The White Falcon - 17.01.1986, Blaðsíða 8

New Miss World
Icelander begins a year's work for World's children
Feature by J02 Dave Sawyer
Iceland is reknowned for it's
natural beauty. Tourists travel
from all over the world to view
rugged landscapes, cascading
waterfalls and crystaline
glaciers.
Another type of beauty often
strikes visitors, the physical
appearance of Iceland's citizens.
Holmfridur Karlsodottir, or
Hofi, is a 22-year-old nursery
school teacher and sometimes
model from Garderbaer, a city on
the outskirts of Reykjavik, and is
certainly a good example of the
beauty many Icelandic women
possess.
Hofi is easily six feet tall, a
fair complexion, with swept back
blonde hair, blue eyes — clearer
than an Icelandic lake — and the
nordic features that are so
common in Iceland. Holmfridur is
a striking woman.
It was because of her statuesque beauty, at least
in part, that Hofi was chosen to represent Iceland in
an international beauty contest.
Miss World
'Beauty with a purpose" is the slogan of the Miss
World contest. Young women, representing their
nation's choice for feminine intelligence and physical
beauty, travel to London each year to compete for
the coveted title.
Holmfridur participated in that contest and was
crowned Miss World, November 14th, before a
worldwide television audience. She is the first
Icelander to win that title.
The purpose of this particular contest is to raise
money for children. During her reign Miss
Karlsdottir will be attending public events all over
the globe in return for contributions to the Miss
World fund. Money donated for public appearances
is in turn shared by children's hospitals and health
and education programs around the world.
Coming home
Miss World's "children' come from the different
corners of the globe and during this year Holfridur
be working a gruelling schedule for them, travelling
with her chaperone.
Hofi's other "children" (as yet she has none of her
own) attend nursery school in Garderbaer, and when
she returned to Iceland after being crowned, she
stopped by to see her students first. "They were a
little bit shy, 1 was all dressed up (in her crown and
Miss World sash)," said Hofi during an interview
with The White Falcon and the Navy Broadcasting
Service. ’Some were very excited, it was terrific to
be back."
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Hofi smiled throughout the interview, accustomed
to her new found fame and the reporters a title like
her’s inevitably brings. She projected the feeling
that her title hasn’t changed her at all when she told
the reporters that she plans to continue teaching
after her reign as Miss World is over but she also
hopes for more work as a model.
Thousands of telegrams and hundreds bouquets of
flowers awaited Hofi at her parent's home from well
wishers all over Iceland. During her return to
Iceland there was plenty of time to spend with loved
ones during the holidays (all she wanted for
Christmas was to spend time with her friends and
family) but, it was also a time to take care of
business.
Within the past month she has made at least one
commercial, worked in the production of a music
video (curiously enough the song was a less than
positive appraisal of beauty contests), and was also
featured in a New Year's Eve special broadcast by
Icelandic Television.
A duty to country
"I'll be promoting my country all over the world
and that will be a good thing. * Fru Karlsodottir
smiled, "Many, many people think we live in
igloos." Travelling also happens to be one of Hofi's
hobbies.
According to her personal manager, Baldvin
Jonsson, Holmfridur will promote Iceland and
Icelandic products during her travels. Contracts
have been drawn up and signed between the Miss
World contest and Icelandair, The Icelandic
Tourist Bureau, and the Ministry of Fisheries .
Please see MISS WORLD on pg 11
The White Falcon January 17, 1985