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As Vernon Sarne climbed out of the Ranger XLT, we immediately didn’t like what we heard. “Guys, both of you are fit…so your challenge will be very physical,” he said, his usual excited self. “It’s definitely more physical than that of the first bunch.” The objective was simple. Using the dressed-up, top-of-the-line Ranger XLT, we were supposed to do the following in the best time possible: lift and fit seven plastic barrels onto the pick-up bed; cram an odd number of luggage into the passenger compartment; and lastly, we had to tow a Suzuki Supercarry van using the tow hook. All of this will be done on a dirt-road track. However, simplicity lent itself only to the objective. The actual physical act is a different matter altogether. With the rain threatening to pour down on us, we didn’t have time for a trial run anymore. Lester, being the winner of the Quiz Master portion, decided that I should be the sacrificial guinea pig set to be humiliated in front of the entire Philippines. Great. With my heart beating as fast as a drum beat from a Linkin Park single, I strapped myself in the Ranger. Turning on the headlamps and fog lights for added effect, I shifted into first gear, revved the engine and waited for the signal. At this point, the track wasn’t damp enough to warrant the need to shift to four-wheel drive. Gaby dropped the flag, and away I went. Zooming through the dirt road with the same tenacity as Marcus Gronholm, I actually found it easy to load the barrels thanks to the Ranger’s top-of-the-line payload capacity. The luggage was more difficult—I didn’t know I was trying to fit a balik-bayan’s worth of clothing and pasalubong. Mathematically, it didn’t seem plausible—but with enough trial and error, I slammed the rear door shut with a piece of Samsonite actually still sticking out. The judges ruled alright, so I preceded to the last station. Towing the Supercarry proved to be my one and only Waterloo. Not having had the chance to tow a vehicle any time during my life, I didn’t even know the basic rules of putting on the winch as well as how to appropriately nurse the trailer around. As I sped off the first time, the cable snapped and the Suzuki came loose! With the tons of barrels and luggage blocking my rear view mirror, I lost precious time trying to put the Ranger back into towing position. When I did manage to lug the van around, I sped up towards the finish line, trying to gain lost ground. |
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