Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search, Episode 5: Photo Finish

Welcome Welcome to to Bora Bora!! Wisecracks aside, this is it! It’s the final elimination episode. By the time you read this, the voting process to choose the winner of the 2005 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue layout and $1 million modeling contract will be well under way (and if you’re reading it after noon on Thursday, February 3, voting will have closed.)

The remaining models return from last week’s elimination. Shannon is so thrilled to have made it to the exotic locale shoot in Bora Bora, Tahiti, that she tells Stacy and Alicia she just wants to scream. They encourage her and she lets out this high-pitched emotional scream. I cover my ears. Hey Shannon, if Miramax ever makes Scream 4 be sure to audition.

The next morning, the models get their first cover of the episode, which Stacy runs to retrieve. The cover is of the three remaining models and comes complete with such lame captions as “Can You Picture Paradise?” “Can You Play in the Big League,” and my personal favorite, “It’s a Photo Finish.” The cover tells the girls they’ll be playing in the big leagues with such luminaries as current SI Swimsuit Editor Diane Smith and famed SI photographer Walter Iooss (pronounced Yose).

Suddenly, tough-trainin’ Tony Messenger, the girls’ fitness trainer, appears blowing a whistle. Tony tells his trainees that they will be having a fitness competition. The same rules apply to this edition of “Tony Says” as to the earlier competition in Episode 1. If you flinch or do what Tony says before he blows his whistle, you’re out. However, with only three models this time instead of 12, this shouldn’t take too long.

The models alternate between jumping jacks, pushups, and squat thrusts. Shannon hesitates after two exercises and is the first one out. Alicia starts getting into position to jump jacks without hearing the whistle and gets eliminated, leaving Stacy as the last one standing and the winner of the final Supermodel Pass. She’s jubilant at finally winning a Supermodel Pass.

There are no diamonds this time, but Stacy gets something far more valuable at this late stage in the game: the power to choose the order of the final photo shoot in Bora Bora. Stacy chooses Shannon to go first, Alicia second, and gives herself the final spot so she can scope out the competition and so the judges can remember her best. Shannon tells the camera she’s not at all surprised that Stacy chose her to go first because she knows Stacy thinks of her as her main competition.

It’s off to Bora Bora for the finalists now. On their private plane, the models drink to their success and to the fact that they all “kicked butt.” Alicia says that now she’s ready to relax and give the shoot her all.

Once they’ve landed, they travel to their hotel by boat. On their way, Stacy has a blonde moment, when she shouts to nobody in particular, “Hello everybody, we’ve arrived! The next upcoming [sic] supermodels are here! We’re going to work ourselves!” The boat’s captain gives her a smile, and Stacy gets embarrassed at her “airhead moment.”

The models pass locals playing musical instruments before being warmly welcomed by current Swimsuit Editor Diane Smith and SI photographer Walter Iooss. Next, the models are off to see their rooms. Stacy is excited that they can sunbathe outside their rooms.

Diane and Walter have joined our regular three judges — Joel Wilkenfeld, president of Next Model Management; Diane Campbell, Diane’s predecessor and the Founding Editor of the Swimsuit Issue; and Roshumba Williams, an SI Hall of Fame Model — to discuss Diane’s first impressions and to fill her in on how the remaining models have performed thus far. Roshumba tells Diane they thought that the strongest of the remaining models was Alicia because she knew how to project herself from the start of the competition.

Jule says that Shannon is the dark horse of the competition. Not to brag, but (OK, who am I kidding, of course I mean to brag!) can I call ‘em or what? Those of you who read my SI Predictions article, will know that I used those exact words to describe Shannon’s chances of winning in an article written the day before this episode aired.

Joel thinks Shannon is the weakest and still believes Shannon isn’t memorable enough to stand out. Diane mentions that Shannon has an excellent swimsuit body.

Shannon tells the viewers in a voice over that she thinks Stacy’s plan backfired on her because she allowed Shannon to go first. To Shannon, this means that she can choose the swimsuits that she likes best and that fit her best. Since Alicia and Stacy have to wear the same swimsuits and do their shoots in the same locations, Shannon thinks the choice of swimsuits gives her the edge, because those swimsuits may not look as good on the other models as they do on her.

I hope that’s true about Shannon having the edge — for her sake. Joel has used just about every synonym for “unnatural posing” on Shannon, short of telling her Domo Arigato, Miss Roboto. With that kind of criticism, she’s going to need all the edge she can get!

Each model gets their own day with photographer Walter Ioos to shoot the photo layout that could land them in the coveted pages of Sports Illustrated, and Shannon’s up first.

It’s 3:30 a.m., do you know where your model is? If she’s in Bora Bora, she’s getting ready for the most important photo shoot of her life. How’s that for a hideously early call time? While her competition sleeps, Shannon is already up and about with the hair and makeup people doing their thing. Finally, at 5:00 a.m., it’s off to the shoot.