"…On the beach you’ll see the girls in their bikinis…   As cute as ever, but they never get them wet…"

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer  -  Nat King Cole

Some were models. Some were aspiring actresses. Some were there at the insistence of their boyfriends ("I’m telling you, Honey, you can win this thing!"). Some entered on a whim or a dare, and some entered just to get the sponsor-provided free T-shirt.

But the reason they were on that stage was of little consequence to the spellbound spectators. They just wanted to see the girls that they wished were laying next to their blanket during any hot day on the beach.  And they were never disappointed.

Over the years, the contest has presented a few future Miss Maryland’s, Miss USA contestants, and even a future "Mrs. Maryland" winner.

One lucky contestant made national headlines when she was seen being escorted by none other than Donald Trump at a Los Angeles party a few days after she won the big Labor Day Finals of the Best Body contest. Maybe it was Donald that was lucky, actually.

And now the show begins…

Some of Ocean City’s top celebrities and personalities - Skip Isley, Harv Glass, Richard Remsberg, J.J. "The Hitman" McKay - would perform the emcee duties.  Thousands of spectators would roar their approval as the best of the beach vied for the title of Best Body on the Beach.

Every Sunday the throngs would descend upon the Sheraton like hippies to Woodstock, creating some interesting traffic jams and basically taxing the Sheraton’s system. It was at this point that Dr. Berger decided that the contest be relocated to the Ocean Club, which had better facilities to handle the crowds.

"…Whoops!  There it is…  Whoops!  There it is…"

Paraphrasing a popular rap song

Over the years, with hundreds of competitors walking, dancing, and strutting down the runway with precariously little covering, there is bound to be one or two…  um..  indiscretions.

All contestants must sign a statement prior to the contest that explains the strict rules for disqualification, and advising them that no indecorous behavior would be tolerated. But mistakes can, and do, happen.

A few contestants have arrived wearing bikinis that are not only not suitable for swimming, but pretty much impossible to even walk around in without breaking some sort of city statute, not to mention the Ocean Club’s high standard of behavior.