In the space of just one month last year, British-Chinese model and TV host Claire Louise Jedrek, 25, went indoor skydiving in Malaysia, go-kart racing in Brazil, learnt an Afro-Brazilian blend of martial arts called capoeira and had cooking lessons, all for free, thanks to Austrian energy drink-maker Red Bull.

She had been chosen as one of the La Formula Una girls who attend Formula One race car events - in Jedrek's case, the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang in March.

Ten of these girls are chosen annually to attend Grand Prix race events around the world.

Each Grand Prix has its own special 10, and they are sponsored by Red Bull, which has two teams in F1 - Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

In addition, one lucky girl, as Jedrek was last year, will be picked to attend the season finale in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where she will vie with the winners of the other Grand Prix races for the title of the ultimate 'La Formula Una'.

The hunt is on for 10 women to grace this year's Malaysian Grand Prix, though the contest closes tomorrow (see story on Page 14).

Another 10 will rev up the party when Singapore holds its inaugural Grand Prix in September.

The girls aren't chosen based on looks alone. The organisers stress that they need brains, outgoing personalities and a passion for and knowledge of motor sports, too.

They are selected each year by a panel of 'mystery judges' from Red Bull.

The La Formula Una programme is one of a growing number of talent quests rather than old-hat 'beauty contests' that stress other qualities like personality and the X-factor instead of just looks.

For example, as far as beauty pageants go, La Formula Una is unconventional - there are no prizes, you don't have to answer questions in front of a judging panel or parade in a swimsuit.

So why would anyone join a 'lower-profile' beauty contest that doesn't give you a chance to, say, represent Singapore on a world stage?

For Jedrek, who appeared on Singapore television recently as a briefcase girl in the game show Deal Or No Deal, it meant gaining access to the Malaysian Grand Prix, where she was treated to five days of parties, access to the F1 paddock, pit-garage tours and dinner with the drivers.

She was also the only one from among the 10 picked to go on to the season finale in Sao Paolo in November.

As the adrenaline junkie, who rides an Aprilia motorbike, puts it: 'You go there and have fun. It's a priceless experience.'

She insists the experience wasn't just about sashaying around in glamorous sponsored outfits. 'The highlight of the trip for me was really getting behind the scenes of the F1 action.'

Another advantage of the new-style talent quests is the chance to be talent-spotted by modelling agencies here, as not all pretty faces are wont to join a Miss Universe-type pageant.

Says Watson Tan, 36, owner of Upfront Models agency: 'There is a possibility that such contests can bring out new talents in the industry.'

For example, Upfront extended modelling contracts to The New Paper New Face 2006 winner Nargis Mussawir and Cleo Bachelor of the Year 2007 winner Royston Aw after seeing them in magazines. The contracts were not part of their prizes.

More importantly, it is to promote the idea that beauty isn't just skin-deep.

Take public relations consultant Gerard Ortega, 30, who recently entered a contest called Executive Look, organised by Singapore Press Holdings' new bilingual newspaper, my paper.

The search is on for someone who best epitomises the stylish and smart urban executive. Registration for the contest closed on Sunday and 20 finalists (both males and females) will be shortlisted for the Grand Finale, to be held at Raffles City on April 4.

Ortega admits readily: 'I'm not that good-looking and I don't think I'm cut out to join a real beauty pageant. But I wanted to do something memorable in my life.'

A spokesman for SPH's marketing department says: 'Besides providing a platform for executives to express themselves, this event will also help to enhance contestants' profiles in the corporate world.'

She adds that contestants will be judged on their style, how they carry themselves and their ability to demonstrate a high level of what it calls 'Office Intelligent Quotient' in a question-and-answer session.

Female magazine's annual 50 Gorgeous People, which started in 1997, is another contest that celebrates beauty not just in the physical sense - you don't need any physical pre-requisites to qualify.

Susanah Cheok, group editor of SPH Magazines, explains: 'Female's 50 Gorgeous People celebrates gorgeousness in all its forms, whether in terms of looks, personality or of the mind.'

She observes that most contestants join the contest to network with people, gain more confidence and use it as a stepping stone to a career in modelling or the entertainment industry.

In 2006, home-grown lifestyle products company Osim launched the uZap Superstar search. It was to find a non-celebrity user of uZap - a motorised belt that purportedly slims your tummy when worn around it - to star alongside actress Fiona Xie in advertising campaigns.

'We were looking for someone with a refreshing look and vibrant personality,' says Osim's assistant marketing manager Lynn Tan.

Declining to reveal sales figures, she adds: 'The contest also helped to raise awareness and sales of uZap significantly.'

Samantha Wong, then a 20-year-old communications student, emerged the winner and received, among other things, a cash prize of $10,000, a modelling contract with Elite Model Management and a two-year contract as Osim's uZap spokesman.

Urban could not reach her for comments but she said in an interview with The Straits Times' Life! section then that the contest was 'not just about being slim, but also about projecting a healthy image'.

For Unilever-owned shower cream brand Dove, finding spokesmen for its Campaign For Real Beauty in 2005 was another unconventional search.

The campaign uses real women - those with freckles and big hips - to both promote the brand's Firming Moisture BodyWash and to stress the importance of beauty beyond the physical aspect.

Says Celine Tan, brand manager of Dove, Unilever Singapore: 'Physical diversity highlights our beauty philosophy. We've found that people just want to join us in widening the definition of beauty.'

She adds: 'One former participant summed it up as such, 'It's time we stopped this flock mentality and opened our eyes to real beauty'.'

Ortega, for one, while freely admitting he is not the most handsome guy around, clearly thinks this is no obstacle in today's more alternative 'beauty' contests.

He says: 'Charisma is sometimes more important.'

This story was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Feb 28, 2008.