MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Team Building WPSL
Every new sport starts the same way: with a small group of people who believe in something before anyone else does. WPSL — the Wave Pool Surf League — is no different. Behind the wave pools, the format, and the countdown to WPSL1 at Adrena, Saudi Arabia in October 2027, is a team that's spent decades in surfing, sport, business, and entertainment, now building something none of them could have built alone.
Here's who's behind WPSL, and what they bring to it.
Justin West — Founder & CEO
Justin has spent 20+ years coaching surfers, from complete beginners to WQS/CT-level athletes, across Portugal, the UK, Senegal, Switzerland, Madagascar, and the Maldives. But WPSL didn't come out of coaching alone. Justin has also been a partner in a travel company running an ocean-going exploration catamaran in the Maldives, co-owned a surf resort in Madagascar, and held a stake in a security company operating in the Middle East — building and running teams in remote, high-pressure environments long before WPSL existed. He's also an IBJJF European Masters Jiu-Jitsu gold medallist, and that same strategic, patient mindset shows up in how he runs the league. Justin leads by example rather than dictation.
Dan Luger MBE — Co-Founder & Chairman
Dan is a Rugby World Cup winner, part of England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad and that year's Six Nations Grand Slam, and one of England's highest-ever try scorers with 24 tries in 38 caps. He came to surfing later than most of the team, but he's brought the same relentless drive that made him one of the most feared wingers in world rugby. At WPSL, Dan is our Chairman — the glue that holds this team together — and heads up investor relations across the Middle East and worldwide.
Barton Lynch — Ambassador & Commentator
Barton is the 1988 World Champion, a title he clinched at Pipeline in one of the most dramatic finals competitive surfing has ever seen. He's also one of the first people to put his name behind WPSL, a founding stakeholder in what this league is trying to build. As WPSL grows, Barton will lead the commentary team, help design the competition format, and lead surfing integrity across the league. In his own words: we're obliged to tell the story of surfing's culture and history to a new generation of surfers who may grow up far from the ocean where it all began.
Jamie Mitchell — Athlete Ambassador & Contest Format Designer
Jamie is a 10-time Molokai to Oahu World Champion and an Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational regular, with a big wave surfing career spanning Jaws, Nazaré, and some of the heaviest breaks on the planet. Few athletes in the sport's history have tested themselves across as many disciplines. At WPSL, Jamie brings a waterman's read on wave craft, endurance, and competition into how our events are actually designed.
Natalie Waddell — Strategic Communications
Natalie's career has been built inside some of the biggest brands in music and sport: Sony Music, Chelsea FC, adidas, and Universal Music Group. She's spent it turning huge organisations into brands people feel something for. At WPSL, Natalie leads Strategic Communications, shaping how the league tells its story to fans, sponsors, and partners around the world.
Pedro Guerreiro — Director of Finance & Operations
Pedro is an economist and quantitative analyst who built his career in financial forecasting and operational planning, including time inside Red Bull's event operations and marketing programmes across international markets. He's also an experienced Jiu-Jitsu practitioner — a calculated competitor, already several moves ahead of his training partners, and that same instinct shapes how he approaches WPSL's numbers. Pedro leads financial planning, budgeting, and the operational infrastructure that turns a big idea into an investable, scalable league.
Michele Ciuti — Strategic & Project Advisor
Michele has spent his career in brand partnerships and business development, working across global names including BIRKENSTOCK and On. At WPSL, he advises on strategic partnerships, project management, and brand relationships, connecting the league with commercial partners, venues, and growth opportunities worldwide.
Maryam Shams — Director of Partnerships
Maryam is a growth and partnerships executive with international experience across startups, media, and global business communities, known for building trusted relationships across cultures and markets. At WPSL, she's our Director of Partnerships, connecting the league with the brands, venues, and communities that will carry it around the world.
What's Next?
With the founding team in place, our next big hire is an event management team — the specialists who will plan and execute WPSL1 at Adrena, Saudi Arabia. If that's you, or someone you know, we'd love to talk.
WPSL — Wave Pool Surf League wpsl.live