The United States team sent some seriously wicked ladies to PyeongChang for the winter Olympic games, but I’ve especially got my eye on the women of our snowboarding team. Out of the five gold medals the U.S. team has received, the female snowboarders are responsible for two of them! This is nothing short of straight-up badass! The two especially radical women accredited for these winnings are Chloe Kim and Jamie Anderson.
Courtesy: NBC
Rider Chloe Kim is one to watch. This young prodigy is only seventeen years old and on a major come-up. Just before the winter Olympics commenced, Kim left her mark at the X Games in Aspen. The young rider threw down massive 1080s, McTwists, all the bells and whistles, allowing her to claim the highest score ever achieved in a women’s SuperPipe competition. Fast forward a month and this superstar steps up to the plate once again. Kim showed the world that she was a serious contender by going big in the Olympic Women’s Half-Pipe Final. She laid out flawless runs with style and ease, claiming the gold medal for the United States. If her performance alone wasn’t already impressive enough, she also set yet another record by being the youngest medalist in Olympic half-pipe history. Other than having super-human snowboarding abilities, Kim is also a super cool and humble kid. Just before competing in her first ever Olympic games, she tweeted about feeling “hangry” leading up to competition time, a feeling all too relatable. It’s also been reported that Kim likes to rock out to songs like “Toxic” by Britney Spears as she drops into the half-pipe.
Courtesy: Twitter
Jaime Anderson is another big name in snowboarding, and for good reason! This 27-year-old has taken home two back-to-back gold medals in consecutive Winter Olympic Games. Rather than half-pipe like Kim, Anderson dominates in slopestyle. In this event, boarders tackle a technical terrain park, showcasing their mastery of the sport and ability to lay out insane tricks. Sometimes riders hit speeds of nearly 50-mph in these events! Fear is only a motivator to incredible athletes like Anderson, who is the first woman ever to bring home a gold in this division for the United States.
Courtesy: NBC
Anderson started snowboarding at the age of eight and has been crushing it ever since. Like anyone familiar with the sport would understand, Anderson reports that the early stages of learning how to ride were rough, but that she immediately fell in love with it as soon as she stepped foot onto a board.
Aside from snowboarding, Anderson is also a fellow yogi and enjoys exploring the outdoors. Anderson is all about giving back to her fans and offers advice on how to lead an active, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle. Several nonprofits are also held close to Anderson’s heart, as she is constantly giving back to the snowboarding community. In 2013, the Jamie Anderson Foundation was established, supporting aspiring young athletes in their endeavors toward success.
These women don’t just stop at snowboarding; they dominate in all aspects of life!