New Prague resident competes at X Games

A New Prague resident had the experience of his young life last week, as he competed in the X Games in Aspen,CO.

Seth Fischer, a 2016 New Prague High School graduate, placed eighth of 16 participants in the Snow Bike-Cross competition at the annual extreme sports festival, sponsored by ESPN.

Fischer has competed in motocross events since he was four years old, and last fall he decided to try his hand at Snow Bike Cross, which was held for the first time at the X Games. Riders compete on a machine that is across between a motorcycle and a snowmobile. Instead of wheels, the bike has a track and ski system.

Fischer competed in a qualifying competition in December in Elk River and did well, but did not qualify. He had borrowed the bike for the tryouts and since he did not qualify, the owner sold it. Then in mid-January he got a call inviting him to compete as an alternate. That started what his mother Katie called a feverish week of finding and purchasing another bike with his father Josh and making the modifications needed to get it ready for competition. He headed to Colorado on January 20 and got in a number of practice runs before his event, which took place on Friday, Jan. 27.

"It was an awesome atmosphere," Katie said. She and her husband, along with daughters Grace and Sarah, made the trip to support Seth during the competition. "We had never been to one of these events and didn’t know what to expect. it was crazy.

"Before heading to Colorado, Seth had only ridden a handful of times, but hecaught on well.

"We had some practice runs to help us get acclimated to the weather. We were up in 11,000 feet altitude, so the air quality was different from what we’re used to, " Seth said.

Most of the other competitors had.....

To see more on this story pick up the February 2, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times.