Fort Lewis woman wins 'Survivor'

LOS ANGELES — Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

Sandra Diaz-Twine, an office worker and 29-year-old mother of two from Fort Lewis, Pierce County, last night rose from below the radar to over the moon to become Washington's first victor in the reality show "Survivor."

And she did it in terms appropriate to the epic series' pirate-themed seventh installment: with oaths of loyalty, plenty of swagger and by nailing her flag to the mast.

"I always thought my mouth would get me in trouble," said Diaz-Twine, whose reputation for blunt talk earned host Jeff Probst's admiration as "the lippiest mother" on the show. "But being open and saying things the way they are is what helped me to get this far."

It got her to the $1 million first prize. The former U.S. Army specialist bested 51-year-old Lillian "Lill" Morris, a scoutmaster from Cincinnati who made the fatal mistake of selecting the popular Diaz-Twine to be her opponent in the final balloting.

When the vote was revealed at yesterday evening's finale on a CBS set in Los Angeles, a huge roar of delight went up from the crowd. Diaz-Twine bounded from the stage to hug her relatives.

The final tally was 6-1. That lone dissenting vote was the only time through all 14 episodes of "Survivor" that the former U.S. Army specialist had a vote cast against her.

It was testament to a game well played. "Survivor" begins each season with 16 castaways, split into two tribes, who vie to "outwit, outplay and outlast" each other. Each week, one tribe "votes off" one of its members.

In many ways, Diaz-Twine fit the classic archetype of most past "Survivor" winners. She rode the coattails of more-powerful rivals and kept a low profile through a series of alliances. Then — like Seabiscuit or Howard Dean — she shed her underdog status to prove a potent competitor.

Diaz-Twine couldn't have picked a better season to get attention from around the world, where viewers in 25 countries watch the U.S. edition of the show.

Last night's episode capped a ratings resurgence for the 3-year-old program. While "Survivor" never has been out of the Top 20, this fall's seventh installment moved to No. 1 in recent weeks.

For local viewers, though, that will hardly come as a surprise.

Seattle-Tacoma has been a bastion for "Survivor" throughout its run, typically ranking second or third in the country among all Nielsen markets.

It's not hard to figure out why.

Beside the show's rugged, outdoorsy appeal — this chapter began by dumping street-clothed contestants in the Pacific Ocean — "Survivor" is a monument to gaming strategy.

A viewer need only check out Web sites such as www.truedorktimes.com or www.acmebraintrust.com to recognize the huge geek factor in "Survivor's" popularity.

And here in the Northwest, land of engineers, software programmers and PlayStation designers, that combination has been irresistible. Armchair schemers who might never venture into waters more dangerous than Lake Union have been addicted since "Survivor" debuted in 2000.

All of which made Diaz-Twine a perfect first winner from our region. Although she never won an individual challenge and often stumbled in the physical competitions, she was a mistress of stealth with a highly persuasive verbal style.

As anyone who's watched "Survivor" for a few episodes knows, those are the moves that count.

Diaz-Twine strutted her stuff early on, when her tribe landed in a small Panama village and her fluent Spanish persuaded locals to barter generously.

She showed herself capable of coping when major supporters, like Rupert Boneham, were voted off.

She also refused to believe the dead-grandmother lie told by Jon Dalton, who became the most reviled villain on "Survivor," undoubtedly boosting ratings for the show while earning the enmity of his fellow players.

Dalton finished third last night, after Darrah Johnson was voted off.

At the same time, Diaz-Twine wasn't above the tactics that are requisite for winning.

In one memorable episode, she accidentally dumped the group's fish dinner — and allowed her alleged best friend, Christa Hastie, to take the blame.

But mainly, Diaz-Twine was respected for laying her philosophy on the line.

Last night, as the show's four finalists were trying to line up support from one another and frantically making their cases to stay, Diaz-Twine responded to Dalton's pleas in typical fashion.

She didn't really care who left, she said, "So long as it ain't me."

Kay McFadden: kmcfadden@seattletimes.com