Vonn's SI bikini has Minnesota ties

One of the bikinis Minnesota's skiing Olympian Lindsey Vonn wore for SI is creating a sensation around the LA offices of swimsuit designer Kerry Cushman, a native of Cambridge.

"We were thrilled to be in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition that came out yesterday. It's just huge," said Cushman, prez and CEO of Kushcush. "You know it's the creme de la creme of swimwear press. When I found out that it was Lindsey, I was just thrilled. She's from Minnesota and I also come from a long line of skiers. To bring the two worlds together is pretty awesome. I don't know Lindsey personally."

Although Kushcush swimwear and fashion bikinis are carried by Saks Fifth Avenue, Shopbop.com, Anthropologie and Barney's, Cushman was "off-the-charts happy" to see her work in the sports mag.

"Our website hits have been through the roof, and it's been quite the whirlwind the last 24 hours," Cushman told me Wednesday. "My e-mails have been non-stop; I have 1,300 e-mails in my in-box."

On page 84 of SI, Vonn is pictured in the snow wearing Cushman's "Diana Bikini" design: "A little red number. It's a high-waisted-bottom kind of a retro style with an underwire demi-cup top."

Sounds tame. I told Cushman that most of her designs must be kind of racy because my computer is blocking attempts to view websites showcasing her creations.

"They are not really that racy,' said Cushman, referring me to the SI website and the rest of you to kushcush.com and designerstylediaries.com. The name of her 5-year-old company is derived from playing with her initials and her nickname, Cush. "I wanted something that was personal," she said. Speaking of personal, she added: "My mom, Linda West, my biggest fan, cried when she picked up her copies of SI."

My buddy Jawn Murray, the D.C.-based celebrity/entertainment pundit and regular on Joyner's show, called to say that Tom dropped an on-air tidbit about Prince the other day. "What he said was: I haven't been happy with Prince since he tried to charge me a million dollars to do my charity cruise," said Murray.

"I thought, 'Let me call C.J. and tell her this.' At one time Prince gave Tom a donation for his Tom Joyner Foundation, which raises money for historically black colleges and universities, but nonetheless, when Tom asked Prince to come perform on the annual cruise, Prince wanted one million to come on the ship."

Why would Symbolina do that? I asked Murray. "Who knows why His Purpleness does the things he does," said Murray, adding: "Tom should be careful, though, before Prince writes a song about him the same way he wrote one about you, C.J."

Based on that Vikings fight song Prince recently penned, Joyner's got nothing to fear here. Had Prince been able to summon some of the passion that inspired "Billy Jack Bitch," I'm sure there would have been a little more fight in that sorry "Purple and Gold" song.

D.L.'s dimples While rolling with a Tooth Fairy, Delta Dental of Minnesota senior corporate communications specialist Heather Hofmeister fell for a different kind of cavity: D.L. Hughley's dimples.

Cute's just not a word I think of when looking at the comedian.

"He is really down-to-earth, funny, witty and has great dimples," said Hofmeister. "I'm a sucker for dimples. Have you noticed my husband's?" Nope. The height of willowy Leo Hofmeister, a Fox 9 director, is what I always notice.

Hughley was great about taking a photo with Heather. However, "When asked if he wanted a picture with our male Tooth Fairy, DL waved his hand and said, No, I'm good, with a big smile," she said.