Larry Bertlemann: key obituary facts
Is Larry Bertlemann dead? Yes. Larry Bertlemann died on October 10, 2026, at age 71.
Cause of death: Larry Bertlemann's cause of death was reported as Heart attack.
What was Larry Bertlemann known for?
He was an American surfer and skateboarder.
More about Larry Bertlemann
Born: 7 August 1955.
Place of birth: Hilo.
Place of death: Honolulu.
Gender: male.
Occupation: surfer.
Nationality: United States.
Notable work: Bertlemann slide.
Also known as: Rubberman.
Larry Bertlemann, an American surfer known as “Rubberman,” died October 10, 2026, aged 71, from complications of a heart attack.
Born in Hilo, Hawaii, on August 7, 1955, he moved to Oahu with his mother when he was 11. At Waikīkī’s Queens break, he witnessed surfing before trying the sport himself, first on rented longboards.
His early experiences in Oahu formed the beginning of a surfing life that soon included competition. In 1972, at age 71, Bertlemann finished fourth at the World Surfing Championships and third at the Pipe Masters. The two finishes came in the same year, in separate competitions, while he was still a teenager. The World Surfing Championships result and his Pipe Masters placing are the contest achievements recorded from that early period of his career. His story, as documented in the available account, moves from childhood in Hilo to a formative exposure to surfing in Waikīkī and then to those teenage results in 1972. Bertlemann was also known by the nickname “Rubberman,” a name associated with his identity as a surfer.