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Top 25 Competitors of 1999

Would anyone pay $150 for a set of nails by a top competitor? Do you know what brand of acrylic is used by the majority of top competitors? Is $5,000 a lot or a little to pay for your and your model’s travel expenses? Turn the page to learn fun facts about this industry’s elite.

by NAILS staff
February 1, 2000
2 min to read

NAILS is proud to announce the Top 25 Competitors of 1999. One thing is for certain — there’s talent to spare in the nail industry and more gifted techs joining its ranks all the time. Just look at this year’s list: seven of the top 10 are first-timers on the list; only three — Christopher Truong, Lori Grier, and Salina Rush — are perennial winners. Alisha Sale, this year’s #1, has been competing only a year.


How do you make the list? The rules are simple. The 1999 competition year began in January with the IBS Long Beach International Beauty Expo and ended October 24 at the Great Lakes Beauty Show in Dearborn, Mich. Competitors were awarded 6 points for every 1st place win, 5 for every 2nd, and 4 for 3rd.

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The Final Tally

Competitor’s Name & Ranking

Total Points

1st

2nd

3rd

1 Alisha Sale, Mt Dora, FL

103

10

7

2

2 Christopher Truong, Chesapeake, VA

76

8

4

2

3 David Hoang, Bradenton, FL

56

3

6

2

4 Britta LaMascola, Grants Pass, OR

51

4

3

3

5 Lori Grier, Oxford, AL

48

5

2

2

6 Tara Lambert, Ocean Isle, NC

47

5

1

3

7 John Hauk, Dayton, OH

46

3

4

2

8 Salina Rush, Loudonville, OH

35

5

1

0

9 Gari-Dawn Tingler, Gladstone, MO

34

1

4

2

10 Michiko Matsushita, Tokyo, Japan

32

4

0

2

11 Lorena Marquez

26

2

2

1

12 Hidemine Aritou

24

1

2

2

12 Darlene Feric, Grayslake, IL

24

1

2

2

12 Kristina Haven, Salt Lake City, UT

24

4

0

0

15 Rita Horvath, Miami, FL

23

1

1

3

16 Danny Daulton, Adrian, MI

22

0

2

3

16 Tammy Retzlaff, Edmonton, Alberta

22

2

2

0

18 Diana Tingle, Oviedo, FL

21

2

1

1

19 Susan Schroeder, Milton, WA

19

0

3

1

20 Anita Hug, Schenectady, NY

18

1

0

3

21 Amy Cooper, Mequon. WI

17

2

1

0

22 Bu’ Domenech Calabrese, New Hyde Park, NY

16

1

2

0

23 Crystal Musgrove, Wichita, KS

15

1

1

1

23 Alisha Rimando, Arlington, TX

15

1

1

1

23 Shelley Schulz, Merriam, KS

15

0

3

0

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