On September 10, at the 46th annual Miss Fire Island Contest, at the Ice Palace, Miss Fire Island 2010 Sabel Scities, Ms. Fire Island 2010 Ambrosia, and Entertainer of the Year 2010 Dallas Dubois stepped down and crowned, as their successors, Miss Fire Island 2011 Logan Hardcore, Ms. Fire Island Gusty Winds, and Entertainer of the Year 2011 dancer Brenda Dharling. Beside crowns, sashes, trophies, plaques, and bouquets, the winners won cash prizes of $1,000 for Miss FI, based on look, walk, poise, day wear, evening wear, and originality; $300 for Ms. FI, the category for “the mature and meatier girls, who still have what it takes;” and $600 for Entertainer, for drag professionals, for presentation, costume, and appearance.
A panel of seven judges—rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker; Charity, the second Miss FI; Mike Fisher of cherrygroveguys.com; Broadway at the Beach’s nightlife icon Kenny Holcomb; Miss FI 2003 Nikki Starr; fashion designer Michael Plosky; and Joyce Rodgers, with Dennis McConkey acting as tally judge, all introduced by Rita George, the third Miss FI—chose Logan out of 12 contenders; Gusty out of four contestants; and Brenda out of 18 vying for the Entertainer title. The latter performed her prize-winning dance number to “Let Me Entertain You,” from “Gypsy,” music from “A Chorus Line” and “Swan Lake,” and the title song from “Fame,” and ended with a split.
Runners-up to Logan were Martina Skyy, given the title Miss Cherry Grove and a $300 prize, and Tiffany Jae, dubbed Miss Ice Palace and awarded $150. Donna Piranha, Gusty’s runner-up, was named Ms. Cherry Grove and given $150. Busted, a late entry in the Entertainer category, in trashcan drag, with makeup askew, was deemed Miss Popularity by the audience, and awarded a $200 prize. Epiphany took the judges’ award of $150 for her number (“I’ll be your friend”), with backup dancers. Winners of $100 sponsor awards were Mica—the Absolut award; Tina Burner, for her renditions of “Broadway Baby” and “Anything Goes”—the Next magazine prize; Bootsie LeFaris, who offered “My Heart Will Go On” and “River Deep, Mountain High”—the Coors Light award; Yuhua Hamasaki, for “Big Spender” and “Give it up”—the Bacardi award; and Devin Stone—the Malibu Black prize.
Other contenders for Miss FI, who did not take prizes, were Ava Jyna; Tara Miso Rice; Lauren Ordair, who first appeared as Tracy Turnblad, complete with hairspray and radio; the ageless China; Kiki Demena; Roxy Brooks; and Lolita Golightly. Aurora Stone and Mary Oofa were other competitors in the Ms. FI category. Also vying for Entertainer were Fifi DuBois; Violet Storm; Renée Flaming as a beautiful bride (“Hold him, and kiss him and love him”), who vented (“Touch my man again, I’m gonna cut you up”), and dismissed her love (“Have a nice day”); Porschea Pitstop; Dirty Dixie Normous, with a Wendy Ho number; Demi-Tasse as Barbra Streisand, doing Maltby and Shire’s “Starting Here, Starting Now;” Cindy Diamonds; larger-than-life Julie; Sasha Halliwell; Delfina with a graphic, deliberately repulsive parody of Patsy Cline song “She’s Got You;” ghoulish Priscilla Unborn—or should she have been Undead?—with “I Will Always Love You;” and Billy Little as Wanda Sykes.
Sal Piro was Executive Producer of the contest. Ariel Sinclair, Philomena, and singer Porsche were Mistresses of Ceremonies. Brandon Cutrell sang the “Star Spangled Banner,” as the Cherry Grove Fire Department paraded the colors, and Johnny Savoy’s “Ballad of Miss Fire Island.” Manny Ojeda and Chuck McTague were the DJs.
Hold September 8, 2012 for the 47th annual Miss FI contest.