Tom Florio Works a Gondola

Tom Florio, the publisher of the Vogue titles at Conde Nast, has picked up a new hobby. Today's Intelligencer in New York reports that Mr. Florio has a thing for ... gondola racing! Jada Yuan in New York writes, "On May 11, he’ll be the only American on a team of Italian power players entered into the Vogalonga, a 1,500-boat, 30-kilometer gondola regatta in Venice that should take five hours to complete." His training has included swinging kettle balls and weight exercises with his trainer at the Equinox; and riding around in circles with a gondola-guy in Central Park.

Tom Florio, and his older brother, the late Conde Nast business honcho Steve Florio, have always had a thing for water and boats, but generally they're into the sort of stuff you can indulge in while in Sag Harbor. Gondola racing doesn't figure to be one of them. Mr. Florio doesn't have much of an explanation, either, saying, “I think I already went through my midlife crisis.”