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David ‘Rasta’ Rastovich (b. 1979), former professional surfer and conservation activist, was born in rural New Zealand. At the age of five he moved with his parents to the Gold Coast, where in time he began to compete in junior surf lifesaving and surfing events. He won numerous titles in iron man, paddling and surfing events, including a world junior surfing title, before walking away from competition at the age of twenty. Rastovich developed a sense of environmental awareness as a young man. In 2004, outside the International Whaling Commission meeting in Italy, he established the conservation group Surfers for Sanctuaries with marine conservationist Howie Cooke. Later, this group evolved into Surfers for Cetaceans, focusing on the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises; he appeared in a powerful documentary on this topic, The Cove, in 2009. More recently he has supported the activities of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The documentary Minds in the water, released in 2012, followed the surfer’s conservation activism over five years; the same year he was a central figure in the ward-winning documentary El Mar, Mi Alma. More recently he has free-surfed Sri Lanka in The Church of the Open Sky (2018) and narrated Never Town (2018) alongside Wayne Lynch. A resident of the Byron Bay area, Rastovich lives an exemplary holistic life, growing his own food, keeping bees, surfing and engaging intensely with the wonders of the planet.
Gift of the artist 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Scott Redford/Copyright Agency, 2024
Scott Redford (1 portrait)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Christopher Chapman talks with Scott Redford about his character Reinhardt Dammn.
Dr Christopher Chapman examines Scott Redford's photographic portrait of Australian surfer David 'Rasta' Rastovich.
The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
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