team to watch as they gave it their all regardless of the task at hand. Their athletic ability was never a question but they often struggled with the mental challenges, leading them to make alliances with other teams who would occasionally give them the answers they needed to move on. But as they alliances ended, they were left in the dust when it came to mental challenges, ultimately leading to their elimination in their three seasons.

Dave and Rachel

The couple made up of a fighter pilot and an army wife became the winningest team in the history of the show as they won eight legs of season 20, including the final leg for the million dollar prize.

As most couples do on the show, they spent quite some time bickering with one another, but apparently it proved to be motivating because they did beat all other teams in the race. 

While the bickering led to them winning a million dollars, it was not beneficial to their relationship and they got a divorce in 2013.

Brook and Claire

One of the most memorable moments of all time happened as a result of these two TV-show hosts who competed on the 17th season of the show.

In the first leg of the race, teams were asked to slingshot watermelons onto targets. Doesn’t seem too hard, right? Well in a very unfortunate accident, Claire’s slingshot twisted around and sent the watermelon straight back into her face, pretty much directly in front of her. After the watermelon exploded against her face, she fought through the pain and ended up completing the task.

Another reason this team is so popular is because of the kiss count they kept at all of the stops they went to. They constantly asked for kisses from locals around the world, and it was not hard for them to increase the count week by week.

Rob and Amber

Wait, isn’t this the wrong show? Yet this couple also competed on the popular reality show "Survivor," however they were also a competing team on "The Amazing Race."

After proposing to Amber in the finale of their season on "Survivor," the newly engaged couple competed on season 7 of "The Amazing Race" before also competing on season 11.

Rob used his manipulative techniques that earned him fame, to strive on the show and their fame from "Survivor" actually helped them out. People who recognized them would assist them around the world and they even ran into several photo ops along the way. While they never won the show, they fell in love and won plenty of money on the other series on CBS.

Mirna and Charla

Cousins Mirna and Charla take the cake for the most entertaining and memorable team of all time who competed on season 5 and 11

Charla was the first contestant with dwarfism to ever compete on the show and she made it her mission to prove that it would not hold her back; and she was right. Charla being a dwarf actually helped the team in their stint on the show. They were able to get priority seating on flights and they were often just helped by civilians who wanted to help the team. Their knowledge of multiple languages proved to be a crucial component in the race as well.

Whether Charla was tripping over herself in a knight costume or forcing herself to puke during a sausage eating challenge, she never let her love for host Phil Keoghan waver. Whenever the cousins made it to the mat at the end of the leg, Charla made sure to give her crush a hug. 

Their many memorable moments make them the most entertaining team in "The Amazing Race" history.

Contact Staff Reporter Noah here and follow him on Twitter here.



 

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