MISS DECEMBER 2006

MORGAN LEI TANNER

Morgan Lei Tanner seems almost unstoppable. At age 20 she already has 16 years of modeling experience under her belt. She’s been crowned at beauty pageants and graduated from the world renowned Barbizon School of Modeling, while her body, which she keeps toned by working out, belly dancing and participating in extreme sports, has come up a winner at a number of bikini contests. Images of Morgan can be seen on twenty or so different websites like Foul Mouth Shirts and Fastlane Biker Magazine. She’s also been a promo girl for a number of companies (X-Box, Coors, Kellogg’s and more) and was a traveling go-go dancer for DJ Frosty Ice. More importantly though, she’s 8-0 at oil wrestling and currently an undefeated Slick Chix champion. Morgan talks about wrestling a barfing woman, singing in the car, her experiences modeling and getting down and dirty in this Happy Holiday edition of Polly’s Pinups.

KNOCK OUT

CCF: You got into modeling at a very young age. How did that come about exactly?

MLT: Well, I told my mom that I wanted to be like the girls on TV and in magazines. So she signed me up for modeling school at 3. I graduated by age 4 and was teaching there at age 10. The teachers there were astonished with my outgoing personality and charisma.

CCF: As far doing any modeling that early, you hear some negative, but there is also a lot of positive, as well, with parents getting their children involved in acting, modeling, pageants, any of that stuff. What are your thoughts on it and would you recommend it?

MLT: Ok, this is a great question! As a young model, I was never pushed into doing a pageant or fashion show, or whatever it was that was offered. My mother always made sure she was never one of those pageant moms. We would actually watch these other mother’s torturing their young children to do such grown up things to woo the judges. That is not right. Now I totally agree with what my mother did. She supported what I wanted to do and helped me through it all.

CCF: That’s how it should be. I feel parents should never force their kids to do anything. At the same time, I think the parents should expose their children to various activities, give the children the opportunity to tryout different things they have an interest in and offer lots of encouragement… You keep yourself pretty busy as a model. You’ve done tons of promotions and are featured on a lot of websites. Is it because you are out there busting your ass to get gigs or what’s the secret exactly?

MLT: Well, it’s networking actually. I’ve been in the “business” for awhile and it helps me out since I have become “buddy-buddy” with a lot of known photographers. These people keep me in mind when they get jobs because in this industry, it doesn’t matter how hot you are, it’s how professional and responsible you act. That’s how I conduct myself and it really helps me book my jobs.

CCF: As far as that goes, how do you pick who you work with, so that you don’t get involved with any shady companies?

MLT: If I feel something is wrong with a company that wants to book me - they don’t have paperwork or I have never heard of them - I ask for references. If there is no references to check with I will actually search for them to do somewhat of a background check. Public information should be available within the town the company is located in if they are legit.

CCF: You’re currently going to school for business management and marketing, which I think is great. Is the plan to sort of take that knowledge to help sort of make sure you stay in control of your career?

MLT: Yes, it is to help excel my career, but like all people, we do not always stay the same. I only hope I can look hot at 40, so once I am finished with my modeling, I would like to start my own advertising company along with a model management piece to it. This way, if I need to do an ad for a billboard or magazine, I have the essential tools - photographers and models, along with a digital designer - to make it all happen.

CCF: You’re into boxing and motorcycles. Does it ever surprise people to find that out? You know the stereotype is kind of beauty queens don’t like to get themselves dirty. (LOL)

MLT: (LOL) I don’t mind getting down and dirty! I grew up as a very well rounded person and when people actually realize that, I become very addictive. I have my business professional side, my crazy side and a sensitive side. I’m well rounded with many different interests and hobbies.

CCF: Like oil wrestling as an example? (LOL) I wanted you to talk a bit about the wrestling company you are with – Slick Chix. How did you first get started and what do you do exactly?

MLT: Well, I got involved with them because they wanted girls to ride their jet-skis for a huge off-shore boat race. I wound up being in the race. The only girl to ever have enough balls to ride in an unstrapped 120 mph race boat. Then I began wrestling, which I absolutely love.

CCF: I hear you are undefeated in the ring. Is that right?

MLT: I’ve never been pinned and that’s a great feeling! They call me Morgan the Undefeated!

CCF: How many matches have you wrestled?

MLT: I have wrestled six regular matches and two champ matches. I’m the undefeated champion.

CCF: And you still wrestle these days or are you more of a spokesperson for them?

MLT: I do still wrestle, but I have branched out of just wrestling. I also coordinate the Slick Chix Bikini Contest. It’s a calendar girl search and it’s a lot of fun. I just gave my last smoking hot winner a trip to Vegas. I was jealous!

CCF: (LOL) What’s a Slick Chix event like?

MLT: Girls, oil, crowds, bikinis and girls! What can get better than that?

CCF: (LOL) Maybe if it was minus the bikinis? (LOL) I know they’ve put out some DVDs and people can order those online, but does Slick Chix ever do any cross country traveling?

MLT: Not yet, but its coming.

CCF: Okay, well keep me posted on that. If somebody wants to get involved with Slick Chix… Let’s just say my mom for example. What does the company look for?

MLT: We want girls that are fun loving, unpredictable and ready to get down and dirty. Age does not matter, but we do make sure the person wrestling does not have any health conditions. I don’t need to wrestle someone who constantly throws up, which I have. It wasn’t fun after I beat her.

CCF: Yeah, that might put a bit of a damper on the festivities. To wrap this up, I hear you love to sing in your car to songs on the radio. What’s a song that really gets your inner “American Idol” going? It’s not that Vanessa Carlton song “A Thousand Miles” like on “White Chicks” is it? (LOL)

MLT: (LOL) No, it’s not the “White Chicks” song.... Actually, I like anything that sounds good and I can dance to. Upbeat with a good rhythm and bass. Any song that contains these things I probably already know all the words to and belt out whenever it comes on anyways.

CCF: Alright. Well, keep on singing, wrestling and modeling and thanks for your time.

- CCF, December 2006