It’s early spring in Jindabyne, Australia, a small town at the foot of the Snowy Mountains and home to Perisher Resort. Darkness is still consuming this part of the Earth early in the day so some of the world’s best snowboarders are spread out through the small town, finding meals in the few eateries or making dinner at friends’ houses. Or getting ready for bed.
I’m sitting at the kitchen table in a home Mark McMorris has rented with his brother, Craig, and a crew training at the nearby resort. We’re playing Asshole, a card game so mentally all-encompassing, it doesn’t even require gambling to keep us playing late into the evening. Mark sits down and talks to his brother, making plans for the morning, joking about sessions during the day with other people filtering in from dinner to gather around the table. One thing is certain judging from the impromptu gathering: Mark hangs out with good people, concerned about one thing: riding snow. All day. And either they’ve rubbed off on Mark, or it’s the other way around. Maybe a little of both.
Mark’s a solid dude. With little pretense about it. That’s why it was so hard to watch replays of his accident last winter when he broke his femur at Air + Style Los Angeles. The world’s best competitive snowboarder over the last five years was no longer invincible. Injury, as it does with many a great athlete, had reared its ugly head. But the real testament to Mark, after having hardware implanted into his leg, was that his comeback was without question, going to happen. And riding snow six months later down under, he was actually kinda moving like that crash on the transition in Los Angeles never occurred.
We got to sit down with Mark and talk injuries. His love of the sport. His new video game and an array of other topics in a wide-ranging interview. It was pretty rad to witness–and play a few hands of cards with–one of the sports’ best as he completed his comeback.
Editor’s Note: This piece was made possible by our friends at Skullcandy, a proud partner and sponsor of Mark McMorris.
Burton Snowboards provided additional footage.
