Wayne Bartholomew

Wayne Bartholomew, nicknamed Rabbit, is an Australian surfer born on 30 November 1954 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, who grew up at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast and learned to surf at Rainbow Bay and Snapper Rocks. He won the Australian School Boy title in 1972, turned professional in 1977 and finished second to Shaun Tomson in his first year, then won his first world surfing championship in 1978. He competed on the world tour until 1987 and ranked in the top five for seven years in a row. Later he won the ASP Masters World Surfing title in 1999 and the Grand Masters title in 2003, making him a three-time world champion. Off the water he was a director of the Association of Surfing Professionals from 1977 to 1988, its president from 1999 to 2009 and its chief executive from 1999 to 2003, and he is credited with creating the Dream Tour format of professional surfing. He also coached Australia's team to gold at the 1992 and 1994 International Surfing Association world championships.