Wow, I thought by this stage on The Amazing Race: Canada, the teams would have made it to my home province of Nova Scotia. But instead of moving East, the teams took a detour North again this week and hit up Nunavut.
I know very, very little about Nunavut. It wasn’t even a territory when I was a kid, it separated from another territory in 1999.
The teams all arrived in Iqaluit at the same time.
Harpoon Hunter or Igloo Builder
For the Detour, teams had to choose between hitting a target with a harpoon, or building a traditional igloo. I think I have decent aim, and I hate cold and snow and ice, so I would have gone for harpoon. Hit the target and get the hell out!
Before the harpoon challenge, though, one team member had to pull the other in a sled. After the challenge, they’d have to swap positions. It added a more physical element to the challenge and looked really difficult. Vanessa and Celina had a very hard time with it.
Opting for what they deemed the less physical challenge, the docs tried to build an igloo. Jet and Dave, surprisingly, also went for the igloo – but they quickly bailed for the other challenge. Eventually, the doctors gave up on their igloo as well. I think it was a bad call. They get frustrated too easily, and I knew Holly would have a hard time with the challenge.
The brothers finished the harpoon challenge quickly, as did Tim Squared. Celina was a champ and hit her target quickly, but Vanessa took longer. They still managed to finish it before Jet and Dave arrived at the harpoon targets. I was impressed with how well Vanessa did pulling the sled, she’s an itty bitty girl.
Of course, Holly ended up in tears during the challenge. It was a shame, really, she wasn’t even close to hitting the target. She needed to put more of her body weight into her throw, that’s how you make up for a lack of arm strength. Her technique was terrible. On Attempt #28 (!), she finally got it. She still had to pull the sled back afterwards.
Speed Bump
For their speed bump, Tim Squared had to lead a dog sled team and deliver some food. Fun! So many cute puppies. By the time they finished, Vanessa and Celina had caught up.
Who Needs to Fatten Up?
Eeeeewww. I can’t even eat the fat on regular meat, like chicken or beef. I hate the texture. I could NEVER eat straight up whale fat. I would puke. Luckily, I feel confident that my hypothetical race partner, my fiance Rob, would do it.
I don’t know if Jody or Cory completed the challenge, but whoever it was rocked it. Disgusting, but good for him. They arrived at the pit stop in first place.
Tim Sr. and Celina ate the whale blubber, and Celina started to gag. Tim was really fast, but Celina powered through and finished before Jet and Dave got there. Impressive! I’m rooting for those girls. Tim Squared arrived in second place. Celina and Vanessa had Jet and Dave right on their tails, but Vanessa was lagging and whining. The boys passed them and arrived in third, the sisters in fourth. Bummer, but this was a tough leg for them.
The doctors didn’t have a chance in hell, and the show wasn’t edited to try and make it suspenseful. Brett downed the blubber, and encouraged Holly all the way up that brutal hill. Then they were eliminated. I mean, it was pretty inevitable – these guys were some of the least physically competent people I’ve ever seen.
Next week: NOVA SCOTIA! Now, please keep in mind that this was filmed during one of our least pleasurable times of year – I hear it rained the whole time. But I’m excited to see my province! They visit a few very small fishing villages, so for those of you who are curious, no, it’s not like that where I live.