Regina's Craig McMorris brings 'Holy kittens!' excitement to Olympics commentary
Whether it's tango-ing with ice dancing darling Tessa Virtue, catching a fish with his bare hands, or exclaiming 'Holy kittens!' while commentating on snowboarding, it's clear Regina's Craig McMorris is having a blast at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
"I literally have had zero down time; I've been working every single minute from the moment my eyes have opened to the moment they closed," McMorris told CBC Radio's Morning Edition host Zarqa Nawaz.
McMorris has been hosting Olympic Games Overnight alongside Kelly VanderBeek, while also offering play-by-play commentary on snowboarding events for the CBC.
He's not complaining about the busy schedule. For McMorris, a former Canadian National Snowboard Team member, the love of sports makes it a thrill to talk about the Games. Watching Canadian athletes take to the podium has been another highlight of his time in South Korea.
"It's been an absolute blast."
Watching his brother in action
One of those Canadian medallists is his brother, "Regina's own Mark McMorris," as Craig calls him with pride. Mark has made a remarkable recovery after a disastrous snowboarding accident a year ago, and claimed bronze in the men's slopestyle earlier in the Games.
Mark will be competing yet again in another finals this Friday, while his older brother provides commentary.
"Mark's very close to my heart, and I want to see him do well. I'm not going to lie; I do get a little bit nervous when he starts to drop in," said Craig.
He feels he's able to watch and talk about his brother and other friends in the field objectively, having commentated for four or five years now, including at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Adding a 'little bit of colour'
Those watching will pick up Craig's energy and unique flavour, whether it's inserting a DMX rap line into the play-by-plays or more obscure terms for those not familiar with snowboarding trick names, like "spaghetti air" or "chicken salad."
That's just how he rolls, by design, and sometimes by accident as well.
"I like to add a little bit of colour with it," he said. "Sometimes I'm just at a loss of words and a saying comes to me, like the 'Holy kittens' or an Eminem reference."
People can expect to hear that style at another highly anticipated event, as three Canadians vie for medals at the big air finals. Mark will join Quebec's Max Parrot and Sebastien Toutant on the slopes, which airs on Friday night in Canada.
"If it's anything's like the qualifiers, the level of riding is going to be extremely high," said Craig. "It's going to be a treat to call, and I can guarantee it's going to be a treat to watch."
