The two-hour season premiere began with a reward challenge, pinning three tribes of six castaways, Ratu, Soka and Tika, against one another in a physical AND mental challenge.
The winner of the challenge would instantly receive a pot, machete and flint, while the the two losing tribes would have to earn their supplies in a “Sweat vs Savvy” penalty challenge waiting for them back at camp.
Less than a minute into the challenge, Bruce Perreault, an insurance agent from Rhode Island, suffered a hit to the head that resulted in a large gash in his forehead. The Survivor medical team tended to his wounds instantly and allowed him to continue to compete, however, his tribe still came up short, ultimately placing last in the challenge.
The Soka tribe was victorious, winning supplies for all six tribemates to share: Claire Rafson, Danny Massa, Frannie Marin, Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt, Josh Wilder and Matt Blankinship.
Due to the unfortunate loss, both the Ratu tribe and the Tika tribe still needed to earn their pot, machete and flint through a difficult “Sweat vs Savvy” penalty challenge that took a toll on some of the castaways.
