Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew won the World Surfing Championship in 1978, 1999 (ASP World Masters) and 2003 (ASP World Grand Master). Rabbit was also the former President of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) from 1999-2009 and its Chief Executive Officer from 1999-2003. He was given the nickname Rabbit when he was young because of his speed as a soccer player. The award-winning Australian surf documentary Bustin' Down the Door depicts Rabbit's early days in Coolangatta, Queensland and his roller coaster ride to the top, overcoming massive obstacles along the way in his bid to bring credibility to the sport. Three-time world champion Tom Curren cites Bartholomew as his greatest stylistic influence. In 2009, nothing was worth doing, as Bartholomew saw it, unless it was done to the extreme. He was a hell-bent driver, once picking up three speeding tickets in three states while traveling from Victoria to Queensland, and an unbeatable competitive eater, tucking away seven pounds of food in one hour during a 1976 all-surfers event in Sydney. In 2009, Bartholomew was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

This board is in the permanent SHACC collection, donated by Ed Clapp.
Portrait photo © A-Frame