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“Here she comes, Miss America … ” with tattoos and hunting bow? Well, not exactly, but Miss Kansas Theresa Vail did make the top 10. The crown went to Miss New York Nina Davuluri, the first winner of Indian descent.
But Vail had her own series of firsts. She was the first contestant to strut down Boardwalk Hall with two ginormous tattoos on full display. One, the Serenity Prayer down her left side. The other, the insignia for the U.S. Army Dental Corps on her left shoulder. She was the second contestant in the military to compete in the Miss America contest.
The Army National Guard sergeant decided to show her ink based on her beliefs. “My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers,” she told People magazine. “What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. … I am who I am, tattoos and all.”
Who else she is, is an expert M16 marksman, a skydiver, a boxer, a mechanic and a onetime motorcycle racer. She had to stop that after breaking all the fingers in her right hand – which could have been a problem in reaching her goal of becoming an Army dentist. She’s also an avid hunter. She can skin a deer, makes mean squirrel stew and hopes one day to hunt bear with her bow and arrow. Look for her soon as the host of a hunting series for the Outdoor Channel. Oh yeah, and she’s drop dead gorgeous.
Vail’s “empowerment” platform is admirable, but all she had to do was look to some country artists who’ve “been there, done that.” With deer bow hunting season opening up in Ohio next week, Miranda Lambert, for example, is no doubt chomping at the bit in Oklahoma. For her wedding to Blake Shelton two years ago, they infamously served venison, “Last thing loaded for the wedding!!! Harvested by….me!!!!!” Miranda tweeted, complete with a picture of her holding the deer cutlets.
Last Thanksgiving, the tattooed singer took down a hog, but after that she opened up her boutique, the Pink Pistol, and told Country Weekly the bow and arrow had to take a rest. “I haven’t had time…Blake’s like, ‘Really? You’re just going to be in pink glitter and no more hunting with me anymore?’ ”
But he later said during interviews on NBC’s “The Voice,” “It’s so impressive to see this hot girl walking out of the house with this bow and arrow and shooting things with it. I love it. I hope that’s what we do again on Thanksgiving (next year).”
Tell you what, this animal loving country girl from South Charleston used to go “hunting” with her Dad every Thanksgiving, but somehow my expert marksman father would “miss” every time.
As for tattoos, well, that’s for me to know and you to find out!
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