I'm not sure of the exact location this should go since I'm pretty much just a lurker, but the Denver Post is reporting rumors that Denver is the starting location for TAR9, which is set to begin filming in November.

• RE: TAR9 starting location....,choochoo, 01:31 PM, 10-25-05
  • RE: TAR9 starting location....,TARJUNKIE999, 03:56 PM, 10-25-05
    • RE: TAR9 starting location....,indy42, 11:01 PM, 10-26-05
      • RE: TAR9 starting location....,redwings8831, 10:45 AM, 11-08-05
        • RE: TAR9 starting location....,FlamingCactusIT, 01:21 PM, 11-08-05
          • RE: TAR9 starting location....,florida, 00:32 AM, 11-14-05
          • RE: TAR9 starting location....,indy42, 07:23 PM, 11-18-05
          • RE: TAR9 starting location....,indy42, 07:24 PM, 11-18-05
  • RE: TAR9 starting location....,fit4life777, 02:55 AM, 11-18-05
    • RE: TAR9 starting location....,SurvivorBlows, 06:03 PM, 11-18-05
      • RE: TAR9 starting location....,fit4life777, 10:05 PM, 11-18-05
    • RE: TAR9 starting location....,silentJ, 11:07 PM, 11-21-05
• RE: TAR9 starting location....,Steph_Fan, 01:27 PM, 11-08-05
• RE: TAR9 starting location....,soccer16, 05:27 PM, 11-10-05
  • RE: TAR9 starting location....,marywade, 09:44 AM, 11-15-05
    • RE: TAR9 starting location....,gams, 12:28 PM, 11-16-05
      • RE: TAR9 starting location....,weecama, 01:13 AM, 11-19-05
        • RE: TAR9 starting location....,weecama, 12:21 PM, 11-22-05
          • RE: TAR9 starting location....,Neobie, 08:21 AM, 11-23-05
            • RE: TAR9 starting location....,J Slice, 01:40 PM, 11-23-05
              • RE: TAR9 starting location....,weecama, 10:52 PM, 11-24-05
              • RE: TAR9 starting location....,Earl Colby Pottinger, 04:15 PM, 11-27-05
                • RE: TAR9 starting location....,weecama, 07:11 PM, 11-28-05
                  • RE: TAR9 starting location....,Neobie, 08:19 AM, 11-29-05
• The Amazing Race 9 Spoiler Locations,Neobie, 10:29 AM, 12-10-05
  • RE: The Amazing Race 9 Spoiler Locations,1derfool, 04:33 PM, 12-18-05
• Phil says TAR9 starts sometime in March '06,TARJUNKIE999, 06:39 PM, 12-13-05
  • RE: Phil says TAR9 starts sometime in March '06,Ruthless, 05:03 AM, 12-17-05
• RE: TAR9 starting location....,Neobie, 04:37 AM, 02-02-06
• It's Denver! And it may end in Denver!,goldenrat, 07:29 PM, 02-23-06

The timing suggests it's possible. Given they start TAR9 production early Nov., they could be done by early Dec., (approx. 30 to 35 days) Plenty of time for Phil to get back to present the winning TAR8 family their check on The Early Show middle of Dec.

However, having read some postings on other forums quoting Phil saying that TAR9 won't start production till Jan. 2006, I'm skeptical. That would suggest March/April 2006 TAR9 premier. We'll see.

BTW, are there any parks or public spaces in Denver that could be possible starting points? Just wondering.

LAST EDITED ON 10-25-05 AT 04:06 PM (EST)

"...are there any parks or public spaces in Denver that could be possible starting points?"...

This google search seems to indicate that there sure are!

http://www.milehighcity.com/

I particularly like the quote from the web site saying "Denver has the nation's largest city park system..."

Maybe too many places for Phil and "the gang" to hide a starting line.

Denver would be cool! I'm sick and tired of them starting in southern California:
TAR 4: Los Angeles
TAR 5: Santa Monica
TAR 6: Long Beach

I dont think that Denver is the starting location on TAR9. On the application for the show it listed these cities:

1. Los Angeles, California
2. Austin, Texas
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. New York, New York
5. Charlotte, North Carolina
6. San Francisco, California
7. Miami, Florida
8. Tallahassee, Florida
9. Boston, Massachusetts

Actually Indy, TAR 7 was Long Beach this is the list of Starting Points So Far:

TAR 1: New York
TAR 2: Las Vegas
TAR 3: Miami
TAR 4: Los Angeles
TAR 5: Santa Monica
TAR 6: Chicago
TAR 7: Long Beach
TAR 8: Brooklyn

Also, the cities on the application are probably the cities where they have casting calls, I don't think they'd give away the starting locations that easily.

Yeah, I was gonna say...

I wouldn't know of any good places to start the race in Tallahassee, FL. Don't get me wrong, the city is beautiful, but an oddball place like that to start a race would be cool.

Right. Just made a typo.

TAR 2 started in Nevada but they started way out in the middle of nowhere in the desert.

For what it's worth, I saw a guy stating he was from TAR, picking up a package at Legoland Guest services last weekend. Legoland is about 20 miles north of San Diego.

>For what it's worth, I saw a guy stating he was
>from TAR, picking up a package at Legoland Guest
>services last weekend.

What do you mean a guy that "said he was from TAR" -- you mean a racer or a crew member?

Neither the racers or the crew members are supposed to openly admit they are associated with The Amazing Race -- unless there's some evidence like a cluebox setup two feet away from them they normally cite some lame "documentary" cover story

I don't know TAR's rules. I just know what I heard and saw.
He was a crew member. He said, "I'm here to pick up the packet for the Amazing Race". The guest services girl handed him a thick envelope. I was standing to the side with my fussy toddler. He probably didn't think I could hear the exchange. But, I did. I don't know what else to tell you.

"In this roadblock players will have to build a car entirely out of Legos, then drive themselves in that car to Tiajuana Mexico to find there next clue."

Unfortunately it'll probably be something lame like finding a white Lego in a pile of yellow ones.

Well, if we do get confirmation that it is true, someone should stake out the Denver airport for photographic evidence!

The Nov. 8 Denver Post had a picture of the back of two racers and two cameraman at DIA, taken on Monday, Nov. 7. The racers were two females dressed alike in capris or rolled up pants and long-sleeve shirts with writing on the sleeves.

I have been trying to find that photo in the Denver Post, not in their site archives. Has anyone actually seen that shot?

Picture is in the 2nd section - Denver and the West - on one of the inside pages. You really have to be looking for it.

credits to Slowhatch
CBS cameramen for “The Amazing Race” film two race participants Monday as they pass through Denver International Airport. The ninth installment of the reality TV show, which pits teams in an around-the-world race, starts in Colorado and is expected to air in the spring.

~puddin~

adding this fwiw ,from this article ~
'Amazing Race' scrambles across Utah tonight
11/22/2005
"There will be some prominent landmarks featured," promised the typically secretive Keoghan by cell phone from the set of the show's ninth season, now shooting "somewhere near the Middle East."

~puddin~

LAST EDITED ON 11-23-05 AT 08:34 AM (EST)

The 'somewhere near the Middle East' sounds very strangely worded to me. The official definition of the Middle East would be from Afghanistan to Egypt, including the entire Arabian Peninsula. Some even include Turkey.

However, most countries nearby can easily be classified into other regions. For example, he can talk about being in 'Central Asia', 'Eastern Europe', or simply 'Africa'.

Two plausible locations: Greece and Pakistan, especially Greece, since I could see why Phil would say 'near the Middle East', given that it doesn't fit into other regions except 'the Mediterranean' and just saying Greece would be too much of a giveaway. Pakistan is sometimes disassociated with South Asia, and has many cultural and historical links to the Middle East.

Unless Phil's just messing with my head...

The surprisingly safe Israel would be awfully awesome...

Brain lint

posted here today by icarus1502 .

This article was featured in Inside Cover of The West Australian on Thursday, 24 November 2005. The West Australian is a mainstream newspaper in Perth, Australia. I don't know if this should be taken with a pinch of salt, but the whole thing does sound plausible.

INSIDE COVER with Melissa Kent
ROTTO, FREO IN AMAZING RACE

Our very own Rottnest and Fremantle starred in the American television series The Amazing Race yesterday with camera crews and contestants dashing around like, well, Americans on a TV show.

Whispers reached IC that some non-schoolie visitors landed on the isle early yesterday and businesses were roped in to smooth the way for the crew and competitors.

Clearly the Rottnest Island Authority was ordered not to prattle to pesky media about the exciting event and issued a "no comment" to IC - a surefire confirmation of the rumour.

The Seven Network, which screens the popular series, was left out of the loop and had no idea WA was a destination for the show, which follows teams as they chase clues in a race around the world.

Luckily for us, a team of backpack toting Americans running around, shouting at each other and being chased by cameras on a small island is a little hard to hide.

Word has it the contestants began arriving at 3am with instructions to go to the top of the main lighthouse for their next clue.

There was a flurry of activity at the bike hire shop - where employees had also been silenced - and lots of running around Rotto streets, said onlookers.

The Rottnest Tearooms were charged with feeding the hungry visitors lunch, serving up biscuits, drinks and meat and salad rolls.

"It was pretty exciting", a tearoom spy said. "One of them ran around the back and asked our head chef where Fremantle Prison was."

Being shrewd, IC figured this must be the nest destination
and called the prison for the lowdown. It too had been gagged but Monday's public notices seem to confirm the story - a small item declared the prison would be closed on Wednesday for filming.

~puddin~

> The surprisingly safe Israel would be awfully awesome...

Yes, but imagine the reaction to someone trying to get on a plane without the proper paperwork.

More fun is the reaction Rob would have experienced if he tried to leave a bag on the plane and just dashed off.

Or would Colin wearing baggy clothing arguing with a policeman near the Wailing Wall end up with the most fun

Where are these evil thoughts coming from anyway.

more ( thanks to Pedaler for the link )
The Advertiser

Amazing racers run through

29nov05
DID we see contestants from The Amazing Race in Adelaide?

Onlookers at Adelaide Airport on Sunday wondered what all the fuss was about when a desperate-looking couple attempted to book a capacity Singapore Airlines flight.
They also happened to be young, good-looking Americans carrying only backpacks, with a TV crew filming their every move.
They had boarding passes for a flight to Sydney, and after being told the Singapore Airlines flight was full, they ran back to the domestic terminal (bet they're wishing the new terminal was in operation).
Channel 7 declined to comment on whether the couple was part of the travel-gameshow.
Series eight of The Amazing Race, which the station will show next year, features just families, so maybe the couple in question were contestants from series nine?

~puddin~

This fits in perfectly with everything we've had so far (Perth, Darwin, probably through Ayers Rock down to Adelaide).

Checking the Singapore Airlines website, it only runs an Adelaide-Singapore flight on Sundays, departing 1.15pm (Adelaide is on Daylight Saving Time now, at +10.30GMT), and arriving at 17.45 Singapore Time (+8.00GMT).

In other news, staked out the major attractions in Singapore on Sunday afternoon, but no news to report just yet. Yes, I'm paranoid. Why did you ask?

Connections through both Singapore and Sydney to another destination... That would be interesting. Singapore has little Pacific links, and Sydney fewer Southeast Asian ones. Indonesia and the Philippines are facing terrorist threats, Thailand/Vietnam/Laos dealing with avian flu, and Malaysia covered. My first predictions would include New Zealand (very accessible from both Singapore and Sydney, but repeated too many times), China and S Korea (air links with both cities quite good) and perhaps the bigger cities in the Pacific, like those in Guam or Tahiti.

Or I can just hope that they try out my stomping ground again!

LAST EDITED ON 12-11-05 AT 00:37 AM (EST)

A compilation of all the spoilers floating around in cyberspace.

Original map image from GlobeXplorer.
Although I've searched through many boards trying to locate the original posters, sometimes the credit isn't given where it's due. If you know of any corrections to this spoiler list or to the acknowlegements, please do contact me to change them. Thank you.

ADAMS MARK HOTEL, DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
By Arcadia on Tarflies
Time: Friday 4 November 2005
1. Phil spotted holding clipboard, with possibly two assistants.

Fits in well with the next spoiler and those at the end of the race. The production crew and the teams do stay in the start city a few days before the start of the race. However, those races have started in Los Angeles, so this may be different.

DENVER INTL AIRPORT, DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Reported by soccer16 on this thread
Time: Monday 7 November 2005
1. Reported on the newspaper, the Denver Post, on the 8th.
2. Photo included (see Post #16 by weecama).
3. Shows two cameramen and a double-female team.
4. Team is tagged #2.
5. Samantha Vano on RealityFanForum says that the two girls are Danielle and Danielle from Staten Island.

Photographs don't lie, do they? I'm not that sure about the Samantha Vano part, without much proof as yet, but Denver would very most likely be our starting line. Previous examples of sightings at the first airport include Los Angeles in TAR7.

"SOMEWHERE NEAR MIDDLE EAST"
Reported by weecama on this thread
Time: Before Tuesday 22 November 2005
1. Reported in the newspaper, Salt Lake Tribune, on the 22th.
2. Phil was contacted by phone.
3. He said he was "somewhere near the Middle East".

My educated guesses (above in this thread) would suggest Greece or Pakistan.

PERTH, WEST AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA
Reported by icarus1502 on Survivor Sucks, then reported by weecama on this thread
Time: Morning till Noon, Wednesday 23 November 2005
1. Reported in the newspaper, The West Australian, on the 24th.
2. Teams visited Rottnest Island just off the coast of Perth.
3. Businesses were involved in the filming.
4. Rottnest Island Authority declined to comment.
5. Hints at Americans with backpacks shouting and running with cameras.
6. Teams arrived at 3am to find the main lighthouse.
7. The bike hire shop was also involved. Employees refused to comment.
8. The Rottnest Tearooms served lunch to 'the... visitors', with biscuits, drinks, meat and salad rolls.
9. A 'spy' reported a team running to the back of the tearoom asking the head chef where Fremantle Prison was.
10. Public notices of Fremantle Prison declared it closed on Wednesday for filming.

I guess, no doubt about this one, when looked at together with the following two spoilers?

DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA
Reported by rochford on Survivor Sucks
Time: Evening, Thursday 24 November 2005
1. Reported in the newspaper, The Northern Territory News, on the 26th. (The timestamp says 25th November, 4:34, which is the 26th in the +9:30GMT timezone.)
2. Teams arrived at the airport at night, heading to the SkyCity Hotel Casino.
3. They headed to Crocodylus Park.
4. A flight arrives in Darwin from Perth at 7.10pm.

Since the timing of the flight coincides with the spoiler, I would think this spoiler correct. If the teams ended at the night of the 23rd for the Pit Stop, they would make it just in time for this one to happen. TAR also favours southern-hemisphere locations in the northern winter, which might explain the extended exposure in Australia.

ADELAIDE INTL AIRPORT, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA
Reported by various posters on seaprate boards, including on this thread by weecama
Time: Sunday 27 November 2005
1. Reported in the newspaper, The Advertiser, on the 29th.
2. Good-looking Americans with backpacks being filmed in the airport.
3. Team had boarding passes to Sydney.
4. They tried to get on a Singapore Airlines flight which was overbooked.

Singapore Airlines only operates flights back to Singapore from Adelaide. And I'm pretty sure no team can get on that flight. It's peak school holiday season in Singapore, and flights are pretty much sold out around September. Poor racers. On another note, this may suggest a visit to Ayers Rock! A very likely long and lonely drive to the centre of the country, then a train back to civilisation in Adelaide. Not sure if there will be any tasks there, as this is the closest international airport to the central regions. But before I get ahead of myself, this spoiler appeared five days after the Perth one, giving people plenty of time to conjure up stuff. I believe in journalistic integrity, though.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
By Golden_Arrow on RealityFanForum
Time: Thursday 1 December 2005
1. Phil spotted on a flight from Japan to Seattle.

Fits in well with the Anchorage Spoiler below. A very large percentage of flight options from Asia to Alaska pass through Seattle, also witnessed in TAR1 and TAR2.

ANCHORAGE INTL AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
By thatmillerkid on TWoP
Time: Friday 2 December 2005
1. Team of two men with camera crew.
2. Team was running through airport trying to get a Northwest Airlines flight.
3. They were heading to Denver.
4. Team wore matching grey sweaters and blue Adidas shoes.
5. They were in their mid-twenties.

This happened to be a live spoiler discussed on boards while the team was still at the airport. However, the flight option does not seem to match what the fastest flight would be at that time (discussed in detail on RealityFanForum), putting a little flaw in the theory.

RED ROCKS PARK, DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Found on Wikipedia
Time: Saturday 3 December 2005
1. No additional information given.

I have no idea where this came from. Any clues?

RIDEAU AND SUSSEX, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA (Out-of-Sync)
By Melesse on TWoP
Time: 3.20pm, Saturday 5 November 2005
1. Man wearning a trench coat walking onto the road against the light.
2. Man was also wearing a brown leather hat with a side turned up.
3. The man held the yellow and black clue envelope.
4. No backpacks.

The timing puts it before the beginning of the race, rendering it impossible unless it was a preparation race. However, these preparations take place months before the start of the event, not just five days before. Given that he's alone and without a backpack, this can only be a clue-giver. But why would he be walking around (suggesting that teams are suppose to look for him) with a clue in sight?

LEGOLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Out-of-Sync)
By fit4life777 on this thread
Time: Weekend of 12th/13th November 2005
1. Man said he was from The Amazing Race.
2. He picked up a package at Legoland Guest Services.

The date is off, and that's a strange place for TAR isn't it? Could it be a former racer, then?

> Anything could happen, though. Do you know of any local races (like those in Vancouver)
> that are frequently being run in Ottawa

You can rule out a leg from The Bell City Chase 2005, it was in Ottawa / Capital Region on July 16, 2005. Even though the race bills itself as 'similar' to TAR, it's way off the mark, not likely anyone would mistake it for the real TAR even if the dates meshed.

Website: http://www.bellcitychase.com/en_site.asp

My friends in Ottawa haven't been able to find signs of any other races or the like during the fall, they tend to be held during the summer and early fall when the weather is a bit nicer.

I'm not saying the sighting can't be real, but considering that the dates don't mesh, maybe was part of a very small politically based demonstration, protest or other attention getting event. The official residence of the Prime Minister is at 24 Sussex Drive, the Governor General (Queen's Representative) is a short distance away, almost across the street. There are also a lot of embassies, the Royal Canadian Mint (money factory ) and a few other businesses or establishments on or next to Sussex Drive that could easily be targets for protesters in spy-gear or undercover get-ups to draw attention.

LAST EDITED ON 12-13-05 AT 07:29 PM (EST)

Swiped this link from TWoP. Radio station interviewed Phil yesterday, and article says TAR9 airs sometime in March '06.

http://www.harrisonline.com/2005/12/phil-keoghan-amazing-race.htm

They were in Adelaide on 27 November? Damn, I was in Adelaide 2 weeks before that. I flew out of Adelaide back to Brisbane on 14 November after spending a week in South Australia. So close once again. **sigh**

A little more on Perth, with regard to their arrival at the airport...

http://too-manic.net/race/2005/12/15/amazing-race-9-currently-filming/

I've seen a lot of speculation and reports that the race will start and end in Denver. As for possible starting locations, I can think of only 1 and that is Red Rocks Amphitheater, near Golden or about 35 miles west of Denver International Airport. I can imagine that they will start on the stage and will run up the steps to the top where there is a parking lot to the right. Good place to park the lovely Benz's.

As far as ending points, there are hundreds of parks, but a few come to mind. Washington Park, Cheeseman Park, Confluence/Commons Park.

As a footnote, the team photo that is currently on the website IS IN DENVER. It appears to have been taken on the roof of the Adam's Mark. The Holiday Inn is the white and glass building to the right. and the blocky building is a quest building.