Two-time Olympic snowboarding champion Chloe Kim has joked that fans who stop her for photographs should extend their editing skills to everyone in the frame before uploading the pictures online. In a TikTok video posted to her official account, the 26-year-old athlete said: 'If you are going to stop me for a photo and you are going to post it, Facetune me too.'
Kim appeared to be addressing the awkward experience of discovering that someone has digitally perfected their own face while leaving everybody else untouched. Explaining her position with a smile, she added: 'Don't just Facetune yourself. That's rude', turning a familiar social media frustration into a viral joke about filters, skin smoothing and the pressure to appear camera-ready.
@chloekim please and thank you
♬ original sound - Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim Has History With Fan Selfies
Kim's latest remark fits the playful relationship she has maintained with fans who recognise her away from the snowboarding halfpipe. She previously surprised unsuspecting visitors by photobombing their pictures at Rockefeller Center in New York City, quietly stepping into the background as they posed before introducing herself as the Olympic gold medallist standing behind them.
The stunt was filmed as Kim unveiled a cereal box featuring her photograph following her breakout Olympic victory. Several people initially believed they were taking ordinary tourist pictures, only to discover that one of the world's most successful snowboarders had joined their photographs. The encounter demonstrated how fan selfies and spontaneous public photographs became part of Kim's life after she achieved international fame as a teenager.
Her newest comment focuses on the less controlled side of those interactions. Unlike professional campaign photographs or competition images, a fan selfie can be taken without flattering lighting, careful posing or any say over which frame is eventually posted. Kim's request was delivered as a joke, but it captured the imbalance created when the person controlling the picture edits only themselves.
The video quickly prompted social media users to share similar experiences. One commenter said editing only one person made the difference 'so obvious', while another described Kim's request as 'a very reasonable ask'. Others debated whether digitally altering somebody else without permission could be equally uncomfortable, showing how the joke touched on a wider question about unspoken selfie etiquette.
From Teenage Prodigy to Olympic Champion
Born in Torrance, California, Kim started snowboarding at four years old after her father bought her first board on eBay for approximately €21 ($25). She began competing while still a child and finished second during her first Winter X Games appearance at 13, quickly establishing herself as one of the most technically ambitious athletes in women's snowboarding.
Kim became a global star at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where she won the women's halfpipe competition at 17. The result made her the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal, while her successful title defence at Beijing 2022 made her the first woman to win consecutive Olympic halfpipe titles.
The American athlete has also collected multiple Winter X Games and World Championship titles during a career defined by increasingly difficult tricks. She became the first woman to land a 1260 in a halfpipe competition, completing three-and-a-half rotations and continuing her reputation for pushing the technical limits of the sport.
Kim's achievements have expanded her profile far beyond competitive snowboarding. She has appeared in fashion campaigns, attended major industry events and worked with snow and lifestyle brands, placing her at the intersection of elite sport, celebrity culture and fashion.
Why Chloe Kim Still Connects With Fans
Kim's appeal has never rested solely on what she can do in the halfpipe. Since becoming an Olympic champion at 17, she has built her public image on candour, openly discussing fame, pressure and the less glamorous side of constant recognition.
That honesty keeps her relatable even as her career moved into fashion and celebrity culture. Fans follow her not just for gold medals, but because she talks like someone navigating the same awkward online rules as everyone else.
Her Facetune joke worked because it narrowed the distance between an elite athlete and the fans photographing her, framing fame as a shared social media problem rather than something untouchable.
For supporters, that willingness to admit even Olympic champions worry about bad angles and camera rolls is part of what makes Kim worth watching beyond competition season.
