Earlier this year, The Ashley gave you an inside look on what it’s like to be a contestant on the TV game show Wipeout. She sleuthed out answers to your Frequently Asked Questions about the show, including what happens behind the scenes, what it feels like to hit one of those giant red balls, and more.
The show is currently on hiatus, and has not been picked up for another season. Since Winter Wipeout has not aired this year, The Ashley decided to bring you even more answers to your Frequently Asked ‘Wipeout’ Questions to fill the void.
On with the questions and answers….
Q : Is it fun to go on ‘Wipeout’?
A: It depends on who you ask, apparently.
“I would only advise going on the show if I don’t like you,” Reddit user Chicki5150, who did an “AMA” about the show in 2012, said. “Seriously, it was HARD. The water was cold (on purpose). It was NOT FUN. The other contestants agreed. Two girls that made it to the second round literally said ‘F**K THIS’ and got in their cars and left.”
However, another former contestant, Greg “Mr. Twister” Lozano, said during a 2013 Reddit “AMA” that his experience as a contestant on the show was fantastic.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat. The rush that I felt from it was so intense, bungee jumping didn’t even give as much of a rush as this did,” he wrote in his post.
Q: What’s something fans don’t know about ‘Wipeout’?
A: The show’s production company hires a private company to come out and take pictures of the contestants participating in the courses. They are reportedly the only photos the contestants can get of themselves on the show, but they do not come free.
“They CHARGED US FOR THEM,” wrote Reddit user Chicki5150. “Now that I think was exploitative! That s**t should have been free!”
Viewers may also be surprised to find out that the hosts, John and John, aren’t actually on-site commenting on the contestants’ performances.
“If you look close enough, they have a green screen,” Greg “Mr. Twister” Lozano wrote. “They’re not actually there during the show. It would be really hard to make a lot of the jokes on the spot as it is probably 15 hours of filming everyone, maybe more.”
Q: Do you have to pass any health tests to be on ‘Wipeout’?
A: Yes! According to the show’s casting producer, Rich Leist, who did a Facebook Q & A in 2011, every single ‘Wipeout’ contestant must be examined to ensure they are healthy enough to compete.
“Every contestant who makes it to the starting platform must pass a physical from our ABC approved doctor,” he said. “The physical includes a heart, lung, and drug tests.”
In her Reddit AMA, Chicki revealed a rather interesting note she received from the production team regarding the drug screening.
“They told us in an email, if we could not pass the drug test for the assigned time, we could re-schedule,” she wrote.
Q: Where do they tape the show?
A: The show is taped at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, California, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. Sable Ranch has been rented out to film many movies and TV shows, including ’24’. Although it is not seen on ‘Wipeout,’ the filming location also has a full Spanish-style hacienda, a lake and a western town. Click here to see an overhead shot of the show course!
Q: Are contestants required to do every obstacle, even if they are not comfortable doing it?
A: No, according to Chicki’s Reddit AMA.
“You can take a penalty, 5 minutes I think,” she said.
Q: Is ‘Wipeout’ ever coming back?
A: Possibly. According to the show’s official Facebook page, there is still hope that the show will return to the air.
“The season ended the past September, and we hope to return next summer,” a show representative wrote on December 13.
In fact, they are currently casting for a version of the show called ‘Wipeout Extreme,’ which is said to be the “toughest version of ‘Wipeout’ ever seen.” The show site even tells people thinking about signing up that, “If you are not an athlete you will not survive.”
The show’s production team is looking for people who compete in things like CrossFit, Iron Mans and triathlons.
Q: What happened to ‘Winter Wipeout?’
A: It was confirmed on the show’s official Facebook page that there will be no ‘Winter Wipeout’ this year.
To read The Ashley’s original post about ‘Wipeout’, click here!
