Sweethearts of the city

Mike Sciacca, Independent

Randi Lynne Galbraith was among eight girls left standing center stage

of the Huntington Beach High School auditorium late Saturday night,

anticipating the announcement of who would be crowned the winner of the

2002 Miss Huntington Beach Scholarship Pageant.

“When I got into this pageant, I thought it would be fun just to

place,” the 17-year-old Marina High senior said. “When they announced the

second and first runners-up, my only thought was, ‘gee, I wonder which of

these other girls are going to be announced as Miss Huntington Beach.”’

What Galbraith didn’t count on was that the panel of judges would call

her number.

After a few tense seconds, contestant No. 4 was announced as the new

Miss Huntington Beach. The winner threw her hands up to her mouth, let

out a small cry of disbelief, then beamed as she received her crown,

sash, flowers and trophy.

It was Galbraith, who won the crown in her first ever attempt in

entering a pageant.

“I was a bit shocked and overwhelmed but didn’t cry,” she said. “I was

just very, very happy. My friends rushed up to the stage to congratulate

me. It was wonderful.”

The first runner-up to Galbraith was Huntington Beach High senior

Lynette Marie Hibben, 17, and second runner-up was Orange Coast College

student Bridget Nicole Dixon, 19.

Eleven young women vied for the title.

Galbraith will go on to represent Huntington Beach in the 2002 Miss

California Pageant July 10-13 in Fresno. A win there would send her to

next September’s Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

One contestant who said she was thrilled for the winner was first

runner-up Hibben, who has known Galbraith since the sixth grade.

Hibben was a double winner Saturday as she also was named Miss

Photogenic.

“I am thrilled for Randi and excited and ecstatic with my placing,”

said Hibben who, just last May, also was named as first runner-up in the

Miss Southern California Teen Pageant.

The theme of this year’s pageant,” 2002, Surf City Revue,” included

all 11 candidates performing an opening number to the song, California

Girls. The young women were then judged and scored in three categories:

swimwear, which counted for 15 points, talent (40 points), personal

interview (30 points) and evening wear (15 points).

Preliminary interviews took place the morning of the pageant, said

Galbraith, whose platform was, “Community Service -- Teens Volunteering.

She has an extensive background in community service: among her

volunteer work is reading for children at Oak View Library and holiday

meal delivery to the city’s frail and elderly.

“I believe strongly in community service,” said Galbraith, who carries

a 3.8 grade-point average and has won several academic awards including a

Golden State Examination award, and will graduate with honors in June.

She aspires to become an elementary or middle school teacher. “First of

all, volunteering makes us teenagers look better. Most importantly, it’s

rewarding for both the person you are helping as well as yourself.”

As the new Miss Huntington Beach, Galbraith will attend functions

throughout the city during her reign.

Galbraith said she entered the pageant on the advice of her mother,

who thought the event would be a good way to earn scholarship money.

The talent portion during the finals saw Galbraith, in a sparkling,

purple Flapper-style dress and wearing long, silver gloves. She danced

ballet to the Peggy Lee’s rendition of the song, “I’ve Got the World on a

String.” The performance was classical in terms of ballet, but Galbraith,

who studies ballet at the Orange County Dance Center in Huntington Beach,

made some adjustments to fit the personality of the song.

The Miss Huntington Beach Pageant, under the guidance of the Women of

Action of the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, began in 1963. It was

then “truly a beauty pageant,” co-director Jackie Judd said. Slowly,

scholarship money became the main objective of the pageant and in 1994,

the Women of Action bought a franchise with the Miss California

Organization.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.