SXMElections.com

MAHO--Maria Alejandra Lopez-Perez from Colombia was selected Miss Caraïbes Hibiscus 2015 on Saturday evening at Casino Royale in Maho. The beautiful Colombian, who was also Miss Pan-America in 2013, beat eight other contestants for the crown.

Originally there had been 13 contestants, however, Miss St. Martin/St. Maarten Lisandre Nicoise had withdrawn from the competition, and contestants from Curaçao, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela's flights were cancelled as the result of a bomb scare at SXM Princess Juliana International Airport. The crown for the winner did not arrive on time for the event.

The pageant was opened by Master of Ceremonies King Beau Beau, who welcomed the crowd in no less than six languages, before introducing the panel of judges and the contestants. The judges of the event were Stuart Johnson, Raj, Hanisha Alwani, Richard Diallo and Janeesa Fernandes.

King Beau Beau then went on to name the contestants, 19-year-old Michelle Gumbs from Bonaire, 20-year old Maria Lopes-Perez from Colombia, 22-year-old Alimanda Juliet from Guadeloupe, 22-year old Samair Wislene-Popo from Haiti, 22-year-old Regina Harding from Jamaica, 24-year-old Leslie Lalande from Martinique, 25-year-old Karla Peniche-Hernandez from Mexico, 22-year-old Chandel Menckeberg from Suriname, and 22-year-old Stephanie-Marie Miles from the United States.

After the introductions, the crowd were entertained by singers Zook Look who performed their "Medley one." They were followed onstage by the three dancers of Afro-Latin moves, whose dance utilising their orange dresses and yellow fans was well received by the crowd.

It was then time to meet the contestants. The nine young women presented themselves as a group in a dance, before coming onto the stage one by one to make their introductions. Miss Bonaire, dressed in blue and white, combined beauty with a sweet demeanour as she spoke of the beauty of her island and invited all those present to visit. It was no surprise that with her graceful, slim appearance she was compared to the flamingo, Bonaire's national bird.

Miss Colombia, dressed in colourful and revealing native attire, addressed the crowd in fluent English and French, and said she wanted to travel and help people. She said she believed that beauty has a purpose, and hers was to assist others.

Miss Guadeloupe, a Spanish language graduate, was dressed in a white and yellow long skirt and a small top. She said it was her wish to launch her own cosmetics brand. She stated she likes to play sports, reading and writing.

Miss Haiti announced that she came from the country of fire, liberty and potential. She was a practised speaker who said she loved St. Maarten and would like to come back. She came onto the stage dancing in a red and blue dress.

Miss Jamaica, in a carnival-style dress, showed that beauty and brains often go together. The medical student stood out through her pretty face. She said her country was known for its hot and sweet music: reggae, and for producing the fastest man and woman in the world.

Miss Martinique, a swimwear stylist who spoke mostly in French, praised the culture, flowers, food and beauty of her island. She wore a red and white ankle length lace dress.

Miss Mexico, dressed in a stunning carnival outfit, stood out through her confidence, her vivid way of speaking and a very pretty face which made her an instant favourite with the crowd. She said to be from a country full of culture, tradition and contrast.

Miss Suriname made a powerful entrance to the song "We are one," which was also the start sentence of her speech. She pointed out that her costume had influences of different traditional costumes from her country.

The last contestant to introduce herself was the tall and graceful Miss USA, who entered the stage in a gold outfit inspired by the statue of liberty. She said her dream was to open a dance school.

After the formal introductions of the contestants, King Beau Beau named and thanked a large number of sponsors both from St. Maarten and French St. Martin. Performer Jeremy then stepped up with a zouk performance. After Jeremy's song, the second segment was ready to commence, and King Beau Beau introduced the second segment of the competition; the swimwear round.

The contestants of Bonaire, Colombia, Guadeloupe and Haiti were the first to step up in matching pink bikinis and high heels. They were followed by the contestants from the remaining five countries.

Miss Mexico and Miss United States proved to be early favourites with the crowd, both drawing whistles from audience members.

After the swimwear round, there were more performances from Fabien and Jeremy, giving an acoustic performance which had the crowd clapping along and even joining in with parts of the song.

After this popular performance, it was time for the round that many people had been waiting for: the evening wear round. The contestants came on stage in the same two groups as with the previous round.

In the first group, Miss Colombia stood out with a bright dress, which she wore with matching lipstick. In the second group, Miss Jamaica, also in a red dress, with gold sequins and red feathers sewn onto it, received a positive response. Miss USA also stood out in a glamorous gold coloured dress.

After more performances from Afro Latin Move and Jeremy, it was finally time for the results. All contestants came back on stage and were presented with a red rose and a watch on behalf of sponsor Shiva Jewellery.

The audience was asked, by making noise, to decide on Miss Popularity. Miss USA easily walked away with the sash. The photographers present chose Miss Colombia as Miss Photogenic.

The other titles, determined by the judges, were as follows: Miss Mexico won Best Culture wear with her carnival costume. Miss Jamaica won both Best Eveningwear and Miss Amity and was selected second runner-up. Miss Mexico was first runner-up, before the moment everyone had waited for. Miss Colombia was announced as the winner.