Miss Florida USA Faces

» DAVIE | X-MEN TO BEAUTY PAGEANT
Two from Broward to compete in Miss Florida USA pageant

BY ASHLEY WILSON
awilson@MiamiHerald.com

Chelsea Korka of Cooper City grew up surrounded by boys. She skateboarded, played video games, and read comic books with her two brothers and their friends. So when Korka, 20, decided to enter a beauty pageant, it was a big surprise to her whole family. Now she; one of 65 women, ages 18 to 27, who will compete on Saturday for the title of Miss Florida USA 2007.

''I have brothers and they are obsessed with Marvel Comics, so they got me into that, and X-Men is a big thing in my family,'' said Korka, who won her first title, Miss West Broward USA 2007, in April. ``None of them thought I was going to win Miss West Broward. When I won, they all went into a state of shock.''

Saturday's pageant, which will be staged in Bailey Concert Hall in Davie, drew more than 1,200 applicants. This year, all participants had to be winners of local pageants -- a first for a statewide Miss USA competition.

The contestants are rehearsing this week at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood. Tel-Air Interests, a Hollywood production company, has been producing the pageant since its first TV broadcast in 1979. Louis Aguirre of Deco Drive, a WSVN-Fox 7 entertainment news show, will host this year's pageant.

''It seems like we have been doing this forever,'' said Mary Lou Gravitt, pageant director and producer. ``But it's still fun. The girls are dynamite.''

The week of rehearsal will end with a preliminary competition on Friday. A panel of seven judges will choose the top 15. On Saturday, the top 15 will be announced, and they will compete in swimwear, evening gowns and be interviewed on national TV. The winner of the pageant will receive prizes, including jewelry and a mink coat, and will go on to compete in the Miss USA competition in March.

For Korka, though, the pageant is about more than just a title. Last Thanksgiving, after recovering from spinal meningitis, she volunteered at a homeless shelter, and since then has wanted to do more community service. ''I fed the homeless on Thanksgiving, and I asked my mom how can I get involved more. She said Miss USA,'' Korka said. ``It's not for the crown. ``It's not for the banner. It's not for the publicity. I just want to do as much as I can for other people.''

When not competing in pageants, Korka is studying business management at Broward Community College. Although they are competitors, Korka and Jennifer Olkinitsky, of Pembroke Pines, share a special bond. In April, as Miss West Broward USA 2006, Olkinitsky crowned Korka as the 2007 pageant winner.

Olkinitsky, the current Miss Broward County, began competing in pageants two years ago on a whim. She is also a student at BCC, where she studies elementary education. ''It was really special for me,'' Olkinitsky said. “It was her first time in a pageant, so she was really shocked. It's been nice helping her.''

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Even as conflict embroils much of the world, some 88 women hoping to be ambassadors of goodwill have gathered in Los Angeles this week vowing to put politics aside as they compete to become Miss Universe.

The beauty pageant, which will be held here this Sunday and watched in some 170 countries, is now in its 55th year. The winner will spend her reign as Miss Universe traveling the globe speaking out on humanitarian, health and other issues.

Canadian Natalie Glebova, Miss Universe for the past year, has become an advocate of HIV/AIDS education, research and legislation, and went so far as to take an HIV test in a Johannesburg hospital to raise public awareness.

This year, world conflicts have dominated news headlines, but over the past two weeks as the contestants toured Los Angeles and competed in preliminary competitions, the women said politics have been put aside.

Contestants in the 2006 Miss Universe pageant Miss Egypt, Fawzeya Mohamed, left,

and Miss Israel, Anastasya Yentin, pose together as they arrive for a party in Los Angeles.

"There's no need to pull politics into a pageant because as beauty queens -- if you want to call us that -- that's not our job ... It's our job to work for our official causes," Miss USA Tara Conner told Reuters.

Miss Mexico Priscila Perales agreed. "You can't really judge somebody else because of what their politicians and countries are doing."

Contestants from nations ranging from Albania to Zambia compete in traditional categories such as evening gowns and swimsuits. But they also answer questions that give insight into their personality and public speaking ability.

The top 20 finalists for Sunday's live two-hour telecast, which airs in the United States on NBC stations, were chosen in a preliminary round of the competition on Tuesday night. But those contestants will not be revealed until Sunday's show.

The pageant was last held in the United States in 1998, when the Hawaiian capital of Honolulu was the host city. Last year Bangkok hosted the pageant.

This year's pageant has been unusually free of controversy. Last year, for instance, Buddhist traditionalists voiced their outrage when bikini-clad contestants posed outside Bangkok's famed "Wat Arun," or "Temple of the Dawn."

Miss Sweden Josephine Alhanko, Miss Cayman Islands Ambuyah Ebanks, Miss USA Tara Conner,

Miss Belgium Tatiana Silva, Miss Japan Kurara Chibana, and Miss Estonia Kirke Klemmer,

dance to the music of Melt at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood

Kudos to Miss Hollywood USA 2007, Rachel Rose and Miss Hollywood Teen USA, Krizia Toledo who were special guest of Bryan DeCort, General Manager of the Marriott Hollywood Beach, at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) meeting held this past Wednesday. Our titleholders welcomed the group to Hollywood and introduced Michael Kelly, president of the Super Bowl Host Committee, who shared plans with everyone in attendance of all the incredible activities and events that will be held in conjunction with the Super Bowl in South Florida, including some major events that will be held in Hollywood. Way to get involved in such a big event Rachel and Krizia!

» Pageant News Wanted!

Are you a titleholder or at large delegate who is making appearances or doing good things in the community? We would love to tell all of the Miss Florida USA Family your story. Send pictures and updates to telair@aol.com as we feature everything Miss Florida USA on Friday’s at Faces & Places.

» Alumni News Wanted!

If you know of any Miss Florida USA alumni in the news please drop us an email to feature them in future articles. Email all info to info@missfloridausa.com! Until next week here to good pageantry!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

The POTW committee had absolutely no debate over what this weeks entry should be!

From the entire group we want to welcome in our new Miss Florida USA 2007 Jenna Edwards

into our pageant family and thought what would be better then her crowning moment. Enjoy!