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Erin Elise Good, Miss Maine USA 2007, walked into 9 small dressing room Sunday, Nov. 24, in the South Portland Sheraton all smiles. She sat at a mirror propped up against one of the ivory walls and squinted slightly as she studied herself in the mirror. Her blue eyes were lined with smoky black liner and her light auburn hair hung straight down to the middle of her back.
Last year, Good sat in the same room as one of 12 contestants in the Miss Maine USA 2007 pageant. For the past 12 months, she has worn the coveted crown – a shining, silver symbol of elegance, poise and beauty. From the glow on Good’s face, one would never know her reign as Maine’s beauty queen was about to end.
“I’m giving up my title as Miss Maine USA tonight,” Good said, curling her hair, “and I have to say it’s bittersweet.”
Pageant contestants for 2008 began to file into the dressing room, taking eager glances at Good’s regal accessory that sat atop her head. Not only would one of them capture the title of Miss Maine USA in less than three hours, they would also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Miss USA, the beauty pageant owned by Donald Trump and NBC.
Good acknowledged some of the young women vying for her crown. They were filing in from the foyer and heading toward their makeup stations scattered throughout the dressing room.
“I would be happy to crown any one of them,” Good said. She began to touch up her makeup, generously applying bronzer to her already tanned complexion.
With the crowning of a new Miss Maine USA, a new chapter of Good’s life awaits her.
For more than 50 years, this Miss USA pageant has been crowning state delegates that demonstrate grace, fitness, beauty and integrity. The 51 delegates, including the District of Columbia, spend nearly three weeks making appearances, competing at preliminaries and then, finally performing and competing in the final show. Each year a new location is chosen for the pageant, which is held in the spring.
“I learned a lot after competing at Miss USA,” Good said. “There are some really petty pageant girls and some who are really down to earth. I still talk to several of [the other delegates] on a regular basis.”
Good, a native of Fairfield, claims she grew up as a tomboy and was a natural on the soccer field. She insisted that she was not a stereotypical “popular girl.”
“I didn’t start wearing makeup or acting like a girly-girl until later in high school,” Good explained. “It was then someone suggested I get in to modeling, and the pageant was kind of a second interest. I wanted to try something new.”
After capturing her title, Good spent her year making appearances around the state and working with causes such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Best Buddies and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, both locally and nationally, through the Miss Universe Organization.
“Best Buddies was probably my favorite charitable alliance,” Good said. “At Miss USA, we were paired up with a buddy that has special needs and got to spend the day with them at a basketball event. Even though I’m not very good at basketball, I had an amazing time getting to know my buddy, Arthur. We still keep in touch, and he’s an amazing human being.”
Good also had a brush with celebrity as she appeared on shows such as “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and had meet-and-greets with celebrities such as Danny Bonaduce, Carmen Electra, Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner and Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera.
The climax of her reign occurred March 23. After nearly three weeks of late nights, early mornings, appearances, uncomfortable shoes and full hair and make-up for endless flashes from cameras, Good appeared live on NBC for the Miss USA 2007 pageant.
“Competing at Miss USA was surreal. The year goes by so fast and you can’t realize that until it’s almost over,” Good said and then went to change into her evening gown. Reappearing moments later, Good was stunning in a black, strapless, form-fitting fabric that fell into a train of feathers just below the knee.
She returned to her mirror for one last glimpse. Taking a deep breath, sadness fell over her face. The glow slowly faded.
Good applied a light gloss to her lips and was called to the backstage area, about to take her final walk as Miss Maine USA 2007. Realizing the clock was now minutes from striking twelve on her reign, Good rose from her chair and, with a tearful smile, said, “This experience truly is a fairytale.”
Kaetlin Parent, 19, of Van Buren, walked away with Good’s title that night. While Good had to pass on her crown and insists that she sees no pageants in her future, she still has a year full of memories that are hers to keep forever.
