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The 80s anthem Girls Just Wanna Have Fun rang out – a sort of mission statement for the Miss Wellington beauty pageant. The first search in eight years for Wellington's next top model was held last night at the Loaded Hog bar. With ten contestants, a VIP section full of men, and a crowd of cheering female supporters, the battle was fierce. Winner Rebecca Connor, 23, of Seatoun, was the crowd's favourite when she strolled out to the catwalk for the first sports-themed round dressed as a golfer – though not one you're likely to see too often. She was not too worried about the pressures of the Miss Universe-sanctioned pageant: "It's just all in the name of fun for me." To those who criticise beauty pageants as relics of another era, she had a simple answer. "I think it's about confidence for girls. I don't think it should be taken too seriously."
Other contestants appeared in sports gear as varied and flexible as "army", "aerobics" and "Pocahontas". Some contestants from the Hutt Valley were eager to get to the bikini round – appearing early on with very little clothing at all. Laura Surrich, 20, of Tawa, said the appeal of the pageant was the glitz and glamour. "I guess all girls like the idea of getting glammed up." She was not expecting to be asked for her ideas about changing the world, but had an answer for why she should represent her region in the Miss New Zealand competition. "I think I'd say something like, 'Because I believe I've got what it takes to represent Wellington.' " Undoubtedly affected by nerves, other contestants were less loquacious on stage. When one was asked how she planned to celebrate her upcoming birthday, she simply answered: "Get drunk." Jamie Wilson, of the Gibson Hospitality Group, said the event was being relaunched for the first time in about eight years. "We're starting small, but we're aiming to build it up over the next three years till we can hopefully have 2000 people watching at the TSB Arena." /stuff.co.nz
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