While the nascent phase of Pro Surfing, in the early 70s, was not always glamorous, it was a time when unique characters with equally distinct surfing styles learned to love the bumpy road to surfing success.

It’s difficult to remember exactly when I first met Wayne Bartholomew. Only a year apart in age, we were both chasing the surfing dream and happy to travel in search of exactly whatever it was we were seeking – it seems like forever ago. Catching up with Rabbit briefly at a recent Sydney screening of the classic late 70s movie ‘Free Ride’, he reminded me of our times together as grommets on the Gold Coast. I’d travel up from Sydney with an older crew from North Narrabeen and stay for weeks, surfing, hanging out, annoying the shapers at surfboard factories and sneaking into pubs that played live music, at night.

In an interview I did with Rabbit for Tracks, around the same time as this photo was taken in 1974, I wrote in the intro, “We tracked him down at Burleigh Heads and he was the most savvy surfer in the water. What set him apart were little tricks like pushing the nose of his board into the wave and popping it out the back when he couldn’t make the section.” In the days before leg ropes this move was innovative and saved plenty of swims-to-shore, not to mention board damage. I added, “…He knows a lot about his equipment and how to use it. He’s tall, fair and basically a surf mongrel.”

In the highly competitive, parochial surroundings of South East Queensland ‘Rabsy’, as I still like to call him, was a breath of fresh air. Great for a chat about anything, laid back on land, still competitive but fun in the water. He was happy to accommodate any media requests during the course of the interview, which for some reason, took place in three different locations, a riding school near Tweed Heads, at his Gold Coast home and a friend’s farm in Byron Bay. At the time, the surf around Coolangatta wasn’t pumping. There was not a ripple at Green-mount or Duranbah, however, the ‘Small Groyne’ at Kirra had just been built and Rabbit had noticed a bit of sand next to it, which he thought might be worth a look. I mean, walking out on a small groyne to what looked like a 1’ crumble?

Rabbit and Tracks photographer Frank Pithers, who was armed with the latest Nikonis wide-angle lens water camera, donned boardies and jumped in and somehow manufactured a cover shot that made it look like a decent barrel at perfect main-break Kirra.

Rabs was just as accommodating when it came to being photographed at the Bells Beach Easter event, one of the holy grails for anyone pursuing a career as a surfer. Money was starting to appear for the high achievers and a lot of them took their public image very seriously. They wouldn’t put themselves out there without a little control of the shoot.

This particular year, Andrew McKinnon travelled to the event from the Gold Coast in his mother’s 4WD Range Rover with Rabbit in tow, plus supplies to keep them going. The vehicle was small, with a basic interior and hard suspension; it must have been a long trip. To quote from a much-used adage, “It’s not so much the destination, it’s all about the journey” and I’m sure that journey to Bells had a few highlights and hiccups.

Attending the Bells Beach Easter event was always a cold experience. Icy rain and winds, cold water, wet wetsuits, no booties and a muddy carpark with little in the way of food. No worries, Andy and Rabs had come prepared with a cooker – a genuine luxury. Rabbit was assigned the cooking duties and as far as I can remember it was in the morning and he was making oats, the breakfast staple of a nation. I’ve been challenged on this, some suggesting it was the more aptly titled ‘rabbit stew’.

The thing I like about this photo is the good humour Rabsy brought to the occasion.

If there was a way to spin any situation into a fun moment, Rabbit could always find it. I’m not sure how either of the guys ranked in the event, but the story is that on the way back to the Gold Coast the Range Rover shit itself and the boys had to limp back home via an alternate mode of transport and deliver the good news to Andy’s mum. Once again Rabbit’s natural ability to take on adversity and enjoy the ride was tested, but as per usual his affinity for making the most of whatever was in front of him proved inspiring