'The Amazing Race' ousts Laurence Sunderland and Zac Sunderland

The Amazing Race's nineteenth season eliminated Laurence Sunderland and Zac Sunderland during Sunday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition.


The "Father/Son Adventurers" became the sixth team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's eighth Pit Stop at Havet Ship, a cargo ship converted into a hotel, in Copenhagen, Denmark in last place.

"It's been a real honor to have Zac on my team," Laurence said following his team's ouster.

"It's been great to run with my Dad. We had a great time," Zac said.

"You gotta live life and this is one way of doing it -- a quick whisk around the world. Next time, I'll take it a little bit more slow, maybe on a yacht," Laurence joked. "It would have been lovely to win a million dollars, but the reality is, life is not all about the money," Laurence explained.


"Some of the poorest people I've met around the world are the most generous, happy people. So, it was a great experience. I'm really glad my Dad and I were able to do it. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else to do it with," Zac added.

The eighth episode of The Amazing Race's nineteenth season began where last week's broadcast left off, with the Race's six teams meeting with The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan and leaving the course's seventh Pit Stop at the Sunbird Livingstonia Beach resort in Salima, Malawi.

Since they had been the team to finish in first place at the Race's seventh Pit Stop, "Friends and former Olympic Snowboarders" Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin were the first team to depart from the beach resort at 3:12PM.

They were then followed by "Engaged Couple" Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang at 3:13PM, "Grandparents" Bill Alden and Cathi Alden at 3:26PM, "Married Couple" Marcus Pollard and Amani Pollard at 3:34PM, Laurence and Zac at 3:36PM, and "Dating Couple" Jeremy Cline and Sandy Draghi at 3:42PM.

Upon opening their departure clues, the teams were instructed to fly 5,000 miles from Africa to Northern Europe, specifically the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Once they landed, they were required to drive themselves to Vor Frelsers Kirke bell tower and race to the top of the building where they would receive their next clue.


In addition, the teams were warned that the next leg would also feature a Double U-Turn which would allow two teams to force two other teams to do both of the next Detour's tasks.

Once the teams arrived at the airport, they all tried to secure the earliest available flights. Laurence and Zac were convinced they had booked the earliest flight possible, but they refused to share any of the details about when the flight would take off or land with fellow Racers Ernie and Cindy. As a result, Cindy felt the awkward exchange made Laurence and Zac come across to them as being "super shady."

Laurence and Zac ended up booking a flight to London that would connect to and arrive in Copenhagen at 8:30PM. Bill and Cathi found a flight that would arrive in Copenhagen at 11PM, and they decided to tell Ernie and Cindy their plans. Ernie and Cindy then got on the same flight as Bill and Cathi, while Andy and Tommy and Jeremy and Sandy ended up on a flight that would arrive at 10:35PM.

However, Amani and Marcus assumed they could only get on a flight that would depart the following morning. They believed all the teams would end up being on that same flight. They ended up flying out of Africa after spending the night in the airport sleeping and arrived in Copenhagen at 8:20AM -- extremely behind all of the other teams.

All the flights arrived on time. Laurence and Zac rushed off their plane first, and they were later followed by Jeremy and Sandy and Andy and Tommy on the second flight, Ernie and Cindy and Bill and Cathi on the third flight, and finally Amani and Marcus on the fourth flight.


The teams then headed to the Vor Frelsers Kirke bell tower. Laurence and Zac were the first team to arrive at the tower but learned the doors did not open until 7:30AM the next morning. Following Laurence and Zac were Andy and Tommy, Ernie and Cindy, Jeremy and Sandy, Bill and Cathi, and finally Amani and Marcus.

All the teams except for Amani and Marcus arrived at the bell tower before 7:30AM, so they had to wait overnight until they could begin the next part of their course. As a result, all the teams started off at the bell tower on an equal playing field, but Amani and Marcus were still behind.

Amani and Marcus believed they had lost the Race when they realized everyone got on an evening flight when they had assumed all the teams would be on the same flight that would arrive in Copenhagen at 8:20AM.

"We're out of the Race," Marcus said. "It feels like death to me."

Once the doors of the tower opened, the teams were required to climb over 400 steps and look for two different clues -- a flag on the top of the building they had to climb and a banner displayed on a rooftop below. They'd discover the location of their next destination was the Frederiksborg slot, a castle, by putting together the two clues.


After the teams figured out where they had to go next, Amani and Marcus finally got off their flight. However, Amani and Marcus weren't out of the Race yet because Jeremy and Sandy lost a lot of time by getting lost on their way to the castle. Jeremy and Sandy drove to a restaurant and had to stop and ask directions from a local.

Amani and Marcus also got lost driving to castle but attempted to figure out the directions themselves rather than seek any help.

Laurence and Zac were the first team to arrive at the Frederiksborg slot, and they were then followed by Ernie and Cindy, Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy, Jeremy and Sandy, and Amani and Marcus.

Once the teams arrived at the castle, they learned it was time to complete a Roadblock task. The Roadblock task required one member from each team to perform a dance that dated back to the Renaissance. They had to dress up in period costume and then work with an instructor to learn a complex three-part dance routine which would test their memory, coordination and attention to detail.

Once the team members could keep in step with the professionals, they would receive their next clue.


Zac opted to do the Roadblock task for his team, and he was later joined by Ernie, Cathi, Andy, Sandy, and Amani.

The task seemed to come easy to all the team members except for Zac, who struggled to remember the dance steps and execute them accurately. Zac wasted a lot of time attempting to do the dances correctly, so many teams gained the ability to pass them.

Ernie and Cindy were the first team to complete the Roadblock task, and they were then followed by Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, Jeremy and Sandy, and Amani and Marcus.

The teams then read their next set of clues which instructed them to drive themselves to Frilandmuseet and search the grounds for their next clue.

Jeremy and Sandy ended up driving in the wrong direction, getting lost again. While Sandy was deciphering the map in the backseat of the car, Jeremy was getting frustrated as the driver because he knew time was slipping away. Their mistake allowed Amani and Marcus -- who had been in last place the whole time -- to catch up to them and eventually pass them.

Ernie and Cindy were the first team to arrive at Frilandmuseet and were followed by Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, Amani and Marcus, and Jeremy and Sandy.


Once the teams received their next set of clues, it then became time for them to complete one of two Detour tasks: "All Hopped Up" or "All Churned Out."

"All Hopped Up" required both members of each team to consecutively lead a rabbit through a steeplechase course -- a popular sport in Denmark. After correctly laying out a proper course, they must choose a rabbit and then lead it over the jumps without knocking anything over.

"All Churned Out" required the teams to make the "best butter in the world" by using two churns and working fresh cream into six sticks of butter.

Ernie and Cindy, Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy, Laurence and Zac, and Jeremy and Sandy opted to do the "All Churned Out" task, while Amani and Marcus attempted to complete the "All Hopped Up" task.

All the teams seemed to complete their tasks fairly quickly and efficiently, although they both required sufficient effort. 

After the teams completed their initial Detour tasks, they were instructed to head to a windmill they had passed while driving to Frilandmuseet where they would discover the Double U-Turn board. The first two teams to arrive or choose to U-Turn another team could pick one team to complete the other side of the Detour task.


Ernie and Cindy arrived at the windmill and found the board first. They chose to U-Turn Bill and Cathi -- who would then need to complete the "All Hopped Up" Detour task. Bill and Cathi were the next team to see the board and realized their fate. Knowing they had to complete the other side of the Detour, Bill and Cathi chose to U-Turn Laurence and Zac -- who would then need to attempt the "All Hopped Up" task.

Andy and Tommy then arrived at the Double U-Turn, and they were followed by Laurence and Zac -- who were frustrated to learn they had to do another task before they could move forward -- Amani and Marcus, and Jeremy and Sandy.

The order of which the teams finished the entire Detour -- whether it was one or both tasks in the end --  was Ernie and Cindy, Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy, Amani and Marcus, Laurence and Zac, and Jeremy and Sandy.

Once the teams received their next set of clues, they learned they must drive seven miles back to Copenhagen and find Havet Ship, a cargo ship converted into a hotel, which would serve as the Race's eighth Pit Stop.

On the way to the Pit Stop, Laurence and Zac got extremely lost for about two hours and stuck in traffic.

"This is a game of the unexpected and we've had a lot of unexpected things happen today. Believe me, I am pretty anxious right now," Laurence said while driving.


Although they felt a little guilty about U-Turning Bill and Cathi to claim their victory, Ernie and Cindy arrived at the Pit Stop mat and met Phil in first place. For finishing the leg before any of the other teams, Ernie and Cindy won a trip for two to Fiji. 

Bill and Cathi then came in second place, while Andy and Tommy were right behind them and subsequently secured third place.

Amani and Marcus then made it to the Pit Stop mat in fourth place and were followed by Jeremy and Sandy -- who were thrilled to learn they had come in fifth place and would not be eliminated from the Race.

Laurence and Zac then arrived in sixth place and seemingly weren't very surprised that they had come in last place.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski