"Success in the half-pipe is as much about recovery and mental focus as it is about technical progression; Chloe Kim’s curated essentials bridge the gap between high-intensity competition and sustainable wellness."
Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim has redefined the limits of women’s snowboarding, moving the sport into a new era of technical complexity and athletic professionalism. To maintain the rigorous physical standards required for back-to-back 1080s and double-cork maneuvers, Kim relies on a specialized ecosystem of products that support her training, recovery, and mental clarity while on the global competition circuit.
The Mental Edge: Digital Escapism and the Next Generation of Gaming
For an elite athlete, the ability to "switch off" is as critical as the ability to focus. Chloe Kim has long been a proponent of gaming as a tool for mental decompression. Having grown up in the era of the Nintendo DS, Kim’s affinity for the Japanese gaming giant is well-documented. As she prepares for the 2025 season, her primary companion is the Nintendo Switch 2.
The evolution of the Switch platform represents a significant leap for mobile gaming, offering the processing power of a home console in a portable form factor. For Kim, who spends a significant portion of her life in transit, the $449 system is a non-negotiable travel essential. Her current rotation includes Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, a title that emphasizes slow-paced agricultural management—a stark contrast to the high-adrenaline environment of the X Games. Simultaneously, she engages with Mario Kart World, the latest iteration of the franchise that allows for competitive social interaction with peers and fans alike. This balance of "cozy gaming" and competitive play serves as a psychological anchor, providing a sense of normalcy and routine regardless of her geographic location.
Cardiovascular Foundation: The Role of the Nike Zoom Vomero 5
While snowboarding is often viewed through the lens of explosive power and balance, the cardiovascular demands of a half-pipe run are immense. A standard competitive run requires 30 to 45 seconds of anaerobic threshold activity, followed by the need for rapid recovery between heats. To build this "engine," Kim incorporates a consistent running regimen.
Her footwear of choice is the Nike Zoom Vomero 5, a silhouette that has transitioned from a pure performance runner to a cult favorite in both the athletic and lifestyle spheres. Priced at approximately $130, the Vomero 5 is celebrated for its dual-density foam midsole and Zoom Air cushioning. Kim describes the sensation as "bouncy," a technical attribute that translates to high energy return and reduced impact on the joints—a vital consideration for an athlete whose knees and ankles endure massive G-forces during landings. By maintaining a baseline of cardio through morning runs, Kim ensures that her heart rate remains manageable during the high-stress environment of an Olympic final, allowing for better oxygenation of the muscles and sharper cognitive function during mid-air rotations.
The Portable Laboratory: Resistance Band Training
The reality of the professional snowboarding circuit is that high-end gym facilities are not always available in remote mountain villages. To combat this, Kim utilizes a minimalist "mobile gym" centered around Perform Better Mini Bands. These $20 resistance loops are essential for glute activation and core stability.
Snowboarding, particularly in the half-pipe, is a sport of "anti-rotation" and lateral stability. Kim focuses on exercises such as "clams" and glute bridges to ensure the posterior chain is firing correctly. This prevents the lower back from overcompensating during the heavy compressions found at the bottom of the pipe. Additionally, Kim utilizes the bands for "dead bugs," a core-strengthening exercise that emphasizes spinal neutrality. For a snowboarder, a "quiet" upper body is the key to a stable flight path; by strengthening her deep abdominal wall with resistance bands, Kim maintains the structural integrity needed to land "cab" (switch frontside) maneuvers with clinical precision.
Engineering Flight: The Roxy XOXO Snowboard
At the heart of Kim’s success is her equipment, specifically her custom-designed Roxy XOXO snowboard. While the retail version of the board is a favorite among freestyle enthusiasts for its $500 price point and versatile flex, Kim’s personal setup is tuned for the specific demands of the "superpipe."
The Roxy XOXO is engineered with a "magne-traction" edge, which features serrated edges that provide superior grip on the icy, vertical walls of a half-pipe. In 2018, at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Kim made history as the first woman to land back-to-back 1080-degree spins. More recently, she pushed the boundary further by landing a cab double-cork 1080—a move involving three full rotations and two off-axis flips. This level of progression requires a board with immense "pop" and a stiff enough tail to support high-speed landings. The synergy between Kim and her Roxy board is a testament to the importance of specialized hardware in the pursuit of Olympic gold.
Nutritional Focus: Ritual over Caffeine
The lifestyle of an elite athlete often involves early mornings and long days in the cold, leading many to rely on heavy caffeine consumption. However, Kim has opted for a more refined approach to energy management by choosing Rocky’s Matcha over traditional coffee.
Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, provides a different pharmacological profile than coffee. While coffee offers a sharp spike in caffeine often followed by a "crash," matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes "alert calmness." For a snowboarder who needs to be energized yet perfectly still and focused before a drop-in, the $36 ceremonial blend from Rocky’s Matcha provides the ideal cognitive state. Kim also notes the aesthetic appeal of the ritual, which serves as a grounding meditative practice in her morning routine.
Skin Health in Extreme Environments: The Tatcha Regimen
Snowboarding exposes the skin to a brutal combination of high-altitude UV rays, windburn, and extreme cold. To maintain her skin’s barrier, Kim has adopted a rigorous seven-step skincare regimen, with Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream serving as the cornerstone.
Tatcha, a Japanese-inspired brand, focuses on ingredients like green tea, rice, and algae. For Kim, whose parents are from South Korea, the use of a brand that honors Asian skincare traditions is a point of personal connection. The Dewy Skin Cream, priced at $72, uses fermentation to enhance the absorption of nutrients, providing deep hydration that lasts throughout a day on the mountain. By prioritizing skincare, Kim addresses a frequently overlooked aspect of athlete health—the maintenance of the body’s largest organ against the elements.
The Holistic Athlete
Chloe Kim’s selection of tools and rituals reflects a broader trend in professional sports: the move toward holism. By balancing high-tech gaming for mental health, specialized footwear for cardiovascular health, and traditional Asian wellness practices for energy and skincare, Kim has built a lifestyle that supports longevity. In a sport where the margin for error is measured in centimeters and the physical toll is immense, these curated essentials are not merely luxuries; they are the infrastructure of a champion. As she continues to push the limits of what is possible on a snowboard, Kim’s toolkit remains the foundation upon which her historic career is built.