Oh, you wanted extreme?

Alberta’s Corner Grass off-road event tests some of the best riders

by Tanya Laing Gahr

Anyone who has been to a motocross event is well familiar with the rush of watching riders whip through the course at high speeds and altitudes. The open-throttle race catches the imagination of the spectators, who are understandably seized by the moment, thinking that the ride can’t get any more thrilling than this.

Oh, but it can

The Corner Grass Racing Team based in Alberta consists of four members who take the thrill of off-road riding to a new, extreme level. Lee Fryberger, the manager and one of the riders, has a long history as a mechanic and an off-road racer. He said that as a youth he had “big, wild dreams of being an off-road star.”

In 1995, he won the Alberta Expert XC Championship and took second in the national competition that same year. He continued on for several years, racing on the international circuit and racking up medals in the International Six Day Event in France and Slovakia.

For one of the rides, Fryberger rented a Husaberg, a bike that so impressed him that when the opportunity arose to become a sales representative for the brand, he leapt. The position allowed him to see the amount of preparation necessary to compete at a higher level, and the seeds for the Corner Grass event were sown.

Filling the void

At that point in time, some of Fryberger’s friends, such as Canadian off-road racing phenom Shane Cuthbertson, were racing in six-day events in Europe. However, they were hankering for some of the same extreme racing, which was not widely available in North America.

“It doesn’t seem to be grasped or cherished as much in North America,” said Fryberger. “The right people don’t promote it because it never happens here.”

However, Red Bull hosted an event in 2007 called Last Man Standing, an off-road endurance event in Texas in which Cuthbertson finished sixth. The resulting press and the desire for a Canadian series of off-road racing events—along with Fryberger’s long relationship with Husaberg—spurred Fryberger, Cuthbertson and two close racing buddies, Jay MacGregor and Nick Riewe, to work together to create both a team and a world-class off-road event: Corner Grass.

“Jay MacGregor owns land in Compeer and he designed the grass track and then he and Nick put the obstacle course together,” said Fryberger.

The resulting course has become the site of an annual hare scramble event with obstacles that test riders in ways that don't even cross the minds of most sane people: wonky wooden bridges, thickly treed forest areas, log piles that look ready for chopping into kindling and much more. The community of Compeer has pitched in to support the event, putting on a show that is drawing dedicated fans and curious spectators year after year.

“We’re trying to elevate Canadian talent,” said Fryberger. “Every time one of the guys goes to an event internationally, they come home more confident, and that confidence builds locally. They push harder and the next guy in line has to train harder and go harder.”

The resulting press for the event and the team has helped secure high-level endorsements from Red Bull and Husaberg, and the increasing exposure and marketing is generating buzz for all concerned. It’s a dream come true for the Alberta riders who were looking for a way to turn up the throttle.

“I have no idea when it will end but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Fryberger. “It’s been a great ride so far.”

For more information on the Corner Grass event and the team, visit www.cornergrass.com. You can see more high-octane off-road events at www.endurocanada.com, www.redbullromaniacs.com, www.erzbergrodeo.at, and www.husaberg.com.


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