Marisa Miller

By Sara Templeton

Marisa Miller, a dedicated Californian surfer, was in Santa Barbara in 2001 doing what loved: carving up waves and enjoying the beach lifestyle.

A photographer by the name of the Mario Testino was also on the Santa Barbara beach at the time, and took some photos of her riding waves and, from here on in, the hedonistic fashion world was hers for the taking.

While Marisa Miller's story is similar to many other supermodel 'discoveries', her attitude seems to be more grounded than most.

This may have something to do with her mother who, when told of her daughter's chance to go gallivanting around the world in the name of modeling, said "You can always go back to school, but you can't always model."

Sagely advice in indeed, and Marisa heeded these wise words and has gone on to become a top model in her own right.

Born in 1980 in Santa Cruz, California, Marisa enjoyed sports from a young age and had a knack at picking up new concepts and was said to be one of the best volleyball players at high school during her early years. The team was allegedly so good that during one season they managed to avoid losing a single game.

Another of her passions was of course surfing, and after she had been snapped by supremo photographer Mario Testino, she began to look for work.

Though her first job wasn't exactly what some would term family friendly - she posed nude for Perfect 10 magazine - it was a foot in the door nonetheless, and before too long she was being courted by Sports Illustrated to appear in their annual Swimsuit Edition.

Since appearing in the 2001 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Marisa was asked back again in 2003 and 2004, and has also worked on advertising campaigns for the likes of J.Crew and Tommy Hilfiger.

After seeing her photos in Sports Illustrated, American lingerie giant Victoria's Secret liked what it saw and was quick to sign up the blonde beach babe - a sure sign of acceptance in the billion dollar fashion industry. Marisa Miller has also appeared in fashion magazines such as Vogue, and sports mags including Shape.

While the world seems to love her in her bikini's, they also love her just as much when she not in them as well. Marisa was featured in the 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 editions' sections of Joanne Gair's body painting feature, and most recently made headlines by appearing in the now infamous Raphael Mazzucco photograph which saw Marisa wearing nothing but an iPod

2007 was a big year for Miller who shot her first television commercial for Victoria's Secret (along with fellow supermodel Heidi Klum) as well as appearing in a cameo on the HBO show Entourage. Marisa was also featured as a model on the pilot episode of the new VH1 reality show The Shot, as well as the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

But it's not all work for this stunning blonde, with Marisa's love life a constant roller coaster. In 2000 she married Los Angeles surfing contest promoter and lifeguard husband, Jim Miller, only to separate from him in 2002. They divorced soon after. It wasn't long until she got back on the horse, becoming the wife of Hollywood producer Griffin Guess on April 15, 2006.

Marisa's future direction is unclear at this stage, but this doesn't bother the athletic model, whose positive attitude and strong ties with her family ensure her personal happiness. She has made it clear that she plans to go to university when her modeling contracts slow down, and she is a surfer after all, who are generally very open minded and positive people. Could it be that connection with the ocean? Who knows...

"The first thing I do every morning is go online to check the surf. If the waves are good, I'll go surf. The beach is 10 minutes away," Marisa once said. Well, there's nothing else for it - see you at the beach!