Mark McMorris will celebrate his 29th birthday later this week. but in snowboarding terms, he is an old man.
Allie Bouchard is just 14 years old and McMorris is her role model.
this weekend FIS Snowboard World Cup Big Air Billed as “The Style Experience”, both the veteran and the phenom will headline the event at the Commonwealth Stadium.
McMorris is a three-time Olympic medalist. He has more podium finishes than any other athlete in Winter X Games history.
Bouchard received a special dispensation requested by Snowboards Canada so he could ride for his home country this weekend. FIS generally does not allow competitors under the age of 15.
First jump of its kind for snowboarding World Cup stop in Edmonton
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Bouchard will make his World Cup debut on the 15-storey ramp, which has been built right next to the Commonwealth Stadium. He will turn 15 two days after the event ends.
McMorris said, “I remember being that age, and competing against my heroes is so special.” “The first professional competition I did was about 15 years old, and what a feeling it was. It’s crazy how long I’ve been at this. It’s great to see the enthusiasm they have – and they keep on getting young. It’s unbelievable how good they can be at such a young age.”
Bouchard got on a snowboard before his second birthday, and became a YouTube sensation at the age of eight when he became the youngest rider ever to perform a double backflip.
“I just want to have some fun,” Bouchard said of making his World Cup debut. “(The jump) is huge, so if I can make my moves, I’ll be stuck.”
And Bouchard is twitching himself now that he’s McMorris’ partner.
“It’s so sick. I was watching videos of him when I was younger, just trying some tricks, thinking about him.
While there have been previous World Cup events on slopes held by scaffolding, the one built in Edmonton is unique. The ramp has been built on the side of the stadium. Riders ascend to a temporary scaffold nine meters above the last row of the upper deck, then descend towards the jump. Jasmine Baird, who won a bronze medal in the season-opening women’s event in Switzerland, said the structure was awe-inspiring, even for athletes who are used to being adventurous.
“It doesn’t feel real, I’m actually in disbelief,” said Baird of the man-made slope. “The thing is huge and to see it in a stadium like this, I could not have dreamed of something like this. this is madness.
“It’s definitely scary. The biggest thing is just finding the momentum. Usually, the first time I hit something like this, I see a few more people go, because there are the first people who Don’t really care, they just want to hit it and get behind it.
McMorris said that when riders are at a mountain resort, they have had time to get used to the slopes. They can do some easy runs to get used to the conditions. But, in the Commonwealth, there is no relaxation. You go up the ramp, you go down.
“It’s quite a big difference, you can’t do a warm-up run or a run down as easily,” McMorris said. “For a lot of people, they fly across the world to Edmonton and the first run they do is a scaffold jump. There’s really no turning back.
“The in-run is narrow, there’s not as much time to set up, it can’t be manicured. So, loft is definitely a little scary. If you can do your tricks on ice, you can usually do them on scaffolding, but it’s a little harder. So, you have to make sure your stuff is totally dialed in if you want to hoist it like this.
If the Canadian riders want to get on the podium this weekend, they know they’ll have to outclass the top snowboarders on the heralded Japanese team. at the season-opening Big Air event in Chur, Switzerland. Takeru Otsuka and Ruki Tobita finished 1–2 in the men’s competition, while Rira Iwabuchi topped the women’s competition.
“The Japanese riders are definitely killing it,” Baird said. “Men and women, overall, they’re great. I love watching them, their style and they’re very consistent.
“They’re role models and they’re just stepping up the game.”
McMorris said, “I can say one thing about the Japanese team, and it is that they have an incredible work ethic.” “Their acrobatic skills are through the roof. And they don’t really take summers. They spend the whole summer on airbags. They’re definitely ones to watch out for. They’re pushers, and they can take some serious blows.” And get up. Some of my best friends compete for Japan, and they’re the ones I look up to.”
Qualifying runs follow on Friday in Edmonton, with finals in both the women’s and men’s sections on Saturday.
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