Giorgio Armani - Acquaman

“I met so many great people. I was young, and I met so many friends from all of these different countries, it was so fun,” recalls Italian wakeboarding champion Nicolò Caimi. From its debut in the 1980s, wakeboarding has been a beloved sport worldwide. The sport, which mixes water skiing, surfing and snowboarding, takes a lot of determination and passion to become successful. One of of these successful athletes is the 23-year-old Caimi who describes himself as “a very competitive person with everything in his life, but especially in wakeboarding.”

Caimi’s first interaction with the water was when he was just 2 years old. Soon after his dip in the blue, the wondrous sport started to grab his attention. “I was only 6 years old when I started wakeboarding,” he says. “Since then, I’ve only broken my knee twice!” He has internationally competed with the best and made some great friends along the way – two of Caimi’s favorite things to do.

Although it’s mostly fun and games for Caimi, he would often get sick before competitions due to the nerves being sensitive. “In the beginning, when I first started doing competitions, I would be on the dock and feel so bad every time. I was so very nervous. One time I almost threw up before the finals,” he describes. Thankfully, though, Caimi has learned to live with the pressure and let his nerves fade away when he competes.

Moreover, Caimi is also transitioning into the modeling industry. He had the opportunity to work with Giorgio Armani and flew out to Los Angeles to film for their THE SCENT OF LIFE series. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I got to travel for 10 days. I had never been to California, and it’s now one of my favorite places for sure,” he adds. His transition to a career in modeling echoes the same sentiment of his reasons to wakeboard. “I think it’s a great opportunity for adventure and always getting to know other people,” he says. “I like to discover the world.”

The dazzling athlete hails from Cantù, a small town in northern Italy where he’s lived all of his life. While he has a dream to leave his life in Italy, he doesn’t really worry too much about his future. “I just want to see what’s going on. I like to live in the moment and see what’s happening in my life right now,” Caimi says. “I always try to have fun doing my work. I love doing my photos – but we’ll see.”

Writer: Gavy Contreras 

Photographer, Stylist & Men’s Grooming: Al David