Now if it only came in a bikini. <|:)~
Posted on 05/23/2002 9:22:15 AM PDT by xp38
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Other competitors sported provocative feathers and flowing lace, but Miss U.S.A. chose to represent her country with the decidedly un-sexy uniform of a New York firefighter in the first competition of this year's Miss Universe pageant.
"U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" the crowd chanted as Shauntay Hinton, garbed in a firefighter's coat, fireproof pants and black helmet with reflective yellow stickers, saluted and waved the Stars and Stripes during Tuesday's competition in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Her show of patriotism and tribute to the firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center were not enough to win the day.
The prize went to Miss Colombia, 20-year-old Vanessa Mendoza, in a gold dress adorned with blue, yellow and red feathers designed to reflect "the richness of Colombia's Pacific Coast."
Mendoza takes home $1,000 and a crystal trophy. The costume contest has no bearing on the final May 29 competition.
"Some of the costumes are extremely detailed but while there's not a lot of glamour in Miss U.S.A.'s outfit, the impact is tremendous," said pageant spokeswoman Mary Hilliard.
Seventy-six beauty queens donned costumes supposed to reflect the spirit of their countries for the national costume contest in the 51st Miss Universe pageant.
Some, like the one worn by Miss Israel, 20-year-old Yamit Har-Noy, were politically controversial.
Har-Noy wore a white dress with an Israeli flag on the back and a map of Israel on the front showing borders that included the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.
Miss Puerto Rico, 24-year-old Isis Casalduc, won first runner-up for her flowing white dress of lace and embroidered flowers.
The second runner-up was the Dominican Republic's 20-year-old Ruth Ocumarez, in a wild Carnival costume with extravagant headdress of blue and green peacock feathers.
Costumes were meant to reflect the contestants' countries although some -- such as Miss Uruguay's outfit -- stumped even organizers.
Fiorella Fleitas, 20, wore a gold, caped outfit that resembled a cross between a bathing suit and a superhero costume.
"I'm not sure what Miss Uruguay is," said Theresa Beyer, the pageant's vice-president of marketing. "But this year you see a lot of carnival themes, a lot of very complicated costumes."
Naw. She had an explosive tampon.
Yes.
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