Michael "Frosti" Zernow is a contestant from Survivor: China.
Frosti was one of the strongest challenge competitors on the ill-fated Zhan Hu tribe. After a tribe switch, he managed to ingratiate himself with the dominant Fei Long Alliance, which protected him for the first two post-merge Tribal Councils. However, the Fei Long Alliance soon identified him as a major threat and hastily voted him out at the final eight.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
Originally from Traverse City, Michigan (he attended Central High School there), Michael "Frosti" Zernow is currently a film student at Columbia College in Chicago (he's in his junior year). Half Japanese/half Russian, Zernow has been practicing Parkour and free-running for over five years and has been hired as a traceur (a practitioner of Parkour) and free-runner in television, advertisements and corporate events, including one of Madonna's world tours. (Parkour is essentially making the environment into an obstacle course. Through running jumping, or climbing, all obstacles can be overcome and all destinations are reachable. Free-running takes the movements of Parkour and adds style and flair. Think along the lines of urban gymnastics and building break dancing).
In high school, Zernow was captain of the wrestling and track teams. In addition, he practiced Aikido, a form of martial art that both his parents teach. While still in high school, he was suspended for a day because he dressed up like a Ninja and climbed on the roof of the school.
Zernow describes himself as creative, dynamic and determined. His hobbies include art, social philosophy and skateboarding. He recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong, where he hiked up a mountain with friends wearing three-dollar sandals.
Zernow currently resides in Chicago. His birth date is February 15, 1987.[1]
Survivor[]
Frosti started on the Zhan Hu tribe. When Zhan Hu lost the first two Immunity Challenges, he joined his tribe in voting out Chicken Morris and Ashley Massaro. On Day 12, he voted with the majority of his tribe in ousting Dave Cruser.
After the tribe switch on Day 13, Frosti and fellow Zhan Hu tribemate Sherea Lloyd were switched to Fei Long. When he caught Todd Herzog and Amanda Kimmel finding the Fei Long Hidden Immunity Idol, he joined the Fei Long Alliance and helped them vote out Sherea on Day 18.
Even though he was an original Zhan Hu member, Frosti decided to stay with the Fei Long Alliance at the merge. He won the first individual Immunity Challenge and voted with his alliance to eliminate former tribemate Jaime Dugan. He continued to vote with his alliance to blindside Jean-Robert Bellande. Despite members of the opposite alliance still being in the game, Frosti was voted out on Day 27 due to his closeness with Courtney Yates.
At Final Tribal Council, Frosti first focused on Todd, commenting his mixed feelings towards the flight attendant and asking why he deserved a vote from Frosti. Todd admitted that he initially befriended Frosti to place him on the jury but developed a genuine bond with him, and he apologized for his lies. Frosti then turned to Courtney, pointing out that she surprised him by lying and backstabbing him, unlike Amanda or Todd, and she told him that she would alert him if he was being targeted unprovoked. Courtney told him that, during the frenzy of the vote, people were focusing on her, and she couldn't alert him nor prevent his elimination. Courtney also noted that she did not befriend Frosti for the sake of having a "pocket juror". When the vote came, Frosti voted for Todd to be the Sole Survivor, who won a 4-2-1 vote.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhan Hu | Dragon Dance | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost |
| 2 | Chinese Checkers | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Gatecrasher | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 3 | Clear the Deck | Reward | No | Won | |
| Blade Runner | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 4 | Great Balls of Fire | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Warrior's Duel | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| Switched Tribes, Day 13 | |||||
| 5 | Fei Long | Plunge, Pull, Pop | Immunity | No | Won |
| 6 | Search and Decode | Reward | No | Won | |
| Survivor Smorgasbord | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| Tribes Merged, Day 20 | |||||
| 7 | Hae Da Fung | Memory Feast | Immunity | Won | |
| 8 | The Bucket Stops Here | Reward | Lost | ||
| Dragon Rider | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 9 | Drum Roll | Reward | Won | ||
| Chinese Zodiac Symbols | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Voted Out, Day 21 | |||||
Post-Survivor[]
- Competing in G4's American Ninja Warrior 3, Frosti qualified, unlike Ozzy Lusth who did not qualify in a previous season. He managed to qualify in the top 15 in semi finals giving him a spot for Boot Camp. However, he had to forfeit his spot in the Boot Camp round due to an injury during practice sessions.
- Frosti later appeared in G4's Jump City: Seattle.
- Frosti then competed in American Ninja Warrior 4 in the south west region and made it to Las Vegas where he failed on the jumping spider.
- In 2014, Frosti was hired by Ubisoft to be a part of the team of the Assasin's Creed game.[2]
- In 2016, Frosti was in a Mountain Dew commercial with NBA stars Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle, and Russell Westbrook.[3]
Trivia[]
- Frosti is the youngest contestant to compete on Survivor: China.
- Frosti is the first contestant under the age of 21 years to compete on Survivor.
- Frosti and James Clement are the only castaways of China to participate in the tribe switch and reach the merge.
References[]
| Survivor: China Castaways | |||||||||||||||
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