Mark McMorris

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Mark Lee McMorris

| image = Mark McMorris at Dew Tour (cropped).jpg

| caption = McMorris in 2016

| fullname = Mark Lee McMorris

| nickname = Sparky,{{cite web |title=2016 #1 Men's Rider of the Year Mark McMorris |author=Snowboarder |url=http://www.snowboarder.com/snowboarder-rider-of-the-year-2016-1-mark-mcmorris/ |publisher=Snowboarder |year= 2015}} McLovin',{{cite magazine|last=Dean|first=Josh|title=The Next Shaun White?|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=January 31, 2013|issue=1175|page=24}} McRib{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/sochi2014/snowboarding/2014/02/08/canadian_olympian_mark_mcmorris_finds_bronze_mixed_blessing_dimanno.html |title=Canadian Olympian Mark McMorris finds bronze mixed blessing |last=DiManno |first=Rosie |date=February 8, 2014 |work=Toronto Star |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222091059/http://www.thestar.com/sports/sochi2014/snowboarding/2014/02/08/canadian_olympian_mark_mcmorris_finds_bronze_mixed_blessing_dimanno.html |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }} The Closer{{cite web |title=Go behind the scenes of Mark McMorris's double cork 1170 |author=Travis Persaud |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/mark-mcmorris-double-cork-1170-bts |publisher=Red Bull |year= 2018}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|12|9}}

| birth_place = Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

| residence = Regina, Saskatchewan{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/action/athlete/_/id/59869/mark-mcmorris |title=Mark McMorris Profile – Bio |publisher=ESPN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512151929/http://espn.go.com/action/athlete/_/id/59869/mark-mcmorris |archive-date=May 12, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

| agent = Framework{{cite web |title= Mark McMorris |url= https://www.fullframework.com/mark-mcmorris |website= Framework |access-date= October 27, 2023}}

| height = 1.80 m{{cite web |title=Profile |url=http://olympic.ca/team-canada/mark-mcmorris/ |publisher=Canadian Olympic Committee |access-date=January 25, 2014|date=December 27, 2013 }}

| weight = 72 kg

| website = {{URL|www.markmcmorris.com/}}

| country = Canada

| sport = Snowboarding

| event = {{ubl|Big Air|Slopestyle}}

| club =

| turnedpro = 2010

| show-medals = no

| medaltemplates = {{MedalOlympic}}

}}

Mark Lee McMorris (born December 9, 1993) is a Canadian professional snowboarder who specializes in slopestyle and big air events. A three-time Olympic bronze medallist, he placed third in each of the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics, and 2022 Winter Olympics in the slopestyle event. 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 April 28, 2018, Mark landed the world's first Double Cork off a rail, the Front-Board Double Cork 1170, with a melancholy grab. Mark McMorris has won a record-setting 22 X Games medals,{{Cite web |date=2023-02-03 |title=Meet Mark McMorris, the most decorated athlete in snowboard history |url=https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/mark-mcmorris-historic-career-outlook |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Red Bull |language=en}} In 2012 and 2013, Mark won back-to-back gold medals in Winter X Games in the slopestyle event.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-snowboarder-wows-fans-with-trick-1.1016533 |title=Regina snowboarder wows fans with trick |date=March 8, 2011 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314070732/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/03/08/sk-snowboarder-mcmorris-1103.html |archive-date=March 14, 2011 |url-status=live }} In 2023 he defended his Winter X Games gold medal in the men's slopestyle to set a record for the most Winter X Games medals with 22.{{cite news |title=Mark McMorris breaks record for most Winter X Games medals with slopestyle gold |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/freestyle-skiing/winter-x-games-roundup-jan-28-1.6730159 |access-date=9 March 2023 |publisher=CBC Sports |date=29 January 2023}}

He has also appeared in many videos for Transworld Snowboarding, Burton, Red Bull, CBC, SUBWAY, and Shredbots.

Career

= Early career =

File:LG Snowboard FIS World Cup (5435937622).jpg.]]

McMorris competed at his first FIS Snowboard World Cup during the 2009–2010 season, placing eighth in the big air event in Quebec City.{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/sports/2010wintergames/snowboard/Korpi+caps+gold+weekend+World/2478263/story.html |title=Korpi caps gold weekend at World Cup |date=24 January 2010 |work=Postmedia News |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240525062331/https://www.webcitation.org/5x2cqoPRc?url=http://www.canada.com/sports/2010wintergames/snowboard/Korpi%20caps%20gold%20weekend%20World/2478263/story.html |url-status=dead |archivedate=25 May 2024 }} He followed up with a World Cup victory in slopestyle in Calgary.{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/sports/McMorris+wins+slopestyle+gold/2504707/story.html |title=McMorris wins slopestyle gold |last=Meyers |first=Sean |date=30 January 2010 |work=Postmedia News |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240525062531/https://www.webcitation.org/5x41zIXiU?url=http://www.canada.com/sports/McMorris%20wins%20slopestyle%20gold/2504707/story.html |url-status=dead |archivedate=25 May 2024 }} At the Winter X Games XV in Aspen, Colorado, he won a silver medal in the slopestyle competition finishing behind fellow Canadian Sebastien Toutant.{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/2011/03/01/x-marks-the-future/2/|title=Canada's queen of the slopes|last=MacDonald|first=Nancy|date=November 1, 2011|work=Maclean's}} He won gold at the 2011 World Snowboard Tour's Air & Style competition beating out Peetu Piiroinen, Werner Stock, and Nils Arvidsson in the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/action/snowboarding/news/story?page=air-and-style-innsbruck|title=TTR 6 Star Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck won by second-place Winter X slopestyle winner Mark McMorris|last=Larsen|first=Melissa|date=February 7, 2011|publisher=ESPN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227022602/http://espn.go.com/action/snowboarding/news/story?page=air-and-style-innsbruck|archive-date=February 27, 2011|url-status=live}} In 2012, McMorris won double gold at Winter X Games XVI. McMorris won gold in the big air event and the Slopestyle event. It was the first double gold at Winter X Games since Shaun White had in 2009.{{Cite news|title=A Canadian athlete struck double gold at the Winter X Games in Colorado|last=Mesley|first=Wendy|date=January 29, 2012|work=The National|id = {{ProQuest|918653451}}}}

=2014 X-Games & Olympics=

Mark McMorris has won a record-setting 22 X Games medals, four US Open Championships, and three Olympic medals.

In the 2014 Winter X Games, 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.{{cite news|title=Mark McMorris faces uphill battle to recover in time for Olympics |url=http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/mark-mcmorris-faces-uphill-battle-recover-time-for-olympics.html |website=CBC Sports |date=27 January 2014}} 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 put up one of the top four scores 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."{{cite news |title=Mark McMorris wins bronze in slopestyle snowboarding |author=Kate Petterson |url=http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/mark-mcmorris-9th-after-1st-run-slopestyle-semifinal.html |website=CBC Sports |date= 8 February 2014}}

=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.{{cite web |title=The Process |author=X Games |url=http://xgames.espn.com/xgames/video/17938889/the-process-mark-mcmorris-episode-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106043757/http://xgames.espn.com/xgames/video/17938889/the-process-mark-mcmorris-episode-1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 6, 2016 |publisher=X Games |date= November 8, 2016}}

= 2018 Winter Olympics =

In 2017, 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.{{cite news |title=Mark McMorris Backcountry Injury : UPDATE |author=TransWorld SNOWboarding |url=http://snowboarding.transworld.net/news/mark-mcmorris-backcountry-injury-update/ |publisher=TransWorld SNOWboarding |date= April 3, 2017}} 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."{{cite news |title=Mark McMorris suffers serious crash |author=CBC Television |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BQowUY-EHA |publisher=The National (CBC) |date= March 27, 2017}} 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.

McMorris returned to snowboard competition and competed for Team Canada during the 2018 Winter Olympics, only eleven months after his accident. He placed third in Men's Slopestyle behind fellow Canadian Max Parrot and the American gold medalist Red Gerard, earning his second consecutive Olympic bronze medal.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/10/17000160/winter-olympics-2018-results-snowboard-slopestyle-mens|title=America gets 1st gold medal of 2018 Olympics thanks to 17-year-old Red Gerard|work=SBNation.com|access-date=February 11, 2018}} Following his long journey from injuries to a return to the podium, McMorris said that "Canada definitely had my back 100 percent, and I felt that. It was definitely motivating, and it gave me a little extra boost and energy to do my very best, and it feels really good when you end up doing well. I’m feeling really honoured to be on the podium again."{{cite news |title= 'Canada had my back': Mark McMorris on his journey from hospital bed to podium |author= Ben Cousins |url= https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/canada-had-my-back-mark-mcmorris-on-his-journey-from-hospital-bed-to-podium-1.3799215 |website= CTV News |date= February 11, 2018 |access-date=February 24, 2022}}

= 2022 Winter Olympics and 2023 X-Games =

McMorris was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team in Beijing.{{cite web|url=https://olympic.ca/2022/01/19/19-snowboarders-nominated-to-team-canada-for-beijing-2022/|title=19 snowboarders nominated to Team Canada for Beijing 2022|last=Nichols|first=Paula|date=19 January 2022|website=www.olympic.ca/|publisher=Canadian Olympic Committee|access-date=19 January 2022}}{{cite web|last=Dichter|first=Myles|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/snowboard/olympics-canada-snowboard-team-announcement-1.6318214|title='Strongest team in all of snowboarding': Canadian squad named for Beijing Olympics|date=19 January 2022|website=www.cbc.ca/|publisher=CBC Sports|access-date=19 January 2022}}{{cite news|date=19 January 2022|title=Toutant, McMorris, Parrot, Blouin return as Canada's Olympic snowboard team announced|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/toutant-mcmorris-parrot-blouin-return-as-canada-s-olympic-snowboard-team-announced-1.5745999|work=Canadian Press|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=19 January 2022}} On February 7, 2022, McMorris won a bronze medal in the slopestyle event, at the 2022 Winter Olympics, his third consecutive in the event.{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=Kevin|date=7 February 2022|title=Canada's Max Parrot claims Olympic gold, Mark McMorris gets bronze in snowboard slopestyle|url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/olympics/max-parrot-claims-olympic-gold-mark-mcmorris-gets-bronze-in-snowboard-slopestyle|work=National Post|location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada|access-date=7 February 2022}}{{cite web|last=Dichter|first=Myles|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/snowboard/olympics-mens-snowboard-slopestyle-final-1.6341969|title=Snowboarder Max Parrot soars to Canada's 1st gold medal at Beijing Olympics, McMorris adds bronze|date=7 February 2022|website=www.cbc.ca/|publisher=CBC Sports|access-date=7 February 2022}}

At the 2023 Winter X Games McMorris defended his gold medal in the men's slopestyle to set a record for the most Winter X Games medals with 22, breaking a tie with Jamie Anderson of the United States.

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.{{cite news|last=Branch|first=John|title='Like a Hurricane in the Air': Mark McMorris, Olympic Snowboarding Gold Contender|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/sports/skiing/mark-mcmorris-olympic-snowboarding-gold-contender.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=September 15, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 15, 2013|pages=SP1}} His older brother, Craig McMorris, is also a professional snowboarder.{{cite web|url=http://www.snowboardcanada.com/video_display/video:6594/Feature-Footy-Mark-And-Craig-McMorris|title=Feature Footy: Mark and Craig McMorris|work=Snowboard Canada|access-date=March 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028105949/http://www.snowboardcanada.com/video_display/video:6594/Feature-Footy-Mark-And-Craig-McMorris|archive-date=October 28, 2012|url-status=dead}} McMorris attended Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School.{{cite journal|date=April 2012|title=LeBoldus Student is snowboard World Cup winner|journal=Regina Catholic School Division Director's Communiqué|publisher=Regina Catholic School Division|issue=16|page=5|url=http://www.rcsd.ca/cec/?q=system/files/Communique%20April%202012.pdf|access-date=January 30, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208225450/http://www.rcsd.ca/cec/?q=system%2Ffiles%2FCommunique%20April%202012.pdf|archive-date=February 8, 2015}} McMorris also competed in wakeboarding before devoting himself to snowboarding. He is dating Connor McDavid’s wife’s best friend, Liv Hall and was photographed at their 2024 nuptials. He has several tattoos, including one of sheaves of wheat representing the province of Saskatchewan. 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.{{Cite news|title=Festival Begins with a Roar.|last=Polischuk|first=Heather|date=September 2, 2006|work=Regina Leader-Post}} He was asked to take part after an event in Regina.

References

External links

{{Official website}}
{{sports links|properties=-P4893}}
[https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/athlete/mark-mcmorris Athlete profile of Mark McMorris] on Redbull.com
{{X Games profile|new_id=mark-mcmorris|old_id=3015434}}

Category:Canadian male snowboarders

Category:Living people

Category:1993 births

Category:Snowboarders at the 2014 Winter Olympics

Category:Snowboarders at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Category:Snowboarders at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Category:Olympic snowboarders for Canada

Category:Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Canada

Category:Olympic medalists in snowboarding

Category:Sportspeople from Regina, Saskatchewan

Category:X Games competitors

Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen