Here she is, Miss Surf City

Dave Brooks

Nicole Smith hails from the streets of Huntington Beach, but she grew

up in the sand.

That’s where the beach volleyball enthusiast first developed a

tenacity for competition that would take her through one of Southern

California’s top musical programs and into local legacy last

Saturday.

In front of hundreds gathered at Huntington Beach High School,

Smith was chosen from 15 other girls to represent Surf City as Miss

Huntington Beach 2005.

“It was a whirlwind of events, I don’t even remember him saying my

name,” she said of the pageant’s Master of Ceremonies Matt Liffreing.

“He announced contestant No. 5 and my whole family started

screaming. Someone put a sash on me, someone gave me flowers and

someone handed me a trophy. I didn’t know how I was supposed to hold

everything,” she said,

It would take a full day for the excitement to transform into

shock and then full-fledged reality, Smith said, concluding with some

well-deserved rest.

Winning, however, is just the beginning of the competition.

“The next step is preparing for Miss California in Fresno,” said

pageant Executive Director June Dugmore. “We feel very optimistic

about Nicole. She gives an impression of confidence, she’s attractive

and she’s not afraid to compete. She really is an all-around

contestant.”

No contestant from Huntington Beach has ever taken the Miss

California competition, the pageant that ultimately leads to the Miss

America contest. Dugmore was hesitant to call Smith Huntington

Beach’s best hope yet, but noted that she really stood out from past

pageant winners.

“Her talent is really strong,” Dugmore said. “There is something

very special about her that exemplifies a winner.”

Besides her striking appearance, Dugmore said, Smith stands to do

well because the Miss California contest is scored 40% from personal

interviews and 30% from talent. At Saturday’s Miss Huntington Beach

contest, Smith dazzled audience members with the aria “Habaneria”

from the opera “Carmen.” She began studying music her freshman year

at Mater Dei High School and later attended Chapman University on a

vocal music scholarship. She placed twice as a semifinalist at the

California Vocal Competition and is a member of the prestigious

University Singers, an elite choir that performs at the Hollywood

Bowl and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

As for the personal interviews, the sociology major is confident

when discussing current events or philosophy. Participation in past

pageants has helped her develop her public speaking skills, which

she’ll need when explaining why she chose the Susan G. Komen Breast

Cancer Foundation as her platform in honor of her late aunt, Sue

Harling.

“She’s so well rounded,” said her father Russ Smith, a P.E.

teacher at Sts. Simon and Jude where his daughter attended elementary

and middle school. “She did all the different sports and then in high

school decided to change focus to singing and voice training. She’s

always followed her dreams in that regard.”

Best friend Lisa Weil said she’s impressed by Smith’s demeanor.

“She’s been succeeding since I first met her, but she’s very

modest,” Weil said. “You never see her brag. When she won the Miss

Huntington Beach competition, it was her friends who were calling

everyone she knew on their cellphones to tell them the news.”

Smith has about four months to train for the Miss California

pageant, the first leg in a year-long tour representing Huntington

Beach at social events, public gatherings and the Fourth of July

parade. Smith said she’s excited to represent the town where she grew

up playing hours of beach volleyball.

“It taught me a lot about perseverance,” she said. “Some days the

sands going to be hot and the sun will beat down on you, but you

won’t let anything stop you from doing what you really love.”