Alana Soares

Alana Soares learned the value of hard work at a very young age because of her parents. The political science major from the University of Utah was raised in a family that placed a high importance on athleticism. With her mother being an avid skier and her famous surfer father, Alana decided she would choose a sport based on how natural it felt to her. “My father is Hawaiian-Japanese, a three-time United States surfboard champion. My mother is Spanish-Irish and works in a ski shop,” says our multicultural Playmate. “I've tried surfing. I can't do it. In skiing, you lean away from the mountain. In surfing you lean into the wave. It seemed wrong.” Soon after developing a taste for skiing, the all-natural brunette—with the most buxom figure—began competing, but it took a toll on her formative years and she needed to reevaluate her priorities. “During my freshman year in high school, I took another look at my goals. I had been in training for years. I was tired of climbing up hills, tired of running gates, tired of dry-land training. I realized I was missing my childhood,” explains petite Alana who had been skiing competitively for seven years. “I made a choice. If you’re not the best, what do you fall back on? You’ve missed school and a social life. I decided to ski for fun and explore the rest of my life. No more early-morning training sessions. Just school.” With ski competitions removed from her schedule, Miss Soares found herself with loads on free time on her hands and a competitive spirit that needed nurturing. She quickly found herself a photographer to take some headshots of her and the rest is history. “My mother and I drove to this studio in Salt Lake City. The photographer who was going to take pictures for my composite shared the studio with another photographer, a Playboy photographer named Stephen Wayda,” explains our Miss March 1983. “Wayda asked me if I had ever thought about becoming a Playmate. He said that 6000 girls tried out every year but only 12 made it. When I looked through the magazine, I didn't think I had a chance. They were all so blonde. I was surprised when Playboy called me in for a gatefold test. My mother and I went out to California, I did the shoot and the rest just happened.” Alana Soares was exactly what we needed for March 1983—a naturally voluptuous brunette with ambition.