Snowboarding
From comas to crashes and Triple Corks, here are 10 selected facts about Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, who refound success only a year on from a life-threatening accident.
Mark McMorris came away from the 2018 Burton US Open with a first-place finish in Slopestyle. It was a remarkable return to competition success following not one but two severe accidents in the last two years. But how did he do it, and what else should you know about the man they call 'McLovin'? Read on.
1. He medalled at the world's biggest wintersports event only a year after a near-fatal crash
Just being back on the snowboard, let alone competing in Korea, was an achievement after suffering a life-threatening crash while riding backcountry with friends only 11 months previously. Hitting a tree mid-flight had left McMorris in a coma with 17 broken bones, including a fractured jaw, a broken left arm, a pelvic fracture and broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a collapsed left lung, which required two operations. Nevertheless, McMorris bounced back in incredible fashion to claim a bronze medal and then went on to win at the prestigious 2018 Burton US Open in Vail, Colorado.
2. The backcountry accident was only one of two that he'd suffered in the last two years
The previous year, McMorris had to make his first comeback following a freak accident during Air + Style in Los Angeles, where his femur snapped in half after catching a toe edge. After breaking the longest and strongest bone in the body, returning to walking and then competitive snowboarding was an arduous task for the Canadian.
His fight back to fitness and onto the podium were the subject of a moving Red Bull TV documentary in the Peaking series:
One of the few riders ever to have suffered an injury of that magnitude, McMorris came back from his broken femur to enjoy a successful season in 2017, winning three X Games medals and Slopestyle gold at the US Open.
3. He's the first person to land a Backside Triple Cork 1440
In 2011, McMorris became the first person to land a Backside Triple Cork 1440, a trick so difficult that many of his peers and pundits thought it was something of a mission impossible. Watch the video below.
4. He's one of the most most successful and popular competitive snowboarders of all time
McMorris has won a total of 16 medals at the X Games so far, in Big Air and Slopestyle – seven golds, six silvers and three bronzes. Add to that three wins at the Burton US Open and several at other major events, including Air + Style and the Dew Tour, and you've got one of the most successful competitive snowboarders in history.
With 21,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, 270,000 followers on Facebook and 270,000 followers on Twitter, McMorris proves to be not only loved and respected by his snowboard peers, but also by the public far beyond the core scene.
5. His brother Craig McMorris is also a snowboard pro
McMorris's brother Craig is also a professional snowboarder who's competed at the World Championships and World Cups. These days he often serves as a pundit for Canadian television, commentating at huge events such as the X Games.
And as you can see from the player below, sometimes the Force is strong with this one…
6. The McMorrises actually comes from the flattest place in Canada
McMorris's father, Don, is a politician in Saskatchewan, the province from which he hails and where he's held posts from health minister to deputy premier. His mother, Cindy, is a nurse.
Saskatchewan is also the flattest place in Canada, so the odds of becoming pro snowboarders weren’t in the McMorris brothers' favour. But they made it, via skateboarding, and the story is told in the Mark McMorris: Inspiration video below.
7. Growing up, he had rather a strange nickname
According to Craig McMorris, his brother's nickname growing up was 'Piglet', so these days, Craig says, "Mark's a podium piglet if you will."
In the snowboarding world he's often called 'McLovin', due to his kind, positive and happy attitude.
8. He's collecting tattoos
McMorris has a growing collection of tattoos, ranging from a mountain and lake (with the Japanese symbols for passions for life across it) to some sheaves of wheat – a nod to his home Canadian province.
9. The McMorris brothers created a foundation to help kids in need participate in sports
The McMorris brothers launched the McMorris Foundation in 2012 with a vision of creating a more affordable, accessible and inclusive sport culture in Canada. Growing up, the pair were fortunate to have plenty of opportunities to explore their athletic potential, but they soon realised that many of their peers didn’t have access to sport. To date, the McMorris Foundation has raised over C$150,000 and created athletic opportunities for more than 1,500 Canadian youths.
10. He was recently nominated for the Laureus Sports award
Last year, McMorris was nominated for the fifth time in the ESPY Best Action Sports Athlete category and scored a double win for snowboarding with Anna Gasser.
This year, he's nominated for a Laureus Sports Award. The annual awards honour individual athletes, teams and sports, and supports over 100 community projects in almost 40 countries, with the aim of using sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage. You can vote for Mark McMorris at MyLaureus.com.