5 Fabulous Photos of Surfer Alana Blanchard in Nevada

American professional surfer Alana Blanchard is a legend on a surfboard. But if her 2013 SI Swimsuit feature says anything, she is just as fabulous in front of a lens. That year, she joined photographer James Macari in Las Vegas for her debut with the magazine.

While on set in the desert, she caught up with our team and shared details about her surfing career, as well as her feelings about working with SI. “I started surfing when I was about 4 years old,” she explained of her start in the sport. “Surfing is definitely very physical. I’ll surf four to six hours per day—it’s something that you definitely have to work up to.”

Blanchard is certainly an icon when it comes to riding waves, but she also stunned on set in Vegas, in part because it had been a lifelong goal. “When I got the call from Sports Illustrated, I was just so excited. This has seriously been a dream of mine ever since I was little,” she told the team.

In addition to her excitement about the opportunity, though, was the added thrill of the cute new swimsuits that Blanchard had the chance to wear in the photos. As a surfer, she spends a lot of her time in swimwear and definitely knew how to pick a flattering style.

“We got to design special bikinis for the Sports Illustrated shoot, which I was so excited about,” she said of the experience. “I absolutely love them. I’m just so excited for everyone else to see them.”

Below are five of the best photos from her SI Swimsuit feature.

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!