Go Behind the Scenes With Eileen Gu for Her SI Swimsuit Debut Shoot Day

The 21-year-old freestyle skier makes her debut with SI Swimsuit for the 2025 issue.

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

The SI Swimsuit shoot for our 2025 issue continues on Monday, seeing not just one but two incredible athletes joining the fold. Along with Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas, Olympic skier Eileen Gu was announced to be making her debut for the brand, arriving in sunny Boca Raton, Fla. to pose for photographer Ben Horton. Though we won't be seeing the official photos until a later date, the models have been taking over the SI Swimsuit socials, sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos from some of the most exciting moments. Join Gu on her shoot day by following along on this page and our Instagram.

Having started competing in free skiing at 8 years old, Gu is now a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a 15-time FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup winner and has competed in the X Games and FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships. She currently holds the record for most World Cup wins for a free ski athlete.

The multi-hyphenate is not just an athlete either, having posed on the covers of Vogue China, Harper’s Bazaar China and more—currently represented by IMG Models—and is pursuing a quantum physics degree at Stanford University. Needless to say, Gu is seriously impressive, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the SI Swimsuit family today. We’ll updated this post live as Gu shared teases of her photo shoot day.

This afternoon, we got a full look tease from Gu’s photo shoot, showing the athlete posing on a bench beachside wearing a white Always on Holiday one-piece featuring sheer cutouts, giving the classic suit a unique spin. Her blonde hair is styled in loose waves that perfectly match the beach vibe and her simple yet stunning makeup features a pink lip. To match her suit, her nails are manicured and painted white.

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. Wearing Always on Holiday Suit / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Along with Thomas, Gu took over the SI Swimsuit Instagram by sharing updates on our story, beginning with a gorgeous selfie showing off her finished hair and glam followed by a shot from the hair and makeup chair.

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

We then got to follow along with the skier from the set, seeing her take a rain break when the Florida weather decided not to cooperate. Though we don’t know what other suits she’s been modeling in, we can tell from her hair and glam that the photos will turn out just stunning.

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

After her morning of photos, Gu was then interviewed for the brand, and it looks like the athlete will be giving us an “exposing” phone tour in an upcoming video.

Eileen Gu’s SI Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

Next up, Gu joined in on the Instagram reel fun (also shared on Facebook) to show off her finished look and give us a glimpse at another swimsuit, this time a lime green two-piece. Mouthing the sound from a Dakota Johnson interview, the skier went from the hair and makeup chair inside to the tropical walkway outside in a gorgeous video.

We call it the SI Swimsuit effect. 👙

Posted by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on Monday, November 4, 2024

“We call it the SI Swimsuit effect. 👙,” we captioned the post.

To commemorate the end of the shoot, Gu posed with Thomas for a quick video, announcing that they’d be signing off.

Gabby Thomas, Eileen Gu on SI Swimsuit photo shoot in Boca Raton, Fla. / Instagram / @si_swimsuit

Stay tuned for more updates on Gu’s SI Swimsuit debut.

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