Pageant News Bureau - Ashley Huff 2

Some people call Ashley Huff "the Angel of Sin City." And they say it with affection.

Las Vegas is famous for slot machines, showgirls and hard partying, but none of its vices have rubbed off on this stunning blonde. Her values are traditional, and she sticks to them. She's as innocent and unassuming as Shirley Temple at an Easter egg hunt.

As wholesome as she is, Ms. Huff doesn't feel out of place in naughty Nevada. In fact, she thrives there. She is the state's most successful beauty queen of this millennium. She has already represented Nevada in both the Miss America and Miss USA pageants, and she only moved to the state a few years ago.

Listen to what she says about her adopted hometown. "Las Vegas is a great place to live, very family-oriented. It's where I plan to raise my family." That may not be what the tourism bureau wants you to hear, but don't you love a girl who looks on the sunny side?

Yes, she looks like an angel and talks like an angel, and now she's working on her wings. Ms. Huff is taking flying lessons. As she prepares to give up her crown as Miss Nevada USA in November 2003, she is trying to become a pilot.

Flying is something of a Huff family tradition, and so is pageantry. Her brother owns an aviation company; her sister was once Miss Hawaii Teen USA.

But aviation won't be Ms. Huff's career. Flying is strictly for fun. (Good, clean fun.) What she really wants to do is become a reporter. She's working on her degree in broadcast journalism now.

We think she ought to specialize in good news. It really suits her.

QUOTABLE QUEENS:

Ashley Huff on the difference between Miss America and Miss USA:

"I made friends at both. The pageants are completely different, but girls are just girls, no matter what pageant they're in."

Queen Leslie on Ashley Huff:

"She seems to get better-looking every time you see her. That's a rare quality."

Reaching for the Western sky