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EVERYBODY INTO THE POOL

Hair and makeup by Pam Geiger for MCM Salon, François Ilnseher, Jane Pittman, Gisberto Serpa for Elizabeth Watson

First some pool rules: No running. We are giving you 44 pages of swimsuit photos, shot at some of the world's most beautiful swimming pools, from San Diego to Sardina, so take your time. Let the pictures wash over you.

•Eat at least one hour before diving in. Go on, let your food digest. It would make your mother happy.

•At regular intervals someone will blow a whistle, at which point you readers will be expected to get out of the pool and take a breather. For safety's sake, it must be done.

•No loud music. This year, pools rule.

So there they were, (from left) Kathy Ireland, U.S. Olympic gold medal swimmer Dara Torres-Gowen and Elle Macpherson, out for a stroll and to check out the boy babes in the pool at UC San Diego, when these guys challenged them to a game of water polo.

Fortunately, the girls wore their competition Speedos ($68 for Elle's and Kathy's, $78 for Dara's) for a leg up on their challengers from the U.S. water polo team (clockwise from center): Kirk Everist, Chris Duplanty, Troy Barnhart and Alex Rousseau. (Teammate Rick McNair must have been submerged.)

Ingrid Seynhaeve is all that stands between a devil of a pool and the deep blue sea off the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. She is a wispy cloud of white in a bikini by Karla Colletto ($106).

Aspen leaves set the gold standard for the Rockies each fall, but Vendela's maillot by Michael Kors for Trulo ($98) makes even the aspens quake and provides the most stylish change of the season.

Roshumba Williams stretches a point in Ormond Beach, Fla., while contemplating a dip in the pool in a stretch crocheted suit from Radio Fiji by Raisins ($68).

Cornered at The Raleigh's hotel pool in Miami Beach, Amber Smith stoops to conquer in a nylon and Lycra maillot ($86) by Gideon Oberson.

What sarong with Venezuela's Patricia Velasquez? Practically nothing, as far as we can see. She's wearing a Gideon Oberson batik sarong ($96) at the Amandari Resort in Bali.

On the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, Rebecca Romijn suspends the laws of gravity in a thong ($38 for the whole suit) by Darling Rio.

The phrase "nothing but net" takes on a whole new meaning when it's Vendela who's tickling the twine in a fishnet sarong ($412) and bikini ($102) by Gottex.

Splish-splash, Rachel Hunter's a smash in a print bikini by Darling Rio ($62) that looks just fine in The Four Seasons' hotel pool in Los Angeles.

Saludos! from Sayulita, Mexico, where Jenny Brunt holds up a wall at poolside in a suit by Darling Rio ($72). The sculpted bra, held together with U-rings, seems to be bearing the Brunt nicely.

Behold the two faces of Roshumba, taking a diptych in Ormond Beach in her one-piece hologram-printed suit by Bendigo, $110 any way you look at it.

Both the infinity pool in Costa Careyes, Mexico, and Patricia—in a thong suit by Jamaican Style ($54)—look as if they could go on forever.

The perfect three-peat: Veronica Blume, Rebecca and Judit Masco are compatible in matching velour swimwear. Veronica's bikini ($120), Rebecca's after-swim dress ($326) and Judit's one-piece suit ($148) are from Gottex.

Sunning herself on a rock as she waits for the next boat to Eden, Kathy wears a simulated grass skirt by Bendigo ($72) while sitting next to a simulated natural pool in Santa Barbara, Calif.

From her perch at poolside atop Hong Kong's stately Regent Hotel, Kate James, in a bikini by Darling Rio ($58), has a commanding view of Victoria Harbor.

Ouch! Rebecca gets a cactus shower before diving into a pool on Pantelleria. She wears a Supplex maillot by Keiko ($88).

Dara weaves her way through the undulant stalactites that are the wheels of the U.S. water polo team. She moves carefully in a paper Lycra suit by TYR Sport ($58), since scissor kicks cut paper.

Alex gives Elle a shoulder to climb on at the University of San Diego pool. Her pullover cap ($18)—with a $40 competition suit by TYR Sport—is the latest thing for swimmin' women.

The pool at the Hotel Pitrizza in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia, is actually on the rocks, which is where you'll find Lana Ogilve in her scalloped bikini by Darling Rio ($48).

The hat keeps the sun out of Judit's eyes as she takes in the scene at the Mullet Bay Resort in St. Maarten. The bikini by Gideon Oberson ($98) is trimmed with rickrack that leaves male guests rickwrecks.

Stacey Williams splits from the scene at the Biltmore in Miami to levitate over the hotel's pool in a hologram-printed halter-top bikini by Bendigo ($90).

On a terrace above the pool at Casa Tigre del Mar in Costa Careyes, you can try to track the maze, a replica of one found in Chartres Cathedral, or you can take in the amazing Patricia, in poolwear by Gideon Oberson ($84).

Snakes alive! Stacey looks simply sinuous at The Raleigh in a sequined pseudo-snakeskin bikini by California Proline ($56).

Aya Thorgren, in a Lycra thong bikini with a gold-chain inlay by Darling Rio ($47), sparkles in a shower before taking a dip in the pool at the Hotel Pitrizza.

Those lily pads? Real. The lily pond they're floating in? Man-made. That maillot by Gottex? Made by the hands of man ($172). The limpid pools of Angie Everhart's eyes? What do you think? (More on Angie on page 120.)

Waiting for a warm breeze to get that pesky dampness out, Stacey stands out in an after-swim dress designed by Michael Kors for Trulo ($188). Waiting. Waiting. You go ahead, we'll wait with Stacey.

If this is Malibu and that's the sunset, it must be time to go. Rachel faces east in a floral-and-striped one-piece suit by Keiko ($90), awaiting the dawn of another day.

FOUR PHOTOS

MICHAEL O'NEILL

NINE PHOTOS

WALTER IOOSS JR.

PHOTO

ANTHONY GORDON

TWO PHOTOS

DONNA DEMARI

SEVEN PHOTOS

MIKE REINHARDT

THREE PHOTOS

PAUL LANGE

PHOTO

MIKE REINHARDT; ARCHITECT: GIAN FRANCO BRIGNONE

PHOTO

WALTER IOOSS JR.; POOL/LANDSCAPE DESIGN: BARRY BEER