2000

The Sydney 2000 Games came to Bondi in more ways than one, with photographs of the Olympic torch arriving at North Bondi in a surf boat published around the world. Bondi’s Olympic role also included hosting the volleyball stadium.

Just 24 hours before the Games opened, North Bondi hosted the torch as a part of its relay journey to the Olympic Stadium at Homebush.

The day it arrived at Bondi was described as crystal clear with a flat surf, perfect for an aquatic arrival. The flame travelled on a surf boat captioned by Paul Cunningham.

It was carried by Jessi Miley-Dyer, aged 14. Today, she is a decorated professional surfer who has a senior role running the World Surf League.

Back in 2000, Miley-Dyer had just started her surfing career. She remembers that day at Bondi:
"I had one of the most visible legs of the torch relay in a city full of Olympic fever. There were thousands of people lined on the cliffs watching the flame come in, not to mention the air and sea escort. I had never seen anything like it. 
And of course we decided we should catch a wave [to shore], much to the horror of all the helicopters covering it for TV. These [surf] boats are a quarter of a tonne and we needed to wait for [a wave] big enough, plus we knew we only had one chance.

After waiting for a while we chose [a wave] … The crew started yelling at me ‘Stand up!! Get up!’, which resulted in [a photo that went] around the world. I hit the beach and the crowd went nuts, broke the barricade and rushed me … my security team [had to] drag me through it. I passed the torch around when we got to North Bondi so we could all take it in. To this day it was probably the most surreal experience of my life. And I still have the torch."

From Bondi, the torch was passed to the Olympic ski champion Jim Walker and then to another North Bondi Surf Club member and former Olympian Phil Coles.

Images courtesy North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club.