By the Numbers (also known as Plank Race) is a recurring challenge in Survivor that demands teamwork and delicate balance.
Rules[]
The members of each tribe line up on a very narrow balance beam. One tribe member at a time, they must move across the beam and around the other tribe members. The person crossing can only touch one member at a time. If two people touch at once or a member falls into the water, they must start all over. Once a member reaches the platform, the next person may proceed. The tribe who gets all their members across first wins.
History[]
United States[]
The challenge debuted in Survivor: Vanuatu as the season's first Reward Challenge. The Yasur tribe was able to easily defeat the Lopevi tribe and win the challenge, earning themselves blankets and pillows.
In Survivor: Fiji, Moto and Ravu competed in this challenge for reward. Despite originally trailing, Moto developed a strategy which involved having the member kneel down, allowing them to cross with relative ease. This would allow Moto to pull off a victory and earn fish, rice, spices, and a king-sized bed with sheets, pillows, and blankets. This is the only season where the challenge was administered to tribes with both male and female members.
The next time the challenge was used was in Survivor: One World for immunity. While the Manono tribe made decent progress, the Salani tribe had communication problems early on, which were aggravated by Kat Edorsson unnecessarily jumping into the water. By the time Monica Culpepper was able to come up with a plan to get the women across, the Manono tribe won immunity.
Australia[]
France[]
Russia (Unofficial)[]
In Serdtse Afriki, the challenge was used for immunity. Despite their initial lead, the Sand tribe lost because Natalia Nikolaeva couldn't get across the balance beam, and the River tribe won immunity for the first time.
South Africa[]
In Philippines, the challenge was used for tribal reward. Also at the challenge, one Hidden Immunity Idol was hidden on each tribe's finish platform; Werner Joubert grabbed Mindanao's idol, while Chané Mynhardt took Luzon's idol. Luzon handily won the challenge, getting all their members across before Mindanao managed to get a single member across. They received comfort items as their reward.
Winners[]
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu "Burly Girls, Bowheads, Young Studs, and the Old Bunch" |
Tribal Reward |          Yasur |
| Fiji "Let's Just Call Jeff on the Jeff Phone" |
Tribal Reward |          Moto |
| One World "Total Dysfunction" |
Tribal Immunity |          Manono |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Survivor (2017) Episode 6 |
Tribal Reward |         Samatau |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Bocas del Toro Episode 7 |
Tribal Reward |      Boro |
| Viêtnam Episode 2 |
Tribal Immunity |         Vang |
| Johor Episode 3 |
Tribal Immunity |          Lankawaï |
| L'Île au Trésor Episode 3 |
Tribal Reward |          Naga |
| L'Île des Héros Episode 2 |
Tribal Reward |       Nacomo |
| Le Totem Maudit Episode 6 |
Tribal Reward |         Matingi |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Serdtse Afriki Episode 4 |
Tribal Immunity |       River |
| Episode | Challenge Type | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines Episode 3 |
Tribal Reward |        Luzon (South Africa) |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This challenge has been used in two seasons with the Battle of the Sexes format.
- Every tribe to win this challenge shares several similarities:
- Every tribe had nine members at the time.
- Every tribe had to sit out people to accommodate the other tribe, one of whom was the oldest contestant of the season.
- Every tribe had not lost a challenge up to that point.
References[]