Top 10 Craziest America's Next Top Model Runway Challenges

ANTM competitors know that they’re in for a challenge when they sign up for the show, but it turns out that if you’re afraid of heights, you might want to pass on this particular modeling competition. In the show’s 15th cycle, the models were thrilled to find out that they’d be modeling clothes by the legendary designer Diane von Furstenberg, but their spirits inevitably fell when they found out where they’d be modeling them: four storeys in the air on a clear runway. Not only did this mean that the audience on the ground couldn’t even get a good look at the clothes, but it also meant that the models were absolutely terrified.

By the time ANTM had reached the 21st season, the producers had to get creative when it came to thinking up challenges. How could they possibly create a runway challenge unlike any they had done before? Well, one way is to dispense with fashion all together and have the models walk down the catwalk with only silly string covering them up! Considering this happened very early in cycle 21, it should come as no surprise that some of the contestants were absolutely terrified to be strutting their stuff essentially in the nude for all to see.

When the final few girls headed to Morocco in cycle 16, they were in for a surprise when it came to their runway challenge. In a themed challenge – that in retrospect seems just a teensy bit culturally appropriative – the girls donned “locally inspired” outfits and had to walk with trays of lit candles on their heads. As you can imagine, this didn’t go smoothly for everyone, and they should be thankful that there were people on hand to prevent this from turning into arson rather than fashion. We know balance is important, but this seemed a bit extreme.

After receiving a primer on how to properly work it on a runway, the group found out that they’d be modeling clothes for renowned designer Jeremy Scott. As if that wasn’t intimidating enough, they’d also have to wear blindfolds while modeling his wares. If this seems like a cruel and unusual challenge to you, you wouldn’t be wrong. Not only that, but to make the stakes even higher, the competitors were told that someone would be eliminated after the challenge and wouldn’t even get a chance to do that week’s photo shoot.

Sometimes ANTM challenges leave us asking...WHY? In the very first episode of cycle 16, the models were thrown into a ridiculous competition. They might have initially been thrilled to be able to model looks by much-loved designer Alexander Wang, but they were probably questioning the show’s methodology when they found out they’d be walking over water in a bubble. Of course, more than one girl found herself struggling to stay upright, and while they may have tried to work it, the end result just left us feeling bad for them.

We’re not sure what was going on behind the scenes in cycle 16, but this season featured another ridiculous runway challenge. In this episode, they were wearing items by Geoffrey Mac and walking through a pyrotechnics extravaganza to show them off. But as if that wasn’t enough, the girls also had to set their own hands on fire before actually starting their walk, and strut with small flames in the palms of their hands the entire time. What was the logic behind this? Has any model ever had to do this in a real runway show? We’ll probably never know.

Any challenge that seems like it’s trying to ensure that at least one girl falls over is a crazy one in our books. In cycle 15, the models were forced to walk on a conveyor belt style runway all while wearing elaborate and constricting gowns by Hervé Leger. The movement of the extra long treadmill caused more than one of the girls to stumble, which we can’t say was exactly surprising. What did the judges think was going to happen? This didn’t exactly seem like a practical way to judge the girls on anything to do with modeling.

When the pitch for a runway challenge sounds like a level of Super Mario, you might want to reconsider. In cycle 14, the models were forced to contend with large pendulums swinging from the ceiling. They had to time their walk flawlessly in order to avoid being hit by one of them. One model, Alexandra, fell twice during this challenge – once while walking down the stairs (which didn’t even have anything to do with the pendulum) and a second time when one of the swinging objects knocked her right off the runway. Ouch!

Why oh why do they continuously make these poor girls walk in precarious conditions over water – in stilettos?? In cycle seven, the models had to basically walk the gangplank. They were asked to work on a teeter tottering dock over water that seemed to wobble no matter how carefully they planned their steps. On top of all that, CariDee also had to deal with a wardrobe malfunction that took place while she was trying to keep her balance. At least she was able to laugh about it? Eugenia fell during her walk, which landed her in the bottom two that week.

Shortly after finding out that they had made it into the top 16, the models were greeted with some not-so-happy news. They’d be walking a vertical runway for their first challenge. What is a vertical runway you ask? Well it basically means they have to walk down the side of a building. And the girls have to do it in heels! Anything for fashion, right? Once they’re unhooked from their harnesses, then they have to walk down a regular runway, and keep their composure no matter what happened to them during the vertical portion.