Skip to main content

Extreme Exposure: Lindsey Vonn wins despite injury, X Games Oslo, more

In this week's edition of Extreme Exposure, Chloe Kim goes for a "Chloe Slam," Nyjah Huston wins his seventh X Games gold medal and much more.

In this week's edition of Extreme Exposure—a weekly column featuring news and photography from the world of action and outdoor sports—Chloe Kim goes for a "Chloe Slam," Nyjah Huston wins his seventh X Games gold medal and much more.

Vonn With Heart

Lindsey Vonn probably won over more than a few naysayers this weekend after the 31-year-old, who appeared in the SI Swimsuit Issue last week after getting the body-paint treatment, suffered a hellacious wreck during her super-G run on Saturday in Andorra. She lay motionless on the slopes as medical crews sprinted towards her, eventually being carted away on a rescue sled. And an X-ray showed she had a hairline fracture in her left knee. But she wrapped it up and went for it on Sunday, finishing 13th in the combined and slightly extending her ever-so-slim 28-point lead in the coveted overall World Cup Title race (she’s seeking her 5th overall globe and with her finish, forced a three-way tie for the alpine combined title).

"Yesterday, I thought I wouldn't be able to ski today," Vonn said. "But there was a small chance, and I believed in it. With this mind-set, a lot is possible. I am a fighter. Many think it's just drama, but that's nonsense. I have pain, but I can fight. I always give everything."

Sweet Sweep

Three’s company as red, white and blue covered the X Games ski Superpipe podium in Oslo, Norway this weekend with Torin Yater-Wallace, Alex Ferreira and Gus Kenworthy taking the top three spots. This was Yater-Wallace’s third X Games gold and at 20, he’s easily established himself as one of the best halfpipe skiers in the world (he has two silvers as well).

The American’s came to play in Norway: Kenworthy, the only X Games athlete to compete in two disciplines, also finished with bronze in Big Air. Along with Chloe Kim, Kelly Clark and Arielle Gold rounded out a yank sweep of the snowboard SuperPipe podium and Chase Josey won his first snowboard medal with a bronze in the men’s SuperPipe. Maddie Bowman ended second in women’s SuperPipe skiing.

Chloe Slam

You have to call it something. At 15 years old, both the mainstream and endemic media can agree, Chloe Kim is the most influential female snowboarder in a generation. She won another X Games gold this weekend in Oslo, which marks an impressive year for the young Californian. She won gold at X Games in Aspen, captured halfpipe and slopestyle gold at the youth Olympics last week, then dominated Oslo. Kim’s prowess in the pipe is unparalleled as she has an understanding of style to go with her amplitude that hasn’t been seen in the women’s side of the sport before. Next up to complete the Chloe Slam? The U.S. Open in Vail this week that would round out an unparalleled year for Kim.

#https://instagram.com/p/BCQfle0g7ZO/

Nyjah For The Win

The Oslo X Games marked the first time that ESPN had mixed summer and winter disciplines as the franchise brought skateboarding into the winter fray. The course was built in an old warehouse in the city, creating center stage for one of the X Games’ most popular summer sports. And Nyjah Huston definitely brought his game, winning his seventh X Games gold medal in street. The 21-year-old has been competing at the X Games for 10 years and has medaled in each of his last 10 appearances and is well-entrenched as the most successful competitive skater in the sport.

Ryan Dungey Lives!

Ryan Dungey is on a ridiculous tear. This weekend in Atlanta he won the 450SX event on the final lap, edging out rookie Marvin Musquin to secure his fifth win in a row and his 19th straight finish in the top two. "I was wanting to make the pass happen, but Marvin [Musquin] was setting the pace out front. A really good one," said Dungey. "I lost some ground and then would gain on him. It kept going like that. Unfortunately we [almost] got together there at the end, but that's racing. He's [still] a winner tonight. To run like that as a rookie is impressive."