For years, Natalie Gulbis relished a chance to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Little did she know, the feeling was mutual -- SI’s swimsuit editors had long been interested in featuring the LPGA pro in the magazine. But a photo spread in nothing but body paint? That happened almost by accident.
Shortly before the 2012 issue went to print, Gulbis, 29, discussed body-paint jitters, how her fellow golf pros might react and whether she’d do it all again.
This is your first appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. You’ve previously modeled in Maxim, FHM, your own calendars … why SI?
Well, I was really grateful to be a part of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. I mean, anyone who has ever done swimsuit or fashion modeling, or as an athlete, just to be invited is a huge honor. It’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of for quite a few years, and I was so excited when they asked me to be a part of it.
Whose idea was it to ditch the bikini in favor of body paint?
As I was walking into the elevator after my first meeting at the SI office in January of last year, I asked them if they had ever body-painted an athlete before, and as the door was closing on the elevator, [senior editor] M. J. Day was like, “No we haven’t. Would you do it? ” And I said, “I think so…let me see... I think so! ” So, from that, SI came back to me sometime after and said, “O. K. , we’ve decided we’re going to body-paint athletes. Does that sound like something you’d like to be a part of? ” It was an honor, and it was exciting.
