It was thirty years ago, Graham Cole sat down on Bondi Beach and decided to start his own ocean swim.
He invited his friends to join in and it grew so large, year after year, it became known as the 'Cole Classic'.
This Sunday will see roughly 5,000 people participate in the 1km, 2km and 9km swims from Shelly Beach to Manly.
Bruce Macarthur has entered every Cole Classic since 1983 and was a close friend of Graham Cole.
Adam Spencer, 702 ABC Sydney Breakfast presenter, asked Mr Macarthur about his memories of the first race:
"A handful of people sitting on the beach at North Bondi, and a big army cannon sitting there. Graham Cole pulled some strings somewhere and we had an army cannon to set the thing off! Very few people, almost a family affair in those days, Graham had an enormous of friends there helping with registrations."
In 2013 there are all sorts of hi-tech ways of tracking progress with smart phones, GPS technology and microchips. 1983 was a slightly different story.
"As we came out of the water we would just be handed a hand written note with our time on it and we'd go up and record it" said Macarthur.
Mr Macarthur is now in his seventies but will still taken on the 2km swim this weekend.
"(I'm doing) Two. I'm not driving to Manly for just one."
People of all ages will be taking part but ocean swimming does have a lot of appeal for 'mature Sydneysiders' as Adam Spencer has dubbed them.
"It's not impact as far as your body is concerned. I'm past pounding the pavement. It's a bit of comradery. As far as I'm concerned it's a bit of an incentive to get out there and do something, and aim for it, you try to minimise the pain on the day by doing some training."
Mr Macarthur and the other 5,000 or so entrants are definitely connecting with the original race slogan that Graham Cole suggested, 'Game to give it a go'.
And who was Graham Cole?
"He was a Sydney solicitor with a country background, an unassuming fella, just a really really good bloke, loved people, loved life" said Mr Macarthur.
A good bloke with a good legacy. All the best to those swimming this weekend!
Will you be racing? Have you ever done an ocean swim?
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