Challenges: MPF percentile
99%
Seasons: 1 | Days played: 27 | Wins: 0 | Jury: 1
- Survivor 15: China (2007) - 8th place, 9th out - 3rd juror.
- Voted out in Episode 9, "Just Don't Eat the Apple" (Day 27).
| Challenge stats | Tribal council stats | Jury stats | Overall stats | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | ChW | ChA | ChW% | VFB | VAP | TCA | TC% | wTCR | JVF | TotJ | JV% | SurvSc | SurvAv |
| S15: China | 2.03 | 5.30 | 0.38 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0.84 | 2.18 | - | - | - | 1.22 | 4.22 |
| Career | 2.03 | 5.30 | 0.38 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0.84 | 2.18 | - | - | - | 1.22 | 4.22 |
'Frosti' Zernow - Performance ranks
Tribal: VFB% percentile
87%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
48%
Performance ranks are a quick visual measure of the contestant's season vs. historical data from all prior contestants, in three basic (scorable) categories:
1. Performance in individual challenges (MPF), as a measure of "physical game";
2. Ability to vote people out consistently (VFB%, or VFB/TCA), or "strategic game"; and
3. Ability to avoid being voted against (rVAP, or TCA-VAP) - which scales better than a percentage would - for "social/strategic game."
See also: Full glossary for all these abbreviations.
'Frosti' Zernow - Challenge record
S15:
China 
Tribal/team challenge record (5-for-12):
- China Ep. 1 IC: "Dragon Dance" - Carries the pole, leaps ahead, but Zhan Hu loses.
- China Ep. 2 RC: "Chinese Checkers" - Valiantly tries to stop James, fails; Zhan Hu loses again.
- China Ep. 2 IC: "Gate Crasher" - Takes over for Dave, but an underfed Zhan Hu loses once again.
- China Ep. 3 RC: "Clear the Deck" - The Zhan Hu men lose both bouts, but Zhan Hu wins, 3-2.
- China Ep. 3 IC: "Blade Runner" - Chops ropes, and Zhan Hu wins for a second straight time.
- China Ep. 4 RC: "Great Balls of Fire" - Moves fireballs, but Zhan Hu returns to losing.
- China Ep. 4 IC: "Warrior's Duel" - Scores no points; Zhan Hu loses again.
- China Ep. 5 IC: "Plunge, Pull & Pop" - Dives and swims for new Fei Long, and Fei Long wins.
- China Ep. 6 RC: "Search and Decode" - Grabs planks, works the puzzle; Fei Long wins again.
- China Ep. 6 IC: "Name That Spoon" (gross food) - Eats twice, but Fei Long loses.
- China Ep. 8 RC: "Bucket Stops Here" - Second boat-rider for the losing team; sinks.
- China Ep. 9 RC: "Drum Roll" - With Erik, huge part of the winning team, with Amanda and Courtney.
Individual challenge record (1-for-3): (Mean % Finish: 92.1%)
- China Ep. 7 IC: "Retention to Detail" - Answers all four questions correctly, and Frosti wins! (1st/10).
- China Ep. 8 IC: "Dragon Rider" - Very last person to drop out (2nd/9).
- China Ep. 9 IC: "Take A Stab At It"- Misses on the third round (6 items), just loses (2nd/8).
Hero challenge/ duel record (0-for-0):
- China: None.
Career totals - challenges
| Wins: | 5 |
| Played: | 12 |
| Win%: | 0.42 |
| Sat out: | -- |
| Wins: | 1 |
| Played: | 3 |
| Win%: | 0.33 |
| Mean% Finish: | 92.1% |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 0 |
| Win%: | -- |
| Mean% Finish: | -- |
'Frosti' Zernow - Tribal Council record
S15:
China 
Idols held/played (0/0):
- China, Ep. 6: Present when Todd & Amanda retrieve the Fei Long idol, lets them keep it (Day 17).
VFB - Votes for the person booted (6/7):
- China, Ep. 1: 'Chicken' Morris (voted out, 5-2-1).
- China, Ep. 2: Ashley Massaro (voted out, 6-1).
- China, Ep. 4: Dave Cruser (voted out, 5-1).
- China, Ep. 6: Sherea Lloyd (voted out, 5-2).
- China, Ep. 7: Jaime Dugan (voted out, 7-3).
- China, Ep. 8: Jean-Robert Bellande (voted out, 5-3-1).
VAP - Votes against (7):
- China, Ep. 9: Seven votes, from Todd, Courtney, Amanda, Denise, Erik, Peih-Gee, and James (voted out, 7-1).
Jury votes made (0/1):
- China, Ep. 13: Voted for Courtney Yates, who finished second (4-2-1).
Career totals - Tribal Council
| Advantages held/played: | 0/0 |
| Idols found: | 0 |
| Idols played: | -- |
| Votes voided: | -- |
| VFB: | 6 |
| Tribals: | 7 |
| VAP: | 7 |
| Made: | 1 |
| For winners: | 0 |
| Received: | -- |
'Frosti' Zernow - Pictures
S15:
China -
China intro shot -
China intro shot -
CBS pre-game interview -
Day 1, hiking to the train -
On the truck -
At the temple, listening to Probst -
Post-temple chat with Probst -
The newly sorted Zhan Hu tribe -
Thinking the new team looks pretty good -
The game has begun, Day 1 -
Zhan Hu: The all-play, no work tribe -
Excited about putting his skills to use in the challenge -
Zhan Hu heads to the Ep1 IC -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 IC -
Starting line -
Zhan Hu trailing -
Trying to parkour it past James -
Fei Long wins! -
The losing Zhan Hus -
Zhan Hu, Ep1 Tribal Council -
Listening to Probst -
Zhan Hu makes camp-building plans, Ep2 -
Dave gives Frosti and Jaime a mud shower -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 RC -
Listening to Probst -
Grappling with James -
The losing Zhan Hus -
Bonus -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 IC -
Listening to Probst -
Starting line -
Smashing things -
Zhan Hu trailing -
The losing Zhan Hus -
Zhan Hu, Ep2 Tribal Council -
Listening to Ashley -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep3 RC -
Starting line -
Zhan Hu actually wins something! -
Kidnapping Leslie -
Showing off for the guest -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep3 IC -
Chopping ropes -
Zhan Hu wins! -
Finally idoled up -
Trying to talk Dave into relaxing with the bossiness -
Dave is starting to get on people's nerves -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 RC -
Carrying a fireball, with Jaime -
Lacking kidnapped Dave, Zhan Hu sleeps in -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 IC -
Watching Erik and Jaime head out -
Talking to Probst, Ep4 Tribal Council -
Camp seems more relaxed with Dave gone, Ep5 -
Opening the second boat-delivered letter -
Yay, a free trip for two to Fei Long -
So long, Zhan Hu! -
Arriving at Fei Long -
Swap feasting -
This tribe seems cool -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep5 IC -
Starting line -
Pulling the boat back to shore -
Hauling it in -
Fei Long wins! -
Idoled up -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep6 RC -
Starting line -
Fei Long wins! -
Watching James take his clue tube -
Reward tea tasting -
Complicating Todd's idol retrieval -
Guess Frosti's part of Fei Long now -
This is my ticket in! -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep6 IC -
Starting line -
About to score a point vs. Peih-Gee -
Seconds late as Erik scores the winning point -
Pushing for Jean-Robert as the target instead of Sherea -
Fei Long, Ep6 Tribal Council -
You're merging! -
Ninja buffs! -
Merge feast and entertainment -
Pre-challenge sit-down, Ep7 IC -
So far, so good -
Final question, facing off vs. Jaime -
Time to not scramble -
Jaime claims she has an idol? -
I dunno, I saw the real Fei Long one... -
Hae Da Fung, Ep7 Tribal Council -
Listening to Courtney -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep8 RC -
Watching Courtney taunt the other team -
In the boat for round 2 -
Frosti sinks -
Todd floats a plan to blindside James -
People see me as the swing vote -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep8 IC -
Starting line -
Still going... -
Losing to Courtney -
Hae Da Fung, Ep8 Tribal Council -
Listening to Courtney -
Snuggling with Courtney, Ep9 -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep9 RC -
Yellow team, freshly picked -
Starting line -
Bouncing the ball -
Yellow team scores! -
Winning point -
Riverboat reward feasting -
More mini-showmancing -
Concerned about Erik making inroads with Amanda and Courtney -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep9 IC -
Starting line, not sitting out -
Still in it -
Round two -
Disappointed he didn't win -
Hae Da Fung, Ep9 Tribal Council -
Talking to Probst -
Ninth person voted out, and the third member of our jury... -
Snuffed, Day 27 (Episode 9)
'Frosti' Zernow - Interviews
S15:
China Pre-game interviews
- CBS pre-game interview: "Yeah, I am only 20 years old. So I am the youngest Survivor contestant ever. Pretty soon you'll be changing that to the youngest Survivor winner ever."
- Probst pre-game assessment from TV Guide online (8/20/07): "He's a good kid who brings something new. Parkour is a mix of gymnastics and martial arts. When we saw his tape, we thought he could just fly over some of our obstacle walls. We've never had somebody that had his kind of physical gift — he'll do a backflip when he's bored. And he's a sharp kid, too. He gets it."
Post-game interviews
- Christopher Rocchio at RealityTVWorld (11/16/07): "Michael 'Frosti' Zernow talks about Survivor: China"
- Eric Goldman at IGN.com (11/19/07): "Survivor: China Interview - Frosti"
- Nina Hämmerling Smith at TVGuide.com (11/20/07): "Youngest Ever Player Sent Home"
'Frosti' Zernow - Bio
S15: China From his official CBS Survivor: China bio page:
"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."