Hawaiian Tropic is an American brand of suntan lotion sold around the world, but more widely available in the United States.

The company was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. Ron started the company with a $500 loan from his father. He mixed the first batch in a metal trash can and bottled it from his home garage in Murray, Kentucky. After rapid success, he became the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States until being acquired in May 2007 by Playtex Products, Inc. When combined with Playtex's other brand of sun care, Banana Boat, Playtex is the largest manufacturer of sun care products in the Western Hemisphere. Shortly after purchasing Hawaiian Tropic, Playtex Products was purchased by Energizer Holdings Inc. in a deal valued at $1.9 billion.^[1]

Pageants[edit]

New York restaurant after closing

The company sponsored swimsuit competitions to seek women to serve as spokesmodels for its products. Many winners appeared later in advertising campaigns, swimwear, erotic magazines, and lingerie catalogs.

In late 2006, a company opened a theme restaurant, called Hawaiian Tropic Zone, in New York City near Times Square, advertised as the "Hottest Place on Earth" and using the Hawaiian Tropic Zone name under license. The restaurant featured waitresses in bikinis designed by Nicole Miller and a menu by chef David Burke. Later that year, four former employees sued the restaurant, alleging chronic groping by managers and a rape.^[2] Restaurateur Dennis Riese and nightclub owner Adam Hock had ownership interests in the restaurant. The restaurant closed in mid-2010.

In May 2008, the Hawaiian Tropic Brand celebrated the 25th annual Miss Hawaiian Tropic International model search finals at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Since late 2008, the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International model search has ceased to exist in the United States where the former state directors have transitioned to Swimsuit USA, which is now the official successor. Although Ron Rice sold Hawaiian Tropic, a non-compete clause, which was part of the sale, expired in 2015 and he got back into the suntan lotion business, establishing Havana Sun which launched in March 2016.

Miss Hawaiian Tropic International[edit]

Sashes is Miss Hawaiian Tropic

Maryeve Dufault before she raced in a stock car race

Notable former Miss Hawaiian Tropic winners[edit]

Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA[edit]

• Rebecca DiPietro 2005: Former World Wrestling Entertainment backstage interviewer on ECW and Playboy model; finalist in Hawaiian Tropic International 2005 pageant ^[3]
• Shana Hiatt 1995: Hostess for the World Poker Tour and Playboy model
• Ashley Massaro 2002: Former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl
• Crista Nicole 2001: Playboy Playmate of the Month for May 2001
• Brooke Richards 1998: Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 1999
• Suzanne Stokes 1999: Playboy Playmate of the Month for February 2000

Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada[edit]

• Ashley Massaro 2004: Former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl
• Maryse Ouellet 2003: WWE Diva and Playboy model
• Crystel Geoffré 2005

Miss Hawaiian Tropic International[edit]

• Cecilia Hörberg 1984: Top 10 at Miss World 1988, representing Sweden.
• Jennifer Campbell 1989: actress and model.
• XiXi Yang Miss China 2008: international spokesmodel, U.S. media personality/TV host; appeared in MTV, VH1, and NBC.^{[citation needed]}

Hawaiian Tropic Teen Miss[edit]

• Casey Reinhardt 2003: former castmember of the second season of Laguna Beach and frequent beauty pageant contestant

Other contestants and winners[edit]

• Gia Allemand: reality television contestant and actress who also appeared in Maxim^[4]
• Anna Anka, (née Åberg) Sweden, Top 10 1993: model, actress, author. Married to the musician Paul Anka^{[citation needed]}
• Marea Lambert-Barker Australia: actress, TV host, radio announcer, model^{[citation needed]}
• Brooke Adams, former ECW performer^[5]
• Martina Andrews, Miss Hooters International 2004^{[citation needed]}
• Michelle Banzer: Miss Kentucky USA 2007
• Laura Morgan Porter: Miss Tennessee Hawaiian Tropic 2006, 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover finalist, one of the three official NASCAR Pit Crew girls from 2009–2011^{[citation needed]}
• Jillian Beyor: Playboy Cyber Girl, Cyber Girl of Month May 2007, Cyber Girl of Week January 1, 2007, and Coed of Month October 2006^{[citation needed]}
• Barbara Blank: 2005 model; WWE diva under the ring name Kelly Kelly^[6]
• Jennifer Etcheson: Miss Hawaiian Tropic California 2005, Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Finalist 2005, Strikeforce MMA Ring Girl, model and actress
• Angel Boris: actress and Playboy Playmate of the Month for July 1996^{[citation needed]}
• Jennifer Cole: actress and model
• Bonnie Conte was Miss Miami Beach Hawaiian Tropic
• Louise Glover: former Playboy Special Editions "Model of the Year"^{[citation needed]}
• Sandra Hubby: Playboy Playmate of the Month for March 2004^{[citation needed]}
• Dalene Kurtis: Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 2001 and one of People magazine's 50 most beautiful people in 2004^{[citation needed]}
• Sung Hi Lee: actress and very popular Playboy Special Editions model, featured in Playboy magazine's "Girls of Hawaiian Tropic" issue in 1995 and the companion video^{[citation needed]}
• Rochelle Loewen: former WWE diva and Playboy model; made cameo appearances on The Girls Next Door^{[citation needed]}
• Tilsa Lozano: Miss Playboy TV Latinoamerica & Iberia 2008, Playboy TV actress^{[citation needed]}
• Cassandra Lynn: Playboy Playmate of the Month for February 2006^{[citation needed]}
• Holly Madison: Playboy model and Hugh Hefner's former #1 girlfriend^{[citation needed]}
• Marla Maples:
• Yael Markovich: Miss International Israel 2012 and Miss Supranational Israel^{[citation needed]}
• Kalin Olson: Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1997^{[citation needed]}
• Jocelyn Oxlade: model, singer, host, FHM Babe (Philippines); turned down a Playboy magazine offer worth $25,000 due to some personal reasons.^{[citation needed]}
• Kirsten Price: nude model, contestant of the reality program My Bare Lady, porn star
• Tiffany Selby: model and member of the USA National Bikini Team^{[citation needed]}
• Andrea Stelzer
• Tiffany Taylor: Playboy Playmate of the Month for November 1998^{[citation needed]}
• Jennifer Thomas: Washington's finalist in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA competition in 2000;^[7] professional wrestler^{[citation needed]}
• Jamie Westenhiser: Playboy Playmate of the Month for May 2005^{[citation needed]}

Competition hosts[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website
• Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant
• Hawaiian Tropic Zone review in New York Magazine