Kate Bock Recalls the Sweet Moment She Learned She Landed an SI Swimsuit Magazine Cover

Kate Bock, Jasmine Sanders and Olivia Culpo were photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali.Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Ten-time SI Swimsuit model Kate Bock became a cover girl in 2020 after her photo shoot with Yu Tsai in Bali. She achieved the milestone alongside Olivia Culpo and Jasmine Sanders, and in an interview marking her decade with the magazine, the 35-year-old revealed it was her favorite shoot of all time.

During Miami Swim Week 2022, Bock recalled the moment she found out she landed the cover. In most years, editor in chief MJ Day breaks the news to the cover stars in person. In 2020, however, during the COVID-19 pandemic, things were a bit different.

The Swim team enlisted the help of Bock’s boyfriend at the time (now husband), NBA star Kevin Love. He pretended ABC’s Good Morning America was working on a couple’s story about them and wanted to film an interview at home.

“I was like, ‘Sure, cool.’ So we had a camera crew come into our house and set everything up. I had hair and makeup done. It was Kevin asking me questions,” the 35-year-old Bock explained. “The fifth one was ‘Who’s on the cover of Sports Illustrated?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. It’s not out, like are you stupid? Like, what are you talking about?’”

Love then handed Bock the next question, which was a poster of the cover of the three women rolled up like a scroll and tied with a ribbon.

Bock, who is chief brand officer for hard seltzer company Pompette, unraveled the paper, and her jaw dropped.

“No way! Really?” she gushed.

MJ Day and members of the Swim team showed up on Bock’s and Love’s driveway wearing masks and bearing posters that read “Cover Girl” and “You’re a Bock Star.”

The Cattura Jewelry founder made her SI Swimsuit debut as a rookie in 2013 in Easter Island and has been featured every year since. Her most recent shoot was in Belize in 2022.

Kate Bock was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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