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Chloe Kim dyes her hair because her mom made a deal she thought would be hard to beat — and she did it by 13 years old

Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim

David Ramos/Getty Images

  • 17-year-old Chloe Kim is one of the most exciting young athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.

  • Kim's dyed hair has become a part of her snowboarding persona, and it all started with a bet she made with her mother long before she became an Olympic star.

  • After Kim took home bronze at age 13 during a competition against some of the best in the world, her mom finally relented and allowed her to dye her hair.



Chloe Kim is one of the can't-miss stars of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

At just 17-years-old, she's already one of the best halfpipe riders in the world, and will likely be a mainstay of Team USA at the Winter Games for years to come.

But before she was competing for Olympic gold, Kim was riding for different stakes — the right to dye her hair.

Kim told ESPNW in 2016 that her mother was originally hesitant to allow her to dye her hair. After asking over and over for permission, her mom finally relented, but with a caveat — Kim could dye her hair if she made the podium at the 2014 U.S. Burton Open.

For any other 13-year-old, this might have been a tall order — it's tough for anyone to win a medal amongst the best in the world, especially if you're still two years away from getting your learner's permit. But Kim threw down and wound up in third place, winning bronze and more importantly, the right to dye her hair.

"I got third that year, and I was like, 'Let's go the salon,'" Kim says.

Watch a clip from Kim's ESPNW interview below.

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