Authored by Colleen Bracken...

The Winner of the 2008 Miss SL Costa Rica is....

Miss Pup Witherspoon! Colleen Bracken is the first runner up and if for any reason Miss Witherspoon cannot fulfill her role, Miss Bracken will assume the responsibility.

That was the outcome of the recent pageant held on 12/29/07 at Isla de Chira in Costa Rica. 7 contestants, 7 provinces, 1 winner, and 1 crown was what was heard all over Second Life in the weeks prior to the event. Shopping, making outfits, attending photo shoots, practicing on the runway, and meeting with the press was the reality of my Second Life in those weeks. How could I possibly compete against six beautiful women who probably have more influence, skill, experience and Lindens than I do? Well, I gave it my best shot.

Last summer in my infantile days of Second Life, I decided to pursue a modeling career. So, I did a generic search for modeling agencies and Mad Modeling Agency was listed at the top or close to. I visited the agency a few times and was intrigued. This is how I met Giancarlo Takacs. He introduced himself as a newly hired model and was practicing the runway for his very first show with a friend of his, Peter Nevzerov who happens to be a new resident of Costa Rica. We chatted and they showed me the basics of "walking the cat". We became friends, not knowing how great an impact Giancarlo's Costa Rica project would have on me.

I've lived in Costa Rica since it started. First as a wandering, homeless person, then in a skybox provided by a close friend, and now as an owner of a beautiful corner parcel in Puntarenas. I never dreamed that I'd own land and be a potential beauty queen! I'm just an ordinary girl enjoying the social aspect of SL who made a goal of becoming a model and making great friends. Well, I am a model now with Mad as well as KSG Modeling Agency, but that's another story for another day.

The girls strutted their stuff in their bikinis and evening gowns, answering a "pop" question at the end of the catwalk in their gowns. This was the part most girls dreaded and probably the most important part for the judges. Unfortunately, not all the girls shouted out their answers so I have no idea what was said to this day. My problem wasn't so much the questions but the dreaded LAG! Okay, now I'm a model and I've done shows with full sims and had little problem. But this was extreme and frustrating. I was all over the runway trying to hit my marks. Friends were sending IMs telling me to hang in there and that they were proud of me for not giving up! It just wasn't my day. (Although I do wonder if the "thing" I accepted from someone unknown to me right before the pageant had sabotaged me in some way. I know, stupid move Colleen!)

The three runners up were announced: Maxie Daviau, Pup, and myself! I could barely move into position for the next round which consisted of a final question about the significance of pageants in the modern world. I managed to type a decent answer on a notecard. Damn, my fingers were moving way faster than the type was appearing, and I don't know about you, but I need to backspace to fix errors quite a bit! Well, Pup had the best answer by far and proved herself to be the worthiest of them all.

I had a chance to ask her about the experience and she shared, "Being in the Miss Costa Rica contest was an exceptional experience for me. I've never done any modeling or fashion work, so I had to learn to walk and pose without falling off the catwalk, and get used to having photographers take my picture. Collin Savon, who took amazing shots, found out just how inexperienced I was, when he decided to shoot pictures of me flying about on the hang-glider. We wandered up to the platform and Collin said "Just fly about in long slow circles around me and I'll take the pictures", and off I went, hang-gliding for the first time! Pretty soon, an IM came from Collin, "Can you fly a bit closer and more level please?" Well, I tried, but inexperience ruled the day, as I skimmed the mountain top, chasing Collin as I flew about a meter above the ground, finally knocking him entirely off the mountain!"

Way to go and congratulations Pup Witherspoon! Enjoy the prize, the title, that gorgeous crown, and best wishes in the Miss SL Universe Pageant next weekend. All the residents and friends of Costa Rica will be supporting you especially this first runner up.

Thank you to KMadd Enterprises for supplying the photographs.