When Nicholas Cole was in his 20s, his father Graham said he had an idea about creating a swimming event. At the time Nick just rolled his eyes but little did he know how big his father's vision could grow.
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This Sunday, The Sydney Morning Herald Cole Classic open water swimming event will celebrate its 33rd year.
Late founder Graham Cole was a keen ocean swimmer who regularly swam and body surfed at Bondi Beach. In 1981, he travelled to Hawaii to compete in the Waikiki Roughwater competition. He returned with a desire to establish an event in Sydney where people could challenge their bodies and minds to swim a reasonable distance through surf.
"I said to dad, 'yeah great dad, what are you going to call it?' " Mr Cole remembered. "He said to me 'I'm going to call it the Bondi Beach Cole Classic'."
Mr Cole, who has never been a keen swimmer like his father, said the family continued the event in memory of their father's legacy and lifelong enjoyment of swimming in the ocean.
"It's somewhat of an irony really, I enjoy going to the beach, but my love of rough water swimming was nothing like my father's. For my dad, swimming was like walking; for me it wasn't that easy," he said.
"It's a great tribute to him and the vision he had. Although he wasn't after that, he started something that captured the public's imagination."
Mr Cole said his father created something that would provide a way for the community to celebrate the ocean, get fit and to have a bit of fun at the same time.
Originally established in 1983 at Bondi Beach the Cole Classic had 101 participants. It was moved to Manly beach in 2005 and now attracts thousands of people each year. In 2011 a run from Dee Why to Manly was introduced to complement the Cole Classic Swim.
The Sun Run, a popular 7km and 10km running and walking event open to participants of all levels, officially sold out on Friday.
There are limited spots left for the Cole Classic swim.
Unlike his brother, Christopher Cole has been swimming since he can remember.
"[Swimming's] a great lifestyle in Sydney where we are blessed with so many wonderful ocean beaches so close to the city." he said. "It is great to be able to make a contribution to Sydney summer, it's a pretty special place to be in the world at this time of the year and to have a living memory of my dad."
He said there had been an increase in the popularity of the event and that it had shifted in a positive way since moving to Manly.
"We introduced a 1 kilometre swim a number of years ago and allowed people to participate with fins or a buddy swimmer – it was hugely successful."
In 2009 the event was managed by Fairfax Events for the first time and is now known as The Sydney Morning Herald Cole Classic presented by Virgin Active.
For details on the event visit sunruncoleclassic.com.au/faqs
