We start the final leg with the teams departing Gord & Wayne territory. Too bad they didn't have time to join us at the Druid. Brent & Sean are the first to leave the city of Edmonton at 6:45 am and are about to fly to Vancouver, BC. with Nick & Matt on their tail at 7:13 am and right behind the Wrestlers are Gino & Jesse leaving at 7:20 am.
All teams have $500 on their BMO Cash Card and that probably means a lot more cabs once they land in Vancouver. All teams are racing out of Edmonton to the airport and as usual all teams are on the same flight. When they land in Vancouver teams must locate Terry Fox Plaza outside of Canada Place for their next clue. As they leave the airport Gino warns his taxi driver that the other teams will try to steal it and he's probably right.
Gino & Jesse are the first to the Roadblock; Who Wants To Roll With It? One team member must ride a bike across a narrow beam suspended over 200 feet in the air. Gino, Matt and Brent all decide to do the task. Since Wayne figures I'm afraid of heights I guess he would have done this one, but just imagine that great view he'd get.
Gino did it on his first attempt, just focusing on the end of the ramp rather than the optically adjusted edge. Gino & Jesse must now make their way up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler to search for their next clue, while Jon enjoys some beer from a pitcher. It's good to be the host.
Matt goes up and Nick is a little concerned that Matt will look like a circus bear up there, but Matt also did it on his first attempt. That left Brent as the last one up and he goes over the edge on his first attempt. Now he's even more nervous and his second attempt didn't get much further. This is not the time for Brent to fold and it's hard on Sean who keeps watching him fall, so he goes up to cheer him on. Great brotherly support there but Brent still goes over on his 10th, 11th, 12th . . . You get the idea.
Gino & Jesse arrive in Whistler and are now on their way to the Squamish Lil'Wat Culture Centre where teams will need to remember all 12 legs and calculate the total distance travelled to get their next clue.
Back at Canada Place it took 20 attempts before Brent finally focused on the end goal and made it across, but he did it. Loved Sean's comment about the fact that Season Four has probably already started.
Nick & Matt have arrived at the Squamish Lil'Wat Culture Centre and that puts the pressure on Gino & Jesse. So much so that now they start arguing about their calculations as they begin second guessing their numbers. Meanwhile Brent & Sean are on their way and they still intend to win this race, not just for themselves but for their parents.
At the map Nick & Matt call for a check and they're correct and on their way to the Bearfoot Bistro in the centre of Whistler Village and into their underground wine cellar to uncork four champagne bottles, one with a sabre and the other with the base of a champagne glass. Great task. Do they get to sample the champagne afterward? They do.
As Nick & Matt make their way to the Bistro, Gino & Jesse have lost their pen now and continue to argue but they find it, call for a check, and off they go in a hurry to catch up to the Wrestlers. Despite Nick & Matt being in the lead, Gino& Jesse almost catch up to them on foot until Nick & Matt decide to cut through town and grab a cab, then drive past the brothers. When Gino & Jesse do the same their cabbie stops until they do up their seat belt.
Brent & Sean arrive at the Squamish Lil'Wat Culture Centre to find a half erased board and just write down the last number and they're back in it. If they win, they better thank Gino & Jesse for being in such a hurry.
Nick & Matt are now done at the Bistro with Gino & Jesse one bottle behind, and all teams are next on their way to the Whistler Village Gondola to ride to the top of Whistler/Blackcomb. Nick & Matt try to steal Gino & Jesse's cab but the boys caught them and told them to beat it. Can't blame them for trying after the last leg.
As the first two teams leave the Bistro, Brent & Sean arrive and head downstairs to the wine cellar. As the Designers start opening bottles Gino & Jesse have managed to get to the gondola first but they can't find their lift tickets. Not a great time to panic with Nick & Matt right behind. They find them just as Nick & Matt are racing in and manage to catch the first gondola, leaving Nick & Matt to catch a later one.
Brent & Sean are having a little too much fun opening those bottles, but it's a quick task followed by a quick sip of champagne and they're outta there.
At the top of the mountain is the final Roadblock. The racer who didn't ride the bike is given a single ski and they must find its match amongst thousands of others. Definitely a detail task, which Gino & Jesse are good at but it could still be a matter of luck.
Jesse thinks he has a match but he's wrong as Brent & Sean arrive at the gondola. Nick also thinks he has a match but he's also wrong. Nick thinks he's got it again but again he's wrong so he rereads the clue. Well done Nick, but Jesse got lucky and found his match first.
Jesse now needs to take the skis with him and make their way elsewhere on the mountain for some Ski Jump Training. Nick finds his match and off they go as Brent & Sean finally arrive. It's Sean's turn to find a match and he reminisces about the bicycle task where they found the matching lock on the first try. It must work for him because his first try with the skis is a match.
Gino & Jesse are first to the Ski Jump Training, a long ramp which ends in a pool, and greeted by partygoers and as Jesse goes up the ramp, Nick & Matt arrive. Down the ramp Jesse goes and face first into the pool. No special stunts, no flips, just a good ol' splash and they get their next clue.
Gino & Jesse are now on their way to the twelfth hole of the Nicklaus North Golf Course where they'll need to find Jon and the finish line.this is the one leg every team wants to be first at. Down goes Nick and he and Matt are on their tail, hoping that Gino & Jesse get lost on the way to the golf course. Things aren't looking good for Brent & Sean who are still on their way to the Ski Jump Training pool.
Nine teams are waiting at the finish line as Nick & Matt race down the fairway against Gino & Jesse but in a foot race it's Gino & Jesse first to the finish line. Gino & Jesse have won the Amazing Race Canada, and all the other prizes.
Obviously it wasn't as close as the edit made it look because there was time to announce all the prizes before Nick & Matt arrived to be Team Number Two. In the end, with a bronze finish, are Brent & Sean, who true to form, starts dry-heaving at the mat. He should really have that looked at.
It's hug time on the mat as we wrap up the season and everyone cheers for Gino & Jesse, the season three champions. Well done boys. While the rest of you are busy watching "After the Race" where Gino & Jesse arrive late in their matching Chevys, I'll be busy cleaning up this post. Gino & Jesse's mom was in the audience and until now she didn't know the boys had won. When The host, James Duthie, mentions a promised trip for mom, the boys say it's up to her and I guess they're going to Italy.
So that's it for Season Three. It's been another great season with some really entertaining teams, harder challenges than the U.S. version, and some great Canadian vacation ideas Wayne and I are really glad they've announced a fourth season because it gives us another chance to try and run the Amazing Race Canada. If the reality TV gods are on our side you may be seeing Gord & Wayne on that final mat in Season Four. Until that time.