Pageant has Launched More than just a Pretty Face

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Contestants have Gone on to Art,
Film, Politics, and helping the Deaf

By Patrick Cronin

Herald Sunday, Sunday, July 27, 2008

[The following article is courtesy of the Herald Sunday and Seacoast Online.]

HAMPTON BEACH -- Competing for the title of Miss Hampton Beach was just the beginning for some young women, proving they had a lot more going for them than just a pretty face.

Several former contestants of the annual beach pageant have gone on to star in movies or enter the world of politics.

Here is a look at some of the more notable queens that have graced the Seashell Stage during the pageant's 62-year history:

Carolyn Ann Komant

Carolyn Ann Komant, Queen of the Beach in 1958, went on to appear in the TV show "77 Sunset Strip" and the film "House of Women."

Carolyn Ann Komant was crowned Queen of the Beach in 1958, but she is better known for being one of the glamour girls of Hollywood.

Komant followed her Miss Hampton Beach reign by later winning the title of Miss Maine, which led to her becoming a semifinalist in the Miss USA finals in 1959.

While she was not named Miss USA, she did get her hands on a $135 weekly contract from Warner Brothers.

She went on to perform for a full season on the show "77 Sunset Strip." and appeared in the 1962 movie "House of Women."

She stopped acting in 1962 after marrying Michael Patrick Vliet, who was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Beverly Hollingworth

Beverly Hollingworth of Hampton, second runner-up in 1952, is currently a member of the state Executive Council in New Hampshire.

She was second runner-up in the 1952 Miss Hampton Beach contest, but proved she had more than looks going for her.

Hollingworth went on to own a business at Hampton Beach and served in the N.H. House of Representatives for five terms and later on as a state senator.

She is currently serving as one of the state's five executive councilors.

Kristina Michele Hughes

Kristina Michele Hughes didn't quite take the Hampton Beach crown, but she was close, and she went on to appear in "Old School" with Will Ferrell.

While she did not take home the title of Miss Hampton Beach in 1994, she did take the title of Miss Connecticut in 1998.

Now, the New England native is making a name for herself in Hollywood.

Hughes has been in numerous films, from the small role as the naked girl in "Old School" to a staring turn in the psychological independent film "The Green River."

Over the years, she has appeared on "Boston Legal," "Days of our Lives" and "Party of Five."

Today, she continues to act and is also the co-founder of Holden Log LLC, a Los Angeles-based company that assists performers with finding auditions.

Adriana Molinari

Adriana Molinari, Miss Hampton Beach 1984, became a well-known adult entertainment performer known as Alex Taylor.

Named Miss Hampton Beach in 1984, Molinari took a path less traveled, but nevertheless it brought her national fame and super stardom.

The Argentina native not only went on to win Miss New Hampshire in 1991, but also became a well-known adult entertainment performer known as Alex Taylor.

Taylor was named Penthouse Pet of the Month in 1994, and appeared in the magazine more than 30 times.

From 1998 to 2004, she worked for Vivid Entertainment as an adult actress, starring in such films as "Where the Boys Aren't 12."

She has since retired from the industry and resides in Orlando, Fla.

Stephanie Lussier

Crowned the 50th Miss Hampton Beach in 1995, she is the reason why the annual pageant is still thriving in 2008.

Lussier took over the pageant after the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce threatened to put an end to the tradition back in 1996.

"I petitioned to keep it going," Lussier said. "I got a lot from winning the pageant, and I want some other young lady to have the same experience."

Honorable Mention

* Sheila Ann Scott: She won the title of Miss Hampton Beach in 1964, and went on to become the first runner-up in the Miss America Pageant.

* Jan Angela Fiorentini: She took home the crown in 1971, and went on to compete in the Miss USA Pageant. Fiorentini would later become a successful artist.

* Sabrina Louise Dennison: Miss Hampton Beach 1989-90 toured the United States and Europe as part of the National Theatre for the Deaf. Dennison currently works as deaf coordinator and ASL instructor with the Portsmouth School District.

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