Mady Dewey Channels Surfer Vibes in These Pics From Puerto Rico

The 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie won the brand’s Swim Search a year prior.

Cara O’Bleness | Feb 15, 2024

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

As winner of the 2022 Swim Search, Mady Dewey returned to the SI Swimsuit Issue as a rookie in the ’23 issue. While her initial brand feature took her to the Dominican Republic, Dewey traveled to Puerto Rico for last May’s magazine.

While the California native almost didn’t apply for the brand’s open casting call, we sure are glad she did. A content creator and product marketer by day, Dewey decided to go for it, and she seized her opportunity to pose for the pages of the magazine in the hopes of inspiring other women to chase their own dreams.

“One of the biggest reasons why I did this was because I felt like [as] someone who works in a tech environment, I didn’t see people that were going after their creative dreams or their dreams outside of just their career, it felt like you had to be placed into this box, like you could only be someone who was smart or career motivated,” Dewey explained of participating in the Swim Search. “And I did this because I want women to see that they can do everything that they want. They can break the stereotype of what a person in their industry looks like, and I just hope that I can be that person for other girls.”

While in the Caribbean posing for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, Dewey worked with photographer Ben Watts. The styling on location was inspired by the 1970s surf culture aesthetic, which you’ll see evident in the photos below.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Gonza. Shorts by Aviator Nation.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. Sunglasses by Otra Eyewear. Necklace by ByRoxStudio.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Gonza. Shorts by Aviator Nation.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by BECCA by Rebecca Virtue. Scarf by Dandy Del Mar. Necklaces by Brinker + Eliza.

Mady Dewey was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Gonza. Shorts by Aviator Nation.

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Published Feb 15, 2024

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.