Maya Gabiera - is that a set I see coming out the
back?

Maya Gabiera - delightful duck dive. ESPN photo.

Pro surfer Maya Gabiera from Brazil is the only action sports athlete featured in this year's ESPN the Body Issue. Which is a bit surprising because last year we saw Louie Vito, Gretchen Bleiler and Stephanie Gilmore. Regardless Gabiera makes up for it with both her images. One a graceful nude duckdive, the other a swirling lineup scanning posterier angle worth praising. In speaking with ESPN about it, the big wave goddess said:

"It's pretty weird to surf naked," she said in this video interview, "I had to focus on surfing and I was more just self conscious to control something that was uncontrollable. On her family's thoughts..."I've been getting some good feedback. My family liked it -- my Dad, that was a big relief," Gabeira told me today, "I liked it myself. I felt more artistic than exposed. But the picture came out alright."