The Miss International beauty pageant started in 1960, when the Miss Universe Organization left Long Beach, California, after almost 10 years as host city, to continue their pageant in Miami Beach. The people of Long Beach were very disappointed about that and so they started a new international beauty pageant: The International Beauty Congress, nowadays known as Miss International.
Here we are at the last part of our series and at the first years of the pageant. A very successful period for the Netherlands with our only win so far.
1960
Katinka Bleeker
Katinka Bleeker was 1st runner-up at the Miss Holland 1960 pageant. Katinka wanted to be discovered and become famous when she entered the Miss Holland pageant. At that time she was a dancer at the famous Parisian dance-group the Blue Bell dancers. She had to gain weight when she entered the Miss Holland pageant.
She was the tallest girl in the Miss International pageant with her 1.80 m. After the pageant, where she did’t place she stayed in the USA to become a model. She modeled for magazines like Vogue USA and Harpers Bazaar. But before she could pose for the famous photographers she had to… loose weight.
1961
Stanny Baer
Stanny Baer was the favorite to win but to small to become Miss Holland 1961, so she became “just” 2nd runner-up. At the time of the pageant she was Miss Amsterdam. But luckily for her she was asked to represent the Netherlands at the second Miss International pageant ever held. From the start of the pageant she was a favorite to win the pageant. She won the preliminary
“Playsuit” competition and also the Miss Photogenic award. So there was no surprise when she won the pageant. She stayed in the USA and married an American dentist in 1963.
1962
Rina Lodders
Rina Lodders was the first crowned Miss Holland to enter the Miss International pageant. The Miss International organization had asked to send the crowned Miss Holland and not a runner-up this year. Although, Rina was going to the Miss Universe at first she went to the Miss International pageant instead. Everybody knew it would be impossible to have a second win two years in a row. Rina was doing her very best and was a favorite to win. In the end she placed as 3rd runner-up. Later that year she would be crowned as the second dutch Miss World.
1963
Hannie IJsebrands
Hanny was a runner-up at the Miss Holland 1963 pageant. She was unplaced at the Miss International 1963 pageant. Not much is know about her.
1964
Renske van den Berg
Renske was 2nd runner-up at the Miss Holland 1964 pageant. She would represent the Netherlands at two international pageants: The Miss World 1964 pageant and the Miss International 1964 pageant. At both pageant she was unplaced. In 1965 she tried her luck at the Miss Holland pageant again but she was also unplaced at that pageant.
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