Soroptimists Make a Splash at the Healthy Girl Festival

It was definitely all healthy and girls Saturday at the Festival of Arts grounds, as the Soroptimist Ladies of Laguna Beach made a spectacular splash with their mother/daughter Healthy Girl Festival, featuring everything from Girl Scout Cookies (fronted by an enormous mug of Katie Couric) to the Zumba Wonder Twins -- powers totally activated!

The day-long event that was awash in electric pink shorts, shirts and sneakers centered around continuous screenings of the 2011 documentary Miss Representation by filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom (of Gavin fame), which examines how poorly the mainstream media treats women (alt-media isn't much better!). Outside the theatre walls, the arts grounds were lined with chicks and pro-chick vendors such as Smart Girls Who Surf, Ponytail Bracelets (that claim to redefine Clara Bow’s “It Girl” via versatile elastic bands adorned with positive messages – yes, for your hair or your delicate ladywrists), Paddle Girl, YogaWorks, ROOTS the Beauty Underground, ECO-Warrior, Rebecca’s House, and Girls Inc. of Orange County – among many others.

In addition, performers rocked the stage like the impressive Yours Truly Band – five high school girls pumping out Pat Benatar and Heart riffs, as well as some original material – and OC favorite Shaena Stabler did her usual wooing and rousing of the crowd before closing time.

There were plenty of dance and defense demonstrations that only the truly young or truly bold attempted – or anyone longing to recapture her Xena Warrior Princess days, which was apropos when the United Studios of Self-Defense took to the grass swinging and slashing giant wooden sticks through the air. For the lovers (not the fighters), a salsa dancing exhibition followed shortly afterward, because there really are millions of other ways to throw out your back like a lady.

We also noted some craftiness – when we weren’t hovering around the Lime Truck food mobile, reminding ourselves that it was totally anti-woman to worry about calories today – and the Make a Bracelet tables and perfectly gorgeous Soroptimist mural wall were sucking in all the creative types.

Lastly, before bidding a fond farewell to gal pal Rudy from our we noted that full beards are back! No, no, we aren’t going carny on you - we are, indeed, referring to the few gentlemen who were in attendance. Yes, ladies, while you’re going Brazilian, all the young dudes are letting it naturally sprout out, saying goodbye to the go-go tee and keeping it short on top with full facial bear on the bottom. All we can say is, if it's good enough for the men ...