Kauai couple surprises in ‘Race’

‘The Amazing Race’
Season finale at 7 p.m. Friday on CBS

Lured by the adventure of a lifetime and a $1 million prize, Kauai surfer Bethany Hamilton and husband Adam "Honey Buns" Dirks raced around the world and into Friday’s season finale of "The Amazing Race."

The Emmy-winning CBS reality show, which celebrated its 25th race this fall, pitted 11 teams against one another in a test of navigation, teamwork and grit as they traveled 26,000 miles around the globe. Their destinations came with competitive challenges that were as varied as the locations.

Competitors flipped pancakes and ran in London, corralled sheep in the Shetland Islands in Scotland, and raced through Marrakech, Palermo and Malta, where they had to serve drinks to the Knights of Malta.

In Singapore, teams had to walk a tightrope 600 feet in the air, and in Manila they pedaled bicycles with sidecars, played basketball against street teams and farmed in the mud with a water buffalo.

Hamilton, 24, and Dirks, 26, were a formidable team. During the competition, which was completed in the summer, they finished first three times and in the top three on eight occasions.

In the finale, Hamilton and Dirks face Maya Warren and Amy DeJong, food scientists from Madison, Wis., who study sweets; professional wrestlers Brooke Adams and Robbie E. Strauss; and Jim and Misti Raman, a pair of Columbia, S.C., dentists with perfect, white teeth.

The show’s host, Phil Keoghan, said in an email he was impressed by the Kauai couple but confessed that he didn’t initially pick them as finalists.

"I thought they would struggle more with the challenges of culture shock and being out of their element," he said. "After about three legs, I realized I had underestimated their abilities and they have gone on to be one of the strongest teams we’ve ever had."

Keoghan said nothing seemed to faze Hamilton and Dirks. For the contestants, the final leg from Manila to Los Angeles was all about not psyching themselves out of the competition, he said.

"The final leg is all about aiming for perfection," he said. "One mistake, one lapse in concentration, a bad cab ride … and a million dollars can slip away in the blink of an eye."

Still, the couple had what it takes, he said.

"Trust me, there are a lot of fans out there who want to see it happen for them," he said.

Hamilton and Dirks were too busy this week for an interview. A family spokeswoman said Hamilton is trying to raise money for a surf film and needed time to autograph thousands of items she’s offering on the Kickstarter campaign.

In an interview before the season premiere, the couple said their biggest fear going into the TV competition was how the stress of travel would affect their relationship. They had not been married a year when the race began in New York.

Hamilton and Dirks were the season’s ever-smiling duo. Their positive attitude stood out in a show known for arguments, belittling comments, screaming, tears and shoving.

"Sure the race tests your skills and ability to do those crazy challenges," Dirks said. "But I think above all else it tests your relationship with your teammate."

Hamilton said she appreciated her husband, whom she repeatedly called Honey Buns throughout the season.

"The dynamic of our relationship was really special," she said. "I kind of feel that the race is almost like life. You go through these ups and downs. You go through challenges and great moments. And you have moments you can celebrate together."