Chris Bond was one of the great surf ski paddlers of his era — an Australian Open Ski Champion who could beat Olympians such as Grant Kenny, Grant Davies and Kelvin Graham, and rose to the top of the sport from the small Central Coast club of The Entrance.
And he did it without a coach.
Bond claimed the 1983 World Mile Championship in Hawaii before producing what he considers one of the greatest victories of his career at Point Leo in Victoria.
Renowned for his blistering early speed, he worked hard on the back end of his races and eventually won his first Australian Open Ski Championship. He returned to the podium at Moana in South Australia in 1986, finishing behind Kelvin Graham, before reclaiming the Australian title at Wanda Beach in 1988.
Second late in the race behind Olympian Peter Foster, Bond saw Foster come off in the solid conditions, leaving a sprint to the line and a photo finish – on VHS with Cronulla’s Warren Buchan. He also finished on the podium in the Double Ski that year alongside his legendary teammate Peter Laing.
Now based at Lennox Head SLSC on the far North Coast of NSW, his love of the sport remains as strong as ever. He is actively involved in supporting his son Jackson’s Ironman career, while continuing to enjoy the camaraderie and competition of Masters surf lifesaving.
In this episode, we journey back to the halcyon days of surf sports and hear about some of the legends who made that era so special.
Bond names the 16 men he believes would line up in the greatest ski race of all time, the three women who would occupy the dais and his greatest ever Taplin Relay team — a conversation that has sparked plenty of debate on social media in recent months.
He also reflects on the rapid rise and fall of his own elite career. Family commitments, a career in Emergency Services and a slight loss of hunger eventually saw his competitive paddling fade almost as quickly as it had arrived.
But the passion for surf lifesaving never disappeared and remarkably, Bond says he feels healthier in his late 60s than he did a decade ago.
For Steve Allan, this conversation is particularly special.
Chris was one of Steve’s heroes when he was coming through surf lifesaving and had become a Queensland Surf Ski Champion in his age group.
This is more than a conversation about winning races.
It’s a journey back to the golden era of surf lifesaving — a time when a young man from The Entrance could become the best in the world.
Discover more episodes and conversations with champions at https://www.theperfect10.com.au
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