Miss Boa Bora pageants are “a symbol of kindness, gentleness, elegance & beauty” which ultimately “carries a lifetime status” – this is how the official Miss Tahiti site records what underlies a leading beauty pageant winner.
The election of Miss Bora Bora is always eagerly awaited & each year is no exception. A large & enthusiastic crowd fills to capacity the massive white marquee, which sits at the water’s edge in Bora Bora’s principal village of Vaitape.
Seven beauties compete to be crowned Miss Bora Bora & a further six young men for the title of Taure’a Bora Bora. When I went, the theme for that year’s pageant was ‘The Bounty’ in recognition of the role played in the promotion of Bora Bora by Marlon Brando’s wife Tarita, who starred with Brando in ‘Mutiny On The Bounty & herself came from the Bora Bora district of Anau.
I do not think that I’d ever seen a bigger crowd gathered under the immense white marquis that marks the home of Miss Bora Bora. They were all there from 7pm until 2am when I departed, all still there enjoying the ambiance & dancing to the live band when I left!
Last night 7 candidates presented themselves for election as Miss Bora Bora in a pageant involving four passes — Day To Day Attire, Bikini, Traditional Costume & Formal Evening Wear.
Some further snaps were taken at various stages throughout an evening of great excitement. In particular, there are several shots from the past in Traditional Costume, attire that is made up 100% from vegetal materials & takes an enormous amount of know-how, dedication & time to produce.
Whilst in such attire, the girls were required to dance a tamure of choice & they were unquestionably very skilled. This component of authenticity common to Tahitian pageants gives such events great charm, and a sense of uniqueness & in the eyes of tourists, re-asserts Bora Bora’s place as what Admiral Louis-Antoine de Bougainville described as “La Nouvelle Cythere” — the island of pleasures in the southern seas.
There were some wonderfully animated performances in between the various passes undertaken by the candidates, including a sensational fire dance – elsewhere on site, you will find full coverage of the night’s Fire Dancing.
The organizers of that year’s Miss Bora Bora had clearly gone to the effort of ensuring that the girls were properly prepared in matters such as diction, attitude control, fitness, fashion design, diet, style, presence & so on, for which they are to be congratulated. It certainly showed in the quality of the evening & it’s hoped that organizers can seek out other candidates from the broader general public in advance of next year’s pageant.
A clearly emotionally moved winner of Miss Bora Bora just as the result was announced:
Here are the winners, followed by a photo of the crowning of Miss Bora Bora, the runner-up & Miss Heiva for 2014.
This is an event with a rich historical & cultural tradition. It’s followed with great enthusiasm not only by locals but also by tourists on an island where tourism is the economic motor.
Miss Bora Bora merits greater attention from all those responsible for its well-being. Not only is the event conducted in its own right & not as a mechanism to raise funds for another separate event, but also candidates are selected from throughout Bora Bora well in advance of the pageant.
Full & proper training is provided to candidates, and passages must follow tradition. This includes traditional attire, proper bikinis, & nightgowns. The theme is based on the relevance of the pageant itself, and the conduct of the event coincides with the opportunity to compete in Miss Tahiti.
Marama is a masterful choreographer & candidates gave their best and well represented on the world’s most beautiful island.