The big day is finally here!! EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!!!!!! No really don’t!!
So, you have prepared all of your things for the contest, the outfit is planned, the hair is on point, along with the perfect eye liner (Okay, who am I kidding, something always goes wrong. But that is okay, because this will happen to ever last one of the contestants, you will not be alone).
No need to panic, remember, even though the event is bases is around the word “contest”, it should never be about winning. The whole point behind these events is to bring like-minded beautiful people together to celebrate what they love. The true way to win is by making new friends, that will turn into last friendships for years to come. Seeing friends for far, being together with people who “Get You”. That is what winning is about.
Now that we have the moral of the story narrative out of the way, let’s get down to the fun stuff.
Arrival at the event- I know this advise is hard to follow but get there early!! Why you ask? Get familiar with the lay out of the event, this will help you navigate better when there is a time crunch. Plus, the event organizers love to see the pinup walking around. This time will also help you get to know your fellow contestants, (Hint, Hint, this is the time you make those friends).
Check in- Check in with the pinup event organizer, even if it is early, at least they will know you are there, just incase something happens and you loose track of time when it comes to the important meet up. (I know this from experience, cause your girl got stuck in a funnel cake lines once and almost missed the contest).
Meet Up Time- Most contest will have a pre contest meeting, where they will pull the contestants to the side to discuss the lay out of the contest, this is your time to ask questions if you are unclear on what the organizers are saying. Another good piece of advice, this is the time to start shining, being friendly to the other just as nervous contestants will help put you and the other contestants at ease. I do know in some cases; the judges are observing this event and the observations may fall over to your over all score for the contest. I have encountered a few negative Nancy’s myself, during the meet up. If you do encounter one, just brush it off as their nerves.
(Photo, yep that would be me standing on the table, pre-meeting everyone.)
Contest time- This is the main event. Nerves are a big ball located in the bottom of your throat, yep it happens, we have all been there before. The minute you stop having this feeling before a contest is when you know you have lost your passion for it, it’s time to retire. LOL. (Raises hand, I’m retired, but not because of loosing the feeling. I retired so I could host fun events to share my love). The first round starts, the panic sets in “What do I do, what do I say?”. BE YOURSELF, trust me, being yourself will make you shine, because guess what, no one else can be you. I have seen some contestants turn on a fake smile and attitude and let’s be real, the judges can see right through it all. Being Genuine is what makes you memorable.
Judges Deliberation time- Okay what do you do with yourself during this time? Mingle, mingle, mingle. Don’t stray too far, you don’t want to miss the announcements. One thing to never do, never follow the judges, they have work to do and a short amount of time to do it.
Announcement of the winners- Now is the time when your nerves will be at the highest peak, the ball turns into a damn basketball. Win or lose, the best advise is be a good sport, you win some and you lose some. Nothing is guaranteed. The only guarantee is bad behavior will never be tolerated and could get you disqualified from any future events. Now that hard reality is has been started, remember just because the word contest is in the event, it is never been about the contest, but the experience and having fun is what should be the focus.
Post contest behavior- So you are no longer on stage or even at the event but believe me people are still watching. One of my biggest pet peeves is the dreaded social media post that start with “I didn’t win, but………” followed by comments of “You should have won” or the worst “Are the judges Blind”. While you can’t control what people comment, you can control what other see, delete the comments, hide them, or even better yet, current the commentor by explaining why you are happy for the winners. (I know I have schooled some people, back in the day. Including my own mother. Mom if you are reading this, sorry, but know you know and no longer do the dreaded things.)
Now that you have read this advice, you might be asking “Who the hell are you to tell me how to act, or what to do?”. Well, as a retired pinup, I have done my time in the scene, I have seen what makes people successful, and what does not. I do not claim to know everything, in fact I know little. LOL. But the formula I shared worked for me and has worked for others I have had the pleasure of mentoring.
Photos: by fellow photographer (my hubby) RS Photography from the 2019 Ms White Walls Contest.