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Irina Shayk is the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Out Today Across Newsstands, iPad, Galaxy, Web, Mobile and More

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Irina Shayk soaks up the sun on the beaches of Maui as the cover model for the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (www.SI.com/Swimsuit), out today. Now across more platforms than ever, the 2011 edition of Swimsuit will be an unprecedented showcase of the models through hours of video and a bevy of photos--with much of the story told by the models themselves through unique video features, lengthy interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the shoots.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110215/NY48336 )

Shayk graces the cover under the headline Paradise Found in Hawaii. She is the first Russian cover model and joins an elite group of Swimsuit models to grace the cover, one that includes Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Heidi Klum, Elle MacPherson, Tyra Banks, Petra Nemcova, Marisa Miller and Brooklyn Decker. This year's cover was shot by Bjorn Iooss--son of long-time Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr.--who captured the iconic image with the first shot on his first-ever Sports Illustrated shoot.

Click on the links below to download:

    --  High-res JPEG of the 2011 Swimsuit cover
    --  EPK of 2011 Swimsuit cover model Irina Shayk

Joining Shayk in this year's issue is 2010 Swimsuit cover girl Brooklyn Decker, who is getting the Hollywood treatment on the set of her big-screen debut, Just Go With It, for her 6th appearance in the issue. Other familiar faces include Cintia Dicker (3 appearances), Esti Ginzburg (3), Jessica Gomes (4), Julie Henderson (5), Damaris Lewis (3), Genevieve Morton (2), Hilary Rhoda (3), Chrissy Teigen (2), Anne V (7) and Jessica White (8). Newcomers Alyssa Miller, Izabel Goulart, Kate Upton, Kenza Fourati and Shannan Click comprise Swimsuit's "Best Rookie Class Ever!"

A bevy of SI Swimsuit platforms beyond the magazine brings the personalities of this year's models to life like never before. In addition to 1,300+ photos and 100+ videos courtesy of www.SI.com/Swimsuit, apps on the iPad, Galaxy, iPhone and Android act as a showcase for everything you want to know about this year's models. Some of the special features online, on-the-go and on TV include:

    --  Models Make You LOL: Five of this year's models test their comedy chops
        in these videos exclusive to tablets and mobile devices.
    --  My Favorite Body Part: Another tablet and mobile device exclusive.
        Models from five of this year's locations answer a funny question with
        even funnier answers.
    --  School Daze: Try to guess who's who from these 11 school yearbook or
        childhood photos from the girls. Fans with the iPad app will also be
        treated to exclusive video of the models talking about their school
        experiences.
    --  "Intimates": Music videos with the models set to hit songs from some of
        the hottest indie bands right now, available on SI.com and the tablet
        apps.
    --  New Dimension: Bjorn Iooss was accompanied in Maui by Irina Shayk, Julie
        Henderson and Alyssa Miller for a first-of-its kind 3-D video shoot,
        available exclusively to users on the Sony PlayStation network.
    --  What's In Your Bag: In an SI.com- and Facebook-exclusive
        (facebook.com/SISwimsuit), the models share what necessities they bring
        with them to their photo shoots.
    --  Outtakes: As hard as it is to believe, not every Swimsuit shot is
        perfect. SI.com has a hilarious reel of outtakes from the set.
    --  Full-screen HD galleries for three of this year's models available on
        SI.com.
    --  Those who purchase either the iPhone or Android app get access to the
        official SI Swimsuit Twitter feed (@SI_Swimsuit) and will receive new
        Swimsuit content year round.

The digital extensions for this year's special sections of the Swimsuit issue include:

    --  Bachelor Party: The Valentine's Day episode of ABC's The Bachelor
        featured three bachelorettes in an intense, 10-hour Swimsuit photo shoot
        from Anguillla. Readers on the tablet are treated to bonus galleries and
        video of all three girls.
    --  2012 Rookie Model Search: Eight models aim for a coveted spot in the
        rookie class of next year's issue. The best part: the readers get to
        vote on who it should be, either by going to SI.com/modelsearch (which
        features video profiles of all eight girls) or using the Microsoft Tag
        reader app on their smart phones.
    --  Northern Exposure: Three breathtaking athletes--Leryn Franco, Kim Glass
        and Bruna Schmitz--are unearthed in the Canadian Rockies. BTS footage of
        their photo shoots is available online, on the tablets, iPhone and
        Android, with additional profiles on each athlete online and on the
        smart phone.
    --  Rookies Wearing Only Paint: Bodypainter Joanne Gair shares her thoughts
        on applying her unique artistic touch to each of this year's five
        rookies, the video of which can be seen on SI.com, tablets and mobile
        devices. Gair also provides a time stamp for both the first and last
        brushstroke of each suit, the longest of which took 21 hours to apply.

More about Shayk: A native of Yemanzhelinsk, a village that doesn't show up on most maps, the brown-haired, green-eyed Shayk made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2007 and has appeared in every Swimsuit issue since. Her previous photo shoot locations have included Tucson (2007); St. Petersburg, Russia (2008); Naples, Italy (2009); Chile's Atacama Desert (2010); and Maui and the Philippines (both 2011). Shayk's bathing suit in the 2011 cover photo was designed by Sauvage by Elizabeth Southwood, and her bracelet was made by Los Angeles-based Ettika.

About Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (www.SI.com/Swimsuit) is a powerhouse media franchise that reaches more than 60 million people annually, and more men 18 to 34 than the Super Bowl. The iconic franchise now spans more than 20 product extensions in digital, social, broadcast, publishing, mobile and consumer products. Since debuting in 1964 Swimsuit has become a pop-culture phenomenon and an established launching pad for successful careers in TV, fashion, business and film.

SOURCE Sports Illustrated