Who the Heck is Nora Tobin Volleyball Player?

Nora Tobin, Unknown Beach Volleyball Player

You might not know who beach volleyball player Nora Tobin is, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen her chiseled abs on your computer screen.

Nora Tobin, a virtually unknown volleyball player from California, is one of the most-searched sports figures on the Internet thanks to an online ad for an energy supplement. Google “Nora Tobin volleyball” and what you’ll get is a list of results displaying the same 5 photos—the only photos in public existence—of this attractive, blonde woman. There might be a shortage of Nora Tobin photos, but there’s certainly no lack of interest in the long, lean girl who appears in the Internet ad.

So just who is Nora Tobin? Tobin is a 21 year-old beach volleyball player from Santa Barbara, California. She’s a AA-rated (meaning “second tier” player in the beach volley ball world) amateur player who competed in just two pro beach volley ball tour events last year, placing 37th and 53rd. She didn’t earn a dime from these competitions, had no corporate sponsors, and finished the season ranking a miserable 200th.

With so little street cred in the beach volleyball world, it seems unlikely that Nora Tobin would be a good choice for an energy supplement ad. But take a look at her amazing physique, and you’ll notice that the five foot nine athlete does have some striking assets after all.

Tobin appeared in the Internet ad after sending a photo of herself—the same photo that appears in the ad—to the supplement company. It’s a supplement that she uses herself at her training gym in Santa Barbra. The company, which is partially owned by Lance Armstrong, used to feature ads with the world-famous cyclists’ image but switched to Tobin’s un-Photoshopped picture.

It was a good switch. According to the company’s chief executive, Nora Tobin’s supplement ad has garnered some six billion views since it was released. Not too shabby for an unproven athlete. And not too shabby for the company either: their cheaply-produced Internet ad has resulted in a 275% increase in sales.

In an interview with CNBC.com, Tobin said that she hoped the ad’s popularity would jumpstart her career and earn her some corporate sponsorships. Tobin is currently completing her undergraduate degree and is looking for a new beach volleyball partner.