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Marisa Umsawasdi
Name: Marisa Umsawasdi
Birthday: March 21, 1977
Seasons Competing: less than 1
Cable or Boat or Both? cable
Sponsor shout out: none…would anyone like to sponsor an old lady? 
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Current residence: Austin, Texas
Board set up: Ronix Covenant 140 with Hyperlite Atlas CT bindings; also ride a Liquid Force Watson 130 and a Liquid Force Melissa 41 wakeskate (not very well!)
Where is your riding crew based out of? Austin and central Texas
What is your favourite thing about wakeboarding? The adrenaline rush. Whether you’re trying something new or doing something you’ve landed many times…it never goes away.
Where is your absolute favourite place to ride? Texas Ski Ranch
Places you have traveled to for wakeboarding: Texas (lakes around Austin, New Braunfels, the Brazos River near Lake Whitney), Kansas City (KCW), Florida (the Projects).
Favourite Rider: Nicola Butler — she is pushing the limits for the chicks.
Ben Greenwood — I like his freeriding style.
Favourite Animal: koala bears…they’re just so dang cute, even though they sleep all the time
Favourite Trick: that I have landed? Well, for now, toeside front roll off a kicker…I’ve landed 3 so far, and hoping I can perfect it and throw in a grab or a 180 for a scarecrow. 
Favourite Music: old school rap, indie, throw in some 311 and Slightly Stoopid, and some dance
What are some of your best results?
My only result — 4th place at Fall Fest at Texas Ski Ranch 2008 (Pro Women’s division)
What are some of your thoughts on female wakeboarding at the pro level? It’s good to see the progression of the riding level over the past few years. The women are getting better, throwing bigger tricks, and riding the rails better. I can’t wait to see how the next generation rides!
What do we need to do to help the progression of women’s wakeboarding? Get out more in the public arena – make a presence. Maybe having some clinics or events..and why not, another Chick Flick style video. Also, there aren’t nearly enough products/gear for women — boards, CT bindings especially in smaller sizes, wakeskate shoes (there are none), etc; yet there are women who shred just as hard as the guys do.
On a more grass roots level, we just have to keep encouraging each other and helping each other out. I try to give advice to girls who are just learning or just about to hit their first box…because someone did the same for me.
Props to anyone? Louise Sawyer — she has always been so friendly and encouraging, giving advice to help me learn new tricks and push me to improve. But not only that, she’s just fun to ride with and watch — air tricks, inverts off the kickers, and she is killer on the rails!!! Props to Danielle Coney who taught me how to hit my first obstacle, a fun box a few years ago — I ate it miserably twice, then she gave me a bit of advice..third time, I hit it and rode away from it. And mad props to Ally, Erika, and the rest of the TID crew for putting this together.
