The pageant took place at the Atlantis water park on the outskirts of Ljubljana. Booking the swanky venue was an attempt by the organizers to reclaim old glory; the overabundance of beauty pageants in the past few years has already resulted in dampened enthusiasm for these events. Media coverage was lukewarm, and few celebrities attended the event. Nonetheless, one of the contestants got the opportunity to represent Slovenia at the 2015 Miss World pageant in China: Mateja Kociper, a 23-year-old telecommunications student from Odranci (NE Slovenia). The other entrants agreed that she was the most likely candidate to win the crown.
Before Kociper and the other 14 finalists got the opportunity to present themselves to the audience, the host of the pageant Jerneja P. Zhembrovskyy – a fashion designer and a former ballerina – also announced the new Miss Earth Slovenia. Laura Škvorc, a 21-year-old industrial design student from Zreče, got the crown. Patricia Peklar – who last year bagged gold at the Miss Earth talent show in the Philippines by performing the song "Someone Like You" – was the one who crowned the new Miss Earth.
No unpleasant questions
Patricia Koželj was named first runner-up and Tadeja Pavlič second runner-up in the Miss Slovenia competition. The candidates did not have to field questions from the judges.
"The girls are under a ton of stress, they have stage fright, and they might say something they otherwise wouldn't. Some people will have a field day with such answers. These answers are not an adequate representation of what these girls think. Such questions don't allow them to make a good first impression," Miss Slovenia 2014 Julija Bizjak said.
Bizjak spent a lot of time with the girls during the preparations, which allowed her to get to know Kociper. "I know she will be able to capitalize on her opportunity. Next year, she will be even more confident. There are many changes ahead of her, so it's difficult for me to give her specific advice. I chose to stay the same person I was before I got the sash. I am no longer Miss Slovenia, but I am still Julija Bizjak. The new Miss Slovenia should not change just because she got the title," the 24th Miss Slovenia added.
Click on the thumbnails below to see more pictures from the pageant.
Klavdija Kopina, photo: Sandi Fišer; translated by D. V.
