Las Vegas Weekly

April 13, 2009 · 12:17 PM

Photo Gallery: Miss USA contestants’ final days of fun as prelims arrive

By Robin Leach

Miss USA 2009 contestants enjoy the pool at Mandara Spa in Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Patrick Prather

For the past four days, it has been a whirlwind for the 51 Miss USA 2009 contestants as they have wrapped up their location filming for this Sunday’s two-hour NBC telecast at Planet Hollywood. Photographers chronicled their adventures on a Pink Jeep Tour out to the spectacular Red Rock Canyon, to cooking lessons at the new M Resort and during a visit to Yolo’s Mexican restaurant at Planet Hollywood. No wonder the girls couldn’t wait to relax and refreshen at the Mandara Spa and pool at Planet Hollywood.

Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart of Texas took this year’s Miss Texas USA, Brooke Daniels, into M Resort chef Kevin Oakes’ kitchen for cooking lessons. There was a contestant cook-off, and we’ll find out the winner on the telecast. Cameraman Dan Coplan and segment producer Denise Contreras at the Mandara Spa filmed Miss New York USA Tracey Chang, while Miss New Mexico USA Bianca Koonce met Yolo’s Mexican Grill executive chef Josh McKinney during filming there. With the help of senior tour guide Chris Brennan, Miss Indiana USA Courtni Hall learned all there was to know about the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

We’re still processing the photos of the Miss USA shots at Sushi Samba in the Palazzo, the bocce ball contest at Rao’s in Caesars Palace, the Show in the Sky at The Rio, the Richard Petty race package out at Las Vegas Speedway, and last night’s visit to the Shark Tank at the Golden Nugget and the downtown Fremont Street Experience. We’ll have those final “tourist” photos tomorrow. Meantime, the first round of the preliminary competition begins tonight.

All 51 contestants take to the stage at Planet Hollywood’s Theatre for the Performing Arts for the debut presentation show of swimwear and evening gowns. We’ll also have our extensive photo coverage of that tomorrow as we count down to next Sunday’s glamorous big night and the crowning of Miss USA 2009.

Vegas DeLuxe readers have been following our embedded Vegas DeLuxe special correspondent Georgina Vaughan’s diary as she competes as Miss Nevada USA. Here’s her latest installment:

“Time has been flying by here at Miss USA, and I’ll admit I am having the time of my life! It is truly a crazy situation to be in, and I keep reminding myself just how lucky I was to be born and raised in Las Vegas and to be able to go through such an incredible life-changing experience right on my doorstep. The past few days have been jam-packed but so exciting! All of us girls have started rehearsals and learning all of our walking, routines and dances.

“Anyone who knows me well knows me as a clumsy ‘non-dancer,’ and for some reason, I have overnight become what I like to call a ‘good dancer.’ It cracks me up because I am in the group that has the most dancing, and I still question how on Earth I got there! :)

“The opening dance number is to the song ‘That’s Not My Name’ by the Ting Tings, and we will be performing it for the first time Monday (tonight) at the first preliminary competition at Planet Hollywood. You can also watch the prelims on nbc.com and www.missusa.com.

“After yesterday’s (Sunday’s) rehearsals, we had a gown check where the wardrobe staff checks every girl’s gown to see if it is TV appropriate. Most girls do not photograph in their national gown at registration, so it is mandatory for them to check in person. My national gown is the most amazing dress, and it is so different from what is usually seen. I still will not be revealing it until prelims night, though.

“Yesterday (Sunday), we had rehearsals all morning and then headed to the Golden Nugget for a big pool party! I promise to write more and give some behind-the-scenes scoop in my upcoming posts. My roommate and I are going to go run up and down the halls for some exercise now!”

Vegas DeLuxe will continue to post Georgina’s reports right up until Sunday’s big pageant night.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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