Mark Lee McMorris is a Canadian professional snowboarder who specializes in slopestyle and big air events. While filming for Transworld Snowboarding's "Park Sessions" video in March 2011, Mark became the first person to land a Backside Triple Cork 1440. More recently, on 28 April 2018, Mark landed the world first Double Cork off of a rail, the Front-Board Double Cork 1170 with melancholy grab. Mark has also left his mark at X-Games and other events. In 2012 and 2013, Mark won back-to-back gold medals in Winter X Games in the slopestyle event. He competed in the slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he won a bronze medal, Canada's first medal in those Games. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, he won a bronze medal in the slopestyle event, only 11 months after a snowboarding accident with near-fatal internal injuries. He has also appeared in many videos for Transworld Snowboarding, Burton, Redbull, CBC, Shredbots.
Career
Early career
In 2006, when Mark was only 12, he rode his wakeboard around Lake Wascana pulled behind a dragon boat for 3.5 km in attempt to set a Guinness World Record. He was asked to take part after an event in Regina. McMorris competed at his first FIS Snowboard World Cup during the 2009–2010 season placing eighth in the big air event in Quebec City. He followed up with a World Cup victory in Slopestyle in Calgary.
In 2012, McMorris won double gold at Winter X Games XVI. McMorris won a gold in the big air event as well as the Slopestyle event. It was the first double gold at Winter X-Games since Shaun White had in 2009.
2013 X-Games
In 2013, McMorris's performance at Winter X Games XVII awarded him a double podium, a silver medal in Big Air beat by Torstein Horgmo's first triple in competition, and a Gold in Slopestyle. His 2013 slopestyle score was an all-time high in X-Games Slopestyle history. McMorris achieved the score while defending his title in his final run.
2014 X-Games & Olympics
At X-Games XVIII, McMorris placed 2nd behind fellow Canadian Max Parrot in the Slopestyle event. McMorris' hopes of a 3rd consecutive gold medal were dashed when he tripped on the rails, crashed, and fractured a rib during the 3rd and final run of the event. Despite the injury, McMorris still competed in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. As McMorris arrived in Sochi, he said he felt remarkably good, stating, "The amount of progress I've made since I broke my rib on Saturday has been unexplainable. I didn't believe I could be on this path, going this fast. At the same time, walking around an airport is different than going snowboarding and taking impact." At the Olympics, McMorris fell on his first qualifying run and failed to make it through directly to the final with his score on his second run. In the semi-finals he managed to put up one of the top four scores in order to qualify for the final. There, he again fell on his first attempt. McMorris' second run was good enough to put him on the podium and win bronze. It was a tough couple of weeks for McMorris with his injury and a flood of different emotions. He said that "To get on the podium is just a dream come true. I can't explain this. I've just been through a roller coaster over these last few weeks."
2015 X-Games
At Winter X-Games XIX Mark McMorris struck back and got a double gold once again. McMorris achieved a 96 in his second run in the Slopestyle event beating out Stale Sandbech, and in Big Air he achieved an 88 beating out fellow Canadian Max Parrot.
2016 X-Games
At Winter X-Games XX, McMorris achieved a gold in the Slopestyle, and a silver in the Big Air event.
2017 X-Games
After suffering from a femur break shortly after the 2016 X-Games, Mark McMorris returned and achieved two bronze medals. His return was a highlight of the X-Games with announcers often mentioning it.
2018 Winter Olympics
McMorris subsequently returned to snowboard competition and competed for Team Canada during the 2018 Winter Olympics, only eleven months after his accident. McMorris placed third in Men's Slopestyle behind fellow Canadian Max Parrot and the American gold medalist Red Gerard, earning his second Olympic bronze medal.
2019 X-Games
He won two medals in Aspen 2019.
2020 X-Games
He won three medals in 2020. One in Aspen 2020 and two in Norway 2020.
Injuries
In February 2016 McMorris broke his right femur at Shaun White's Air + Style Big Air in Los Angeles. He attempted to do a frontside triple cork 1440, but in his landing his toe edge was caught which caused him to flip and break his femur. He had a long recovery, starting at Fortius Sport & Health in Vancouver. He was back snowboarding in July 2016 in Australia with some friends. A series of four episodes following his recovery was produced by X Games, and aired in October 2016. McMorris went boarding in the backcountry at Whistler, British Columbia with some friends in late March 2017. He hit a tree and suffered serious, near-fatal injuries, and was in the ICU in Vancouver. His brother, Craig McMorris, spoke to The National shortly after the accident, and described what had happened: "There was a fog coming in and out, and Mark unfortunately drifted a little bit too far left, we're hitting a feature, and he goes a little too far left and ends up in a clump of trees." McMorris suffered a fractured jaw, a fractured left arm, a ruptured spleen, a pelvic fracture, rib fractures and a collapsed left lung. He underwent two successful surgeries.
Personal life
McMorris was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is the son of Saskatchewan provincial politician Don McMorris, a grain farmer, and Cindy McMorris, a nurse. His older brother, Craig McMorris, is also a professional snowboarder. McMorris attended Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School. McMorris also competed in wakeboarding before devoting himself to snowboarding. He has several tattoos, including one of sheaves of wheat representing the province of Saskatchewan.
