ESPN Body Issue: Gretchen Bleiler's Spread Will Create Buzz For Snowboarding

Gretchen Bleiler will be turning heads in the coming weeks, and in the process she will get more people interested in women's snowboarding.

That kind of interest is what happens when beautiful athletes don the cover of a magazine without wearing any clothes. 

Bleiler is one of the four cover athletes for ESPN The Magazine Body Issue.

ESPN had been trying to get the stunning blonde snowboarder in their Body Issue for three years. This was not a decision that Bleiler made lightly.

Bleiler, as quoted on ESPN.

            "I took it so seriously. It's such a vulnerable thing for an athlete to do."

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"That's why I turned down the Body Issue the first two times they asked. I wasn't ready. This time, I was saying yes because I wanted to do it. And I felt confident in my decision."

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Bleiler has good reason to feel confident in her decision. Here is the cover and another photo from the magazine.

This magazine will be viewed by a much broader audience than the typical women's snowboarding audience. There is no doubt a few of these new eyes will be tuning in the next time they see a women's snowboarding event on TV.