On a cold December day in 2004, Ricky Carmichael took the first step into what would be the last chapter of his professional career. Little did anyone realize that it was also the first step in unifying a schism between the series promoters and sanctioning bodies that had threatened the future of supercross for several years. The race was the first round of what was then known as the THQ World Championship Supercross Series, held in the Skydome (now Rogers Centre) in Toronto. It was not a part of the AMA Supercross Championship.