Season 23 of The Amazing Race premiered on SONY on Sunday night (13 July) for an eleven-team blitz through nine countries, starting in California.
Racers set off from a staged ranch set-up and flew to Chile where they faced their first two Roadblocks - involving paragliders and fish. The prize for the second Roadblock: Express Passes.
In case you missed the new addition to the show last season ... the team that wins the first pit stop wins two Express Passes - one to keep for themselves and one that they must give to another team by the end of the fifth leg of the season.
Married ER doctors Nicole and Travis arrived at the pit stop first but were doomed because they didn't read the final clue. The clue said "walk" to the pit stop and they took a taxi. They suffered a 30-minute penalty and lost the Express Passes to exes Timothy and Marie who convey the sense that you're looking at them through pink sunglasses:
By the end of the premiere the race turned out to be too much for father and daughter team Hoscote and Naina Venkatesh, who were the first to be (deservedly) eliminated.
Here's a close-up on each team so that you know who's who for Episode 2:
Allison "Ally" Mello and Ashley Covert
LA Kings Ice Crew Girls
Allison is 22-years-old and Ashley is 25-years-old. They are both LA Kings Ice Crew Girls for the NHL and from Los Angeles, California.
Brandon Squyres and Adam Switzer
Childhood Friends and Beard Lovers
Brandon is a contractor and Adam is an eco-friendly farmer. They are both 34-years-old and from Chico, California.
Chester Pitts II and Ephraim Salaam
Former NFL Teammates
Chester is a 33-year-old sports analyst for Texans Insider and executive consultant for ZT Wealth and Altus HMS from Missouri City, Texas. He played for the NFL's Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks for over 10 years. Ephraim is a 36-year-old co-host of Fox Sports Live from Studio City, California. He played for the NFL's Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons for 13 years.
Eliminated!
Hoskote Venkatesh and Naina Venkatesh
Father and Daughter
Hoskote is a 60-year-old ER doctor and Naina is a 27-year-old fitness instructor. They are both from Laguna Niguel, California.
Jason Case and Amy Diaz
Dating Couple
Jason is a 33-year-old owner of a snowplow company from Attleboro, Maryland. Amy is a 29-year-old social media manager from Providence, Rhode Island.
Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran
Cousins
Leo is an entrepreneur and restaurateur, and Jamal is CEO and owner of Zadran Investment Group. They are both 26-years-old and from Los Angeles, California.
Nicole "Nicky" Getz and Kim DeJesus
Baseball Wives
Nicole is a 27-year-old baseball wife who's training to be a pilates instructor and splits her time between Kansas City and Troy, MI. She's married to Chris Getz, who currently plays for the Kansas City Royals and was previously with the Chicago White Sox.
Kim is a 32-year-old baseball wife from Chicago, IL. She is married to David DeJesus who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rays and was previously with the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs.
Nicole Jasper and Travis Jasper
Married ER Doctors
Nicole is 39-years-old and Travis is 43-years-old. They are both ER physicians from Atlanta, Georgia.
Rowan Joseph and Shane Partlow
Theater Performers
Rowan is a 56-year-old actor, producer, director, and voiceover artist. Shane is a 47-year-old actor and producer. They call themselves the "Queens of Bingo" and are both from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tim Wiyninger and Daniel "Danny" Merkey
Best Friends
Tim is a 26-year-old oilfield plant operator and Danny is a 25-year-old oil field operator. They are both from Cordell, Oklahoma.
Timothy Sweeney and Marie "Reebs" Mazzocchi
Exes
Timothy is a 32-year-old in sports marketing and Reebs is a 29-year-old fitness trainer and gym owner. They are both from Morristown, New Jersey.