When Joy Beune stepped onto the ice in early 2024, she was already a powerhouse. She had the gold medals. She had the world records. But by the time December rolled around, the conversation shifted from her speed on the blades to a glossy magazine cover that basically broke the Dutch internet.
The Joy Beune Playboy cover wasn't just another celebrity photo shoot. It was a cultural moment in the Netherlands that saw a world-class athlete trade her aerodynamic skinsuit for, well, almost nothing. Just a pair of skating gloves.
Breaking Records Off the Ice
Honestly, the sheer scale of the reaction caught everyone off guard. Even the publishers. Niek Stolker, the editor-in-chief of Playboy Netherlands, mentioned that in over a decade of Pijper Media handling the magazine, they had never seen anything like it. Magazines don't usually get reprints. Books do. But the demand for Beune's issue was so high—reportedly selling four times the usual volume—that they had to fire up the presses for a second run.
It's kinda wild when you think about it. We live in a digital age where everything is available at a click, yet people were sprinting to physical kiosks to grab a copy.
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Why the frenzy?
For starters, Beune is the first-ever reigning world champion to pose for the Dutch edition. While other skaters like Tonny de Jong had done it back in the early 2000s, Beune did it while sitting at the absolute peak of her professional career. She wasn't a retired athlete looking for a second act. She was—and is—the woman to beat in the 1500m and 3000m.
The Mental Battle with Body Image
One thing people often miss is that Joy didn't just jump at the chance. She hesitated. For months.
There is this massive pressure in the speed skating world to be "light." If you've ever watched the sport, you know the skaters are all lean muscle and focus. Beune admitted to the Dutch outlet AD that she spent years comparing herself to her peers. She thought she was "too heavy." She had this voice in her head saying that to be the fastest, she had to be the thinnest.
"That's a load of nonsense," she eventually realized.
She needed the fuel. She needed the energy to push through those brutal final laps. Posing for the Joy Beune Playboy cover was her way of reclaiming her narrative. It was a public declaration that she was proud of the body that earned her those gold medals in Calgary and Inzell. It wasn't about being a "bombshell" in the traditional sense; it was about showing what an elite athlete actually looks like.
Support from the Inner Circle
Kjeld Nuis, her boyfriend and a legendary speed skater himself, was actually the one who nudged her to go for it. His logic was simple: when you're 80 years old looking back, you'll be glad you did it.
Even her parents were on board, though Joy joked that her mother had to cover her eyes for a minute when she first saw the photos.
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A Career Defined by Gold
If you’re only here for the magazine talk, you’re missing the most impressive part of the story. Joy Beune is a generational talent. In March 2024, she became the World Allround Champion. Then, just as the Playboy buzz was hitting its peak, she went out and dominated the 2024/2025 season.
She didn't let the media circus distract her. At the World Single Distances Championships in Hamar in March 2025, she pulled off a "golden hat trick."
- 3000m Gold
- Team Pursuit Gold
- 1500m Gold
She actually thought she blew the 1500m after a bad start. Her opener was a 26.1—not great by her standards. But her final lap was sub-31 seconds, a feat no other woman in the field could match. That’s the kind of grit we’re talking about.
Why This Matters in 2026
As we look toward the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Beune is no longer just a "skater who did Playboy." She’s a symbol of a new era of female athletes who refuse to be put in a box. You can be a world-class competitor and still embrace your femininity or your public image on your own terms.
She’s currently ranked as one of the most consistent long-distance skaters in the world. Her training with Team IKO has focused heavily on biomechanics and maintaining that power-to-weight ratio that she once felt so insecure about.
The Joy Beune Playboy cover didn't "distract" from her sport. If anything, it gave speed skating a massive PR boost in a year where it needed to stay relevant between Olympic cycles.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Sport
If you're following Joy's journey as she gears up for Milan 2026, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Final Lap: Joy’s "engine" is her trademark. She often wins races in the final 400 meters while others are fading.
- Check the Splits: In the 3000m, look for her to maintain ultra-consistent 30-second laps. That's her "sweet spot."
- Follow the Dutch Circuit: The competition within the Netherlands is often harder than the actual World Cups. Keep an eye on her battles with Marijke Groenewoud and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong.
Joy Beune proved that you can break records on the ice and on the newsstand at the same time. She didn't lose her "edge" by posing; she just showed the world exactly what that edge is made of.