Marisa Schmidt
“Surf Camp Mom” – one of the many hats and titles that Marisa wears to see that all the lessons and retreats run smoothly.
As the saying goes, “Behind every successful man there is a strong, wise, and hardworking woman.” Richard’s wife, Marisa, definitely fits this saying, whether she is washing the evening dishes at camp, to sharing her love of movement, or managing the surf school office. She is the “behind the scenes” support to make sure that the surf school is operating smoothly.
Long before surf-yoga retreats became so popular these days, in 1990 Richard and Marisa created their overnight summer Santa Cruz Surf Camp. Their summer camps ran for 28 years, and it was the first in the area. Marisa realized that yoga and being more flexible should be a part of a successful surf camp or retreat program. She was instrumental in developing and pioneering the Yoga portion of the camp.
She had just graduated from California State University, Long Beach with her BFA in Dance. A part of her education was the care prevention of injury and also the training of one’s body to perform at it’s full potential. She is a certified Interdisciplinary Yoga Instructor with the Nosara Yoga Institute and continues to educate herself in self-healing practices and recently started incorporating Healing Qi Gong into her classes.
Throughout the years of cooking and creating a menu for the camps Marisa realized the important role that healthy nutritious foods play in athletic performance. She makes sure to provide locally grown organic fruits and vegetables into the meals.