'The Amazing Race 12' Preview: Ready, Set, 'Race'!

Eleven New Teams Set Out on an 'Amazing' Trip Around the World

By Rhonda Richford

Nov. 2 -- The 12th season of 'The Amazing Race' kicks off this Sunday at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills and wraps up 50,000 miles and 28 days later. With that frenzied pace, it should be exciting to see who crosses the finish line first to win the $1 million check. This season, no one gets a free pass. Those lazy non-elimination rounds have been, well, eliminated, resulting in fewer, more intense episodes than in seasons past.

"After 12 seasons, you don't want the contestants to go into the race thinking, 'I know what's next,'" said co-executive producer Elise Doganieri. The show will crisscross the world, from Holland to India to Croatia, and head to a few off-the-beaten-track towns that will send viewers grabbing for their globes.

"There are probably four places that the average person is going to hear and say, 'They're going where?' And they're going to have to get out a map to know where it is. They are very remote," said Bertram Van Munster, the other half of the executive producing team. "We hit most of the continents, except Antarctica."

This season boasts a younger batch of contestants in an effort to add more energy to the race. "We are going to go all out with this one both the way the challenges are laid out and with the cast. It took us a while to make this, but it is going to be pretty wild," Van Munster promised. This season's teams include the show's first lesbian couple, a grandfather/grandson duo and a pair of glamorous Goths that dress in matching pink and black outfits.

Lesbians Kate and Pat are also Episcopal clergy who tend to finish one another's sentences.
Kate: "I would love if we could change a few perceptions about Americans."
Pat: And Christians and clergy
Kate: And gay people.
Pat: It's definitely an opportunity. One of our reasons for going is that we believe that it is an opportunity to give a different face to clergy and to Christianity

But don't let their faith fool you; the two have a cutthroat competitive streak. "We know the difference between a game and hurting someone deeply," Kate said, before Pat added with a sly grin, "I'm not going to be holding the door and saying, 'After you,' just to be nice."

What about the ubiquitous dating duos with rocky relationships? "We thought we'd be arguing even now," admitted Jason, preparing to spend a month with girlfriend Lorena. "We haven't been arguing too much. It's pretty cool, but we haven't been faced with a challenge yet!"

After a stormy year for Nathan and Jennifer of Huntington Beach, Calif., the race is just another test. "If we can't make it through this race, then it means we shouldn't be together," Jennifer said. For better or worse, the couple is very competitive. "If we don't win, it would be really hard. Second place isn't good enough," Nathan said, before adding, "I guess if I have her at the end of the day, I'll be happy. But if I lose her and I finish first, I wouldn't be happy at all."

While waiter Ari was happy to make his first trip out the country, he expressed some shock at last minute revelations about foreign accommodations. "We're used to having warm water come out of the faucet or a toilet that flushes. Many times you don't even have an outhouse," explained partner and best friend Staella. "What? Now I'm kinda like, 'Whoa, what the hell?'" shrieked Ari. Staella quickly pointed out the obvious, "It's a little too late now!"



Fortunately, at least one contestant was used to roughing it. Even though she's a former runway model, Jennifer had wilderness survival training thanks to her Marine dad. "We would go camping and take nothing so we could take sticks and build our own forts or get our own water. If they took us to the North Pole, Shana and I would probably be OK," Jennifer said, noting that her partner is just as tough. "People probably don't know that Shana can do more pull-ups that most men."

Can the Clippers cheerleader keep up? "Would I choose to rough it over staying in a nice hotel? Absolutely not. But am I capable of doing it? Absolutely," Shana said. As for their obvious good looks, "If people look at us, they don't know what we're capable of. We're not really that into ourselves," Jennifer said.

Looks might not count while racing around the world, but for Goth girlfriend and boyfriend Kynt and Vyxsin, their appearance matters. "We're going for pink and black. I think in a lot of places it's going to be an asset. People are going to see us and say, 'Who's that fabulous girl with the pink hair,'" Kynt declared. "We got black Nike gear and painted it with spray paint and stencils. We sort of made a gothic-yet-athletic aesthetic."

Will their beauty routine interfere with the competition? "Obviously we feel better and are happier when we do have our makeup on," admitted Vyxsin, who revealed that she was willing to take off the gloves -- or at least the gloss -- for a fight. "There might be times in the race where we don't look extra perfect. But it's a race first and not a fashion show."