Michigan’s Kyle Mack wins silver with ‘Bloody Dracula’
Patrick TolbertComments Off on Michigan’s Kyle Mack wins silver with ‘Bloody Dracula’
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (KXAN) — Team USA won another medal in snowboarding Friday as 20-year-old Kyle Mack nailed an extremely technical jump with a funny name to earn Silver in the Big Air event.
It was the biggest moment of Mack’s life; his first Olympics and attempting a trick he’s never landed in practice.
Then, when the pressure was on for his second jump, he landed the perfect “Bloody Dracula.”
He told reporter Erin Cargile it was “mind-blowing” and that he was stunned.
He easily landed his first jump after hitting a trick called “backside triple Japan,” which Mack says is his most comfortable jump. It put him in position to go for the Bloody Dracula.
But Mack wouldn’t have been jumping for a medal in the Olympics if it weren’t for growing up in Michigan.
“First time I was ever snowboarding was actually down my driveway at my house in Michigan. My dad took a blower and kind of shoveled out just one path right off that … off the dock and into the lake.”
One of his best friends is Red Gerard, the first American to win Gold in Pyeongchang. Gerard competed in the big air event as well and came in fifth.
Mack says if all goes well and he qualifies, you’ll see him again in four years at the next Olympics.
Kyle Mack wins Silver in Big Air
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 21: Kyle Mack of the United States practices prior to the Men's Big Air Qualification on day 12 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 21, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 21: Kyle Mack of the United States competes during the Men's Big Air Qualification on day 12 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 21, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States practices prior to the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States competes during the Men's Big Air Final Run 1 on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States competes during the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States celebrates after his run during the Men's Big Air Final Run 2 on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States competes during the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States is congratulated by teammate Redmond Gerard of the United States after winning the silver medal during the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Kyle Mack of the United States is congratulated by teammate Redmond Gerard of the United States after winning the silver medal during the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Silver medalist Kyle Mack of the United States celebrates during the victory ceremony after the Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Silver medal winner Kyle Mack of the United States celebrates during the medal ceremony for Snowboard Men's Big Air on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: Ivanka Trump (C-R) reacts as she watches U.S.A's Kyle Mack compete in the Snowboard – Men's Big Air Final with (L-R) White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders; IOC executive board member Angela Ruggiero, South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Ivanka Trump is on a four-day visit to South Korea to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Bronze medal winner Billy Morgan of Great Britain, gold medal winner Sebastien Toutant of Canada and Silver medal winner Kyle Mack of the United States celebrate during the medal ceremony for Snowboard Men's Big Air on day fifteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
