AFTER a year’s hiatus the Miss Bikini Jamaica International competition returned with its ninth staging at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, recently.

The occasion saw Shadia Johnson taking the top honours.

Event organiser Dwight Dunn said 11 contestants were trained for the final of the competition, which was conceptualised 10 years ago.

“The show was first started at James Bond Beach in Oracabessa, St Mary, and then it was moved to Kingston for eight years. In 2020 we came to Mandeville to host a virtual show because of the pandemic. This year now, we are back fully,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He added that Mandeville being “central” boosted the competition.

“The ladies are from all 14 parishes — that is how we recruited them — and so it would be very unfair for those from Westmoreland, St James, St Elizabeth and Hanover to be travelling very far to Kingston. They also felt like it was always biased towards Kingston. I decided to put the show in Mandeville,” he said.

In addition to copping the title of Miss Bikini Jamaica International, Johnson was awarded Best Figure and Best Skin Tone.

Chantolle McKenzie was second while Shannon Lewis came in third. Lewis was also awarded Best Legs. Anique Bartley was awarded Best Presentation and Kimberly Trought secured the Most Confident award.

Dunn said his background in fitness fuels his passion for the yearly competition.

“I used to compete as a bodybuilder and I am a Miss World and Miss Universe judge. For many years I prepared the contestants and I decided to merge the concept of women who are very fit and women who are very beautiful,” he said.

“The title of the person who won is really the ‘Sexiest Woman in Jamaica’,” he added.