Sean, Zack and Jason enter Showdown 2001 and are teamed with Jessie, who is now trying out her career as a reporter determined to get a good story and win the race at all costs. Meanwhile, Leigh spends a day guarding the beach with Jenna af-ter the other lifeguards are taken down by the flu, and the two of them become better friends or perhaps more…
Sean, Jason and Zack are headed to the Big Island to participate in the Showdown 2001, a 12 mile course of natural obstacles. Leigh will be taking over su-pervisory duties while Sean is away. JD is tending to Kekoa, who has come down with the flu. Fortunately, JD has an iron constitution, despite the fact that he didn’t have his annual flu shot. Jason has always wanted to participate in the Showdown 2001, and this looks to be his big chance. However, as part of their sponsorship by Trail Tracker magazine, they need to take along a reporter who will participate. It turns out to be none other than Jessie. This is her big chance to change her career and make some-thing of herself. Sean reminds her that the team will still be playing by all the rules, and there will be no exceptions made to help sell her story. Jessie is agreeable to these terms. She, though, has already chosen who her partner will be: Jason. He is not happy with this, since he still holds a grudge based on the way she behaved towards JD (lying about Luke being his child, trying to break up his relationship with Kekoa). While trying to prove herself not only to Jason, but to make the story better, Jessie re-fuses to be tied together with Jason. Because of this, and their somewhat confronta-tional manner, Jessie almost falls into a crevice. While trying to pull her back up, Ja-son sprains his ankle. He tries to hide the fact that this has happened, but Jessie, then Sean, eventually catch on. Sean insists they quit the race-he is not going to run a big risk just to win a trophy. Jessie tries to convince Jason and Zack to continue with the race, and for a moment, she is winning. Then, Sean pulls out the heavy artillery: if they don’t give up, they will no longer be part of his training center. That cuts it, and they agree to go back. Jessie is horribly disappointed and threatens to blame Sean in her article for not finishing the race. She explains to him how important the race is to her future. But, Sean remains adamant. The Texas team (which includes Survivor member Joel), which had been razzing Jason earlier, have gotten into trouble in the rapids. Everyone puts aside their animosities and jumps into action. Even Jessie is able to help bring some of the burly Texans and Joel to shore. Zack, Sean and Jason prove their heroism. At the end of the day, Jessie realizes that Sean was correct about teamwork and priorities. She also has an even better story: the tale of a daring rescue during Showdown 2001.
Meanwhile back in Haleiwa, Leigh is having a rough day. First of all, because of the food poisoning, she is short handed and must take one of the crowded beaches herself. She rescues two Japanese children who were drifting too far afield on their inner tube. As she is performing the rescue, she must run past DEKE BISHOP, a cowboy from Okla-homa who finds her very attractive and starts being very persistent in courting her.
Fortunately, she has JD to help her with the frenzy at the beach. But, his cast iron con-stitution lets him down and he, too succumbs to the flu. She is back tending to the beach by herself. She places a call to Brian, but they, too are shorthanded because of the sudden outburst of influenza. In desperation, she places a call to Jenna. Deke once again starts making passes at Leigh. Suddenly, Jenna comes up behind her, dressed in her bathing suit, and pretends as if she and Leigh are lesbian lovers. Deke gets the message and quickly moves away. Leigh wonders why Jenna has shown up. Jenna tells her she’s there to help-she was a lifeguard before she was a city council woman after all. Leigh admits she’s correct, but she’s still suspicious that Jenna has ulterior motives. During the course of the afternoon, they get to know each other better. Jenna reveals some of her vulnerabilities and Leigh finds herself actually opening up to her.
Deke rents a surfboard and, of course, wipes out. The two women rush into the surf and, in a combined effort, bring him to shore and safety. Not to be undone, he imme-diately asks the two of them for a date-together. Sean, Zack, Jason and Jessie return from the Big Island. Jessie is excited about the magazine story, and Zack poses for photos. Sean asks Leigh how things went. She claims they were fine-no trouble at all. He offers to take her out to dinner, but she already has a date: Jenna. Sean is perplexed as he sees the two women walk off to-gether.
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