On a rainy drive home from the Vancouver airport, we caught up with Team Oakley and Team Canada rider Mark McMorris as he makes his final preparations for the upcoming Olympics. “Pretty stormy right now but looks like some good weather is coming. Headed to Whistler for a little Team Canada camp. Hopefully we can get a good block of practice in and then it is X Games and over to Italy,” he says with the hazards clicking in the background. 

Editor’s Note: He ended up winning gold this past weekend at X Games with a new trick that he put down during his camp… so it looks like the trip was fruitful. 

Mcmorris has been to the past three winter Olympics and has taken home a bronze medal in each one of them. There is obviously a lot on the line for him coming up as far as records and history… but you wouldn’t really know it from Mark’s current demeanor. He seems as calm as he is after a surf in the middle of the summer so we left the hard-hitting questions about legacy and pressure for another day. As we all get ready for snowboarding on sports’ biggest stage, enjoy a couple of his favorite memories from the past few Winter Games. 

You want to give us some of your favorite Olympic memories? 

Let’s just start with the 2014 games in the lead up, kind of like… I was definitely a heavy favorite. Doing really well that season. Last run of X Games, sitting in second. Going for it, maybe I was thinking a feature or two ahead… clip on the last rail, break my rib. Ten days before the Olympic slopestyle contest. That’s a crazy memory and it went from super low to a super high when I was able to just still go there. It was the first event of the Olympics in 2014, first time slopestyle had ever been in the games and I was able to win Canada’s first medal of the Olympics as well as my first Olympic medal. So that was a super fond memory for me.

And then in 2018, once again, kind of like battling some adversity going into the games. A little under a year prior I hit a tree and obviously, that was a very bad accident. Some good came out of that though since we made a really neat documentary called “Unbroken”. I went to that Olympics and I was able to get another medal. I think one of my favorite things that came out of that year was the prime minister of India referenced the doc when he was doing a speech on resilience to these kids. Pretty insane he talked about our film and referenced footage of me and all this snowboarding stuff. I got to get our prime minister to go over there and give him my bib. Prime Minister Trudeau got a jacket for me and then we got to go riding together. So coming off a being pretty beaten up, that Olympics was really special to me too.

For the 2022 Olympics… I just remember it being so stressful just trying to get there, obviously with the qualification process, but then dealing with COVID and trying to stay negative with all the tests was a real stress around the games. I was 28 at that Olympics and was really, really proud of the way I rode on my third and final run in the slopestyle final to get my third Olympic medal. So all of them have had their own challenges, but all of them have had some super awesome takeaways. And I’m thankful to be able to grab hardware at all three. And I mean, this qualification process for the 2026 games has been a memory in its own as well. It’s been one of the harder things I’ve done in my snowboard career. As you get older, it doesn’t get easier for sure. The level is just going through the roof as per usual on an Olympic year. I’m just really thankful to have my spot locked up and look forward to going. 

When did you qualify for this one?

I got the word before Christmas, so that was a beautiful Christmas gift. So thankful to be in there and thankful to be healthy. I am going to just try and prep and get ready and enjoy the ride. I don’t know. There’s not a kid that I competed against in slopestyle in 2014 that’s going to this Olympics for slopestyle. So that’s an accomplishment in its own and I’m proud to have made it to another Games.

Is it more or less pressure once you actually qualify?
Yeah, I think the qualification process is definitely the real cooker and you do feel some relief once you get it, but it kinda is short-lived and you’re like, okay, now I gotta focus on peaking at the right time and being my best at that moment and staying healthy. You wanna push yourself, but you wanna show up in one piece and be able to ride to the best of your ability. That being said, it is a nice feeling to just have the chance be there, and now I’m going to just do everything I can and go all out. 

So is it kind of like a little bit foot off the gas at an X Games before an Olympics?
Editor’s note: We guess not, considering he won gold at X.
I think for me, on Olympic years, I’ve never done the big air at X Games. That’s kind of a bloodbath at times. But I think the slopestyle is like a pretty good representation of what you might see in the final, you know?  I know it’s going to be a unique course, so I think it’s a good opportunity to really try and put together a super hard run and things like that. I want to be all good for Olympics, but I kind of can’t really think like that and let off the gas too much. You definitely want to just ride well and get out healthy.

What about a memory with your family, either traveling there or seeing them at the Olympics?
Yeah. Totally. They came to Russia and like my uncles and aunties and friends of mine from back home. That was super special and just kind of awesome to see them there, taking it all in and being super patriotic. Then a bit of a smaller crew came to Korea and that was really special too just to have them there. Obviously missed them in 2022, but I definitely look forward to seeing them in Italy. It will be crazy to have a huge crew and lots of support at this games coming up. Always good memories. Having your family there when you win an Olympic medal, those were some very fond memories for me.

For sure. And then last one is if you have any Olympic memory from inside the restricted zone for the general public? 
Oh, the Olympic village?

Yeah. Anything that sticks out?
Yeah, I mean, just like eating and being surrounded by so many hardworking, talented athletes is always like, holy crap… or, you know, seeing athletes that maybe you don’t know, but you know of, and kind of just rubbing shoulders with different people.

Yeah, have you been starstruck in the Olympic Village before?
I think in Russia, that happened a little bit, for sure, with like some NHL players. That was the last time they did it. But my cousin was playing for the team and I think just like seeing Crosby was pretty cool as a young kid.

Your cousin played for the Olympic hockey team?
Yeah, he won a medal, he won a gold in 2010 and 2014… Ryan Getzlaf. He played his whole career for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He’s had an insanely good hockey career.

So you got to go to Olympic with your cousin as well. That’s crazy.
Yeah, he’s actually working for Team Canada Hockey for this Olympic, so I’ll probably get to see him there too.

And your brother will be announcing. Quite the family.
Yeah, they are pretty talented! 

Alright, that’s it. Safe drive!
Easy. Thanks Mark!