Tattooed Miss America contestant Theresa Vail is first to show ink during pageant
ATLANTIC CITY — She isn't the only one with a tattoo.
Miss Montana, for instance, has a big bold one on her foot, with a cross and an inscription.
But Theresa Vail's ink was front and center last night at the first round of Miss America preliminaries. Exposing a tattoo seemed a far cry from the pageant queens of old who came to visit, like BeBe Shopp, from 1948, who once, it was reported, told media she didn't think bikinis were appropriate for American women.
Between Vail's red bikini, on her right side, spanning her ribs and hip, is the "Serenity Prayer," written in a sizable series of vintage font.
View full sizeMiss Kansas Theresa Vail.Miss America photo gallery.
She is Miss Kansas, and while she wasn't there to wear them — the ladies will don their parade shoes Saturday — her plain tan boots also stood out in a table of glitzy, glittery heels yesterday at a preview for the Show Us Your Shoes Parade.
Vail, 22, joined the Kansas Army National Guard at 17, lists her employment as being in the medical detachment, and has double majored in Chinese and chemistry at Kansas State University.
Miss Montana, for instance, has a big bold one on her foot, with a cross and an inscription.
But Theresa Vail's ink was front and center last night at the first round of Miss America preliminaries. Exposing a tattoo seemed a far cry from the pageant queens of old who came to visit, like BeBe Shopp, from 1948, who once, it was reported, told media she didn't think bikinis were appropriate for American women.
Between Vail's red bikini, on her right side, spanning her ribs and hip, is the "Serenity Prayer," written in a sizable series of vintage font.
View full sizeMiss Kansas Theresa Vail.Miss America photo gallery. She is Miss Kansas, and while she wasn't there to wear them — the ladies will don their parade shoes Saturday — her plain tan boots also stood out in a table of glitzy, glittery heels yesterday at a preview for the Show Us Your Shoes Parade.
Vail, 22, joined the Kansas Army National Guard at 17, lists her employment as being in the medical detachment, and has double majored in Chinese and chemistry at Kansas State University.
Just in case you were wondering what Theresa looked like in uniform and as a brunette, we’ve got both covered with this photo from November of 2011 featuring Theresa and her dad, which she captioned, “Everything I aspire to be…”
If you wanted Theresa Vail as a brunette, but not necessarily in uniform, we’ve got you covered there too! Here’s another photo of a dark-tressed Theresa looking absolutely lovely while attending a wedding in October, 2009. (Once again, Theresa is posing with her pop.)
The 2014 Miss America Competition will air Sunday, September 15 at 9/8c on ABC.
