The History Of The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

The Sports magazine Sports Illustrated has over three million subscribers and is read by twenty three million adults weekly.   It is estimated that as much as 19% of adult males in the United States read Sports Illustrated.   But every February, every subscriber waits anxiously by their mailbox waiting to the most popular issue of the year; the annual swimsuit issue.  What began as a gimmick to increase readership in the winter months, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has become a mainstay of fashion and a catapult to some of the biggest models in the world.

In 1964, Sports Illustrated editor Andre Laguerre was trying to think of ways to increase readership during the winter months as the winter months were typically slow period for sports stories.  Laguerre decided that he would put pictures of models on the cover to increase readership.  Laguerre put fashion reporter Jule Campbell in charge of the task.

What is considered the first swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated was released that same year and featured Babette March on the cover and also included a five page layout.  The gimmick worked and the swimsuit edition became an annual event. 

Models that appeared in the early editions of the Swimsuit issue include Sue Peterson, Marilyn Tindall and Cheryl Tiegs.  Laguerre’s idea both transformed the world of modeling and also the world of fashion.  The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is credited with making the bikini a popular and legitimate piece of woman’s apparel.

However, there are many that did not like the Swimsuit Edition.  There were many that believed it objectified woman.  There were also many that believed that the issue is more akin to an adult magazine rather than a sports magazine.   In 1978, the Swimsuit Edition featured model Cheryl Tiegs on the cover wearing a revealing fishnet swimsuit.  After the issue was released, hundreds of subscribers cancelled their subscription to Sports Illustrated.  However, because of the revealing swimsuit, Sports Illustrated was able to gain more readers than it lost.

During the 1980s, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition featured and introduced some of the world’s biggest supermodels. The list includes Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson and Kathy Ireland. The Swimsuit Edition also became more dedicated featuring more swimsuit layouts and more exotic photo shoot locations.

In 1989, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition celebrated its 25^th Anniversary. Out of hundreds of models, Kathy Ireland was selected for the cover of the magazine. Ireland became an instant international superstar and the 25^th Anniversary Edition became the best selling issue of all time.

Over time, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has become both a popular and controversial edition.  The Edition still features the biggest models of the day, including Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum.  But it also began featuring sports stars, both male and female and famous sports couples.  In 2006, the magazine came under fire for the infamous “topless” cover that featured models Rachel Hunter, Veronica Varkova, Elle Macpherson, Rebecca Romijn, Daniela Pestova, Elsa Benitez, Carolyn Murphy and Yamila Diaz topless.  Since then, Sports Illustrated no longer automatically sends the swimsuit edition to its subscribers and gives them the option to opt out. 

The Swimsuit Edition is more than just a magazine today.  Since 1995, a feature video has been made showing the behind the scenes making of the edition.  The models first features in the swimsuit edition became instant celebrities.  While there may be arguments that the swimsuit edition objectifies women, there can be no argument that the gimmick attempted in 1964 worked and has made Sports Illustrated one of the most read magazines in the world.