Las Vegas Weekly

February 12, 2009 · 8:08 AM

Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit models arrive in Sin City today

By Robin Leach

Sports Illustrated's 2009 swimsuit issue with cover model Bar Refaeli.

Photo: Sports Illustrated

The provocative pages of this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition come to life in Las Vegas today, and those magnificent models will make a splash all over the city. Before noon, a direct Southwest flight -- S.I. One -- from New York’s LaGuardia Airport will land at McCarran, and nearly 20 of the world’s best and most famous swimsuit beauties will kick off the excitement.

Keep your eyes on the friendly skies after 11 a.m. because the Southwest Boeing 737 is unlike anything ever flown before. It’s been wrapped in sexy sea and sand photos of its bikini-clad passengers! Even the bus in Manhattan that took them to the plane this morning was wrapped in their images!

Photo: Sports Illustrated

Supermodel Bar Refaeli and the Southwest plane wrapped in her image.

New cover girl 23-year-old Bar Refaeli, who has been romantically linked for the past two years with Leonardo DiCaprio, leads the invasion. Joining her are swimsuit stunners Ariel Meredith, Brooklyn Decker, Cintia Dicker, Damaris Lewis, Daniella Sarahyba, Esti Ginzburg, Hilary Rhoda, Irina Shayk, Jarah Mariano, Jessica Gomes, Jessica Hart, Jessica White, Julie Henderson, Kim Cloutier, Lucia Dvorska, Melissa Haro and Tori Prayer. Check out there YouTube video here:

They’ve been in a weeklong “S.I. Swimsuit 24/7 From New York to Las Vegas” celebration for the 2009 swimsuit issue. The celebration caps off tonight with a private party at LAX in the Luxor with a special performance by Grammy winner John Legend.

Once the gorgeous girls have arrived in town, they’ll divide and conquer! Four of the models -- Kim Cloutier, Jessica White, Jessica Gomez and Esti Ginzburg -- will meet fans and sign autographs inside Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville at the Flamingo this afternoon for two hours. Simultaneously, another foursome -- Lucia Dvorska, Irina Shayk, Jarah Mariano and Julie Henderson -- will meet and greet fans at the Art of Music store in The Mirage.

Our contributing photographers are on assignment all afternoon and evening wherever the bathing beauties go, and we’ll post their gallery of photos tomorrow. Also tomorrow, the glamour girls will be up early to race the new Nissan 370Z cars in test drives on the Strip!

Photo: Sports Illustrated

Former Sports Illustrated cover model Paulina Porizkova.

Our Convention & Visitors Authority President Rossi Ralenkotter and Marketing VP Terry Jicinsky organized the Vegas segment of the joint promotion. They will welcome upon arrival this morning the Sports Illustrated contingent that includes Diane Smith, swimsuit edition editor; Mark Ford, group president; and Terry McDonell, group editor. They’re the team that sifted through 90,000 photos before selecting cover girl Bar and the luscious layouts inside.

The red carpet at LAX gets underway at 9 tonight, and the bikini belles have promised that they’ll still be partying until 2 a.m. They’ll be wearing their best nightclub outfits! For the sexy swimsuits, you’ll just have to buy the magazine or check out the behind the scenes videos on YouTube and SI.com.

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