Getting to know Beach Honeys

The Beach Honey Contest is in the homestretch with the Grand Final held this Saturday 8/18 at Dino Beach Waterpark. The contest which started 6 months ago is now days away from awarding 100,000 rmb to the top spot -- this years' Beach Honey.

The entire field of over 250 contestants is now narrowed down to 24 girls from all over China and the world. The contest rules are quite simple -- Each contestant does a short dance for 30 seconds on stage standing out in a line of each evening's competitors. Clothing is mandatory, though some early contestants thought otherwise, and, as the contest moved from winter into the sweltering heat of July the outfits got skimpier and skimpier -- Bikinis are, after all, the clothing of choice for Beach Honeys! The crowd and judges then selected the top 3 contestants of each night to advance to the monthly finals. Each month the finalists were published in a Beach Honey booklet that eventually grew to a full glossy magazine shot with professional stylists and photographers. The winners of each monthly final advanced to the Semi Finals which were held last month at Dino Beach where the field of 34 was narrowed down to 20 in head-to-head PK duels where 1 girl challenged another in front of the live audience to advance to the Finals this Saturday at Dino Beach. The contest has grown blindingly fast in popularity, signaling a groundswell of interest in youth culture from the contestants and hordes of their fans and other future contestants as well as growing commercial interest from sponsors and marketers keen to get inside the collective mindset of China's 200 million-or-so teenagers. This week Scope takes the direct route into that mindset and we sat with Alyce, Rose and Sheela, 3 of the English-speaking Beach Honey finalists to get some insights and ideas about the contest, the fans, the ups and downs of the last 6 months and the bright and starry road ahead. Introducing the Beach Honeys -- All are students. Alyce is from Taiwan and just graduated. Rose is from Vietnam and will graduate this year. Sheela is German and has just graduated. Scope: Have you been in any contest like this before? What is the most interesting thing about being in the contest? Alyce: I haven't been in a contest before. I think Beach Honey contest is just a way to have fun. Once I went to Bonbon and saw the poster, then I joined it! Some of my friends came to support me on stage and I really appreciate that. And every time I went to the photo shoot for each month's Beach Honey magazine, it's was so interesting. I like that. Rose: This is the first time I entered Beach Honey contest and I've gained a lot of experience both on stage and in daily life. To be honest, I'm aiming for top three! Sheela: It's the first time I ever joined a beauty contest. This is a big one of course. During the contest, I had a lot of fun, I'm not that serious whenever I'm on stage, I just like the way I dance and show myself. Scope: Has being in the contest changed or effected you in any way? Alyce: Not at all. I'm always the way I am, I joined the contest because I like having fun. Rose: I used to be a very shy girl, after I joined Beach Honey contest in February I guess I've become more confident.

Alyce, 18 Rose, 23 Sheela, 20

Sheela: Not really. I'm half Chinese and stayed at Shanghai for five years, I know the club culture here and know how to make people excited when on stage. I went to Bonbon a lot before I joined the Beach Honey contest and its been pretty cool!

Scope: What do you hope the audience will see in you when you are competing in the contest?

Alyce: Well, if they like me I hope they would just do anything they can to show it! I like the way I dance and how I look on stage, I'm pretty confident of myself!

Rose: It's totally different to compete at Bonbon and Dino Beach. At Bonbon people just came to see me, to see Beach Honeys! So whatever I showed they'd just like it and yell and scream. But at Dino Beach I had to make more effort to get people's attention. It's good to practice in different places.

Sheela: I'm teaching dance now, so I like to be up on stage. I hope the audience like me and if not, that's cool. I like to show up and be myself.

Scope: Have your friends and family been encouraging you? Have they noticed anything about you since you have joined the contest?

Alyce: My friends support me a lot, especially at Bonbon. If people prefer another girl more than me, my friends would just make much more noise than them!

Rose: Yes. My parents and my friends support me. They often came to see me at Bonbon doing each month's contest. I like the way I dance and I get more confidence each time I'm up there. I just keep telling myself I'm a superstar!

Sheela: Yes, even my family in Germany know about the contest and encourage me a lot. I don't think I've changed at all since entering, I'm always just the way I am.

Scope: When you are not in the contest what are some of your hobbies and does being in the contest change what you are interested in?

Alyce: I'm interested in everything that other girls like! I like shopping, hanging out with my friends and singing.

Rose: Since I started competing in the Beach Honey contest I try to take care of myself more, for example I go to gym a lot, and shop, and do things to make me feel good.

Sheela: Dancing. I teach people how to dance and totally know how to get people moving and into it. I'm happiest just being myself, dancing on stage, that's enough for me.

Scope: Have any other people come to you and recognized you as a Beach Honey?

Alyce: Yes, especially since the Beach Honey ads got shown everywhere, even in middle of Huaihai Lu! People recognized me a lot and come to me asking "Hi, are you the Beach Honey?"

Rose: Yes, of course! I even missed some of the photo shoots. It didn't matter. At Bonbon, I often heard people behind me talking about me a lot, they'd say "Hey, there's the Beach Honey!".

Sheela: Oh yes. When I was shopping in Changle Lu, some people came to me and said, "Hey, you're the Beach Honey!" and also, some of my friends in Shanghai saw the billboards and called me asking "Are you in the Beach Honey contest?" I feel a bit like a star!

Scope: What are your plans for after the contest?

Alyce: I'm not planing my life at all yet. I'm still a student and young, there's a lot to do in the future.

Rose: I might go back to Vietnam. I just graduated from a university in Shanghai this year. After five years studying as a foreign student, I learned a lot, and I think it's been good for me to join a contest like the Beach Honey in China.

Sheela: I'm planning to go to a university and study in America.

Scope: What do you think it means to be the Beach Honey 2007. Does being a Beach Honey mean anything special to you?

Alyce: It means you are the hottest and most stylish person on stage! I do have confidence to win the first prize!

Rose: At first, it was really a challenge for me to attend Beach Honey contest. After 6 months, I realized that being on stage you must be super confident of yourself, including the way you dance, the way you dress up. If you like yourself then other people in the audience will like you too!

Sheela: It has offered a way to show and be yourself and be confident. I'd like to say good luck to everyone who goes to the final contest and also to those who will join next year's Beach Honey contest.

Beach Honey Final PREVIEW. Thursday August 16th at Club Bonbon. Club Bonbon Address: 1329 Huaihai Middle Road. Info: 133 2193 9299

Beach Honey Final. Saturday August 18th at Dino Beach Waterpark.

Dino Beach Waterpark
Address: No.78 Xin Zhen Rd. Minhang District Shanghai
Info: 021 6478 3333