The Wipeout Zone is the final stage of Wipeout. The top 4 contestants (top 3 contestants in seasons 4-6) or top 2 teams who successfully completed all three prior rounds compete in the zone, and the contestant or team with the fastest time wins the $50,000 grand prize.
It typically features four obstacles that must be completed. With the Climbing Wall in Seasons 1 and 2, the finalists had to go through five obstacles. In Seasons 2 and 3, with the introduction of the Gauntlet, this was increased to six obstacles. In the international versions that use the Argentinian courses, it can also go up to six obstacles. Each course starts with an entrance obstacle that launches contestants or teams into the zone before they attempt the next obstacle. Contestants or teams must complete all required obstacles in the zone (unless otherwise stated).
From Seasons 1-6 and 8-9, all obstacles on the zone must be cleared in order. There were three obstacles that were explicitly exempt from this rule: the Gears of Doom (due to its extreme difficulty), the Rib Rage (due to needing a manual reset after every attempt; skipping is mandatory), and Blockbuster (due to its extreme difficulty). Technically, any obstacle can be skipped in the zone (except for the final obstacle and the Gauntlet) in exchange for a time penalty; this is also true for the Qualifier. In Season 7, this was changed: only one attempt per obstacle. If contestants wipeout at any point, they must skip to the next obstacle or the finish platform. Because of this rule, clear times for the zone rarely lasted longer than 8 minutes.
Each season can use up to three different configurations for the Wipeout Zone course:
- In Season 1, there was a course for the pilot episode that was slightly different from the rest of the season.
- Seasons 7-9 had only one Wipeout Zone configuration each.
- Seasons 2, 3, and 6 had two different courses.
- In Seasons 4 and 5, there was one course for Winter, and two different alternating courses for Spring and Summer.
For the sake of disambiguation, if a season has more than one Wipeout Zone course, the courses are labeled depending on which appeared first in airing order.
Obstacles[]
- Season 1:
- 1. Killer Surf: A 45° water ramp contestants slide down on an inner tube, a sled, an air mattress, or their backs and into the water below.
- Variations:
- In episode 2, the ramp was covered in foam.
- In episode 3, the ramp had scorching flames.
- In episode 4, the ramp was surrounded by fire.
- In episode 8, the ramp was shrouded in fog and had colored balls at the bottom.
- 2. Barrel Run: A narrow ramp that contestants must run up and jump over a series of barrels rolling down.
- Variations:
- In episode 4, there was a water cannon spraying the contestants from the top.
- 3. Climbing Wall: A wall above a narrow ledge that contestants must cross using handles.
- Variations:
- Rope Wall (Episodes 4 and 5): A wall above a narrow ledge that contestants must cross using ropes.
- Water Wall (Episodes 6, 8, and 10): A wall with water pouring down above a narrow ledge that contestants must cross using handles.
- 4. Spinner: A rotating slippery surface covered in padded barricades that contestants must jump onto, and then make an 8-foot leap to the platform on the other side.
- Variations:
- In episode 5, there was latex, making only two entrances.
- 5. Launch Pads: Four trampolines at different elevations and distances that must be crossed to reach the finish platform.
- Zone-Wide Variations:
- In episode 6, the zone was covered in foam.
- In episode 10, the zone had a storm.
- Pilot Episode:
- 1. Killer Surf: A 45° water ramp contestants slide down on a sled and into the water below.
- 2. Triple Threat: Three triangles that can rotate if not crossed quick enough.
- 3. Spinner: A rotating slippery surface covered in padded barricades that contestants must jump onto, and then make an 8-foot leap to the platform on the other side.
- 4. Blast Off: Two narrow planks sprayed by icy cold water cannons that must be crossed to reach the finish platform.
- Season 2A:
- 1. Aqua Launch: A bumpy water ramp contestants slide down on an inner tube, a sled, a bodyboard, a kayak, or their backs and attempt to control their launch into the Wipeout Zone.
- 2. Raging Rapids: A steep ramp with water flowing down that contestants must climb up and try to avoid being washed away by a onetime 1,000-gallon tidal wave. This tidal wave has varied during the series, being either water, mud, or drink (sports drink and blue drink).
- 3. Climbing Wall: A wall above a narrow sloped ledge that contestants must cross using handles.
- 4. Crazy Sweeper: A zigzag beam followed by six pedestals. Contestants must run down the zigzag beam and across the pedestals to the other side while being chased by two sweeper arms featuring large cubes and cylinders on them.
- Variations:
- In Wipeout Bowl I: Cheerleaders vs. Couch Potatoes, the sweeper arms featured footballs and pon-poms on them.
- In episode 4, there were six hanging demolition balls.
- In episode 8, there were two distracting curtains of noodles.
- In episode 12, there were six brutal punching bags.
- 5. Turntables: Three spinning platforms with varying obstacles that contestants must cross. When they stand up with both feet planted on the last turntable or the finish platform, the clock will stop.
- Variations have included:
- Tackle Dummy Turntables (Wipeout Bowl I: Cheerleaders vs. Couch Potatoes): Three turntables with tackle dummies that contestants must cross to reach the finish platform.
- Bumper Turntables (Episodes 2 and 14): Three turntables with pillars that contestants must cross and stand up with both feet planted on the last one to stop the clock.
- Wedge Turntables (Episodes 4 and 10): Three turntables with wedges that contestants must climb up and over or hold onto before they can jump to the next and climb to the top of the last one to stop the clock.
- Torrential Turntables (Episode 5): Three turntables being showered by icy cold water that contestants must cross and stand up with both feet planted on the last one to stop the clock.
- Foamy Turntables (Episode 8): Three turntables filled with foam that contestants must cross to reach the finish platform.
- Dodgeball Turntables (Episode 12): Three turntables filled with dodgeballs that contestants must cross while staying below the wrecking balls to reach the finish platform.
- Season 2B:
- 1. Catapult: A chair at the end of a long arm that launches contestants through the air into the water below.
- 2. Gears of Doom: Three large rotating gears that must be traversed. After at least one wipeout, contestants can either try again or move on and take a time penalty.
- Variations:
- In episodes 6 and 16, the gears had teeth on them.
- In episode 9, the gears were covered with trampolines.
- 3. Scary-Go-Round: A pair of bridges circling in opposite directions. Contestants must cross the plank, head up the stairs, then make it across the arm to the other side while avoiding the sweeper arm.
- Variations:
- In episode 6, there were three teeth, while in episode 16, there was just one tooth.
- In episode 7, there was a curtain contestants had to jump through.
- In episodes 9 and 11, four of the six stairways were blocked, while in the latter episode, there were two wrecking balls contestants had to jump past.
- 4. Gauntlet - made up of three obstacles:
- 1. Piston Punch: Three pistons that punch out into the walkway. Contestants must cross the walkway without being punched by the pistons into the water.
- Variations:
- In some episodes, the pistons sprayed water at the contestants.
- 2A. Turntable: A spinning platform with varying obstacles that contestants must cross.
- Variations have included:
- Foamy Turntable (Episode 1): A turntable filled with foam that contestants must jump into and out of to the platform.
- Bumper Bally Turntable (Episode 3): A turntable with balls attached to posts that contestants must jump onto and off to the platform.
- Gazebo Turntable (Episode 7): A turntable with a gazebo that contestants must jump onto and off to the platform.
- Wedge Turntable (Episode 9): A turntable with a wedge that contestants must climb up and over before they can jump to the platform.
- Bumper Turntable (Episodes 11 and 13): A turntable with pillars that contestants must jump onto and off to the platform.
- 2B. Blades of Fury: Two windmills contestants have to jump through without being knocked off into the water.
- 3. Dangerous Drop Bridge: A narrow beam that suddenly drops out from under contestants at any time as they cross it to the finish platform.
- Variations:
- In episodes 6 and 16, the bridge had three teeth on it.
- 1. Piston Punch: Three pistons that punch out into the walkway. Contestants must cross the walkway without being punched by the pistons into the water.
- Zone-Wide Variations:
- In episode 3, the zone was covered in foam.
- In episodes 6 and 16, the zone was covered in teeth and water cannons.
- Australia Special:
- 1. Killer Surf: A 45° water ramp contestants slide down on a lie lo and into the water below.
- 2. Barrel Run: A narrow ramp that contestants must run up and jump over a series of barrels rolling down.
- 3. Water Wall: A wall with water pouring down above a narrow ledge that contestants must cross using handles.
- 4. Spinner: A rotating slippery surface covered in padded barricades that contestants must jump onto, and then make an 8-foot leap to the platform on the other side.
- 5. Rolling Log: A slippery log rotating to the left that contestants must run across.
- 6. Launch Pads: Two trampolines at different elevations and distances that must be crossed to reach the finish platform and hit the buzzer to stop the clock.
- Season 3A:
- 1. Catapult: A chair at the end of a long arm that launches contestants through the air into the water below.
- Variations:
- In episode 4, white dust was launched with the contestants.
- In episode 5, confetti was launched with the contestants.
- In episode 17, colored balls were launched with the contestants.
- 2. Spin Cycle: A huge rotating 30-foot circular tall foamy drum contestants must go for a ride in and time their jump out onto the exit platform.
- Variations:
- In episode 15, the drum was filled with molten lava.
- In episode 17, the drum was filled with hundreds of balls.
- 3. Triple Threat: Three turntables with sweeper arms that contestants must cross while being blasted by water cannons.
- Variations:
- In episode 4, the sweeper arms had white streamers.
- In episode 15, the sweeper arms had flame streamers.
- In episode 17, the sweeper arms had hanging balls.
- 4. Rib Rage: A walkway of ten ribs jutting out at the bottom that contestants must run across. The ribs drop out from under them as they run. They can only do this obstacle once.
- 5. Gauntlet - made up of two obstacles:
- 1. Spiked Whackers: Two flapping spiky panels that fire out into the walkway. Contestants must cross the walkway without being whacked by the panels into the water.
- 2. Arms and Dangerous: A narrow walkway with spinning arms. Contestants must cross the walkway and time their moves carefully to avoid the arms and reach the finish platform.
- Variations:
- In episode 8, there was a triangle at the end.
- In episode 17, balls were being thrown at the contestants.
- Zone-Wide Variations:
- In episode 4, the zone was covered in foam.
- In episode 10, the zone had paint being shot at the contestants.
- In episode 15, the zone was on fire.
- In episode 17, the zone featured lots of balls.
- Season 3B:
- 1. Dreadmill Launch: A forward-moving dreadmill inside a laser tunnel contestants run down and jump off the end through a Sheer Descent water wall before free-falling onto a giant sloped trampoline and bouncing into the water below.
- Variations:
- In episode 9, there was a foamy trampoline.
- 2. Gut Busters: Six hydraulic blocks at varying heights moving up and down that must be traversed.
- Variations:
- In episode 3, there was a galaxy of planets.
- In episode 16, there was a hoop contestants had to crawl through.
- 3. Sinistairs: A spinning spiral staircase on the outside of a rotating tower that contestants must climb while avoiding two or three sweeper arms.
- 4. Gauntlet - made up of three obstacles:
- 1. Crankshaft: A narrow walkway next to a rotating beam. Contestants must cross the walkway and time their moves carefully to avoid the beam.
- 2. Blades of Fury: Two windmills contestants have to jump through without being knocked off into the water.
- 3. Beater Totter: A hydraulic seesaw that moves about as contestants cross it to the finish platform.
- Variations:
- In episode 16, there was a hoop contestants had to crawl through.
- Zone-Wide Variations:
- In episode 2, the zone had paint being shot at the contestants.
- In episode 3, the zone was in space and featured meteor showers.
- In episode 7, the zone was covered in foam.
- In episode 11, the zone was covered in water cannons.
- In episode 18, in honor of America’s finest, the zone was red, white, and blue.
- Season 4A - Winter Wipeout
- 1. Bobsled Blastoff: A mechanical bobsled that launches contestants through the air into the water below.
- 2. Icy Stairway from Hell: An arc of stairs lifted up and down from their sides that must be crossed.
- 3. Frostbite: Two slowly rotating planks contestants must cross while avoiding giant icicle teeth moving in the opposite direction.
- 4. Sinister Snowflakes: Two rotating snowflakes that contestants must cross to reach the finish platform.
- Season 4B - Spring Wipeout/Summer Wipeout
- 1A. Springshot (Spring): A mechanical spring that launches contestants through the air into the water below. In one episode, it had colored balls.
- 1B. Chairborne (Spring and Summer): A chair that launches contestants through the air into the water below.
- 2. Over and Out: Two giant rotating walkways that must be crossed.
- 3. Point Break: An obstacle made up of two stages. First, contestants must climb to the peak of the slippery staircase while trying to hold out when 500 gallons of water splash down on them and/or being shot by flying paint. Then they must time their drop down the steep slide onto the platform below.
- 4. Coin Toss: Seven spinning coins that will try to flip contestants into the water as they balance their way across to the finish platform.
- Season 4C - Summer Wipeout
- 1. Towering Flume of Doom: A 7-story tall water slide that launches contestants into the Wipeout Zone.
- 2. Iron Mazen: A giant rotating maze. Contestants must enter on the yellow side and exit on the red side all while battling gravity, momentum, and speed of the rotating maze.
- 3. Axle of Evil: A three-pronged axle twisting at the end of a rotating arm. Contestants must use each prong to support themselves as they ride the axle around to the other side.
- 4. Great Wall of Fall: A 50-foot-long wall containing of several cylindrical pegs randomly retracting into the side that contestants must make their way across to the finish platform.
- Season 5A - Winter Wipeout
- 1. Killer Luge: A 7-story steep slide that launches contestants into the Winter Wipeout Zone.
- 2. Psychedelic Snow Globe: A huge vertically spinning sphere with a button in the middle that contestants must hit to drop the exit platform before they can ride around and jump to the other side. They only tag the center button once.
- 3. Frozen Fury: Elevated platforms going uphill in a semicircle that contestants must cross while jumping over the sweeper bars.
- 4. Iced Over: Three vertically revolving diamonds that contestants must cross to reach the finish platform.
- Season 5B - Summer Wipeout
- 1. Bombastic Blob: A big sack of air that launches contestants into the Wipeout Zone when hit by a half-ton weight.
- 2. Swing Blades: Two sets of sweeper swings and blades that contestants must cross to get to the other side.
- 3. Torrential Twisters: Three wet slippery turntables that contestants must cross while being showered by rain.
- 4. Tectonic Planks: Two rotating planks that contestants must cross and go over at least one peg to reach the finish platform.
- Season 5C – Summer Wipeout
- 1. Temple of Flume: An 8-story water slide that launches contestants into the Wipeout Zone.
- 2. Commakaze: A rotating blind slide contestants have to time their drop down and under the period to make it to the other side without paying the price.
- 3. Spinergy: A rotating ring contestants have to balance on while avoiding a series of punishing sweeper bars.
- 4. 3 C’s of Wipeout: Three rotating C’s that contestants must cross to reach the finish platform. In each episode, the C’s stood for different names.
- In episode 10, in honor of the armed forces, the C’s stood for Classified, Camouflage, and Commando.
- In episode 12, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Catastrophe.
- In episode 13, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Carnage.
- In episode 16, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Clay Aiken.
- In episode 18, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Calamity.
- In episode 19, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Collision.
- In episode 21, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Chaos.
- In episode 23, the C’s stood for Courage, Confidence, and Come On.
- Season 6A:
- 1. Scare Chair: A reverse catapult that launches contestants into the Wipeout Zone.
- 2. Blockbuster: A giant rocking wall filled with unstable blocks that contestants must cross to get to the other side without being busted. After at least one wipeout, contestants can either try again or move on and take a time penalty.
- 3. Space Pod of Doom: A rotating orbiter space pod that contestants must ride inside and drop through one of the escape hatches onto the exit platform and not into the water.
- 4. Bounder Pounder: Two sets of three rotating trampolines that contestants must bounce their way across to reach the finish platform.
- Season 6B:
- 1. Slingshock: A high speed catapult that launches contestants into the water.
- 2. Throw-tisserie: A hot rotisserie that contestants must cross to drop out onto the moving exit platform.
- 3. Dark Side of the Moon: A rotating orb. Contestants must circle the planetary ring while avoiding two sweeper bars, climb the ladder to the top, and time their drop down the steep blind slide and through the center of the moon to the platform.
- 4. Twisted Falls: Two sets of trampolines, torrential waterfalls, and spinning blades. Contestants must bounce across the trampolines and through the waterfalls and blades to make it to the finish platform.
- Season 7:
- 1. Catastrophic Cannon: A sled inside a giant cannon that launches contestants into the water.
- 2. Shredder: Two rotating cones that contestants must cross to get to the other side.
- 3. Hell's Carousel: A series of pedestals that contestants must run across without being knocked off by the sweeper arms.
- 4. Gears of Fear: Three huge gears. Contestants must leap from gear to spinning gear and make the final jump through the rotating blades to the finish platform. However, if they were to fail, they would have to climb up a ladder to reach the finish platform.
- Season 8:
- 1. Speeding Silver Bullet: A rocket that launches contestants into the water.
- 2. Vertigo: A huge vertically spinning contraption with a button in the middle that contestants must hit to drop the exit platform before they can ride around and jump to the other side. They only tag the center button once.
- 3. Leap of Faith: A rotating hammerhead shaped spinner, which contestants drop onto and jump onto the narrow platform to reach the next obstacle.
- 4. Triple Threat: Three rotating hexagon platforms with smaller half-diamond shaped platforms within the middle. Contestants jump across either shaped platforms to the finish platform.
Both team members are on the Zone at the same time. The first team member will complete the Speeding Silver Bullet and Vertigo. Then they must tag their partner for them to start the Leap of Faith and the Triple Threat. In solo episodes, the rules are the same as in the original ABC seasons.
- Season 9:
- 1. Drop Out: A 75-foot-long water slide that shoots contestants out and into the water.
- 2. Point Break: A big spinning cylinder with large spikes sticking out that contestants must navigate across without falling off to get to the other side.
- 3. G-Force: A fast spinning bridge with two platforms at each end, an entrance and an exit, where contestants must walk across and leap off onto the platform.
- 4. Grinder: Three gigantic spinning gears, two vertical ones at the start and finish with a horizontal gear in the middle leading towards the finish platform.
Both team members are on the Zone at the same time. The first team member will complete Drop Out and Point Break. Then they must tag their partner for them to start G-Force and the Grinder. In solo episodes, the rules are the same as in the original ABC seasons.