Contestant No. 9 took the stage wearing satin gloves and a billowy chiffon gown. She had 35 seconds at the mike:
When she lost her teeth years ago, she got new ones. When her hair fell out, she began to wear wigs. And when her bosom headed south, she gave it a lift with a little padding.
It's not exactly the kind of thing a beauty queen cares to admit. But Stebbins was not here for the crown. She just wanted to look good and have a little fun.
That was the case for many of the contestants who lined up on a recent Sunday to compete for the title of Ms. Senior Culver City.
They gathered at the senior center, teased hair smelling sweet from hair spray, necks glistening with rhinestones, feet aching in high heels. Elaine Brammell, a blond from Carlsbad, was the youngest candidate at 64. Sandra Miller-Erkus, a redhead from Granada Hills, was the oldest at 79.
Stebbins, 73, whose hair color depends on which wig she's wearing, came in from Oceanside. A girlfriend drove her despite the fact that her husband insisted she stay home. He's not a big fan of the shows.
The women are. Some have dreamed of starring in a pageant all their lives, and not until they reached their 60s did they have the courage or the time. They've been in dozens of shows. They have closets full of gowns, and trophies on their mantels.
On this day many were looking east, toward Atlantic City. That's where each year, in a big hotel casino off the boardwalk, judges crown Ms. Senior America. Her name is announced before an audience of hundreds, and a towering tiara is placed on her head.
Since California began participating in the national contest in 1986, women from the Golden State have scored five crowns, a record number.
"My girls mean business," said Marilyn Kohler, the state pageant director. "They are very hard to beat."
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For senior pageant entrants, it's all about fun -- and maybe the tiara
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