I am trying to remember the past swimsuit issues in Triathlete magazine. I thought that they tried to show representatives of people that actually do triathlons. I guess not anymore (I don't know for sure but I remember past swimsuit issues having a little bio next to the model saying what activities they enjoyed). The models in the swimsuit spread do not represent typical triathletes nor do their swimsuits. NOTE: I do not have a subscription to Triathlete but I did flip through the pages at the book store.
But the swimsuit models are not the news this year. The seat manufacture Fizik has a 2-page ad that shows the real champions of our sport. The caption reads “COMMITED” and the ad has sparked some controversy on the message boards. Many say that these athletes look gaunt and ill - unhealthy. While I am sure the juxtaposition between the beach body pageantry of the swimsuit layout models is being played up I think our cultural definition of health and performance has changed.
The Fizik ad is showing the pinnacle athletes of our sport. They look lean. They look fast. They look like endurance athletes. They have uneven tan lines. They have flaws. They are real athletes and not models. Their performance, not their looks, determines their success.
These are very different objectives than the models in a typical swimsuit layout. If I showed this photograph to my non-triathlete friends they would talk about how unhealthy these individuals appear. However, the models that are presented as healthy in most magazines are no better. The images that they represent are just more culturally accepted.
Let me know what you think of the advertisement. I think that it is a success.
