Competitors 'bring the class' at pinup contest

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When fliers began circulating in Perryville a few weeks ago, advertising a pinup girl contest to coincide with the last cruise-in night of the year, they raised a few eyebrows.

The idea was controversial enough that the Perryville Board of Aldermen discussed the event at a Sept. 2 meeting.

"People think that 'pinup' means 'stripper,'" organizer Rebekah Null said.

But the young women who graced the stage Saturday night in pencil skirts, stockings and hairstyles straight out of "Casablanca" were decidedly more Lauren Bacall than Bettie Page.

Null, who competes in pinup contests, described the look as "what you see during World War II on the nose of an airplane."

"It's just kind of bringing a little bit of that old school back," she said.

"Bringing the class," added Jona Edwards of Perryville, Missouri, who took second place in the competition.

Bobby Ponder beamed as the pinup contestants assembled for the competition.

"They're awesome. Do you love this or what? ... Class! Class! Nicely done," he said.

Edwards said she is no stranger to the pinup look.

"This is my first contest," she said. "I do dress like this a lot, though -- influenced from my grandma and grandpa, who were both in World War II."

Edwards and Amber Spies of Old Appleton, Missouri -- who took first place in a jaunty sailor-style hat and a floral-print dress with a fluffy crinoline underneath -- said the response was overwhelmingly positive.

"It's like being in a time warp," Spies said.

Shelbi Roberts of St. Louis turned a few heads in a form-fitting green shirtwaist dress, her blonde hair curled and pinned into 1940s-style victory rolls.

"I never did anything like this before, and you know, I'm having a lot of fun," she said.

Roberts won some of the loudest applause of the evening when the audience learned her profession: She is a firefighter and emergency medical technician.

"I know there was a little concern of what this was going to be like," Null said as she introduced the contestants onstage. "I hope we have settled those fears."

Alderman Curt Buerck said the organizers did "an awesome job" with the contest.

"I think this pinup thing's pretty cool," he said, noting cruise-in participants seemed to get a kick out of photographing their classic cars with the classic beauties milling around the square before the contest.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Perryville, MO