Antm 13 Ep.09 - Lets Go Surfing - Recap
By: Edward Ganges
Original Article
for RealityTVMatrix.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
America's Next Top Model Cycle 13, Episode 9
"Let's Go Surfing"


Who said?
Who said "I'm 21 years old; I know myself; I feel confident; I'm well rounded"? And thus begins episode 10. For the rest of the episode, Brittany keeps dwelling on the fact that she is a few years older than the other girls, and thus so much more mature.

There were some close calls last week, including some seriously embarrassing moments for Erin, but all in all the girls seem to have learned a lot. Or maybe not: Tyra has to condemn the house because the models are the worst homemakers she's seen in 13 cycles. We get a glimpse of some of the filth the girls have been living in, but then Tyra lets them off the hook and throws a luau party because the girls will be moving to Hawaii. Sundai is absolutely thrilled (but then, Sundai is always thrilled).

Laura puts it best: "it's unreal; our house is like out of a movie or something". Yeah, the multimillion dollar new mansion in Hawaii with the rainbow arching by in the background is ridiculous. Hopefully, the girls won't get this one condemned.

Tyra Mail 1:
"If you want to catch a break, you're going to have to go out there and get it." Laura must be an early riser because she gets to read the mail to us again this week. Erin treats us to a new song where she sings about the quirks of each of the girls in the house and praises herself. Britney hates on Erin: [Brittany -vs.- Erin].

Reward Challenge:
The girls arrive at a beach and are faced with a lineup of surfboards. They are also introduced to petite model and surfer Sofia Beschen, who is 5'7" tall and has appeared on the cover of Surfing magazine's swimsuit edition and also walked in New York's fashion week. Accompanying her is the legendary surfing champion and Ralph Lauren model Buzzy Kerbox.

In the interest of balance and good body awareness, Tyra treats the girls to surfing lessons; the audience gets treated to the premiere episode of "models gone surfing - badly". Some of the girls actually start doing pretty well. Then some hot guys show up - but just before the girls can get excited, America's Next Top Model photo shoot Creative Director Jay Manuel arrives to re-inform them that this is a competition in which they will be shooting a surfing photo shoot challenge. Extreme water sports photographer Erik Aeder does the photography honors.

Laura flaps around a lot and gets as red as her swimsuit. Sundai gave it the old college try. Nicole-ANTM-2009-Cycle-13.cfm' style='font-weight:bold'>Nicole actually managed to pull one off. Jennifer was quite funky. Brittany felt she was giving it her all and showing a lot of amazing potential. Erin admitted to being really hard on herself but managed to pull an "I love it" from Jay Manuel.

Feedback And Prize Money:
Erin wins a helicopter tour of the new island and decides takes Brittany and Nicole. To quote Brittany: "it was absolutely breathtaking". Erin later complained that she wasn't winning anything "tangible" (like Jewelry) and Brittany complained that Erin was complaining. The complaining and the complaining about the complaining continued: Brittany versus Erin. Sundai versus Erin. Jennifer versus Erin. And the most notably immature model award goes to: Erin.

Tyra Mail 2:
Oddly, no new Tyra mail. Maybe Laura read it again and she was getting too much air time. (?)

Elimination Challenge:
The girls are delivered deep into the Hawaiian sugarcane fields. Tyra returns to do the photography honors for the elimination challenge. Two Tyra shoots in one Cycle is a new first. In honor of the breeding patterns of the sugarcane workers who immigrated to the island in years past the photo shoot will be a celebration of crossbreeding. Each girl is assigned to seemingly random races from across the planet which they will represent in their photo shoot. Laura got to be Mexican and Greek. Erin is Tibetan and Egyptian. Sundai is Moroccan and Russian. Brittany will be Native American and East Indian. Jennifer Wilby Botswanan and Polynesian. Nicole-ANTM-2009-Cycle-13.cfm' style='font-weight:bold'>Nicole will attempt Molligasee (from Madagascar) and Japanese. I appologize if I butchered any spellings.

Thank heaven for Laura's positive spirit: she got so much sunburn she looked like she was melting. On the other hand, all of the girls were body painted into skin tones to match their new hybrid nationalities, which was really exotic and kind of cute.

Erin fell into a good photo but ultimately she only fell into it. Tyra was brutally honest with Laura who then delivered an eye-popping photo. Nicole went from great in her first wardrobe piece to awesome in her second. Jennifer was floundering but photo shoot creative director Jay Manuel gave her some inspiring advice and saved the day. Brittany was encouraged to find her inner eagle and soar to high fashion but couldn't lose the outer mathematician.

Tyra confesses that the nationality choices were not completely random and that Sundai's bone structure was good for her Russian side; which all parties agreed that Sundai embraced rather well.

Tyra mail (finally arrives and) announces the bitter truth: "Tomorrow you will meet with the judges. Only five will continue on in the hope of becoming America's Next Top Model."

Who Said #2?
Who said: "I don't know if my photo shoot went that well but it's a dog eat dog world and I'm hoping that they did crappy and I did really well and it will all be great"? Let me give you a hint: Check the recent immature model awards, or hold this name in front of a mirror: nir3.

At this point, editing is starting to make me believe the elimination is going to be between either Brittany (who keeps thinking she may be a too old/mature for this competition at age 21) or Erin (who is potentially the most annoying Top Model ever - at least to her roommates).

Panel and Deliberations:
Supermodel Kirsty Hume joins the pane