They’re all survivors

Sixteen castaways, two tribes and one remote location can only mean one thing: CBS’s hit… Sixteen castaways, two tribes and one remote location can only mean one thing: CBS’s hit reality TV show “Survivor” is back for it’s sixth season.

Premiering Thursday, Feb. 13, “Survivor” will be making the Amazon rainforest its new home. Contestants will face intense heat, pounding rain showers, flesh-eating piranhas, jaguars, alligators and anacondas, not to mention the wide variety of bugs that are sure to be around. On top of coping with the environment, they will have to cope with each other. It sounds interesting already.

In another twist that’s sure to entertain. The two tribes have already been announced. Last season, there was a rumor that the tribes would be spilt up according to gender. That rumor proved to be untrue. However, for season six, CBS decided to make good on the ultimate battle of the sexes, “Survivor” style.

The Tambaqui tribe is all macho and all men. Will they have enough strategy to defeat the women?

Dave Johnson, 22, is the youngest on the tribe. He’s also the only rocket scientist in the group, living in Pasadena, Calif.

Ryan Aiken is a 23-year-old model/actor. Hopefully, no one remembers him from soft porn movies like last season’s “Survivor” winner, Brian Heidik.

Rob Cesternino, 24, is a computer projects coordinator from Wantagh, N.Y.

Last season, Shii-Ann Huang was the first Asian contestant on the show. This season, Daniel Lue is the second. The other contestants better watch out, because Lue, a 27-year-old tax accountant from Houston holds a black belt in Wu Shu Kung Fu.

Alex Bell is a 32-year-old triathlon coach from Los Angeles. He also competes in triathlons, so that should say something about his endurance.

Matthew Von Ertfelda, 33, is a restaurant designer from Washington, D.C. In 2002, Von Ertfelda was featured in People Magazine’s 50 Most Eligible Bachelors list. He studied as a chef’s apprentice in Paris, so the meals at Tambaqui have potential to be pretty creative.

Butch Lockley, 50, is a middle school principal from Onley, Ill. With his background in disciplining children and a name like Butch, he just might be the enforcer of the rules on the island.

Finally, Roger Sexton is the oldest of the tribe at 56. He’s the vice president of estimating for a major construction company and has a degree in industrial technology. That might be helpful when trying to construct a shelter to avoid frequent rains.

Perhaps the Jaburu tribe will prove that women are made of more than sugar and spice, but will they have enough strength to beat the men?

Jenna Morasca, the youngest on the team at 21, is a swimsuit model. Even more interesting, she’s a junior right here at Pitt, majoring in zoology. Morasca was the second runner-up at the 2001 Miss Pennsylvania beauty pageant. She’s won the Venus Swimsuit competition the last two years in a row.

Shawna Mitchell, 23, is a retail-clothing saleswoman from Redwood City, Calif.

Christy Smith, 24, is a children’s adventure guide at the Aspen Camp School for the Deaf, from Balsat, Colo. Smith is deaf herself and relies on lip reading to understand what others are saying.

Heidi Strobel, also 24, is a physical education and health teacher from Eldon, Mo.

JoAnna Ward is also taking a break from school. The 31-year-old is a school guidance counselor from Orangeburg, S.C. She went to college on a basketball scholarship and is a certified aerobics instructor. Ward has been in several TV commercials and made a brief appearance in the movie “Juwanna Man.”

Denna Bennet, 35, is a deputy district attorney from Riverside, Calif. She’s also competed in triathlons and traveled to Brazil to see the rainforests.

Jeanne Hebert, 41, is the director of marketing for the New England Dairy Promotions Board. She’s from North Attleboro, Mass., and once danced onstage with Alanis Morissette after being chosen from the audience.

Finally, Janet Koth is the oldest in the tribe at 47 and has many titles. She’s a homemaker/travel agent/abstinence counselor from Manchester, Mo. She and her husband were among the first Americans to successfully adopt a child from a Russian orphanage.

The contestants have been chosen, the tribes announced; now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show. Past winners of the $1 million prize have shown a definite pattern, alternating between a male winner and then a female winner. Last season’s winner was a man, which means it’s the women’s turn this time.

Will the women be picked off before the merge, or will the men find themselves out of luck? What new challenges and rewards will the survivors face? What kind of a luxury item are magnetic rings? To find out, tune in to CBS on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. for the 90-minute season premier of “Survivor: The Amazon.”