Season 5 of Rock the Block is proving to be the most ruthless one yet. This time around, we get to watch four teams who walked away crown-less on previous seasons of Rock the Block compete for redemption. Bryan and Sarah Baeumler (Battle on the Beach), Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas (Bargain Block), Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis (Unsellable Houses), and Page Turner and Mitch Glew (Fix My Flip) are renovating side-by-side waterfront homes in Treasure Island, Florida.

The competition is so fierce, week two's living room challenge ended in a tie — the first one in Rock the Block history. Over the next few weeks, we’ll find out challenge by challenge which returning team has it in them to make up for past losses. In the meantime, we're taking you on a trip back in time, and not to past Rock the Block projects — way back.

Ahead, Rock the Block Season 5 competitors share their childhood memories, business aspirations, industry inspirations and more. They even gave us a peek at photos from way back when. As the ancient Greek saying goes, “The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you’ve come.”

Bryan and Sarah Baeumler

Bryan and Sarah have known each other almost their entire lives. The master renovators hail from Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Bryan remembers himself as a rough-and-tumble country boy: "My interests were fishing, riding the dirt bikes, snowmobiling, lighting things on fire.” But Sarah likes to reminisce about his time as a flutist. “Bryan was always the nerdy kid in music class, but that’s his story to tell,” Sarah jokes. "He’s all macho now, but not back then."

Jokes aside, it’s clear Bryan and Sarah are more than qualified for a Season 5 win — especially after crafting their magnificent Season 4 chalet.

Bryan's father was a blue-collar sheet-metal worker, so he grew up using his hands. “I opened my first company at 14, called the Moon River Handymen, and we started hauling garbage and mowing lawns and we ended up working for a framing contractor, building,” Bryan told HGTV. “My mom would say, ‘Show up when you say you’ll be there and do what you say you’ll do. Clean up at the end of the day, cash the check, pay the taxes, do it again tomorrow and life will be good.’ [She] wasn't wrong.”

Sarah’s childhood, on the other hand, didn’t point toward a career in remodeling. It did, however, teach her how to think creatively and manage her time — two essential qualities for being half of the Baeumler design duo.

“I grew up in a very creative setting. I loved being in a dance studio every hour of every day,” Sarah said. “While [Bryan and I] were building our very first home, I still had a dance studio. I was teaching every day and we were trying to build the house, so I decided to take a break from the studio and help Bryan full-time. Twenty years later and we’ve had four kids, we have 14 businesses, and we operate in four different countries, so it’s been busy.”

Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas

Keith and Evan have been together for more than 10 years, during which they moved from Colorado to Detroit to further embark on their flipping business. Back in the day, though, they lived opposite lifestyles in similarly rural places.

“I grew up in Andrews, Texas. It was very dry and desolate and dusty,” Keith said. “My parents were teachers and the last day of school was [always] day one of construction projects. Every year [we] either added on [to our home] or built a barn. From five years old, really, I’ve been project managing, doing construction stuff.”

Evan, on the other hand, is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and grew up more interested in science than construction. “When I met Keith, I had never renovated a house,” Evan said. “I have a Ph.D. in physics. We moved into our first house together and it was a fixer-upper. It took about nine months for us to renovate the first house [by] working on the weekends. At that point, I had a choice: Do I want to continue on in the industry that I was trained in, or do I want to go do this flip thing with Keith? So, I obviously chose the flip thing.”

Over the years, the duo has honed their skills to approach renovations and remodels from all angles — so they've taken their Rock the Block Season 3 loss even more personally. “It really did hurt to lose everything,” Keith said in a sit-down. “It was really embarrassing,” Evan added. “This time it is a little more personal. I don’t want to go again without a win,” Keith continued. “I feel like it would be a blow to my ego at this point.”

Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis

Twin sisters Lyndsay and Leslie grew up and still live in Snohomish, Washington.

“Leslie and I have always been best friends,” Lyndsay told HGTV. “We’ve always been super close — closer than normal sisters. We’re very different though. We have totally different strengths.”

Lyndsay has always been interested in art and design, while Leslie continues to be the frugal one, mindful of not overspending on their projects.

When the sisters competed in Season 3 of Rock the Block, they (and many viewers) thought they had it in the bag. “Last time we were on Rock the Block, the win was stolen from us,” Leslie told HGTV. “It took us months to recover,” Lyndsay added.

Knowing just how defeated they felt, Lyndsay and Leslie are using Season 3 as a steppingstone to propel them to victory in Season 5. “Season 3? We don’t talk about it. It’s in the past. Season 5? Now? It’s about redemption and it’s about us winning,” Leslie said. “Our biggest competition, honestly, I think is Bryan and Sarah. I mean, they live on an island.”

Page Turner and Mitch Glew

Page and Mitch are renowned flippers. Page brings the real estate chops and design prowess, and Mitch is the expert contractor. And growing up, it seemed they were both destined for a future in home design.

“I had the best childhood on the planet,” Page said. “I literally grew up in a melting pot [Los Angeles]. We played together until the streetlights came on — then we had to go home.”

As a child, Page’s mom encouraged her in ways that she still carries with her today. “My mom has given me the greatest lessons," Page said. "She always told me to never leave the house with chipped fingernail polish ... to present [my] best self, [because] that makes you work harder."

Mitch, half a world away in New South Wales, Australia, grew up hands-on with building. “My dad had a lot of heart,” Mitch said. “He was also a builder — custom homes, big homes, just like the one we’re in here today. He was quiet but led by example ... hard worker. I went straight to work for him, became a carpenter and now look at me, huh? I’m a builder on television.”

Given their commitment to their craft, both Page and Mitch reiterate Season 5 isn’t just a game for them. Forget about Season 4. This one is theirs.

Or is it? Only time will tell.

Stream Season 5 of Rock the Block on Max. Stay tuned for more updates at HGTV.com and via @HGTV and #RocktheBlock on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.

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