Wayne Bartholomew

Australian surfing champion who won the 1978 world title and was known as 'Bugs', a colourful and pioneering figure in early professional surfing whose aggressive approach and powerful turns made him a fan favourite.

Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew is an Australian surfing icon and 1978 World Surfing Champion who was one of the most aggressive and stylish surfers of his era. His famous article predicting the 'Bustin' Down the Door' era of Australian surfing — which caused controversy in Hawaii — reflected the competitive confidence of Australia's emerging generation. He later served as CEO of the ASP World Tour.