PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- It's almost swimsuit season but you may see the hashtag #byebyebikini floating around your newsfeeds. That's because the Miss America pageant is getting rid of the swimwear competition.
Breaking with a decades old tradition, the move is getting mixed reactions.
"The pageant has evolved and the times have evolved," says Marybeth Noonan, who was crowned Miss Maine 2016 and competed at Miss America.
Noonan says a lot of people she's talked to, who are involved in the pageant world, are upset by this decision. "I think that’s because it’s breaking a tradition.”
She says she's grateful she had the opportunity to participate, before the event announced the changes planned for 2019.
"It was so hard, so scary but I had to be fearless," she describes how she felt participating in the swimsuit part of the event.
"I'm graduating debt free from college because of this program," she said. "Miss America, when it started in 1921 it was a beauty pageant and now it's a scholarship competition. I think swimsuits belong in a beauty pageant but do swimsuits belong in girls competing for a scholarship? Maybe not."
Miss America will replace the swimsuit competition, with an interactive session with the contestants and judges.
"I think someday we'll look back at all of this and my kids will say 'I can't believe you wore a bikini on national TV!'"
The competition started nearly 100 years ago as a way to extend the summer season and keep tourists coming to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Miss America also announced it will alter the evening wear portion of the competition and won't judge contestants on their attire, it will be about what the women have to say.