Watch The World's Sexiest Acroyogi Make His Partner Look Weightless
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Six months ago, Sylvie Curci, 27, a professional acroyogi from Manhattan, saw a shirtless photo of Jake Boly, strength coach and founder of That Fit Friend on Instagram.
Instead of simply liking the photo, Sylvie's first impulse was to recruit him for acroyoga — after all, he certainly looked strong enough to be a base, the term acroyogis use for anyone who lifts another human, or flyer, off the ground.
After a couple of DMs, the pair met up to practice, and they've been going strong ever since. To capture their craziest poses — and find out more about their unique (but strictly platonic) relationship — Cosmopolitan.com recently followed the duo around New York City.
Sylvie is wearing a Lime Green Sports Bra, SPLITS59, $40; Yellow Sports Bra, ALO, $54; Red Leggings, ALALA, $105; and White and Gray Running Shoes, APL, $165. Jake is wearing Blue Running Shorts, NIKE, $80; and Black and White Running Shoes, NIKE, $110.
How do you get into acroyoga in the first place?
Sylvie: I grew up completely gymnastics-crazed, and, as an undergrad at Emory University, I transitioned into springboard diving. I got into Crossfit when I came back to NYC for grad school at New York University. I missed being upside-down, so two years later, when a yoga teacher introduced me to acro, I started practicing.
Jake: I went from being a hockey player to a cheerleader at Hofstra University. Since then, holding people above my head is something I've become pretty comfortable with. Compared to cheerleading, acro involves more slow and controlled movements, but there's no doubt that cheerleading helped me connect with the underlying principles of acroyoga right away. Now I practice acroyoga usually once or twice a week. For me, acro is about accomplishing new skills and moving in different ways. It's a form of working out.
What's practice like?
Sylvie: We try to find at least one day a week to hang out together and monkey around. We take mini adventures to new parks in the city or mountains upstate, creating new shapes in nature.
Jake: Typically, we will see a new skill and say, "You know, I think we could do that." Then we practice until we accomplish it, sometimes for hours.
How do people respond when they see you practicing outside?
Jake: I imagine people stop what they're doing and stare. They're thinking, How is that even possible?
Sylvie: They typically take out their phones and start snapping us. I love finding random images of us on Instagram from people that didn't even stop and say hey.
What else do you do for fitness to stay in such amazing shape?
Jake: I lift weights four to five times per week, and I do outdoor sprints on the weekends.
Sylvie: I like to keep my body guessing and trying to keep up, so in a typical week, I'll visit Solace New York for a Crossfit, Modo Yoga NYC for restorative flows in the heat, and row at CITYROW for low-impact cardio.
What are the biggest misconceptions about acroyoga, and what's the truth?
Jake: I think a big misconception is how skilled flyers have to be. The amount of athleticism it takes to fly is unreal: core strength, coordination, flexibility, and all-around strength.
Have you ever gotten hurt doing acroyoga?
Jake: No.
Sylvie: I've only had one minor injury. Once with Jake, I landed oddly and ended up hurting my elbow. It was nobody's fault; we blame bad communication. Acro is all about communication. Before a pose, we need to talk about how we are entering it and what our exit strategy is. During, we need to communicate what we need from one another, sometimes nonverbally with a hand squeeze to indicate which side to rotate toward. After, we need to talk about what went well and what could use a little improvement. When all of these components come together, we can be successful and continue to grow our practice safely. Since my injury, Jake and I always talk about moves (including entry and exit strategies) before flinging me up into the air! We're both better acroyogis from the experience.
Communication is a pillar of a strong relationship. Are you guys dating?
Jake: Everyone is always thinking things are romantic, and while acro creates a meaningful bridge between two people, we've remained just close friends. I haven't really dated anyone since I started doing acroyoga.
Sylvie: Acroyoga is truly intimate and does require a lot of trust and communication, but for me, it's a sport and an outlet for my athleticism. That I've managed to kept my acro life and dating life relatively separate over the years is part of what has allowed me to enjoy the practice so much. So I'm basically just in an open relationship with acro at the moment.
What makes a good acro partner?
Jake: Trust, willingness to learn, ability to take corrections, and knowing when to joke versus when to be serious.
Sylvie: I agree that a good acro partner is someone who values trust — which is earned through shared experiences over time — and is dedicated to improving. But I also need my partner to be playful. I went through many years of my life chasing blue ribbons and perfect 10s — but acroyoga is about having fun and truly being present in the moment.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length.
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