High-Altitude Climber Lotta Hintsa Was a Vision in Pastels in the Dominican Republic

The Finnish model was discovered through the Swim Search open casting call last year.

Ananya Panchal | Oct 11, 2023

Lotta Hintsa was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominican Republic.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Finnish model Lotta Hintsa lives to be a barrier-breaking beauty. The 34-year-old, who was crowned Miss Finland in 2013, made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2022 as a Swim Search finalist. She was photographed by Yu Tsai in the Dominican Republic.

The open casting call alumna, who has the skin condition vitiligo, showed off her spots during her photoshoot while posing in a series of absolutely gorgeous pastel solid and printed bikinis. Hintsa lives a sort of nomadic life, while all her mail and legal documents go to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, she spends most of her time living in trailers, tent or basecamps of various mountains.

She’s certainly not afraid of a little adventure, as a professional high-altitude climber and endurance athlete, and wants to inspire other women to be fearless and strong.

“The SI Swimsuit brand is redefining femininity in this world in a powerful way, and I am extremely grateful to have that strength associated with my platform. I hope that the authentic expression of myself, being a woman in extreme sports, can serve their messaging, too,” she said about what the magazine feature meant to her. “Despite having been in the public eye for nine years and doing quite a few photoshoots, this is the first time [my vitiligo spots are] properly on display. I’ve been comfortable with them for a long time myself, but photographers and editors haven’t been. I’m so grateful that the SI Swimsuit team was O.K. with showing them off and actually encouraging it. I’ve gotten so many grateful comments from people who either have vitiligo or have loved ones who have it, and see the skin condition on a platform like SI Swimsuit has helped them feel more comfortable and embrace their own white spots.”

Below are four of our favorite photos of Hintsa in the Dominican Republic.

Lotta Hinsta — Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Lotta Hintsa was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Bareminimale

Lotta Hintsa was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by JMP The Label

Lotta Hintsa was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Nessy Swimwear

Now through Nov. 1, 100% of SI Swimsuit’s portion of proceeds from cover prints purchased here will be donated to the Maui Strong Fund, which is helping to support the people and places of Maui affected by the recent wildfires.

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Published Oct 11, 2023

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.