When international studies major Jessica Davis and film major Daniel Fritz started their summer break, they didn’t expect to participate in hit game shows, much less win big.
Fritz won $50,000 after completing the obstacle courses on “Wipeout,” and Davis won trips to Hawaii and Europe, 365 pairs of Chinese Laundry brand shoes, two North Face backpacks and $5,000 from “The Price is Right.” Her earnings were worth $59,000 in retail price.
“I just went to have fun with some friends,” Davis said. “One of my other friends got tickets in LA and we said, ‘Why not?'”
In order to represent Cal State Long Beach, Davis bought matching Hello Kitty outfits from the University Bookstore for her group of friends to wear.
Fritz had a similar idea when he applied to “Wipeout.” He was physically active and an avid watcher of the show.
“One night, I figured that those obstacles looked fun and wanted to try it out for myself,” he said.
Fritz went online and saw an open casting call at Downtown Disney. After trying, unsuccessfully, to convince friends to try out with him, he went solo. Soon after, he got a call from the show before the audition for a one-on-one interview and things went forward from there.
Davis, on the other hand, entered “The Price is Right” unprepared.
“It was all just pure luck,” she said. “It’s funny because, with the editing, it looked like my friends were the ones who showed me how to win the Flip Flop game, but sometimes I didn’t even feel like I was really there with 500 students screaming!”
When she saw the shoes in the showcase, she was speechless.
“I really don’t know what to do with the shoes when I get them, but all of my girlfriends were in awe with how many shoes I won and instantly wanted to help me with a place to put them,” she said.
Fritz exercised more physically and mentally to improve his shot at success on “Wipeout.”
“That was the hardest part, figuring out the mental state to keep strong,” he said. “When my friends asked what I would do with the money, that would psyche me out and get me a little crazy. That’s when I talked with my dad, who was really frivolous at first. But he gave me the best advice by telling me to focus on the obstacles and do my best.”
To celebrate, Fritz combined his 21st birthday and the airing of the episode into one, sharing unforgettable moments with loved ones at a local restaurant.
He plans to put aside most of the cash he earned for a house in the future.
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