Supermodel Marisa Miller Adorns the Cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue on Newsstands Today!

Download image

A F RCA RECORDS KELLY CLARKSON LAUNCHES HEADLINE TOUR RCA RECORDS KELLY CLARKSON LAUNCHES HEADLINE TOUR Kelly Clarkson launches her first headline tour "The Breakaway Tour." (PRNewsFoto)[AS] LOS ANGELES, CA USA 02/22/2005

    NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated 2008 Sports
 Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featuring cover model Marisa Miller hits
 newsstands today. The annual winter spectacular features 19 of the most
 glamorous supermodels pictured in visually dynamic photo spreads, all set
 in unique and exotic locations from around the world. A rare and powerful
 combination of beauty and imagination, the SI Swimsuit franchise is the
 gold standard in publishing, this year's issue will be read by a global
 audience of 69 million people and there will be more than 250 million page
 views on SI.com/swimsuit.
 
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080212/NYTU058 )
 
     A seven-year veteran of the Swimsuit Issue, Miller makes her first
 cover appearance in a photo taken by Raphael Mazzucco during a two-day
 shoot on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, last October. Joining Miller in the
 issue are several other swimsuit favorites, such as Brooklyn Decker, Selita
 Ebanks, Bar Refaeli, Tori Praver, Daniella Sarahyba, Irina Shayk, Anne V
 and Jessica White each featured in unique pictorial essays.
 
     NFL Cheerleaders make their debut in Swimsuit 2008 and the wildly
 popular bodypainting masterpieces return for the 10th time. Look for Will
 Ferrell in character as Jackie Moon from his new movie Semi-Pro together
 with Heidi Klum in a raucous treatment. IRL sensation and "Traffic Stopper"
 Danica Patrick makes her Swimsuit debut and yes, athletes wives show it off
 again!
 
     "This is a visually powerful issue with numerous surprises that
 underlines the very best of the Swimsuit issue heritage," says Terry
 McDonell, Editor, Sports Illustrated Group. "Creative Director Steve
 Hoffman, Swimsuit Editor Diane Smith and Senior Editor Chris Stone have
 topped themselves blending the tradition of the Swimsuit franchise with new
 themes and treatments that are spectacular."
 
     The Cover Unveil: The unveiling of the Swimsuit cover model has become
 a signature moment in popular culture since 1995. Immediately after the
 conclusion of the Super Bowl the countdown begins toward the Swimsuit
 launch when the world learns the identity of the new cover model. Last
 night the issue's cover was revealed by David Letterman during The Late
 Show as a three- story billboard featuring Miller's cover was unveiled to a
 nationwide TV audience. Additionally, thousands gathered at "Cover Reveal
 Viewing Parties" held at over 100 locations around the country.
 
     Swimsuit Digital: In conjunction with the magazine's release, the SI
 Digital Group launched a multimedia engine on SI.com/swimsuit last evening.
 "Every model, every shoot with video" is the motto of SI.com's behind-the-
 scenes coverage which comprises more than 60 video clips totaling over 100
 minutes of video including footage from all 19 supermodels, NFL
 Cheerleaders, Danica Patrick and athletes wives' shoots.
 
     Additionally, one can read model diaries, watch hilarious footage from
 the Ferrell/Klum shoot as well as view seven one-woman acts entitled Before
 They Were Models. In these vignettes, the models perform improv scenes from
 their previous (fictitious) lives. If all of this video doesn't satisfy
 your fix, Swimsuit fans can create their own highlight reel through the new
 "SI Video Mash-up" feature which allows users to take online clips from
 each of the dozen swimsuit photo shoots and edit them into a 45-second
 movie with music.
 
     The site will also include over 1,500 exclusive photos, a body painting
 feature, cover galleries, a digital calendar download and archives of past
 issues as well.
 
     Inside the 2008 SI Swimsuit Issue:
 
     From Russia With Love: SI ventured to Russia and spent six days with
 Russian-born models - Anne V and Irina Shayk. The photo shoots also took
 place in and around St. Petersburg at a number of locations including:
 Grand Hotel Europe, the Ice Breaker Crasin, Russian Standard Vodka
 distillery and the Avtovo Russian Circus. The models were photographed
 wearing the Ponahalo diamond necklace, a 295-(total) carat necklace valued
 at $14 million, the most expensive item in the issue.
 
     At Home with Bar: Another first: SI spent 10 days with supermodel Bar
 Refaeli in her native Israel, where she was joined by Julie Henderson,
 Brooklyn Decker and Jessica Gomes in Caesarea, 25 miles north of Tel Aviv,
 and at the Dead Sea.
 
     A Record Number of Rookies: Seven rookies debut in this year's issue:
 Quiana Grant, Jessica Gomes, Melissa Haro, Yasmin Brunet, Melissa Baker,
 Jeisa Chiminazzo and Jarah Mariano. Models aren't the only ones making a
 Swimsuit debut. Behind the camera, four new photographers joined SI's
 lineup: Thomas Sewell, Ben Watts, Marlena Bielinska and Paulo Sutch.
 
     Will Ferrell as Semi-Pro Star Jackie Moon: SI gets Tropical with
 Semi-Pro star Will Ferrell as Heidi Klum crashes the set of the upcoming
 hoops flick, spending a day and night in the life of Jackie Moon (played by
 Ferrell- player, coach and owner of a beloved '70s ABA team, the Flint
 Tropics. Jackie is one part Auerbach and nine parts Hefner, which makes him
 irresistible to a certain Swimsuit model.
 
     Bodypainting is Back for the 10th year: Bodypaint artist Joanne Gair
 has sprayed and brushed swimsuits on some of the world's most beautiful
 women for SI since 1999. This year Gair produced her masterpieces in Parrot
 Cay, Turks and Caicos, on the canvases of cover model Marisa Miller,
 Jessica Gomes, Tori Praver and Quiana Grant.
 
     Danica Patrick Meets Dan Patrick: Danica Patrick's splashy debut in the
 Swimsuit Issue is a full-throttle four-page spread set in Singer Island,
 Florida. But not only did she spend time in front of the camera, Patrick is
 also featured in a full-page Q&A with none other than Dan Patrick- who
 recently made his debut on the pages of SI as a senior writer and weekly
 columnist.
 
     NFL Cheerleaders: Swimsuit 2008 will include 12 NFL Cheerleaders in a
 fun four-page treatment. This marks the first time NFL Cheerleaders have
 been featured in the issue. Teams represented include the Buccaneers,
 Chargers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars, Patriots, Raiders,
 Redskins and Texans.
 
     Athletes Wives Return: Four famous players kindly get out of the way
 for their better halves. Featured are: Ingrid Vandebosch (Jeff Gordon), La
 La Vazquez (fiancee, Carmelo Anthony; she did her shoot just four months
 after giving birth); Carmella Garcia (Jeff Garcia); and Michelle Damon
 (Johnny Damon).
 
     Swimsuit Goes Global: In addition to its vast U.S. readership, the 2008
 SI Swimsuit Issue will be distributed in more than 10 foreign countries,
 including China, Czech Republic, Greece, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia,
 Slovakia, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan.
 
     Swimsuit on TV: The 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Special premieres
 on TNT this Saturday, February 16, at 11 p.m. ET. The special, hosted by
 Brooklyn Decker, takes an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the making of
 the issue. A home DVD version of the program, with bonus footage and
 exclusive access to the photo shoots, retails for $9.99.
 
 

                                      -SI-
     2008 SI SWIMSUIT MODELS               PHOTOGRAPHERS
     Marisa Miller                         Steve Erle
     Melissa Baker                         Walter Iooss (Yo - sss)
     Ana Beatriz Barros                    Stewart Shining
     Yasmin Brunet - (Yas - mean)          Thomas Sewell (Sue - el)
     Jeisa Chiminazzo - (Ji - e- sa)       Paulo Sutch
     Brooklyn Decker                       Ben Watts
     Jessica Gomes - (Go - mms)            Antoine Verglas
     Quiana Grant - (Key - on - a)         Marlena Bielinska (Bell - Lin - Ska)
     Melissa Haro                          Brian Lovely
     Julie Henderson                       Andrew Macphers
     Jarah Mariano - (Jar - a)
     Oluchi Onweagba - (oh-LOO-chee  on-way-OG-buh)
     Tori Praver - (Pray - ver)
     Bar Refaeli - (Ra - fii - l - e)
     Daniella Sarahyba - (dan-YELL-uh  sara-YEE-buh)
     Irina - (eh-REE-nuh)
     Anne V
     Jessica White
 
 

SOURCE Sports Illustrated