Fairest of the fair

Eleven young ladies vie to wear the tiara of Miss Huntington Beach -- a step on the path to Miss America. Forget the state Senate election or the Oscars. From now until Feb. 4, the big debate around Huntington Beach is, “Which girl is it going to be?”

With 11 contestants in the running, this year’s Miss Huntington Beach contest is going to be a close one. Ranging in age from 17 to 23, the girls represent the area’s most popular athletes, students and budding professionals.

“We’re really excited about the girls we’re working with this year,” said organizer June Dugmore. “There’s a lot of talent in this group, and we know that no matter who gets crowned, we’re going to have a strong winner.”

Each year the Miss Huntington Beach organization chooses a handful of girls who either live, work or study in Huntington Beach and pushes them through several months of training to compete in the winter pageant.

Each week the girls meet to prepare and rehearse, showcasing the talents they’ve prepared for the ceremony and tightening up their responses for a series of interviews they undergo with a panel of judges.

“A lot of the process is learning about themselves and Huntington Beach,” said Dugmore. “They’re invited to attend field trips throughout the city. The trips are a chance for the girls to learn about the places and people of Huntington Beach.”

On Sunday, five of the contestants met at the downtown Surfing Museum to learn about some of the area’s most famous surfers. The girls will also visit volunteer groups and civic organizations and take part in several charity events, all to help them develop a stronger understanding of Surf City life.

“I lived here all my life, and I’ve learned a lot of things I didn’t know about Huntington Beach,” 17-year-old Katherine Brewer said.

The Miss Huntington Beach contest is a precursor to the Miss California competition and part of the Miss America organization. At each level of competition, participants have opportunities to win college scholarships. Last year’s winner, Nicole Smith, used her winnings to help pay tuition at Chapman University.

It’s also a chance to make new friends, Brewer said.

“When it comes down to it, it’s just a great group of girls having fun and hanging out,” she said. “I think a lot of us plan to stay friends after this is over.”

The young women are judged in several categories including public speaking, swimwear, evening wear and “personal platform” -- their plans for public service.

Several of the categories are decided by a judge before the Feb. 4 pageant at Huntington Beach High, but the contest’s biggest event, personal talents, is showcased for the entire audience.

Contestant Summer Maue, 23, plans to play a Spanish classical piano piece to showcase her musical ability.

“You can express a lot of emotions in classical music,” she said while on break from a film shoot in Los Angeles where she was working as an extra. She hopes to work as an actress one day.

Now she’s taking on one of her biggest auditions of the new year, a chance to represent the city. Serving as Miss Huntington Beach makes for a busy life for any girl. Besides attending multiple city functions with politicians and the Chamber of Commerce, Miss Huntington Beach must also spend time rehearsing for the Miss California contest.

“It’s a great opportunity to represent Huntington Beach, and I would love to be the one to do it,” Maue said.20060126itmgxrncKENT TREPTOW / INDEPENDENT(LA)Five of the 11 contestants for the Miss Huntington Beach contest gather at the Huntington Beach Surfing Museum on Sunday. From left are Denise Willan, 17, Caitlyn Becker, 17, Katherine Brewer, 17, Summer Maue, 23, and Lana Brewster, 18. The pageant is Feb. 4