Gaspar Cruz ... what can't you do?
Critical Beauty gets candid with one of pageantry's most versatile celebrities
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I am a native of San Diego, I come from a multi-ethnic family, my mother is
a Caucasian and Filipino mix and my father is Spanish! I am 36 years old and have had the same partner for
11 years (Paul). We have two dogs, Delilah Ann (Chocolate Lab) and Sadie Michelle (Dalmatian). My mother is a
former beauty queen!
How did you get interested in pageants?
I had a cousin and some good friends growing up that did pageants. My cousin
Diane Schock became Miss California USA 1991 and 2nd runner up to Miss USA. A few years later, my best friend Jocelyn
Soriano became first runner up to Shauna Gambill and the rest is history! I also designed the gown Shauna wore at her
state pageant and at Miss USA 1998!
What prompted you to create Miss Teen United States World and Miss Teen World?
And what sets your pageants apart from the others?
I witnessed the process of Shauna Gambill, Angelique Breaux and Lisette Diaz
compete for Miss World and knew that I wanted to do something that was related to pageants but had no idea what.
Then it dawned on me that there was not a reputable international teen pageant where teens could compete
internationally! Thus marked the beginning of my trademark/servicemark and other legalities of the pageant.
Although the trademark is being re-submitted due to some application errors, I started this whole
process back in 2004. There have been quite a few imitators but ultimately everyone in the pageant
business knows that I was the first Miss Teen World Pageant!
What are the some of the most challenging aspects of organizing your pageants?
Dealing with other unethical directors trying to create a pageant similar to mine and claiming to be affiliated
with me has been the biggest problem so far. Other than that, putting together a show for ladies with the different
languages and different needs has been quite a task. For the most part, it has been so fulfilling
getting to meet so many ladies from different countries and realizing that teenagers, no matter where
they’re from, are really all the same! They all have the same issues they're dealing with, just in
different languages and in different parts of the world! There are really more similarities among
people than we want to admit! Now that I have been to the Ukraine, France and Russia dealing with teens,
I see they really are all very similar!
What is the most challenging aspect of preparing a candidate for a pageant?
The mental preparations are the most challenging aspect. If a contestant
for one second thinks that she can be beat, she will be! I have seen some contestants that were not physically
prepared to win but were mentally prepared; that's what separated them from the other contestants. I think
wardrobe is a big factor! I see so many promising young ladies that get to their national or international
pageants and then I see their wardrobes and know it can possibly eliminate them from the competition. The
contestant then looks around to see the other ladies in their beautiful clothes and they know they are not
competitive! This can mentally break down a contestant before the show even begins.
What is your take on the whole Carrie Prejean controversy? Do you think Carrie should have been dethroned as
Miss California USA?
I have personally worked with Carrie Prejean and her opinion on gay marriage
was just that: her opinion. As a director, what bothered me was the contract that she had signed with the Miss
California USA Pageant was not fulfilled. The fact that Donald Trump did not hold her accountable to the contract she
signed - this opened up the doors for other young ladies to think that rules and contracts have no merit, not only
in pageants but in life! That just proved to young people all over the United States that you can break
the rules and still keep your crown, your job, your freedom! That was just additional chunk of ethics that
just got thrown out the window in our country.
What do you think of Shanna Moakler's decision to resign as co-director of the Miss California USA Organization?
I have the utmost respect for Shanna Moakler! I sat right behind her and Keith Lewis at
Miss USA! I think her decision to step down as the director made a statement to the Miss Universe Organization that people
can walk away from them without being fired by Trump. She made a statement that spoke volumes without having to be
ostracized by anyone within the organization. I have a really good friend that was a state director for the Miss USA
organization and we spoke about the whole situation and that person said to me, “I am so glad I quit when I did because
I was still able to walk away with my dignity!” And I truly believe Shanna still has her dignity and everyone's respect!
GASPAR WITH BROOKE LEE, MISS UNIVERSE 1997
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