Yes, that's them frolicking half-naked with the frat boys in those photos circulating on the Internet. Yes, TTOW really does mean something. And yes, they say they bribed their way out of elimination on The Amazing Race. Twice. Talking to hippies-turned-millionaires BJ Averell and Tyler Macniven is almost as much fun as watching them on TV, where the bearded Bohemians sprinted to victory on Wednesday night's finale of CBS' globetrotting reality show. BJ, 26, and Tyler, 25, were sequestered in a New York hotel suite Thursday for a long afternoon of phone interviews, the only downside to beating out so-called frat boys Jeremy Ryan and Eric Sanchez and couple Ray Whitty and Yolanda Brown-Moore at the race's finish line in Colorado.

• Hippies speak

TEAMS FACE A DIFFICULT DETOUR IN OMAN, WHICH REQUIRES THE RACERS TO GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SEVERAL ORNERY CAMELS, ON "THE AMAZING RACE 9," WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT "Here Comes The Bedouin" -- Teams face a difficult Detour in Oman, which requires the racers to get up close and personal with several ornery camels in order to receive their next clue, on THE AMAZING RACE 9, Wednesday, April 19 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Right out of the Pit Stop, one Team erupts into a war of words and insults. Then, Teams encounter a true roadblock on the Race when they come across a flooded road allowing them a chance for a unique interaction with a kind local who comes to their rescue. Meanwhile, a lonely duo entertains themselves by invoking the ghosts of previously eliminated teams, doing hilarious impersonations of each to help pass the time.

Fan favourites BJ and Tyler had viewers thinking they may be headed home this week. Luckily the green frog hat saved the day. Despite a 15 minute penalty for not following directions. BJ and Tyler managed to over come travelling in the wrong direction for an hour and beat out Lake and Michelle.

A short interview with Dave & Lori at Reality News Online.

• “We Won What We Actually Set Out to Do”

TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIAL "DA VINCI CODE" -- THEMED CHALLENGE WHICH STARTS IN ITALY AND SENDS THE TEAMS RACING TO ATHENS, GREECE, ON "THE AMAZING RACE 9," IN ITS NEW TIME PERIOD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT "Herculean Effort For Some Herculean Dudes" -- Teams participate in a special "Da Vinci Code"-themed challenge in which teams are given a portion of Da Vinci's famed "Vitruvian Man" and must find the other half in order to solve the clue, on THE AMAZING RACE 9, Wednesday, April 12 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. While Racing through Greece, teams return to ancient times and compete in Olympic games that include a grueling bout in the mud with a Greek wrestler. During a roadblock, teams face a 240-foot bungee jump off the Corinth Canal bridge and one racer becomes paralyzed with fear. Several teams make a crucial mistake when they fail to follow the clue's directions correctly. Meanwhile, a lack of focus and confusion plagues several teams who get lost while driving, and their frustration fuels an emotional breakdown for one team.

About that "Family edition" — the folks at "The Amazing Race" are really sorry and they promise never to let it happen again. And, true to their word, TV's best reality/competition show returns to its routes tonight (8 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2) — two-person, not four-person teams; lots of international travel, and challenges that are actually challenging. The talking point they're using at CBS seems to be — we tried something, and it didn't work. Sorry. Image Phil Keoghan Which is believable, because the "family edition" that aired last fall turned off a lot of viewers and lagged in the ratings. "You know, we tried something," said CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler. "I don't think we were particularly successful with it, but the interesting thing is, sometimes you get criticized for not experimenting with a form. In this case, we did." Those were comments echoed by "Race" host Phil Keoghan. "We tried something. I'm really proud that we tried something, because I think if we hadn't tried to change the race, people might have criticized us for not being adventurous and doing something different," he said. "I'm proud of what we managed to pull together, but there is no denying that the race is most successful when it has less faces, more places and teams of two racing around the world," Keoghan said. Whereas the "family edition" stuck mostly to the continental United States, "Amazing Race 9" takes off immediately. The 11 teams begin in Colorado and quickly make their way to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

• TAR Season 9

DAY ONE 6:30 am There's always this great feeling right before the race begins, this calm before the storm. And as the teams arrive in this spectacular location — Red Rocks Amphitheatre, outside of Denver — you can't imagine that in an hour and a half, this wild animal will be let out of its cage. I always like to walk along the line of the teams' bags. I pick them up and see who is carrying what, to see who has planned ahead and who is completely unrealistic about what they're going to haul around the world for the next month. While some teams have decided they're on a luxury trip, the husband-and-wife team of Lake and Michelle Garner have packed really light. 11:00 am The teams start arriving at Denver International Airport and have to get on one of three different flights heading to Brazil. After I've checked in, I put on a hat and sit in the corner to hear what the teams say to each other, since it's the first time they are allowed to talk to each other. They only have visual references to judge people, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly they begin creating nicknames for each other.

• Phil's Diary