All Hail the Queen: Hailey Clauson rules the Coney Island Mermaid Parade

Kelsey Hendrix | Jun 29, 2016

Taylor Ballantyne for Sports Illustrated

All Hailey the Queen!

Never in the 34-year history of the Coney Island Mermaid Parade has there been a queen as beautiful as SI Swimsuit cover model Hailey Clauson. So when the blonde bombshell took her place of mer-royalty a little less than two weeks ago, we knew it was going to be an afternoon to remember!

Shorts by L’Agence. Crown by Scarlet Harlow by Carrie Callaway. Corset by The Blonds.

The annual Mermaid Parade celebrates ancient mythology and honky-tonk rituals of the seaside, while showcasing over 3,000 creatives from all over the five boroughs and beyond. The parade sets the stage to open the summer season with incredible art, an entrepreneurial spirit and community pride.

Taylor Ballantyne for Sports Illustrated

Founded in 1983, the parade still prides itself on three main goals: "it brings mythology to life for local residents who live on streets named Mermaid and Neptune; it creates self-esteem in a district that is often disregarded as “entertainment”; and it lets artistic New Yorkers find self-expression in public.

All that to say, doesn't Hailey look AMAZING, and don't you wish you had been there?!

And don't forget, there's more to come! SI Swimsuit will be back on Coney Island for the first-ever Summer of Swim Music & Fan Festival on Sunday Aug. 28th. See you then!

BONUS: See some of Hailey and Nina's best moments from the 2016 Mermaid Parade!