Outwit. Outplay. Outlast. So goes the rallying cry of the megahit television show “Survivor.”
There’s no shortage of people willing to be cast away on a deserted shore to pit themselves against one another and the elements as contestants on CBS’s award-winning reality show. Whether the attraction is the $1 million prize or simply the chance to test themselves against rigorous odds, thousands compete each season to win one of the 16 to 20 contestant spots on the show.
Now, Liberty Station in Point Loma will become the only California audition site for the coming season of “Survivor 17.”
The audition is slated for Saturday, Jan. 26 at Liberty Station’s South Promenade off Rosecrans Street and Womble Road. Hopefuls can check the rules and download an application at http://www.cbs-8.com/, the Web site for local CBS affiliate KFMB-TV.
An estimated 1,000 or more people are expected to pack Liberty Station by 8 a.m. Saturday, according to Kim Elliott, senior vice president of the Corky McMillin Cos. McMillin has been charged with redeveloping the former Naval Training Center into what is now an urban village boasting 125 acres of parks and open spaces in which to hold a “Survivor” audition.
Liberty Station is one of only nine audition sites in the entire country and will also occur on the last date for open auditions. Organizers say this could swell the numbers by bringing additional last-chance aspirants from other parts of the country.
Elliott said tryouts for another CBS reality TV show, “The Amazing Race,” were also held at Liberty Station on Dec. 8, attracting people from as far away as Texas and the Midwest.
“I’m a huge fan of the show,” said North Park resident Justin Roberts, 27, who plans to try out for “Survivor.”
“The idea of being on the show and being put into that situation, being forced to do what I can to literally survive and put myself to the test “” I think it’s something I could take on as a challenge,” Roberts said.
Roberts works as a content manager for a film production company. If he succeeds in getting on the show ” and should he eventually win the $1 million prize ” he said he would use the money to pay off student loans and buy a house in San Diego.
“But I’d continue working because I love my job so much,” he said.
Roberts said he enjoys camping, although he doesn’t do it as often as he’d like. However, he already went through a survivor-like experience.
“I went to Burning Man for the first time in 2006, so I know I can survive for a week out in the desert with 40,000 other people,” Roberts said.
As for strategy in playing the “Survivor” game, Roberts thinks the best way to deal with fellow contestants is “to figure out the personalities of the people involved.”
San Diego clothing designer Zoe Crenshaw also plans to audition for the show. Crenshaw, 37, said she thinks “it would be kind of cool to be on ‘Survivor.'”
She said she likes the “whole social aspect, along with the competitive part and the strategy.”
Crenshaw said she enjoys watching “Survivor” with her family “” her husband, an 11-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old daughter. She describes herself as a “physical kind of person” who enjoys camping a lot. Being on the show would be quite an adventure, she said.
If she wins the $1 million, Crenshaw would like to start her own line of fashion designs and buy a house in San Diego.
Crenshaw’s game strategy would be similar to that of Todd Herzog, who won “Survivor: China,” she said. “He played fair and everybody liked him.”
Elliott said her company had such a good experience hosting the “The Amazing Race” auditions that they jumped at the chance to do it again with “Survivor.”
“The first audition was successful,” she said. “All the attendees had a good experience. It brought a lot of positive awareness to Liberty Station and it was a great venue for KFMB to do the audition.”
There’s really no downside for Liberty Station, according to Elliott.
“We have to prepare for the needs of the crowd, with everything from [portable toilets] to extra trash cans. But we have a good in-house team that can pull it off. We’ve done it before, so we know what to expect.”
An e-mailed bit of advice from one of “Survivor’s” all-time favorite players, Rupert Boneham, of “Survivor: Pearl Islands” and “Survivor: All-Stars” said: “If your mind says you can do it, your body will allow you to succeed. So many people give up because their mind is not fully committed. This not only applies to the game of ‘Survivor’ but to every aspect of life.”