October 13, 2009 - Medicine Hat, Alberta Event Review

(Medicine Hat, AB)  With an excited crowd looking on, the stars of the inaugural FSX Fire & Ice Tour kicked off what proved to be an event to remember here in this friendly Alberta city.

The evening began with the Bruce’s RV & Polaris Meet & Greet.  It was during this time that motorsports and music fans alike found the opportunity to mix with some of the finest FSX riders the world has to offer.

At 7:15 P.M. sharp, it was time to get down to business.  The talented field of FSX riders making the trip to Medicine Hat included Willie Elam (Twin Falls, ID), Isaac Sherbine (Bellevue, ID), Ted Culbertson (Helena, MT), Heath Frisby (Bellevue, ID), and 2008 Winter X Games double Gold Medalist Joe Parsons (Yakima, WA).

Round One of FSX Fire & Ice competition saw several huge tricks early on including a sick-looking Backflip from Bellevue, Idaho’s Isaac Sherbine.  The fearless ex-snowcross racer was intent on letting his competitors know that he was playing for keeps, and his Round One high score of 96 points only cemented that fact.  Rounding out FSX Round One scoring was Joe Parsons (90), Heath Frisby (87), Ted Culberton (86), and rookie Willie Elam (85).

Try as they might, the FSX competitors could not reverse the fortunes of the red-hot Sherbine in FSX Fire & Ice Round Two.  The 20 year old phenom backed up his Round One score of 96 points with a roof-raising 95 point effort, for a two-round total of 191.  Second place in Round Two went to Heath Frisby with a score of 91, while third place was snapped up by Willie Elam with an 84 point effort.  Rounding out fourth and fifth place, respectively, were Ted Culbertson (83 points), and Joe Parsons (82).

The FSX Fire & Ice Team Competition paired Isaac Sherbine with Ted Culbertson, while Heath Frisby joined with Joe Parsons.  A good score would prove to be important here as this would help decide which two riders would move to the FSX Final Round based on cumulative points collected for the evening.  The riders gave it everything they had and the crowd responded with great enthusiasm.  At the end of the Team Competition, it would be Heath Frisby and Isaac Sherbine collecting the transfers to the FSX Final.

Heath Frisby would pull no punches in serving notice that he was the man to beat in the FSX Final.  Although Isaac Sherbine rode first in the Final and offered the crowd several variations of cool aerial tricks, it was Frisby that pulled excited Medicine Hat fans into the palm of his hands.  Frisby offered up a crazy One-Handed Backflip on his second jump, and then topped it off with an incredible-looking Stripper.  The FSX judges responded to Frisby’s fantastic performance with a score of 98, besting Sherbine by just two points.

Just as Frisby was pulling the FSX Fire & Ice Crown over his head in victory, Canadian breakout band Social Code was busy pulling their guitar straps over their heads inside of Medicine Hat Arena.  The talented five-member band from Edmonton, Alberta electrified the Medicine Hat crowd throughout their high-energy performance.  They ended their set with their hit single “Satisfied”.

With the first-ever FSX Fire & Ice Tour event now in the history books, it is without question that the concept of pairing a high-flying motorsports show with an accomplished rock act is a viable one.  And with many events yet to come in 2009 for the FSX Fire & Ice Tour, there is no doubt that momentum will continue to grow for this incredible entertainment spectacle.

(Darren Pallen, FSX Fire & Ice Announcer)