The perfect team of experienced, fun & enthusiastic surfers!
Ward Bushee - Head Surf Coach
Ward Bushee has been in the water since he was just a toddler. Growing up in a family of surfers, his passion began when he was 5 years old and he has been surfing ever since. He has 14 years of quality surf experience under his belt and has been coaching surf lessons for four of those years.
Ward is patient, funny and easy to talk to making him an ideal teacher for students of all levels and ages. He has vast experience coaching children from being a little league soccer coach as well. Ward is a UCSC graduate and has extensive local surf knowledge.
Simona Mariotto - Head Surf Coach & Photographer
Simona Mariotto is a native San Franciscan who has always loved being near the ocean, and recently expanded that love to actually being IN the ocean. Simona's keen eye not only makes her an incredible coach from the sand, but allows her to photograph and provide students with memories of this experience forever in an artful and expressive way.
Simona learned to surf in Puerto Rico four years ago and, as a newer surfer, is extremely aware of the needs of both novice and experienced surfers. She is CPR & First Aid certified, in case of emergencies, and is always there to provide encouragement and support. In addition, she has worked extensively with children over the years and speaks French, Italian, Spanish and English.
Ana Griffin - Videographer & Photo Assistant
Ana Griffin unofficially joined the WB Team when she filmed our introductory video in the Spring of 2013 (found on our About Me page). She just recently began as a photo assistant in the winter of 2014.
Ana is originally from Antelope, California where she graduated from Center High School in 2012. She is currently a student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco pursuing a degree in Multimedia Communication with a minor in Motion Pictures & Television. She has a lifelong love of action sports including skateboarding, wake boarding, snowboarding and surfing. Her love for sports is what sparked her desire to promote the culture via short form production & photography.
Seasonal Team Members
Simon Goldsmith - Social Media Intern & Photo Assistant
Simon Goldsmith joined the WB Surf Lesson team at the beginning of the 2013 summer. He is a recent graduate from Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco. He grew up in San Francisco just a few blocks from the beach and has traveled to places like Hawaii, Mexico, Spain, Ireland, France and more.
This fall, Simon is a freshman at the University of Oregon but continues to work on the WB Surf Lesson team when he is home on school breaks. In addition, he has basic Spanish speaking skills and has begun training to be in the surf with us as of this winter.