Larisa and Marisa are the first Texans Cheerleaders ever to be featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue.
The highly anticipated 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue hits newsstands today, and for the first time it will feature the Houston Texans Cheerleaders. Larisa and Marisa, better known to Texans fans as "the twins," were selected to join cheerleaders from 11 other NFL teams in the pictorial.
This is the first year that NFL cheerleaders have appeared in the swimsuit issue, with 12 teams represented. In addition to the Texans, other teams featured in the magazine include the Buccaneers, Chargers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars, Patriots, Raiders and Redskins. This year's issue will be read by a global audience of 69 million people and there will be more than 250 million page views online at www.SI.com/swimsuit.
"This is a visually powerful issue with numerous surprises that underlines the very best of the Swimsuit Issue heritage," said Terry McDonell, editor, Sports Illustrated Group. "Creative director Steve Hoffman, swimsuit editor Diane Smith and senior editor Chris Stone have topped themselves blending the tradition of the Swimsuit franchise with new themes and treatments that are spectacular."
Larisa and Marisa traveled to New York for the photo shoot where they were photographed by *Sports Illustrated *photographer Stewart Shining. The twins wore swimsuits by designer Luli Fama. They are back in New York tonight for the formal unveiling of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
The cover model for the 2008 issue is Marisa Miller, a seven-year veteran of the Swimsuit Issue. It is Miller's first appearance on the cover.
