The 2020 Swimsuit Issue of Illustrated Sports It just fell, and it came with some familiar names for surfing fans: Caroline Marks, Courtney Conlogue, and Malia Manuel.
It is not the first time that surfers appear in the swimsuit edition. Former students include Anastasia Ashley and Alana Blanchard. But this time, it is quite significant that they selected not just one, but three of the top female surfing competitors: Last season, Caroline ranked second in the world (along with a spot at next year’s Olympics), Courtney He landed in seventh place and Malia scored in 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 her convo below.
Why did you shoot …
“The Illustrated Sports Shooting has been something on my wish list. It is something I always wanted to do. And as a woman, showing off your body can really be … you should definitely be very confident. To show your body in a bikini. That’s what our sport is all about: we always show our skin a lot. People constantly judge you. And I think it’s great Illustrated Sports is that they celebrate every type of body. So he Illustrated Sports Shooting was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever done. The entire crew was really nice. I went to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I went with my mother, we stayed in this amazing house and I was even able to surf. I had just turned 18.
Be comfortable in your own skin …
“Well, I was a professional when I was 15 years old. And you know, when you are 15, you are like becoming a woman and things start to change. You have breasts, you have a butt … You are a woman. Honestly, at first, you know, it was kind of complicated for me because, you know, I went from this little boy, who was wearing shorts all day. I grew up with all the boys to compete on this great stage in front of many people. Many people like to look at my body and look at my body. I remember having some Instagram comments right when I did the [Championship] Excursion. They would judge your body and things like that. I remember that I was really offended. But now, at this point, luckily, I have so many amazing people in my life and I’m really happy.
“And you know, my mother had the same body type as I was growing up. So she understands everything, you know, everything that was going on and things like that, because I had broken my ankle and put on a little weight.” and it was a little difficult. But you know, at this point, I’m like, I really don’t care what people say. So it’s a little difficult, but you know … It’s great to see great companies like Illustrated Sports and [others] celebrating all different body types.
“It just makes you feel amazing. You don’t have to be like the stereotype, the skinny model’s body type. So I’m an athlete, like I have big legs, and I have a muscular body and it’s amazing because they celebrate that. So I definitely think I have become much more confident in the past few years. And I’m definitely super happy with my body right now, that’s for sure. Doing a session like that, showing it and feeling comfortable in my bikini was really great. ”
What he’s been up to lately …
“My days are quite 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 maybe sometimes more, sometimes a little less. But I surf a few times a day. I have kept track of my training about four times a week. I see my coach. But then, other days I do it alone, I do it alone in my house and stuff.
“AND [otherwise] I almost went out with my family. I’ve been playing golf a little bit, that’s a new thing. I haven’t played golf at all, and I just finished high school. So now that I’m done with that, I’m practically surfing, in the gym … hanging out with my family and trying to stay safe. “
