Snowboarder Mark McMorris ready for slopestyle after scary crash in training
Mark McMorris will get the chance to reach another Olympic podium in snowboard slopestyle, as he’s been cleared to compete after a nasty crash last week.
The 32-year-old from Regina is the three-time defending Olympic bronze medallist in men’s snowboard slopestyle. But he suffered a concussion, bone bruising near his pelvis, and an abdominal strain when he crash landed during training for the big air event on Feb. 4.
That ruled him out of the big air event, and possibly called his participation in slopestyle into question. But he received medical clearance on Thursday and was back out on the hill at the Livigno Snow Park on Friday.
“Feeling really good, feeling thankful to be boarding again. Had a lot of fun today,” said McMorris. “It’s awesome that we have so many days of practice.
“That was day one, and I feel like I made some good strides. Then, yeah, just slowly building my confidence back up.”
The qualifying runs for slopestyle take place on Monday Feb. 16, with the final runs on Wednesday Feb. 18. McMorris said he believes the course plays to his strengths—and that it’s got a jump that will allow him to put down an 1800, which he performed at the Winter X Games in late January to win his 12th gold medal at that competition.
READ: Mark McMorris wins slopestyle gold at X Games
But while McMorris was upbeat and excited about his recovery, he also acknowledged the importance of treating head injuries with proper care.
“Doing all the concussion protocol and testing is very repetitive and rigorous, but you can’t be too careful with the head,” he said. “So I’m glad that we have such a good medical team here, to help walk me through that and instill the confidence in me again by passing all those crazy heart rate tests and all these different things I had to do.”
And although he had a tough night at the hospital following the crash, McMorris has been able to sleep pretty well since then.
“I mean, here and there it’s tough to fall asleep because you’re just thinking a lot and hoping and, you know, a little bit stressed at times,” he said. “But no, my sleep’s been pretty solid.”
McMorris has prevailed through serious injuries and setbacks before and come out the other side. So at Milano Cortina 2026, he’s looking to build off of his vast experience in the sport and once again show the world what he’s capable of.
“The injury doesn’t change the goals,” he said. “The goal is always just to ride to the best of my ability, and if I do that, I think I’ll be in a really good place.”