Name/Nickname : Cissa, Clam Shell... you don't want to know why...
Age : 26
Resides : My driver license is from Hawaii but the world is my home
Years riding : almost 7 years
Sponsors : Cabrinha, NPX wetsuits, SIPI eyewear, Chiemsee clothing
Equipment : Nomads, 136 custom with boots, and a Quad surfboard for da waves
If I wasn't a pro kiter, I'd be : A Rock star!
Another watercraft : Surfboard and Wakeboard
What's in your iPod? : All kinds of eclectic stuff. From Rock and Reggae to Country and Classical
Favorite website : www.blindguru.com
What are you watching right now? : Osho speak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeEDKBxkNgM
Travel survival tip : Have a golf bag and an open mind
Can't leave home without : My mac, a book and some raw cacao beans and goji berries
Website : http://www.clarissahempel.com

Your women's clinic in Maui this past August was a great success. We hear it inspired you to do more?
Definitely! Teaching women how to kiteboard is fascinating to me! We need more of us out there and I'm very glad to be part of this movement! :) The clinic on Maui was a blast and very successful, so it has given me the motivation to keep on with the work!

You participated in the Butterfly Effect this year for the first time. Tell us about it.
Participating of this Tahiti Butterfly Effect event was a very unique and special experience. Sharing time in and out of the water with all these woman was very inspiring and can’t wait for next event! Also, being able to be in touch and to teach water sports to the local community, was incredibly rewarding. Sharing the knowle dge is something we should all do, and that's what the Butterfly Effect is all about.

The Cuba trip with Susi Mai looked unbelievable. What did you enjoy about Cuba the most?
The people, the culture and the amount of untouched riding area were the reasons I had one the best trips of my life. I'd go back in heart beat for seconds!

What are you trying to achieve with your riding these days?
Mostly focus on waves and find undiscovered riding spots around the globe.

You are an avid yoga practitioner. What does it do for your kiting?
Let's just put it like this: If it wasn't for my Yoga practice kiteboarding would not exist in my life. This practice shapes my mind and body in such a way which is essential for a balance and conscious living. I'm a very aggressive rider which made me get where I am. But also for being that way I'm more subject to injuries. At times Yoga helps me avoid the injuries and/or recover from them.

What do you think will help more women into the sport?
Somehow let them know that kiteboarding can be as extreme as you'd like. Naturally, woman have more fear of getting hurt, and the history of kiting when accidents were happening, scared them away. So as the sport evolves into a more safe image more women will come.

Where to next?
Brazil baby!!! :)

[Interview Jan 2010]