SI.com - Writers - Arash Markazi: Behind the scenes of SI's swimsuit shoot - Wednesday February 14, 2007 2:09PM

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- A story about models and rock stars needs to be written here. After all, long before Sports Illustrated brought the two groups together for this year's Swimsuit Issue, the Chateau Marmont helped facilitate their rendezvous inside the various suites, cottages and bungalows nestled alongside this hill overlooking Sunset Blvd.

Led Zeppelin rode their motorcycles through the lobby, James Dean and Jim Morrison hopped in and out of the hotel's windows respectively and since the legendary castle-like lodging opened its doors in 1929 the likes of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr and Jefferson Airplane have called the Chateau home.
Today, I'm calling it my office as I wrap up my interviews with the SI Swimsuit Models. Yes, I've been given the difficult task of chatting up all 20 models over the phone for the issue and the Web site.

It's actually not as tantalizing as it sounds. It would be one thing to talk to Brooklyn Decker, Marisa Miller and Bar Refaeli next to the pool as we sip on Marmont Mai Tais, but it's quite another to talk to them over the phone while I franticly type out their answers on my laptop.
I'm certainly not complaining, though.

I'd much rather be talking to Ana Paula Araujo about getting naked for a body painting shoot than to Rafael Araujo about the emergence of the Utah Jazz. While the issue's first photo shoot, which took place in Los Angeles back in August, I was relegated to listening to the ladies talk about how much fun they had at the other locations. Here are some of the highlights from a few of the shoots.

Location: USC (Los Angeles, Calif.) Grambling (Grambling, La.)

: When we went to USC it was a big deal because it was my first shoot for SI and it was the first shoot of the issue, so I was pretty nervous.

We went to USC and later Grambling to shoot with the bands. It was great to interact with them because they had never experienced anything like this. You could see how excited they were to have us there and be apart of a photo shoot with us.

It was definitely different for us to be in our swimsuits dancing around the band. I'm sure the guys in the first row had a good view of the two chicks in bathing suits but it wasn't too bad; we got comfortable with them by the end of the day. The coolest thing was when I ran outside at USC and starting saying, Fight on!

to the USC football team when they were walking back from practice. I was probably more excited to see them than they were to see me. The looks on the faces of some of the players was priceless when they saw me in my two-piece cardinal and gold swimsuit.

I felt bad because I made one of the players run into a golf cart on his way back but I think he was fine. I would've felt really bad if he got injured.
: It was a shock at the beginning because I'm not used to shooting on college campuses but the guys on both bands were so amazing and they really made us feel comfortable.

They were so cute and shy so I had to talk to them and show them that I was really fun and down to earth and when that happened we had a lot of fun. It was scorching hot at Grambling but I had a great time shooting with the group. It was nice to have a live band playing music while you're shooting because it takes your mind off of the shoot being for Sports Illustrated and calms your nerves down a little.

The best part was when I was at USC and I had to stand on top of the band and they held me up. It was a scary moment and it was the first time I had ever done it. Now I know how cheerleaders feel.

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