POULSBO — The end is nearing for Miss Viking Fest 2006 Jasmine Campbell and her two princesses Whitney Glebe and Elisabeth Almond.

In less than three months, Campbell will pass her crown to the 2007 Miss Viking Fest on April 27 at Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo.

Applications for the eighth annual affair are currently available at North Kitsap High School.

In order to compete in the pageant contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 18 and live within the North Kitsap School District boundaries.

An informational meeting with the contestants and their parents will be held before the pageant, but no official date has been set yet, said pageant organizer Kari McKinstry.

While the pageant may not have all of the glitz and glamor of its Miss Poulsbo/Miss Kitsap counterparts, it still benefits all those who vie for the crown, McKinstry said.

“They gain confidence and get to support their community,” she said,. Miss Viking Fest and her princesses travel throughout Western Washington during their reign.

Among the highlights of those travels are visits to Leavenworth and the Ellensburg Rodeo, McKinstry said.

In addition to representing Little Norway, all of the young women develop new friendships, which last a lifetime, she said.

“They meet girls they haven’t met yet and it’s a chance for them to make lasting friendships,” she said.

Last year’s pageant featured 10 contestants, and McKinstry said she has hopes for an equally large field this year.

During the pageant, the girls will model evening wear, have an impromptu interview and perform an original skit, which will be scored by a panel of judges.

Among last year’s judges was Stephanie Rose from Seattle country radio station 94.1 KMPS-FM.

In addition to earning the right to wear the traditional Norwegian bunad and crown, Campbell and her court began a new rite of passage for future Viking Fest courts as each sampled the lye-soaked codfish delicacy known as lutefisk, McKinstry said, adding that it’s an “unofficial” requirement for the job.

For more information about the pageant, call the Viking Fest line at (360) 779-FEST (3378) or go to the Viking Fest Web site at www.vikingfest.org.