Runway ticket to royalty

Molly Shore

Jennifer Cantu hopes the second time will be the charm for her as

she enters the Miss Burbank contest.

The 18-year-old participated last year in the competition, and

said she learned from the experience.

“I’m a lot more confident this year, and will put a lot more

enthusiasm in what I’m saying when I’m trying to make a point with

the judges,” she said.

Brianne Bribiesca, 17, is competing again this year for the Miss

Teen Burbank title. Last year, she received the pageant’s community

service award for her volunteer work, which included time at the

Beverly Manor Health Care Center and Providence St. Joseph Medical

Center.

Jennifer and Brianne are two of the contestants who went to

McCambridge Park on Saturday for their first pageant rehearsal. The

local pageant, produced by the Burbank Junior Chamber of Commerce, is

March 2 at the Hilton Burbank Airport Convention Center. So far, 12

girls have registered to vie for the Miss Teen Burbank title, and 12

women have signed up to compete to become Miss Burbank.

Miss Teen Burbank contestants must be between 14 and 17; Miss

Burbank applicants must be between 18 and 25. All participants must

live in Burbank or one of its neighboring cities, and cannot have

been married or had a child.

Lindsay Muriedas, Miss Burbank 2002, said she is sad her reign

will end soon.

“This year has been so much fun,” Muriedas said. “I got to know

many new people.”

Throughout the year, Muriedas made appearances at Childrens

Hospital and a retirement home, participated in Burbank on Parade,

wrapped books at Barnes & Noble to benefit the library’s literacy

program and competed at the state pageant in Fresno.

At the local contest, the girls and women will be interviewed by

judges, perform as a group in a musical number and appear in

swimsuits and evening gowns.

Muriedas does not believe she or any of the women in the

competition are exploited, as some critics claim, because they are

required to appear in swimsuits for the contest. Women wear swimsuits

at the beach, Muriedas said, adding that today’s fashions show a lot

more of a woman’s body than what is exposed in a one-piece swimsuit.

“Basically, I think that girls go out there, and it’s their free

will to do so. If they feel that it’s not really for them, they won’t

participate,” she said.

Applications for the contest are due Saturday and are available

online at www.burbankjaycees.org, or call 438-2042.