Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search, Episode 4: Feet and Paddling in Malibu

Last week on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search, (can you tell it's one of my dreams to be a voice-over announcer?) the judges asked the remaining contestants for their opinions on Alicia's diva-esque behavior, and the women weren't ashamed of making their feelings known. As this episode begins, Alicia is feeling ganged up on. Shannon, Jenna and Stacy are huddled together on one area of the field where the eliminations took place while Alicia is sulking by herself a few feet away. Stacy invites Alicia to join them, but Alicia just shakes her head and walks away. Oh the drama! I can see this as the pilot for a new soap opera. How about As the Model Turns or Modeling Passions or One Runway to Walk? It's a good think Alicia's not on The Apprentice, as I don't think she'd be able to handle surviving even one boardroom!

On the ride home, Stacy reassures Alicia that they're still friends with her. Alicia feels they snitched on her. And all this time I thought snitching occurred behind someone's back. Go figure. Shannon really lays into Alicia, saying that like Alicia broke the rules, that the other girls did what they thought they needed to do, and that Alicia couldn't have known how she'd react if their roles were reversed.

While Stacy and Shannon have a heart to heart about missing their families, Alicia shoots hoops - alone. She mentions that she comes from a very shaky background where both her parents were "very unbalanced." Social Services took her away from her parents and she never got to see them or her sister while growing up, so it was very hard for her. She was in and out of foster families and in and out of schools. At this point she breaks down crying and says how she hates talking about it. She covers her face with her hands, peeking through once to see if the camera is still recording.

The next morning, Stacy gets the first message from the judges and squeals that she knows what the athletic activity is. With a cover that says "It's a balancing act. Can you ride this one out?" even Paris Hilton could figure out that means surfing - or at least something to do with a surfboard. The women are provided with four swimsuits - two green and two orange and are told to get into two groups of two. The models decide to divvy up the teams based on swimsuit color. Since Shannon and Stacy are closest to the cover when Shannon reads it, they decide that they will be a team and Jenna and Alicia will be a team. Jenna confesses in an interview that she is not looking forward to being on the same team as "the diva, Alicia" and hopes Alicia gets cut.

On the way to the athletic activity, Stacy picks up her right foot and shouts, "Oh no!" She discovers that one of her toenails has cracked in half. Oh the tragedy! Both Alicia and Jenna look concerned when Stacy shouts "Oh no!" but when Stacy starts trying to fix the situation, Shannon gets all wigged out. It turns out Shannon is a briophobic - she has a fear of feet. (See? Reading recaps is educational!) Stacy mentions in an interview that feet really bother Shannon and that she gets grossed out when Stacy's feet almost touch her. While Stacy works with toenail clippers, Shannon looks on with a look of disgust. Her face makes her look like she just drank a glass of rancid milk and is only now getting over the shocking taste.

At the beach, we are introduced to Malia Jones, a pro surfer and 2000 SI Swimsuit Model who tells the models that today's activity is a paddleboard race. Shannon mentions in an interview how reluctant she is to participate in this activity since she has previously needed to be rescued from an amusement park wave pool.

Malia offers the models lifejackets but mentions she's never seen anyone surf with a life jacket before. Well, Malia, Shannon is about to prove that there's a first time for everything. A tearful Shannon puts on her life jacket - the only one to do so -and gets ready for the event. Malia tries to console and relax her. Shannon admits that she likes to be in control but isn't when she goes out in the waves and that's what scares her.

Malia explains the competition to the models. The first person on each team has to paddle out on her surfboard, paddle around a buoy and then paddle back. Once back on shore, she needs to give the surfboard to her teammate who will then do the same thing. Once the second teammate has returned to shore, she needs to give Malia a high five. The first person to high five Malia is the winner. Shannon admits she's scared, but goes out first anyway against Jenna. Shannon is the first to make it to and around the buoy and heads back with Alicia hot on her tail. In fact Alicia is first to get her board into the water, but Stacy soon joins her. Stacy makes it to and around the buoy first but falls off her board and decided to swim back the rest of the way. She comes ashore, high fives Malia and wins.

Now Stacy and Shannon need to compete against each other for the diamonds… oh, and a Supermodel Pass. Shannon takes a commanding lead the second time out and is on her way back already when Stacy starts circling the buoy. Shannon admits in an interview she didn't think she'd make it this far.