Skip to main content

Miss California USA Orientation


Hey, all! So I'm posting this from my hotel room in Palm Springs, where I just finished up my orientation. I had so much fun...all in one day!

There are about 120 girls total, for both Miss and Teen (roughly 50 something Teens and 80 something Miss contestants). The orientation took place at the actual venue where the pageant is going to be at from November 21-23 of this year...the Riviera Resort & Spa. The venue is absolutely amazing! Gorgeous pool, huge facilities and all of the girls were literally all very sweet. It was very easy to make friends and one of the Miss contestants actually offered to let me stay at her house when I travel to the red carpet event in Los Angeles next Saturday--and she just met me today! No divas at all...well, so far. LOL.

We started the day at 8:30am and signed in, checked our paperwork and took our place in the Grand Ballroom, which is the same room our competition will be at. After the introductory stuff, we were given a sheet of paper with our name and title on it (I'm Miss North Bay Area) and then got in line to have our headshots taken for the program book. When that was done, we had some down time and then went back to the Grand Ballroom to receive more instructions. We were split up into groups and each had its own station and then rotated each hour. We got one hour for lunch so I hung out with the other contestants poolside.

After lunch, my group went in for choreography. We learned a short dance number for the opening of the pageant, which went well, and we also learned the proper walk for the swimsuit and evening gown competition. Choreography went on for an hour and then everyone met back to go over the actual schedule of events for the pageant itself. That lasted for some time. Then we met the reigning Miss California USA (Racquel Beezley) and Miss California Teen USA (Taylor Atkins). Shanna Moakler also made an appearance and hung out with us (she was a former titleholder and is now assisting the director of the pageant). I also got to meet and speak with a casting director from the E! Entertainment Channel. That was pretty sweet.

Once the formalities were taken care of and we were fitted for our T-shirts and tank tops for the upcoming events, we all changed into our swimsuits for our group swimsuit photo and poster. I wore a bright green bikini, which worked out perfectly because a lot of the other contestants had on blues, yellows, blacks and reds so I'll probably stick to the swimsuit I wore today for the competition. It was 99 degrees outside and we had to sit in place facing the hot sun without any shade while the photographer tested the lighting. All of our faces were literally melting off (we were in full hair and makeup), and it must have been obvious that I was glistening because Keith (the pageant director) ran up to me with a towel to pat my face. I jokingly announced, "I'm sorry, I have combination skin and my T-Zone hates me!" That got everyone laughing hysterically so I made a pretty amusing first impression. :p

Because of the large number of girls total, we had to break down the photoshoot into three groups. I was in the first group and once we got our first shoot out of the way, we made our way to the pool, where we sat down and put our legs into the water. Then the second group came and knelt behind us, while the third and tallest group of girls stood behind everyone. Then we took more photos and then that was it! We started the day at 8:30am and finished around 5pm-ish.

Definitely a long day but unbelievably cool and I'm looking forward to seeing my new friends soon. We've got a red carpet event coming up in the Fashion District of Los Angeles this coming Saturday, where we'll be interviewing with the media/press while touring the store of the official pageant jeweler, Inta Gems. Then we'll head on to a clothing store in Beverly Hills, where the routine will be repeated.

I'll be sure to make another post to let you all know how that turns out and I'll add some photos soon as I get them together. So much to do, so little time! Just one month left, but I already know it's going to fly by!
Labels:

Comments

manchester fat acceptance said…
That sounds so cool! Please let us know if/when the actual event will be televised so we can watch it (I'll troll the internet to find it if I have to - I'm in Canada lol!)
October 27, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Amber said…
Thanks for keeping us updated :) Your experience sounds very fun and amazing so far. It makes me want to enter a pageant myself...and I never thought I was a pageant kind of girl!
October 27, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Modeling and Weight

One of the first things I hear potential models ask is what the weight requirement for modeling is. Sometimes that is the main issue they worry about when it comes to pursuing modeling. Let me tell you right now that weight should NOT be one of those concerns. Obviously, the height requirement reigns supreme when measuring up to the modeling standards sought out by agencies. If you meet the height requirements--whether it's for fashion and runway or commercial/print--that is the first step towards starting on the path to modeling. How much you weigh shouldn't be your biggest fear. It is rare that anyone can look at someone and say, "Oh, my gosh, he/she looks like they are 5 pounds over our weight requirement!" It just isn't realistic. If you look at many modeling agency websites, they clearly list the age and height requirements--rarely, if at all do they list any weight restrictions. The general rule of thumb when it comes to weight is that for models who
6 comments
Read more

Modeling & Pay Rates: How Much Should You Charge?

(This post is more targeted towards freelance models and not those with agency representation, although it may apply to those that have an agent but continue to find their own work.) A part of being a successful model is making money from the jobs that you book. However, being a freelance model comes with many challenges--figuring out what you should charge is one of them. I will say upfront that there are no established black and white rules when it comes to pay rates. Each modeling job is different, each client is different and budgets vary. Ultimately the factors that should influence what you charge should be the amount of experience you have, the strength of the images in your portfolio and the client's budget/needs. Not every client is going to pay what you want to charge. There may be times when you will be skipped over for charging too much or taken advantage of for charging too little. It's going to happen so be prepared for it and do not take it personally. It
37 comments
Read more

What Are Male Models Supposed to Look Like?

The modeling world is filled with women. That's never been a secret and sadly, that often means male models fall by the wayside. There are successful male models in all categories across the industry but the fact that the modeling business revolves around women can make it challenging for newbies to figure out how to pursue their goals of male modeling. It is important to know that because there are different types of modeling categories out there, that means there are also different types of male models. They aren't all supposed to look alike and what ends up being in demand does change every year. Let's break down the common attributes that come with male modeling in various popular categories, shall we? THE MALE FASHION/RUNWAY/EDITORIAL MODEL These are the typical types of models most of us tend to think of when it comes to men in modeling. What is important to know and understand if you're an aspiring male model is that agencies have all different looks
4 comments
Read more