'Fearless' Max Parrot enjoying snowboarding success in 1st season since cancer diagnosis

Two weeks ago, at a World Cup event in China, Max Parrot became the first snowboarder to land a frontside triple cork 1620 in competition.

And what exactly is that, you ask? It's a trick Parrot describes as three back flips with four and a half rotations.

It's safe to say many people would be nervous before attempting such a feat. Parrot himself admitted that, once, he would have been too. 

But not anymore.

"Honestly right now, I kind of feel like I'm fearless. I'm not scared of anything. I mean, after everything I've been through, I'm just enjoying riding," he said in a recent interview.

Parrot, 25, is in the midst of a comeback season.

Just over a year ago, months after he won a silver medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics, Parrot revealed he'd been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells in the lymphatic system.

The Bromont, Que., native told a room of reporters last January the diagnosis was "a new kind of competition I must face, and I intend to do everything I can to win."

The goal was gold

On July 8 of this year, he learned he was cancer free. He started training six days a week in preparation for an X Games event in Oslo in August.

Having just finished his cancer treatments, that competition was a big challenge, he said, and he went into it feeling confident, but somewhat stressed.

That being said, his goal wasn't just to compete. He wanted to win, and he did — taking gold in the snowboard big air event.

Overcoming that challenge helped bolster his confidence. He continued training, and said going into the World Cup event in China last week, his body felt even better than it did in Norway.

"I was strong, mentally strong as well, and I was confident. I've never felt so good on my board in my entire career, and I think that's because of all the hard work I've been putting into my training after the chemo to get back," he said.

Playing catch up

Parrot has a reputation as a meticulous innovator. He worked hard to catch up to his competitors, who spent last season improving while he was sitting at the hospital.

He said when it comes to training, he is paying more attention to his body and giving himself a little more recovery time, putting the focus on quality over quantity.

"I'm really proud of myself that I've been able to get back out there in only a year, which I thought would have been impossible last year when I got the bad news," he said.

Parrot's plans for 2020 including filming more videos of himself backcountry snowboarding for YouTube, and competing at the X Games in January, one of his favourite events.