It’s going to be pretty loud for Tiffany Helm at her minimum wage job this weekend.

Helm wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tomorrow afternoon at Seattle’s Qwest Field, history will be writ large on the gridiron as the Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game — the victor heads to Detroit for Super Bowl XL. And as 68,000-plus delirious fans scream through 60 minutes of football, Helm will soak it up from the sidelines as a Seahawks Sea Gal.

Meet Tiffany

There is a prevailing myth that cheerleaders — high school, college or pro — are only eye candy with very little on their minds.

Don’t say that to Tiffany Helm — she’s a former member of South Whidbey High’s cheer squad, now a Seattle Seahawks Sea Gal, and proud of it. Performing perfectly in front of huge crowds and a national TV audience requires timing, skill and the right combination of personality and brains.

It also requires a young woman of substance and confidence.

Helm is both.

She studied comparative religion on a track scholarship at the University of Idaho after high school before returning home to a career in real estate. A self-described “huge Seahawks fan,” Helm heard about Sea Gal auditions on the radio two years ago and thought she’d give it a try.

The few, the proud

The year Helm showed up, close to 400 young ladies were on hand for try-outs at Qwest Field.

They spent three days learning and performing complicated dance routines; 150 made the first cut, then 60. The process is unforgiving and only eight survived that year.

“Without a solid background in dance or as a cheerleader, girls just don’t have much of a chance,” Helm explained.

“Lack of technical ability is the biggest disadvantage for most,” she added. “Our director and choreographer, Sherry Thompson, is very specific on what kinds of skills a Sea Gal needs.”

None of the current 28-strong roster of Sea Gals does it for the money. They get paid minimum wage for practices, special appearances and the day of the game but that barely covers ferry fares and parking.

And they don’t travel with the team unless there’s a Super Bowl appearance. Helm is already making plans for a trip to Michigan for the big game.

“Oh, yes, I’ll be in Detroit,” Helm said firmly.

It’s Game Day

Helm makes the long trip from Greenbank to Seattle to arrive four hours before the game starts. The Sea Gals warm up and practice on the field, then head to their dressing area for make-up, hair and uniforms. And weigh-in.

“We have to maintain a specific individual weight standard,” Helm said.

“Sherry strongly believes we have an image to protect; this week we lost two girls who didn’t take the warning seriously.”

Helm eats a lot of fruit and works out every day to counter the effects of her “guilty pleasures” — chips and pasta.

Before the game, Sea Gals circulate in the “Hawks Touchdown City” selling calendars; proceeds help with squad expenses. After a pre-game performance for early bird fans streaming into the stadium, it’s time to get down to business.

“For me, the game is a blast, what I’ll remember years from now and tell my children about,” she said. “The ‘12th Man’ support from all over the Northwest this season has been just insane. Fantastic.”

Her stint on the sidelines has made Helm an expert on the way different networks cover NFL cheerleaders.

“FOX ignores us, we get lots of airtime on ABC, while ESPN and CBS are somewhere in the middle,” she said.

Is the proximity to a team full of eligible, rich football players a problem?

“We can be friendly in public but that’s as far as it goes,” Helm said. “We can’t date them or hang out at their favorite places.”

Not a problem for Helm, who recently married Coupeville firefighter Jerry Helm.

Does her husband have concerns? “Are you kidding,” Helm laughed. “He IS the ‘12th man,’ dressing up for each game and going crazy in the stands.”

Her hobbies include hiking, running, boating, dancing and fighting fires as a volunteer.

Helm is quick to point out that being a Sea Gals is only part of her life.

“I’ve made some good friends and learned that all of us are involved in our communities in many ways. I’m very thankful I grew up on this small island and had the chance to be in the spotlight. Especially this year,” she added with a smile.

Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. the Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers for the NFC Championship. The game will be televised on FOX, channel 13 — look on the sidelines for the Sea Gal named Tiffany cheering her heart out.