What is a "Bikini Competitor"?

So, I was thinking I should probably explain a little about what I am doing and what the bikini division is all about. To a lot of people when they hear "bikini competition" they think of spring break and a bunch of drunk women trying to get drunk guys to vote for them in their bikini. The Bikini Division in a Bodybuilding competition is MUCH different.  
There are three divisions, or "levels" of a Bodybuilding Competition. The highest division is "bodybuilder". This division is where you see the massive muscles. These guys (and gals), have decided they want to go all the way with their physique. Although I believe some go too far, meaning I know a lot of them do hormone treatments to be able to get that big. The women especially have to take extra measures to get that big because they do not have enough testosterone to look like a man, that is why they are a woman! There are guys and gals that do it Au naturel and get big muscles, but they aren't as hulk like as those who take hormones to enhance things.
Next is "figure". Figure is a step down from bodybuilding. It still has a lot in common with bodybuilding. They are required to do a gamut of different poses on stage to show the different parts of their muscles. They do "quarter turns" so the judges can see each side of them. They are usually very lean and have exceptional definition where you can absolutely see a six pack or a the delts popping out.
Then the "bikini" (far right). The bikini division is fairly new. It's for women who want to build their physique but still keep a "womanly form". The judges are looking for a woman who put in a lot of work to their physique but have a softer feel to their muscle definition. It is NOT the "easy" division to compete in. Bikini women train very hard, almost everyday in the gym with weight lifting and cardio. An hour and a half to two hours 6 days a week in the gym would be a normal schedule for a bikini competitor. Even though the bikini division is known for having "softer bodies", the women who compete and win are no joke. Their workout and eating plan would weaken the knees of most fitness buffs!

As you can see, the bikini girls are very fit! Many of them crossover to figure sometimes in the same competition because their physiques are very similar. The posing and the suits are different, but the bodies can look very similar. I love bikini because I think it captures "woman" in her leanest most fit form. It shows a body which is lean but healthy and fit, not stringy and famished or pumped full of testosterone.