LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 23: Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza is named Miss universe during the Miss Universe 2006 pageant at the Shrine Auditorium on July 23, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 23: Miss Japan Kurara Chibana (L) and Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza wait to hear who will be named Miss Universe during the Miss Universe 2006 pageant at the Shrine Auditorium on July 23, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)
Mere mention of Miss Universe 2006 and the names of two ladies immediately come to mind – Zuleyka Rivera and Kurara Chibana.
Zuleyka had one of the best reactions upon winning the Miss Universe crown, apart from the killer evening gown she wore. And for which she fainted backstage shortly after due to its sheer weight plus the pressure finally being lifted from her body.
Kurara Chibana, on the other hand, remains to be one of my all-time favorite Miss Universe Japan winners (along with Riyo Mori) that I was cheering for her till the announcement of winners. I knew that Zuleyka had it in the bag. But in my heart, I still wanted this Japanese beauty to win.
Share your memories of the two, dear readers.
Below are some highlight videos of the two from the edition held in Los Angeles, California.
Kurara Chibana, Miss Universe Japan 2006 and Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006 (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)
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Ano ba crowning glory ni Zuleyka?
a. Miss Universe (reputation)
b. Despacito video
c. Yilmaz Bektas ex
If u r looking for a b—-ch , they say Rio Mori is incomparable
@ Fabian Reyes Butch? Mori Riyo was lesbian?
WOW. Tama’ng-tama para sa (bago’ng) pelikula ni Ann Lorraine Colis.
🙂
Between the last 2 standing , I would vote for Zuleyka.
Karacha was not pretty at all .
I’d like to know who the other contenders were . I feel like if Kuracha was in the top 10 , what was Andrea doing clapping in the background ? I find her a lot prettier than Kuracha.
Agree. Hindi ganun kaganda ang nguso niyang si Kurara lalo na kapag ngumiti. Parang tabingi. Saka ang mata, jusko. Top 10 lang pwede na sana.
Nag-usap dalawang ULOL.
I didn’t like her when she won . I thought she was an Angelina Jolie copycat.
Looking at the video and pics now , I realized she was prettier than I initially thought . But I’m still confused how she won . I think she is too sexy for MU. Most winners usually have a GP or PG type of personality .
Zuleyka was at her best that night. She really owned the stage. To think na 18 years old lang siya like Stefania Fernandez. Parang yung best form (physically) nilang mga Latina nasa edad 18 to 22. Unlike sa mga Asians lalo na sa mga Pinay BQs na nasa 23 to 26 na yung best (peak) age to compete. Chweh!
Eto pa rin ang favorite kong semi-finalists announcement, from MU2010 where Venus Raj was one of them. Venus revived our interest in MU after a decade of drought kahit semis man lang matagal tayong tigang. Kay Venus nagsimulang mag-record ang fans ng reactions while watching MU finals at sa kanya rin nagsimulang nagkaron ng healthy (healthy nga ba?) competition ang mga beauty camps, pati rin ang away sa social media ng mga fans ng ibang kalapit bansa natin like Thailand at Indonesia.
A very “random” semi finalists! Belgium, Guatemala. No Venezuela and USA. Even the usual Colombia, South Africa, and Australia are underwhelming. Ximena “probably” deserved to win! No major major disagreement here.
Eto pa rin yung pinaka nakaka-excite na MU2010 edition, calling top 15 semi-finalist.
Incidentally, the original version Zuleyka’s gown was patterned from the gown of Akiko Kojima in Miss Universe 1959.
The lower part of the gown was a white satin which Zuleyka worn during the local pageant. It was then changed to that all metal chains thus the gown became heavier. There was even a picture Zuleyka’s back neck with bruises because the gown was so heavy! Diba? Tiis-ganda ang bitchesa alang-alang sa corona!
@Norman, the sun will be at its hottest tomorrow. The waters are so crystal clear and with the full moon….. can u imagine? We’ll you’ve been here. Check out my fb photos
I do! I love Panglao!
If were a judge during MU 2006, my Top 3 were Switzerland, Canada, and Japan.
I don’t like Zuleyka at all. Look at how she just walked past her fellow Top 5 finalists. Noticed that other Top 5 took time to affirm each other.
I still think Kurara was totally robbed. Yes, Zuleyla made a last impression to the judges in the evening gown, and carry it over to the final. However, by the time, the audience grew on Kurara. You can hear them rooting for her.
Kurara is still gorgeous up to this day. Maybe because she came from an area famous for having beautiful Japanese women – Kyushu (so called Hakata bijin)
the audience was predominantly cheering for Mexico but when Mexico failed to land in the top 5 , the Mexicans and almost the whole audience especially lots of Pinoys and Asians started cheering for Kurara instead … when she did not win , booes all around and left the auditorium early and disgusted …
True. Kurara was a gem. Zuleyka, a bitch.
Kurara all the way! Trump era had the worst roster of judges. Zuleyka, I think, has had the cheapest image among all winners.
I think Kurara Chibana is way prettier than Rio Mori… Rio just speaks better English than the other….
… & Honey Lee , same as Kurara, is much much prettier than Rio but Rio is a hungry fighter for the crown , likely because she felt like Kurara was robbed of the Mikimoto crown the year prior 2006 …
i remember watching this and parang tama ung cnabi nung tita ko n mas magaganda ung mga ndi napasama sa Top 5 n kasama sa Top 10… Canada, Bolivia, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago… Mexico (ndi ko masyadong gusto…).
Pero in fairness kay Kurara… cya ang nagsimula nung costume n warrior n mejo ginaya nung ibang Asian countries… LOL!
More like nawindang ang mga kandidata. Totoong katana yata dala ng ate Kurara mo.
I rooted for Honey Lee for MU 2007.
The chain-mail dress is (Donatella) Versace, Mr. Tinio, no?
The track used for the “Memories of…” video was also used for the Pirelli calendar edition that featured Liberty Ross and Alek Wek. Has a Filipina ever been on the calendar?
Don’t you! Sabi ni MU-S&M, fire and water have no feelings. Therefore, we cannot know how they feel. Tigilan na kaya ang Elemental Court sa Earth? Runners-up na lang, ta’s winner. Just use the elements for the Groups in the Preliminaries. Blogger, pakisabi kay Mdme. Schuck, huwag ilalagay sa same group sina Roxie Baeyens at Shane Tormes, por favor. TIA.
I agree with MU-Japan 2003. I, too, would retain (the sense of) hearing. Sound is something that calls DIRECTLY to the heart. Music lovers will tell you this…. And with the current ECQ in effect, TERRIFIC silence is the nightly prize. It feels primordial. Like awaiting a new Creation with the “agaw-dilim”, the first hint of light that awakens the dawn avian chorus. If you can, dear reader of this INCREDIBLE blog, get a room in one of the hotels along Lago Maggiore in Stresa (an hour or so drive north of Milano). There, you will hear (and see) for yourself what this is like. 🙂
Then, head south to the town of Ninfa in Lazio. There, the locals’ sewerage effluent (as best I can glean) water what has to be one of the most charming gardens in the world. 2020 is its Centennial.
I understand it was Designer Carlos Alberto who did that chain-mail gown, Flor
@ Flor, im spending my quarantine at a private home with pool in Panglao Bohol. So relaxing
I can already picture you in bliss, CB!
@Flor, i am here in Panglao Bohol for the holy week and quarantine. It’s so contemplative yet fun too
I did not hear any good and positive about her. I am also not a fan of her bitchessa look.
if not for the gown, she is the worst looking winner inside and out in MU history … I was there at the Shrine auditorium that day … people booed and left the auditorium early and disgusted…
The winner in MU 2006 should have been Switzerland or Japan , if Kurara were the winner in 2006 , the MU 2007 I would bet should have been won by Honey Lee of Korea but Rio was too strong …