Dual Cable Steering Problem

I have the Teleflex Pro NFB Dual Cable Rack Steering system that came with my 01 Blazer 190, and used the system for 4 seasons without a problem until now. Coming home from a fishing trip two weekends ago running at wide open throttle (70 mph) the pinion gear gave out and I lost complete steering. Fortunately the motor stayed straight and allowed us to come off plane without any major incident. After further analysis of the steering system upon arriving at home, it seems as though the cables froze up causing the pinion gear to give way at the helm. Have any of you ever heard of this happening on a boat with less than 100 hours of use? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/mad.gif