The 2020 Swimsuit Issue from Sports Illustrated just dropped – and it came with a few familiar names for surf fans: Caroline Marks, Courtney Conlogue, and Malia Manuel.
It’s not the first time surfers have been featured in the Swimsuit Issue. Past alumni include Anastasia Ashley and Alana Blanchard. But this time, it’s pretty significant that they selected not just one, but three of surfing’s top female competitors – last season, Caroline ranked second in the world (along with landing a spot in next year’s Olympics), Courtney landed at seventh, and Malia netted out at ninth.
To hear more about the experience of wearing not the most surf-friendly swimsuits, among other things, Caroline caught up with Red Bull. See snippets of their convo below.
2020 Swimsuit Issue — on newsstands now. Photo: James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Why she did the shoot…
“The Sports Illustrated shoot has been something that’s been on my bucket list. It’s something I’ve always really wanted to do. And, you know, as a female, showing your body can be really…you definitely have to have a lot of confidence. To show your body being in a bikini. That’s what our sport’s about — we’re always showing our skin a lot. People are constantly judging you. And I think what’s so cool about Sports Illustrated is that they celebrate every single type of body type. So, the Sports Illustrated shoot was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever done. The whole crew was really nice. Went to the Turks and Caicos, I went with my mom, we stayed at this unbelievable house, and I even got to surf. I had just turned 18.”
2020 Swimsuit Issue — on newsstands now. Photo: James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Being comfortable in her own skin…
“Well, I went pro when I was 15. And you know, when you’re 15 you’re like becoming a woman and things start changing. You get boobs, you get a butt…You’re a woman. So honestly at the start, you know, it was only a little bit tricky for me because, you know, I went from this little kid, wearing boardshorts the whole day. I grew up with all boys to competing on this big stage in front of a lot of people. A lot of people like looking at my body and watching my body. I remember I had a few Instagram comments right when I made the [Championship] Tour. They would judge your body and things like that. I remember I was really offended. But now at this point, luckily, I have so many awesome people in my life and I’m just really happy.
“And you know, my mom had the same body type as me growing up in. So she understands everything, you know, everything I was going through and things like that, because I had broken my ankle and I gained a little bit of weight and it was kind of hard. But you know, at this point, I’m kind of like, I don’t really care what people say. So it’s kind of hard, but you know…It’s so cool to see huge companies like Sports Illustrated and [others] celebrating all different body types.
“It just makes you feel awesome. You don’t have to be like the stereotype, skinny model body type. So I’m an athlete, like I have big legs, and I have a muscular body and it’s awesome because they celebrate that. So I definitely think I’ve gotten a lot more confident over the last couple of years. And I’m definitely super happy with my body right now, that’s for sure. To do a shoot like that, get to show it and feel comfortable in my bikini was really cool.”
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What she’s been up to lately…
“My days are pretty simple. I’m like a little surf rat. I try to surf four hours a day, which obviously depends on how the waves are. So perhaps sometimes more, sometimes a little bit less. But I surf a couple times a day. I’ve been staying on top of my training about four times a week I see my trainer. But then other days I do it on my own, do it on my own at my house and stuff.
“And [otherwise] I pretty much hang out with my family. I’ve been golfing a little bit, that’s a new thing. I haven’t golfed at all — and I just finished high school. So now that I’m done with that, I’m pretty much surfing, in the gym …hanging with my family, and trying to stay safe.”
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