Still Hot at 40

Not all the athletes SI has put on the cover play a sport. In
fact some of our most popular subjects are famous for simply
being uncovered. The SI Swimsuit issue (which will celebrate its
40th anniversary in January) has become a global phenomenon and
generated more letters than any of the sports stories in the main
magazine, with the missives evenly split between "Cancel my
subscription!" and "Can I have Cheryl Tiegs's home number?"

BABETTE MARCH, 1964
Cozumel, Mexico

SUE PETERSON, 1965
Baja California

SUNNY BIPPUS, 1966
Norman Cay, Bahamas

MARILYN TINDALL, 1967
Scottsdale, Ariz.

TURIA MAO, 1968
Bora-Bora

JAMEE BECKER, 1969
Puerto Rico

CHERYL TIEGS, 1970
Hawaii

TANNIA RUBIANO, 1971
Dominican Republic

SHEILA ROSCOE, 1972
Marina del Rey, Calif.

DAYLE HADDON, 1973
Great Exuma, Bahamas

ANN SIMONTON, 1974
Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico

CHERYL TIEGS, 1975
Cancun, Mexico

YVETTE AND YVONNE SYLVANDER, 1976
Baja California

LENA KANSBOD, 1977
Maui

MARIA JOAO, 1978
Bahia, Brazil

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, 1979
The Seychelles

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, 1980
British Virgin Islands

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, 1981
Captiva Island, Fla.

CAROL ALT, 1982
Kenya

CHERYL TIEGS, 1983
Jamaica

PAULINA PORIZKOVA, 1984
Aruba

PAULINA PORIZKOVA, 1985
Shark Bay, Australia

ELLE MACPHERSON, 1986
Bora-Bora

ELLE MACPHERSON, 1987
Dominican Republic

ELLE MACPHERSON, 1988
Thailand

KATHY IRELAND, 1989
Baja California

JUDIT MASCO, 1990
The Grenadines

ASHLEY MONTANA, 1991
Turks and Caicos Islands

KATHY IRELAND, 1992
Lanzarote, Spain

VENDELA, 1993
Islamorada, Florida Keys

KATHY IRELAND, ELLE MACPHERSON, RACHEL HUNTER, 1994, Beverly
Hills

DANIELA PESTOVA, 1995
Bermuda

VALERIA MAZZA, TYRA BANKS, 1996
South Africa

TYRA BANKS, 1997
Harbour Island, Bahamas

HEIDI KLUM, 1998
Vabbinfaru, Maldives

REBECCA ROMIJN-STAMOS, 1999
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands

DANIELA PESTOVA, 2000
Pangkor Laut, Malaysia

ELSA BENITEZ, 2001
Tamerza Village, Tunisia

YAMILA DIAZ-RAHI, 2002
Cruz de Loreto, Mexico

PETRA NEMCOVA, 2003
St. James, Barbados

> stats ...

None of these numbers can be considered "vital," but they are
cumulatively revealing--bits of information that, taken together,
help tell the stories of the women who have made the SI Swimsuit
cover something to behold.

Best-selling Cover

Tyra Banks 1997

Most Letters

2,947--regarding Maria Joao's 1978 cover shot

Most Covers

Elle Macpherson 4
Cheryl Tiegs 3
Kathy Ireland 3
Christie Brinkley 3
Paulina Porizkova 2
Tyra Banks 2
Daniela Pestova 2

Country of Origin

U.S. 13
Sweden 4
Czech Republic 3
Argentina 2
Germany 2
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Tahiti 1

Postcover Endorsements

Elsa Benitez Taco Bell
Yamila Diaz-Rahi Cover Girl
Ashley Montana Diet Dr Pepper
Daniela Pestova Budweiser

Onto the Big Screen ...

Dayle Haddon North Dallas Forty
Carol Alt Private Parts
Christie Brinkley National Lampoon's Vacation
Paulina Porizkova Her Alibi
Elle Macpherson Sirens
Vendela Batman & Robin
Tyra Banks Coyote Ugly
Rachel Hunter Rock Star
Heidi Klum Blow Dry
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos X-Men, X2
Cheryl Tiegs The Brown Bunny

Author, Author

Vendela Model Mommy
Kathy Ireland Powerful Inspirations

"I Was Pregnant!"

Rachel Hunter 1994
Kathy Ireland 1994

"I Married a Rock Star"

Christie Brinkley Billy Joel
Rachel Hunter Rod Stewart
Paulina Porizkova Ric Ocasek

"I Married an SI Writer"

Sue Peterson Jack Olsen

FORTY COLOR PHOTOS