Bold, beautiful and Big
published: Sunday | December 21, 2003

By Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter

Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer

"I AM FAT with flair," declares a confident Norraine Chambers. She is Jamaica's representative to the 'Bold and Beautiful' competition, a beauty pageant for full-figured women held in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Norraine is Jamaica's first representative to the competition, which has been held once before in 2000.

Norraine is certainly not your typical beauty queen. She is 33 years old, 5'5'' tall and weights close to 300 lbs. She is the mother of two children, Renee Daley, eight years old, and 13 year-old Petagaye Burton, and has a boyfriend whose name she refused to disclose.

The contest is not for women who fit into the conventional idea of beauty. According to Norraine; "It's not for young, slim people that haven't been touched. It's for fat people - fat and pretty." And confident too, based on Norraine's attitude. "I think that what a slim person can do a fat person can do also. I am not jealous of a slim person. I feel comfortable being fat," she says.

PHYSICAL LIMITATION

In addition to seeing no physical limitations due to her size, Norraine harbours very little reservations about her weight. In fact, she repeatedly uses the term 'fat' to refer to herself, even though to many women her size the 'f' word is considered unflattering. "I don't mind my weight," she says, as she falls into her Kingston drawl. "Mi just waan tone up and tek off the belly, 'cause you can fat and sexy. Mi know that for sure," she laughs. She should know. Norraine, who lived in England for over two years, won a competition of similar nature to appear as a cover girl of a magazine. She says she doesn't know which magazine it would have been, because she later refused to take up her prize. She was again approached, this time in Jamaica, to enter the Bold and Beautiful competition by a pageant representative here.

It seems her vibrant personality, beautiful skin and radiant smile have endeared her to those who look for beauty in unconventional places.

Unlike the 'Miss World' competition, contestants for the Bold and Beautiful pageant must weigh over 220 lbs and may or may not be married and have children.

The contestant must also have won or been a runner-up in a competition of a similar nature to be eligible for selection. This year, the Jamaican representative went up against contestants from six other Caribbean countries ­ Antigua and Barbuda's Claudette Holder; the British Virgin Islands' Tammi David; Dominica's Valda Bruno; St. Vincent's Dorothy Frank; Trinidad and Tobago's Donna Leiz Rees; and the United States' Virgin Islands' Kesha Ells.

The winner of the competition will receive US$1,500, the crown and prizes from jewellers in the BVI. Norraine, who is a cosmetologist, has all the skills to ensure that she is prepared for the competition. She specialises in hairstyling, but knows how to do nails and make-up as well. She acted as her own stylist at the competition, held on Friday in Tortola. That is not something that she has a problem with, however. Her concern lies in the fact that she has not been able to get any form of sponsorship for the competition.

Norraine used outfits from her wardrobe, including a gown and swimsuit, in the competition. However, she could not get a Jamaican costume in time for the competition.

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

Though she tried to contact a design house run by Francis Keane, it turned out to be too little too late. After the initial call, no follow up was made to get the necessary outfits before the competition. A representative of Francis Keane, Nickesha Smith, confirmed this and added that they would have no problem sponsoring the competition next year. "I think it's fabulous," she said of the Bold and Beautiful competition.

"I've always wondered about them sponsoring only slender women. I think it is a wonderful thing," effused Nickesha.

Nickesha is not the only one singing praises for the Bold and Beautiful pageant. CEO of Champs Model Management, Debbie-Ann Stanley, exclaimed "That's gorgeous!" when she first heard the news of the pageant. One can understand her joy. Her agency boasts one of the few full-figured models in Jamaica, Kemeka Thomas. "I think it is something that is well needed," she said. The idea to have a similar competition locally has been on her mind, she said.

"More than 60 per cent of the world's women are full-figured," she said. "Kemeka is a beautiful example of full-figured female who is confident. We need it, because a lot of our full-figured women are gorgeous," she explained. She named Minister of Tourism and Industry Aloun Assamba, as one of the fabulous full-figured women in Jamaica. Mickey Haughton-James, the head of Spartan Health Club and the man behind the Miss Jamaica World franchise was cautiously congratulatory of the Bold and Beautiful competition.

"I certainly have nothing against it," he said. "But being a health club that deals with physical fitness we encourage people to get down to their ideal body weight," he said.

However, he hastened to add that not all fat people are unhealthy. "I think that a lot of people are at a fuller figure and it's not because they are unhealthy, it's not because they are not fit or do not eat right," he said. With that in mind, he continued: "If I were to judge a competition of the nature of a full-figured pageant, I would concentrate on fitness and muscle tone, not on a body weight that is unhealthy."

However, the organisers of the competition say the pageant is not simply about being a fat woman. According to Alecia Hamm, the head of the Bold and Beautiful pageant organisation in BVI, the criteria for being selected for the competition is not limited.

CATEGORIES

Like the Miss World Competition, judging is done in six different categories: The introductory speech, in which the contestant introduces herself and speaks about her country; the swimsuit competition; the national costume parade, which should see the contestants' countries being represented fully; the talent segment; the evening wear segment, where gowns are presented; and the question and answer segment, where the questions are based on the contestant's background.

The judges for the competition come from a number of Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. "As the years go by we hope it will get bigger and better," says Hamm. She hopes it will one day get to the level of the Miss World competition.

However, Mr. Haughton-James was very leery in his estimation of the pageant's potential. "Very few pageants have the scope of a Miss World or a Miss Universe competition. It would be very difficult," he said. "I am doubtful that it will get to that level."

See the results of the competition later this week.