31 Facts About Wayne Bartholomew

Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew is an Australian world champion surfer, surf sports innovator, community advocate and politician.

Wayne Bartholomew attended Miami State High School throughout his upbringing.

Wayne Bartholomew's first surfboard was a gift from local surfing brothers Wayne and Robye Deane who had heard of the young Bartholomew and his interest in surfing through their parents' friendship with the Bartholomew family, with both families involved in the local Lions Club.

Wayne Bartholomew has often credited his mother for supporting his surfing interests at a time when surfing was considered an outsider's pursuit and surfing's image was controversial.

Early on, Wayne Bartholomew showed a natural talent for surfing which became his daily activity of choice during his later school years, along with any competitive pursuit he could partake in including soccer.

Wayne Bartholomew began surfing at a competition level as a junior in the early 1970s, where he quickly made a name for himself as a fierce competitor and stylish proponent.

Wayne Bartholomew would go on to win multiple Queensland Men's Open titles as a semi professional surfing competitor over the next few years.

In 1977, Wayne Bartholomew turned full-time professional and finished second behind South African surfer Shaun Tomson in his rookie year.

The Academy operated until 1992 with Wayne Bartholomew personally providing expert instruction, training and advice to many children and aspiring surfers in Australia.

Wayne Bartholomew was appointed as National Coach for the Australian representative surfing team in 1992.

In 1994 Wayne Bartholomew returned as head coach to defend his 1992 achievement, returning the Australian team to the podium for a consecutive gold medal result.

Wayne Bartholomew's surf coaching has endured and from 1987 to 2015 Wayne Bartholomew where he mentored and coached a variety of local boardrider's club teams to success including leading the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club at thirteen consecutive Straddie Teams Assault events held at North Stradbroke Island, twelve Kirra Teams Challenge events, two Quiksilver National Surf League events and two National Australian Boardrider's Battles.

In 1999 Wayne Bartholomew won the ASP Masters World Surfing Champion title in France, the same year he took the helm as president and CEO of the ASP.

In 1976 Wayne Bartholomew was part of the Original Founder Group for what is the modern incarnation of the foremost professional surfing governing body the World Surf League, and was a cornerstone participant in the formation of a new era of world professional surfing.

From 1977 through to 1988, Wayne Bartholomew served as Director for the newly formed Association of Surfing Professionals, which would become the peak governing body for professional surfing competition globally in 1983.

Wayne Bartholomew introduced the concept of powered personal watercraft or jet skis to assist surfers competing in events to maximise their ability to catch waves when conditions were challenging, a practice which is commonplace nowadays in professional surfing events and big wave surfing.

Wayne Bartholomew stepped down from his role with the ASP in March 2009.

Wayne Bartholomew is the visionary that started the Tour and then reinvented it again with the Dream Tour.

From 1990 until 1999 Wayne Bartholomew was appointed as Special Projects Manager for the emerging global apparel giant Billabong.

Wayne Bartholomew underwent a significant growth period during this time, rising to become a widely recognised international surf and youth-culture clothing brand which was publicly floated in the year 2000 with annual turnover of A$225 million, growing to sales of A$1.7 billion by the year 2011.

From 1996 until 1999 Wayne Bartholomew oversaw the running of the Billabong Pro on the Gold Coast, a premier ASP world surfing tour event and season opener featuring the best surfers in the world competing at the iconic Gold Coast surf breaks of Burleigh Point and Kirra Point.

The 1997 event saw Wayne Bartholomew move the contest away from its base at Kirra Point to instead compete at Burleigh Point.

From 1987 until 1992 Wayne Bartholomew served as President of the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club.

Wayne Bartholomew has been the Queensland Community Representative on the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypass Committee since 1992.

Wayne Bartholomew is currently a Global Ambassador for Gold Coast-based retail company The Surfboard Warehouse, joining prestigious names such as Hollywood actor Jason Momoa and two-time ASP World Longboard Surfing Champion Beau Young.

On Sunday 17 August 2020, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Wayne Bartholomew would be representing Labor and contesting the Queensland Parliament seat of Burleigh at the 2020 Queensland state election against incumbent Liberal National Party member Michael Hart.

Wayne Bartholomew was 65 years of age, married and had two children and two grandchildren.

In 2009 Wayne Bartholomew was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

In 2016 Wayne Bartholomew was appointed the Official Patron of the newly established Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve which covers the southern coastal shores of the Gold Coast and encompasses the famous surf breaks of Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay, Greenmount, Kirra, Currumbin Alley and Burleigh Heads.

Wayne Bartholomew remains active as a surfer, campaigner, mentor, ambassador and community leader.

Wayne Bartholomew has three sons, Jaggar, Keo and Cruz.