Latest honour for Gold Coast surfing icon ‘Rabbit’

A Gold Coast world surfing legend will launch the Cooly Surfing Collection Exhibition today.

The Gold Coast’s world surfing legend Wayne “Rabbit’’ Bartholomew will launch the Cooly Surfing Collection Exhibition today.

The one-month free surf art exhibition invoking the flavour of Cool-in-Gatta theme will run in March and April as surfing fans from across the world converge on Coolangatta for the Corona Open Gold Coast from March 26 to April 5.

The exhibition’s predominantly Coolangatta theme will feature Rabbit’s world title trophies and awards from his club, the Snapper Surfriders.

It also covers all the generations of Coolangatta kids from the 1960s to the new Millennials.

Bartholomew’s sons Jaggar and Keo are very much part of the next generation of Cooly kids who surf daily with the local clubs Snapper Surfriders, Kirra Surfriders and DBah Boardriders.

And that’s not counting all the other pros who have made Coolangatta their surfing base and the many recreational surfers who generate a healthy surfing economy.

Rabbit Bartholomew will be counting on barrels like this at Snapper Rocks for the Corona Pro in two weeks’ time and a pumping start to the 2020 World Tour. Picture: TRACKS MAGAZINE

It’s only two weeks away for the start of the first World Tour event of the year with the best men’s and women’s surfers in the world kicking off on Thursday, March 26.

There is a 11-day waiting period and there’s a south-easterly south-easterly swell forecast as long as the next cyclonic swell doesn’t wash away Snapper Rocks sand such as after the TC Uesi swell last month

Fortunately, the sand has returned to Snapper but how long will it stay until next crazy swell?

Bartholomew has been called in by the World Surf League to help monitor the situation.

Bartholomew and contest director Jay Phillips, the president of the Snapper Surfriders Club, will be on site to make the right calls.

Rabbit Bartholomew returning home with the 1978 World title. Picture: Dick Hoole

Everyone will be counting on Rabbit’s famous Midas touch – his direct hotline to wave god Huey is legendary.

The other worry is of course the coronavirus, especially for international surfers travelling to Australia.

WSL have had countless meetings to monitor the coronavirus implications daily and are being prepared for whatever situation can develop.

Already WSL Qualifying Series events in Japan and Indonesia have been cancelled.

The 2020 Olympics surfing competition in Japan is set to go ahead but the ultimate decision will depend on the International Olympic Committee.

■ THE Cooly Surfing Collection Exhibition will be opened by Bartholomew at The Strand Shopping Centre, Coolangatta, today at 11am.