Aspen, CO – Coming into his second Winter X Games, Canadian rider Mark McMorris had zero gold medals. When he left Winter X Games Aspen 2012, he did so as a double gold medal winner after winning Snowboard Slopestyle on Saturday night to go along with his Big Air victory.

“I didn’t have any expectations coming in this year,” the 18-year old from Regina, Saskatchewan said. “I just wanted to ride like I can and land my tricks. That is all I come out to contests to do is to have fun and try and land the run I have in my head.  That was able to happen two nights in a row and it was able to happen on a good weekend at X Games. Now I have a big smile on my face.”

That big smile came from a high score of 93.00, five points higher than the silver medalist Sage Kotsenburg from Park City, Utah.

“When you ride with the people you love to ride with it makes it so much fun.  All those guys up there are my friends so it was so much fun,” McMorris added.

Kotsenburg moved into second on his final run with a score of 88.00.  He said afterward that he thrives on pressure.

“I was really bad on my first two runs,” Kotsenburg said. “So I guess I am good under pressure, which kind of helps some times.”

Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen finished third and grabbed his first Winter X Games medal in four appearances.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Winter X Games
Buttermilk Mountain – Aspen, Colo. – Jan. 28, 2012
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle