SASKATOON — Three-time Winter Olympian Mark McMorris stopped by the city Saturday to reconnect with relatives and friends while also enjoying the slopes of Optimist Hill.
The Regina-born snowboarder won bronze in the last three editions of the Winter Games (2014 in Sochi, Russia, 2018 in PyeongChang in South Korea and 2022 in Beijing, China).
McMorris’s visit was also part of the North American leg of the Burton Mystery Series, and the 29-year-old kicked off the tour in Saskatoon.
The Burton Mystery Series aims to make banked slalom events accessible for all ages and abilities and build a stronger snowboarding community.
McMorris told SASKTODAY that snowboarding is for all ages and skill levels, and it doesn’t mean you would do the same stunts that pros have been doing.
“You don’t have to do the crazy-level stunts. I have friends who are in their 70s, and they are still hitting the slopes. Having fun and enjoying going downhill is enough,” said McMorris.
He added that he always returns to Saskatchewan at least three times a year when he is not competing, but the pandemic prevented him from visiting his hometown in the last two years.
“The last time I was here was in 2017, and I also hit the slopes here at Optimist Hill. It was nice that we get to raise some money to help maintain the hill,” said McMorris.
“Almost six years later, here we are with the full park for the kids to ride and more plans for the facility in the next five years.”
He said that he always likes to help out by having an accessible facility for kids to have some fun during winter.
“You don’t need to live in the mountains. It is easy to come here and ride for half an hour after school or during weekends,” said McMorris.
“You won’t go that far and outside the city. You don’t need to drive an hour or two away like it was for me to snowboard back then.”
McMorris added that kids who wanted to follow in his footsteps and become professional snowboarders do it because they enjoy the sport and what they are doing.
“Make sure they want to do it because it is enjoyable. They are enjoying it and having fun where you can spend time with your friends outside, which is the best thing ever,” he said.
“It is amazing that kids can just practice here, and you don’t need the course layout to be big of a slope to learn the fundamentals.”
He says he was glad Burton chose to hold the kick-off leg of the tour in Saskatoon, where he invited some friends who build snow parks to help set up the course.
“I made it a point to raise funds to help build snow parks. I brought some friends who build snow parks for a living and teach the locals here. It has been very cool,” said McMorris.
“They will come here in the next five years and build the park yearly. Burton’s goal is to make the sport accessible and easy for everyone to learn how to snowboard.”
McMorris is one of the most decorated pro snowboarders in the history of the sport, where he has won 21 X-Games medals and four U.S. Open Championship titles.
However, he considers all the medals and trophies he had won as a bonus as he gets to do the thing he loves most.
“Honestly, becoming a pro snowboarder and making a living out of it is a dream come true. Everything else on top of that is just a bonus for me,” said McMorris.
“All the results and accolades, the awards, all of it are a bonus for me. I just wanted to be a pro snowboarder. Becoming one of the big names in the sport was not my goal.”
He added that he wanted to promote the sport to the younger generation, being an unofficial snowboarding ambassador.
“I love snowboarding so much. I’ve done all of this stuff all over the world, and bringing it back to Saskatchewan, where my roots are, was pretty cool,” said McMorris.
“There was never a snowboard industry in Saskatchewan. I can help invest in snow sports and snowboarding with my influence, particularly in Saskatchewan.”
McMorris, who began to skateboard when he was five and then transitioned to snowboarding a year later, said a facility like Optimist Hill is a great place to learn the basics.
“It is a great starting place to fine-tune your skills and then take them to the mountains if you are really into snowboarding,” said McMorris, who began taking the sport seriously when he was about eight.
