I am Dorky Kong, Wipeout's latest winner. AMA.

Congrats! Looks like you had more fun than me! What was the payout after taxes, if you dont mind disclosing that info?

Fun? NOT IN THE FIRST ROUND. And thanks! I won't know until next April when I have to pay taxes on it haha!

Yeah that qualifier was killer. Almost did me in.

After my second wipe out I was going to quit. I was having trouble breathing, I was dizzy, and I wanted to throw up. The only reason that I kept going was because my friends would have made fun of me forever for quitting...

Yeah one reason I continued too. and a personal "I can't quit!" mentality.

So the other rounds were not as bad?

Thanks for the AMA. I linked to it on mine.

The other rounds were tough too but I was a bit more prepared. My first wipe out in the first round was so incredibly jarring it literally shocked me and the rest of the round was a complete blur.

it looked insane, and was insanely funny

Insane is an excellent way to put it.

Good on you for fighting through, look what came of it!

Yeah, perseverance was definitely one of the most important parts.

How has this affected your social life? Do people seem to like you more? Do the ladies want you to champion their wipeouts?

It has't changed it at all. BUT we'll see what happens when I go to the bar and use it as a line. I haven't tried that yet ;)

That would have been the first thing I did after it aired. haha

I went home and watched it with my family! I made them all wait a day and stay offline to see any spoilers hahaha.

Just watched it. Oddly, I felt as though I knew you because of this AMA, so I was rooting for you(even though I knew you'd win) over the others. xD It was odd.

Oh cool. I am mostly like the guy you saw. But here you can see me mostly making full sentences haha!

Your hair.

It's the sex..

Awww thanks. I am still learning how to take care of it!

Serious question though : Did you wish you didn't go on there for any reason/at all?

Edit : Or was it more of a one in a lifetime thing you loved?

Nope. I wish I had worn my shirt OUTSIDE the life jacket though. Then I could have used the suspenders that I brought haha. That's my biggest regret.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for sure. I would love to do it again, but I doubt I will ever get such a chance...

Do you get a trial run of the course off camera?

Everything that you see on camera is us giving it our first try. There were no practice runs allowed. The first round we weren't allowed to see before running it. They only briefly described it to us and said "go!"

or said.. GO FOR THE COINSSSSS!

Haha. He was quite nice actually.

my favorite part was when all you guys were in the foam pit thing, get any action with the hotties?

No, but I was actually worried about where I was rolling, where people's hands/feet/heads were going, etc. We were a mashed pit of people, mud, goo, and vibration lol...

I remember you! I was rooting for you! Nerds v hotties right? One question: did you try to chat up any hotties?

Off camera we chatted a bunch, but mostly just freaking out about the courses. It wasn't a time for being calm haha. What do you think would be on your mind before running the courses?

Impressing the ladies, duh.

I don't think you'd be thinking straight or able to stand for long. But now it just sounds like rough sex...

Did you mind being typecast as a nerd?

Not at all. I like to learn and be as intellectual as possible. I don't mind what people call that.

NERD

Definitely!

"Spoken like a true nerd." -Vanessa, on OP. Literally.

It does sound incredibly nerdy I really have no idea what I was saying lol...

What's your day job?

I am a software engineer.

How long ago did you film the episode before it aired?

2 months. We were one of the last ones to film though.

How often have random people recognized you at bars/restaurants/other public areas since the episode aired?

I was recognized by a man on an airplane and by one of the flight attendants. I also had someone say hi to me this weekend in San Francisco. I don't imagine it will last. I can't say that I would recognize any of the show's previous winners...

i'm stunned people recognize anyone from such a relatively brief viewing.

if i meet someone and talk to them for hours and recognize them the next week, that's a good day for me.

Agreed. I always forget names/faces.

I saw you win, congratulations. It did seem to me though that he final was much easier that in previous episodes, do you agree?

When I first saw it I thought that it looked a little easier, but what you don't realize is that the obstacles are moving very fast and that we wiped out more times than shown because it took us a while to start learning the timing. By time I reached the last stage I was huffing and puffing so hard that I was reminded of my dinner a bit. PLUS the blob launch knocked the wind out of me.

What was your favorite part about competing aside from winning? What made you want to go on the show in the first place? Has this experience changed you at all? Do you like cookies and cream or cookie dough ice cream better?

I actually enjoyed the courses. They were so difficult but I had to keep going. I liked knowing that I would eventually get them and seeing how quickly I could make that happen.

It hasn't really changed me. Just mad me feel how big the world is. I have never had someone say they saw me on TV before!

Cookies and Cream! But I like Mint Chocolate Chip just a tiny bit better!

right on with the cookies and cream meng

Always.

Who came up with the "Dorky Kong" idea?

I have no idea to be honest. I am obsessed with monkeys and talked about them a bunch in my interview (which they did not show), but it seemed fitting.

Were you allowed to watch the other people's final round runs with Vanessa?

Did anything interesting happen backstage?

Also, did anyone get injured :p

I did not, since I went last! Nothing crazy happened off camera except us all hyperventilating together haha...

No one got "too" injured. But sore, sore, sore, sore was how I was for quite a while.

Also, have you kept in touch with any of the other contestants?

Yes. I have kept in touch with most of the final 6. I can't find the contact info for one of them though. I definitely talk to the other 2 finalists a lot; we share a common experience for sure!

That's actually pretty cool. It's like being war buddies.

Yeah. Even before the final round we were all rooting for one another. We were so nervous and all trying to collectively calm down. I never really felt like it was a competition, but more that I couldn't die.

Without the PTSD. ...hopefully...

None of that, but I have had dreams about it and I re-imagine it a lot. I am sad that it is over.

most painful wipeout??

The most painful was actually the launch from the blob. I hit the water on my upper back and I was coughing and choking when I surfaced. I actually had to pause on the ladder and catch my breath. The worst "real" Wipeout was in the third round where I fell off the zip line and hit the water head first. This was not shown during the episode, sadly.

Painful... I am watching your episode and this is the first time I've seen the show. I think some of this stuff looks dangerous as in I could see someone really getting hurt from the show. Do you know if someone has had any serious injuries yet?

It depends how you define serious, but pulling muscles and general soreness is a near guarantee. I have never heard of anyone getting too injured but I am sure there are rumors or stories on the interweb-box that give details, maybe.

Someone actually died on Wipeout. That's why you were (probably) administered several physical tests before you were allowed to compete.

So I have heard, but they had pre-existing conditions. And yes, there was an extensive physical beforehand.

This is only my first time watching, but with how some people hit as they miss something in the obstacle or fall I could see a neck or back injury happen. I'm sure they take measures to try to keep that from happening, but I had a few oh shit moments seeing some clips lol

Yeah. They have a team called The Black and Blues that run the courses over and over and over to ensure they are safe. ABC actually has a few videos about them on their website which are definitely worth a watch.

How do I get hired as a black and blue.

They had a promotion running for a while this year on ABC's Facebook page about being one for a day; that might be a good start, or becoming friends with them.

Every course has "Day-testers" come which are people that run the courses to assess the courses but are not filmed for a show. These are often friends of producers, crew, or the Black and Blues.

My mom and I are watching the episode right now and I just happened upon this AMA. Weird!

Are the..blocks and obstacles hard? Not difficult, but touch wise. We keep thinking from some of the hits, these people should be breaking bones! What do all of the objects feel like as far as hardness/softness?

Really soft and padded. This makes it easier for you and them to bend but that can still HURT!!! Everything is padded and safe, but that doesn't mean you can't get hurt...

Were you made to wear the bow tie or do you just love bow ties?

The bow tie was my idea. I thought it would make a me a little unique among the contestants. I can't remember the last time I wore one before it though...

So youre on ABC right now...

Correct! Rerun night!

What are you going to do with all the money? And you were my little brother's and my favorite contestant ever! Congratulations on the win:)

I have no idea... maybe a Mediterranean cruise?! And thanks! I really enjoyed watching the episode.

I have no idea of how much the prize is, but wouldn't it be better to put it in the bank and get some interest?

$50k. I'll probably invest a fair chunk of it, but it's definitely a good excuse for a vacation!

putting money in the bank is usually a terrible idea. Banks give very low interest rates, often less than inflation, which means your money actually devalues. The best thing to do with the leftover prize money, after the kickass cruise of course, would be to clear any high interest consumer debt. Then, invest the rest in a bond or something similar....

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of investing it in either the stock market or in a bond for sure, but I will take a bit of time for me to decide.

can someone find a video clip?

Here is the entire episode. I will update the description.

Damn, on Hulu :/

Why damn? Is it not working?

WipeOut is the only show that makes me laugh out loud and at the same time go "Damn". No real question, just thanks for entertaining me.

I watch it for the exact same reason!

So, how much did they force the "nerds" to play up the whole "nerd" thing?

Never once did they ask me to "act."

How was Vanessa Lachey. Was she a very nice lady?

She was sooooo nice! She said I was very eloquent, had wonderful hair, and was awesome in the movie "Knocked Up," but I think that was Seth Rogen...

Where the hotties any kind of cool? Where all you guys actual nerds or did they make it look that way?

The guys and girls came in many types. A few of the girls were pretty cool and I have kept in touch with. I think most of use were acting as ourselves but leaning toward kooky. Peekabo, for example, is not in my regular vocabulary.

I just watched some of the episode after never having seen Wipeout before. It seems like it's more about the course and the commentators being assholes to the contestants than it is the contestants being good at the course (a la Ninja Warrior)

Does that seem true?

I think it's about a silly show that the whole family can watch, but as any gameshow goes, it is so short that it's hard to see a lot of the people.

"Sorry, currently our video library can only be watched from within the United States" :(

so no.

It's also on ABC's website and available through iTunes.

What was the timeline of you doing each round (when was round 1, round2, etc.) Were they all in one day?

Was the water cold?

Were all the guys really nerdy or were they playing it up and edited that way?

IMO I felt this new summer course was a lot more tame then the one from a couple months ago. The winter one from a couple months ago was insane with its crazy slides and its drops. How tough was this course (I'm still guessing extremely tough :) )

Did anyone get injured?

They were filmed over a few days. The water in the first round was deadly cold. Each time I hit it I thought I was dying. It made me want to get out as fast as possible and yet my muscles were limp. As far as acting, I was definitely myself and I think the others were too. Maybe we were all a big exaggerated but it was close. I can't speak for the others though.

There were not less tame. These courses produced many more Wipeouts than on most episodes; the rounds were a lot longer than you see, a LOT longer. Thus instead of having 1 or 2 Wipeouts like in the past we were wiping out over and over and over to a slow degrade of absolute exhaustion.

Where is it located and how did you register to go on?

It's in Santa Clarita (you can see the course on Google Maps!). I drove down to Burbank and waited in line for an open audition.

Did you hook up with Nasty Nat?

The closest we got was rolling around in a pit full of mud, foam, and goo. All that was on my mind on set was not dying, lol.

How did the production crew treat you?

I always wonder this about most shows where the 'public' are involved.

They were awesome. They also thanked me for talking all day (I don't shut up in real life) and said that I made time on set go by quickly.

But they were all incredibly nice, fun people that work faster and harder than I could believe.

That's nice to hear. In my head shows like this are surrounded by evil people in suits.

They were all people who enjoying making and watching the show. I really enjoyed being on set with all of them. They are very supportive during the day and are well aware what they are putting the contestants through.

Let's get down to business, did you get laid because you appeared on the show?

Not yet, specifically.

Just to let you know, I was cheering for you during the final round. Good job!

That makes me feel awesome, thanks! I didn't expect so many people to have any interest in such a nerd lol...

On a scale of 1-10 how hard was it

3*Pi.

For those less then mathematically inclined, it's 9.4247779607693797153879301498385 on the difficulty scale.

Oh, and I intended to use the ceiling function on it.

I've always wondered - is it just coincidence or do they make everyone wear the ankle braces?

They make you wear them so you don't twist/sprain/break your ankles.

Yeah, it seemed a little too common to be coincidence. Congrats on the win, by the way! Always wanted to be on Wipeout myself. John & John do all of the commentary post-production, right?

Yes they do. I wish they had been on set too though...

I just want to say... dammit... I just watched the video that you linked to, to see your episode. I finished it at like, 6:30pm? Now at 7pm, I turned on my TV to watch Wipeout and you know what? THEY ARE PLAYING THIS EPISODE. What are the chances that my local station would be playing this episode tonight?

Anyway.... Did Nasty Nat really never wash those pants?

They replay last week's episode tonight haha. Tuesdays are reruns! I have no idea about here pants. Regardless, I hope she watched them after the show!

was it better to win the money, or to be slipping around with the soapy hotties?

I had so much fun being in the episode. That is all that really matters! :D

Was the end of the third round with all six of you in the mudpit as fun as it looked :p

Yes. We were in there for a few minutes and I was laughing so hard because I couldn't stand up or do anything. I was literally just sitting in there bouncing and laughing.

Did anyone get to see your final run, if they did it seems unfair.

On the group courses are there any rules like "you aren't allowed to push another person"?

Were you surprised by the first obstacle since you weren't given a heads-up? That would scare the crap out of me i think.

They got to see my final run so that they could film the reactions watching it.

I was totally surprised on the first course, especially since it did not start off going down.

And yes, no pushing!!!

How hard was it to actually get on the show?

I've always wanted to get on but it seems impossible :(

I don't know how hard it was. I just assumed they would find me nutty enough, so I went and auditioned, and I guess they were. I think sanity is not a quality for their contestants.

Where were the auditions? Was it announced to be in the area you're in, or did you find out about it on the internet and just went and tried it out?

I drove 7 hours to audition. They were posted on the website where they were having them. I would check online all the time to find out when the next season was and then when they put up the days for open casting I picked one and then drove to audition!

were you comfortable with the fact that they kind of give you a script?

I don't think they ever gave me a script at all. I dressed how I wanted, interviewed how I wanted, played the courses how I wanted, and even talked during the courses how I wanted. After the final round they told me that was one of the goofiest things they had ever seen.

I would say the show was not scripted at all.

hmm, weird, I tought it was according to what I read in another IAmA

I think that some contestants were coached what to say with Vanessa in the beginning interview, perhaps for being shy or what (I am not sure really). All they told me was to at least mention that I really like monkeys (which I did a lot in my interview haha) and as you can see they didn't even SHOW me talking about MONKEYS haha.

How exhausted were you after completing all of their obstacles? Did your body hurt all over?

I stayed in bed for days. I have never been so sore in my life!

Was it more like working out till you collapse, or getting the shit kicked out of you?

Alternating between the two. The first round was definitely like a bad fight. The others were a mix.

What did you win?

$50k

And then taxes...

A lot of the contestants on that show seem crazy. Are they actually crazy, acting crazy for attention, or does the show tell them to be crazy?

Also, do John and John stand in front of a green screen?

They are in front of a green screen.

I think the contestants are normal with crazy tendencies that tend to come out when you put them in front of a camera and beat the shit out of them.

I am watching this episode right now. I happened upon this post just before the first commercial. I've never had a show spoiled in this manner before.

I am so sorry. :(

So while recording the show. Was it all filmed in one day? And if it was, what kind of meal did they provide for you guys?

It was over a few days and they provided any meals that corresponded with the time of day that we were on set. The meals carried but were pretty standard: chicken with vegetables, or pasta. It was mostly what I would call an American dinner.

What was the tryout/audition like? Did they put through a few people that they knew had no chance of winning, just so they could see them wipeout? or was everyone on pretty equal grounds?

As far as auditions, I would say go try them out! ;)

I felt everyone was on equal footing actually.