Nothing tests a relationship like travel, but Kauai surfer Bethany Hamilton and new husband Adam Dirks believed in each other so much that they gave their marriage the ultimate test: They entered "The Amazing Race."
The CBS reality show follows two-person teams as they race around the world with cameras rolling on arguments, screaming, tears, belittling comments and even shoving. Of course, there have been many happy moments, too. The winners receive $1 million and CBS has 15 Emmys for the show.
"It was incredibly challenging," said Hamilton in a phone call from Kauai. "A lot of the time when you are racing, you are tired and haven’t slept well."
The new season of the reality show premieres Sept. 26 and is part of a boost in Hamilton’s already very public profile. She also has a small part in the family film "Dolphin Tale 2," which opens in theaters Friday.
The sequel, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, follows the real-life story of Winter, a dolphin that wears a prosthetic tail. Hamilton traveled to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida where Winter lives.
Swimming with Winter was her first close-up encounter with a dolphin, which is surprising given all the time Hamilton spends in the ocean surfing.
"For me, just being able to get in the water and be with Winter was really special," she said. "Dolphins are now my favorite animals."
At 24, Hamilton is a household name. She’s been a source of inspiration since October 2003, when a large tiger shark bit off her left arm while she was surfing off Haena, Kauai. She not only returned to surfing, but also became a successful competitive professional.
Her time on "The Amazing Race" may surprise her fans, Hamilton said.
"I have a lot of fans that follow me in my daily life in social media but they will get to know a side of me that they have never seen," she said. "And I think it will be cute and inspiring."
Hamilton and Dirks, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last month, were part of the 25th edition of "The Amazing Race," which featured 11 teams and started May 31 in Times Square in New York City. It took about a month to shoot.
Teams receive clues about their next location or a competitive challenge once they arrive, and they must then make their own travel arrangements to get there. Slower teams are eliminated along the way.
Hamilton saw "The Amazing Race" as an adventure the couple would excel at and weighed it against what she knew of the show.
"I was worried that Adam and I would spat and get annoyed with each other," she said. "If you watch the show people get really flustered and I am sure people act in ways that are not how they normally act. I was a little nervous about that."
Hamilton is a veteran traveler, though. She began taking surfing trips when she was 14 and in addition to North America has been to Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and Australia.
Dirks, on the other hand, hasn’t traveled much. Originally from Kansas, he moved to Kauai three years ago and met Hamilton. Up to then his biggest trips were to California and New York City.
"From watching previous seasons, we knew it would be super stressful," Dirks said during a call from Kauai. "Would we handle ourselves well under pressure and relate to each other?"
His main concern was how they would treat each other.
"The teams that don’t relate well with each other, they go down and struggle," he said. "I think we did well together communicating throughout the race. Whatever came our way we were able to tackle it head-on as a team."
Hamilton and Dirks are not allowed to say how far they got in the show — but they’re still married.
"I kind of feel that the race is almost like life," she said. "I think if you can survive the race as a couple, you can survive life."
AND that’s a wrap …
Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Read his Outtakes Online blog at honolulupulse.com. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.
