When You’re Hot…

Sonya Balmores is definitely hot after appearing on the covers of three magazines and being cast in a new TV show. “The show is a TV drama about the relationship between four surfer girls trying to become pro, and they kind of scored a sponsorship to train and ride for this fictitious surfing company,” explains Balmores.

Wednesday - September 14, 2005
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
E-mail this story | Print this page | Archive | RSS | Del.icio.us

Share

series, but she didn’t want to do it, and they asked her who would you recommend and she recommended me. So they called me, but I’m not into reality shows either, so I said no thanks.

“Reality shows, it’s my little guilty pleasure once in a while, but I would rather get into acting the traditional way.”

Since graduating from Kauai High School in 2004, life has been moving at a much faster pace than her days on the Garden Isle. Balmores, who has two brothers and three sisters, spends half the year on Kauai to be with her “large extended” family, including her poi dog Shadow, and the other half of the year on Oahu for school and work.

She also loves travelling, and spent this past summer in Spain. And, of course, she flew to Los Angeles for her Women’s Health cover shoot.

“People ask what my favorite modeling assignment was, and I keep saying this whole year has been the most exciting for me because I got so many covers, and back to back, and I didn’t expect it,” says Balmores, who describes herself as happy, outgoing, easy to talk to and very family-oriented. “So, that was kind of cool.”

Before landing her role on Boarding School, Balmores also worked on two TV pilots - The Break and Rocky Point, directed by John Stockwell.

“Neither of them got picked up but I think that’s what helped me with getting the part because I had a little bit of experience,” she says. “I’ve been modeling for six years, and I think that helps too because I’m comfortable in front of the camera. Now, I just have to not look at the camera. That’s going to be my challenge.”

To stay in shape, Balmores surfs (she shortboards), plays tennis and goes running or walking with her sister Lila on Kauai.

“It’s hard when I’m here on Oahu because I’m not a gym person,” she says. “I’ll go running sometimes around Diamond Head.

“For my diet, I’m still lactose intolerant so not too much dairy, and I just stay away from fast food, and everything in moderation. If I want chocolate, I’ll have it but I’m not going to eat it every day.”

And ironically, this beauty queen, who is single, hates makeup and loves to wear slippers.

“I normally wear slippers, jeans and a top,” says Balmores, who was wearing just that during this interview before changing to her swimsuit for a surf session near Ala Moana. “I love

shoes but I can’t wear heels. I feel too dressed up, even when I go to L.A. I have to wear my slippers.

“But I got to try on some Manolo Blahniks when I shot for the Ala Moana magazine, and I was like no wonder why women love shoes. He has such beautiful shoes.”

As for makeup, the proof is on our cover. She doesn’t need any.

“I have this Nars multi-purpose stick that I put on my face because I knew that we were shooting at the beach and that my face might get wet, but that’s it,” she reveals. “I saw it at a shoot. I hate makeup. On every shoot they just put so much on you and your skin just gets worked. And I just hate having to buy new makeup all the time.

“People think that as a model I know how to put makeup on, but my eyes are closed the whole time. I can feel them putting it on me but I can’t see them. So, I know what products to buy, I just don’t really know how to use them that well.”

Getting acquainted with a dragon boat

While 2005 has been a big year for her resume and portfolio, Balmores says it’s been a learning experience.

“The biggest challenge is learning to be patient,” she says. “This whole year, this whole acting process took forever. For this show, I got auditioned five or six times - four times I sent out videotapes and two times they came here. In the end, it’s worth it, but it’s just like, oh my gosh, again? You just want to know, did I get it?”

“Also, I learned that if you ask God for anything, he’ll give it to you. This whole year I’d secretly ask him, Oh Lord, it would be pretty cool if I had a cover, and then he answered. It’s not like I was praying every day

for it, but it was just like he knows your deepest desires in your heart.”

To record her life, Balmores keeps a diary/prayer journal. When on Oahu, she attends Hope Chapel in Kaneohe.

“I like talking to people and I like to try new things,” she says. “I don’t think I’m ever going to have just one job in my life. I know that about me, I always need to have something new going on.”

There’s more to this angelic face than meets the eye. Beneath it is pure sweetness that makes her even more appealing to those who meet her.

Expect to be seeing more of this remarkable young woman.

Page 2 of 2 pages for this story  <  1 2

E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS

Most Recent Comment(s):