Advertisement

Bar Refaeli’s one-seeds among supermodels: Kate Moss, Gisele, Cindy Crawford and herself

Model Bar Refaeli has been gracing ad and magazine pages for seemingly forever, but the Israeli-born model is only 29. Since first appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2007, she has appeared on its cover (in 2009) and in a Super Bowl ad—a GoDaddy.com spot during Super Bowl XLVIII.

While promoting her latest campaign—this for Hublot watches—Refaeli spoke with For the Win about basketball, modeling, and brackets. Her Final Four? All four one-seeds.

What was your favorite sport growing up?

Beating my brother up. What kind of sports? Volleyball, but not professional, it was just for fun. In Israel, we go to the beach, so surfing, paddle boarding, kite surfing, that sort of stuff.
To watch now? Basketball.

If we created a bracket for models, and you’re a number one seed, who are the other three?
Bar’s top four seeds in Model Madness. (Getty Images)

Bar’s top four seeds in Model Madness. (Getty Images)

I don’t think there is only four spots. I think that is what is beautiful about the fashion industry and models in particular is that there is all kinds of girls and so many. But if you twist my arm, I’ll have to say: I always looked up to Kate Moss. Gisele … and Cindy [Crawford].

For last year’s GoDaddy Super Bowl ad, how did they present this idea to you and how did you get that spot?

It’s funny because I didn’t understand the importance of a Super Bowl ad before that. I just, they sent me a script and I laughed, I really laughed and my agency told me it is also a big deal and it’s very important , so I said of course. Anything that allows me to make fun of myself, I’ll do.

In the modeling industry, What are the perks behind the scenes that we don’t know about?

I can never complain of being taken to the Maldives or Jamaica for free. That’s kind of a nice perk and I get a lot of swimsuits delivered to me all the time, so it’s kind of fun. My boyfriend always wonders how come my bikini drawer is filled, like really overloaded with bikinis and I always tell them “I don’t spend that much money, they send them to me.”

What famous athletes would make a good model?

Danica Patrick. I think she’s amazing. I worked with a few on one of the issues for Sports Illustrated, so Chris Paul was really, really cool. I was more excited than he was. He was just a really good model.

Chris Paul doing his best "Blue Steel." (Getty Images)

Chris Paul doing his best “Blue Steel.” (Getty Images)

Here are Bar’s picks for March Madness.

Bar Refaeli Picks

More College Basketball