It's a battle of the ages as the younger La Flor tribe squares off against the elder Espada tribe. Will youth or experience prevail? Survivor: Nicaragua premieres Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.
Get the full story here, and then read on for a closer look at the Castaways—we interviewed all of them on set in Nicaragua!
Age: 23Occupation: Student/modelResidence: Downey, Calif.
"I'm the kinda girl who wants to prove that I'm a badass," the swimsuit model told me in Nicaragua. "I just go right in for the kill."
Age: 24Occupation: Bar ownerResidence: Los Angeles
"I think it's time that the young guns take over," said the self-described Hollywood "player" who's reportedly dated Holly Montag and Dakota Pike. "I'm gonna bring in a new style."
Age: 27Occupation: Business owner Residence: Miami
"I don't mind getting dirty," said the former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins (a team Jimmy Johnson also coached). "I love to work...I feel like I have to always do something."
Age: 24Occupation: NASCAR jackman/singerResidence: Charlotte, N.C.
"I'm putting my money on Chase to win," Jeff Probst said about the easygoing former college football stud with the charming Southern drawl.
Age: 63Occupation: Property managementResidence: Watermill, N.Y.
"I've been conniving my entire life," the Brooklyn Italian (aka "Mr. Connected") told me. You can see his Sopranos-style audition video here.
Age: 44Occupation: Swim coachResidence: Eureka, S.D.
Her husband's a congressman and her two daughters are pageant stars (Miss South Dakota and Miss South Dakota Teen), so now it's Holly's time to shine. "I've raised all my kids...I want to do something before I get too old. I want to play Survivor and try to win a million dollars."
Age: 56Occupation: Dog trainer Residence: Jackson Spring, N.C.
The recently widowed Southern straight-shooter said she's competing "mainly to show my daughter life may give you all kinds of bumps and roadblocks but you keep trying and you do it."
Age: 43Occupation: E.R. physicianResidence: Erie, Pa.
A nationally ranked cyclist and doctor, Jill also has two sons. "I want to come here for the moms with one kid on each leg and big barf on their shoulder," she said. "I'm there for the moms who can still compete and still be competitive."
Age: 67Occupation: Retired NFL coach/TV sports broadcasterResidence: Islamorada, Fla.
The two-time Super Bowl champ is a Survivor superfan...and awesome personified.
Age: 48Occupation: Fisherman/government seafood inspector Residence: Gloucester, Mass.
Fans voted for Jimmy T to win this year's online Survivor video casting call. Time will tell whether the Massachusetts mariner will be as popular with his tribemates.
Age: 21Occupation: Student/model/musician Residence: Venice, Calif.
This surfer dude may have mistaken Survivor for summer camp: "I like to have fun. I like group activities. I'm very much gonna try to get everybody in the tribe to just hang out and enjoy each other."
Age: 25Occupation: Medical studentResidence: Durham, N.C.
"I'm here to prove I'm as good as anyone else," the amputee and Ironman triathlete said in Nicaragua. "That's been a big motivation for a lot of things in my life."
Age: 20Occupation: StudentHometown: Mesa, Ariz.
"Oh my gosh," the University of Hawaii pre-med (?!) student said about, well, everything, including her discovery at the mall by Survivor casting director Lynne Spillman.
Age: 48Occupation: Wine industry executiveResidence: Mill Valley, Calif.
The former Yahoo! exec expects to be portrayed on the show as "dark and villainesque," but he's not complaining. "I definitely don't want to be the guy nobody remembers when they show the final vote. That would suck."
Age: 30Occupation: Luxury broker Residence: New York City
"I'm probably the most all-around talented player to ever play this game," boasted Sash, "my charisma, my athleticism, my boldness—I have everything." Sash, who describes himself as a "black man in Harlem" (because no one else will), worries about being "dubbed a second Coach" when he "entertains" his tribemates with his improbable adventures.
Age: 27Occupation: Physical education teacher Residence: Los Angeles
"I'm gonna be faker than faux fur," said the collegiate track star from South Central L.A. "I don't like the pritziness—I don't really like cheerleaders, but I can adapt to my environment." With two cheerleaders on her team (Brenda and Kelly S), NaOnka is going to have to work hard at being a chameleon.
Age: 30Occupation: Business ownerHometown: Lafayette, La.
Married for 11 years and the father of three, you won't see Shannon employing Parvati's flirting strategy—at least with women. "My wife would rather see me hugging and cuddling a dude. My boys can call me a fag [but] I know I'm straight." Wow. Survivor really isn't doing Lafayette, La., any favors.
Age: 42Occupation: Fire captain Residence: Inglewood, Calif.
"If you operate from a standpoint of integrity you reap the benefits of that," says the native of South Central L.A. "I don't believe in stepping on others to ascend to another level."
Age: 48 Occupation: Retired army officer/nurseResidence: Fromberg, Mont.
"My first goal is to not be voted off first," the bubbly goat rancher said before the game began. "I like to sing and I like to dance, and my husband said, 'If you sing and dance, you're voted off first.' He said everyone who sang in the past has been voted off."
Age: 41Occupation: Stay-at-home momResidence: Kansas City, Mo.
The mother of two has no problem with deception: "My daughters think I'm in northern Minnesota getting my yoga certificate," she confessed. "I told them, 'It's 500 hours, so I'll be gone a while. There's a lot of hippies there, so they don't allow modern technology.' So how do I feel about lying? I think I've gotten pretty good at it. Lying shouldn't be this easy, right?"
Read up on Survivor: Nicaragua here, here and here!