Max Parrot turns PyeongChang silver to Beijing gold in men’s slopestyle. Max won the Beijing Olympics slopestyle contest at Genting Snow Park with a massive second run, beating out China’s Su Yiming in second and fellow Canadian Mark McMorris in third. Max landed a triple cork on each of the three jumps, doing 1620 degrees of rotation on the first and third one. Technically superior on his second of three runs, Max scored a 90.96 to hold off the field tossing his snowboard in delight after the final score was revealed. Max says recovering from cancer made him a better athlete after he won an emotional Winter Olympic gold medal in Beijing.
Max was only 27 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in December 2018. He received 12 chemotherapy treatments in six months, and after being given the all clear he immediately returned to snowboarding winning three X Games gold less than a year after his cancer diagnosis.
Max, who started riding when he was 9 said in an interview with ESPN “I went through hell,” he went on to say "It was the first time I ever put my snowboard in the closet. I felt like a lion in a cage.'' (Febuaray 7, 2022, Canada's Max Parrot wins gold medal in men's slopestyle…,ESPN)
Now cancer free, Max’s battle still wasn’t over. “I had no more muscles, no more energy, no more cardio,” said. “I almost wanted to quit sometimes because it was getting so hard just to get to the next morning and to be standing here three years later and winning gold, that was completely crazy.” (February 7, 2022, Max Parrot of Canada claims slopestyle Olympic gold…, Axon)
It was Max wanting to continue doing what he loves that served as motivation for him to push forward in his career. It was the port in his chest that delivered medication that would cure him of cancer but drain him of all things that made him a pro athlete. The 12 chemotherapy treatments drained him of his energy and the time away from the gym and training resulted in a loss of muscle. Before the hair could grow back on his body, Max had already pushed himself to get back in the weight room and training. Three years ago he was receiving cancer treatments. Now he has received his gold medal.
Max, earlier this year came out with a powerful documentary about his fight with cancer and his comeback to reach the unattainable. It’s a real life story about courage, passion, and an unbreakable will to achieve nothing short of victory! You can help fight cancer by purchasing the film, you are helping raise funds for the leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. 50% of the income from the online platform will be donated to the society. Click the link below to donate and watch Max’s harrowing journey of cancer.
Growing Up With Max
Born and raised near Bromont ski area and having inherited the DNA of his father, an alpine ski racer national hopeful and Canadian water ski champion, Max was ideally placed to fully develop his natural talent for snow sports.
When Max was 9 years old, a friend of his received a snowboard for Christmas. Max really wanted his own, but his parents were reluctant, worried that snowboarding was more dangerous than skiing - the family sport. Max spent the next summer mowing almost every lawn in his neighborhood to save up enough money to buy his board in the fall.
Only then was he allowed to polish his snowboarding skills by training at Bromont’s snow park almost every evening after school. Max still demonstrates the same single-minded focus and commitment in his training in order to become one of the most preeminent athletes in his sport.
At 16, Max took third place at the St-Sauveur Shakedown, which marked the beginning of his professional career. However, Max’s parents would only allow him to travel the world alone and loan him the money he would need to enter international level contests if he successfully completed high school.
Max’s meteoric success on the World Snowboard Tour, from his rookie year in 2011 to being World Snowboard Tour Big Air Overall Champion in 2014, has led him to standing on dozens of podiums.
Olympic Highlights:
|
Beijing 2022 |
Snowboard |
Slopestyle - Men |
Gold |
|
Beijing 2022 |
Snowboard |
Big Air - Men |
Bronze |
|
PyeongChang 2018 |
Snowboard |
Slopestyle - Men |
Silver |
|
PyeongChang 2018 |
Snowboard |
Big Air - Men |
9 |
|
Sochi 2014 |
Snowboard |
Slopestyle - Men |
5 |
Notable International Results:
Olympic Winter Games: 2022 - GOLD (slopestyle), BRONZE (big air); 2018 - SILVER (slopestyle), 9th (big air); 2014 – 5th (slopestyle)
FIS World Championships: 2021 – SILVER (big air), 6th (slopestyle) Winter X Games: 2020 – SILVER (Norway big air), GOLD (Norway slopestyle), GOLD (Aspen big air), 16th (Aspen slopestyle); 2019 – GOLD (Norway big air); 2018 – GOLD (Aspen big air), 11th (Aspen slopestyle), 5th (Norway big air); 2017 – GOLD (Aspen big air), 5th (Aspen slopestyle), SILVER (Oslo big air), 7th (Oslo slopestyle); 2016 – SILVER (Oslo big air). GOLD (Aspen Big Air), 9th (Aspen slopestyle); 2015 – SILVER (Aspen big air), 16th (Aspen slopestyle); 2014 - GOLD (Aspen big air), GOLD (Aspen slopestyle), 2013 – SILVER (Aspen slopestyle), 15th (Tignes slopestyle)
Max 22 Snowboard
Max rides a specially designed Nobaday signature snowboard, the Nobaday Max 22. This board is the newest edition to our collection of boards that he assists in designing every year. The design of this board comes from 3D Egyptian visual artist Asser Esawiy, who believes in collaging different ideas to create a new perspective. The three luminous beams of light on the Max 22 snowboard represent bravery, persistence, and self-confidence. This is a twin shape, all mountain, and park board with carbon fibers running through. The design of four carbon fibers running through the snowboard is the result of Max’s repeated trial and adjustment for 7 months. The X-shape cross carbon fiber provides better tension and take-off flexibility for riders. The two carbon fibers running through the center provide stronger tension for the riders to ensure their strength and optimize the experience.