At a Glance
- Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim loses toenails so often she uses Gel-X extensions
- She’s missing two toenails right now and once lost one on a plane
- Kim could make history at the 2026 Winter Games with a third consecutive halfpipe gold
- Why it matters: The 25-year-old star shows even elite athletes deal with everyday body battles while chasing records
Chloe Kim’s latest revelation has nothing to do with medals or rotations-and everything to do with missing toenails. The 25-year-old snowboarding superstar told Women’s Health that constant impacts from 30-foot aerials keep ripping her nails off, forcing her to fake it with salon extensions.
The Toenail Trouble
Kim schedules monthly pedicures but calls the visits stressful.
“I have a hard time with my toenails, because I always lose those,” she said in the January 9 interview. “I’m missing two toenails right now.”
Her fix? Gel-X toenail extensions that pop off at the worst moments.
- One came loose mid-flight
- She tossed the stray nail into the airplane seat
- The extensions “come out all the time,” she admitted
The culprit is her explosive riding style. Kim regularly launches 30 feet above the halfpipe while stomping back-to-back 1080s, cab 1260s and Method Airs that hammer her feet on landing.
Eyeing the Three-Peat
Next month’s 2026 Winter Games in Cortina will be Kim’s third Olympics. A win would make her the first athlete ever to three-peat in women’s snowboard halfpipe.
Despite the milestone within reach, she downplays pressure.
“I don’t really feel that type of pressure,” she told News Of Losangeles in November. “I think the pressure I feel is wanting to do the best that I can.”
Her new goal: enjoy the ride.
“At each Olympics I always go into it with a new set of goals,” she said. “This time I just really want to enjoy the experience and have a good time.”
Setback and Comeback
The plan hit a snag on January 8 when Kim announced a training crash left her with a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum less than a month before Opening Ceremony.
She called it a “silly fall” but admitted the timing stung.
“Obviously, I’m really disappointed that I can’t snowboard until right before the Olympics,” she said in an Instagram update. Still, she confirmed she’s “good to go” for competition after doctors cleared her.
- Labrum tear was the less-severe type
- No riding until days before the event
- Limited practice reps, but she’s staying optimistic
Beauty and Boards
Away from the pipe, Kim sticks to wellness staples:
- Daily smoothies
- Regular massage therapy
- Monthly mani-pedis-even in dead of winter
Those pedicures double as repair sessions for the toenails that never survive a season of spinning and stomping.
Key Takeaways
- Chloe Kim’s missing toenails highlight the physical toll of her high-flying tricks
- Gel-X extensions offer a cosmetic fix, not a durable one
- Heading into Cortina 2026, she’s focused on joy over pressure despite injury and history on the line
- A third straight halfpipe gold would cement her as the most dominant woman ever in the event
