Peter Becker is the closest thing to curling royalty in New Zealand and he’s finally being recognised for it.
Becker has become the first New Zealander to be named in the World Curling Hall of Fame, although he admits the milestone caught many, including himself, off-guard.
"I think people don't believe it to a degree," he told 1News.
"I don't as well."
But why he’s claimed the sport's highest honour, shouldn't be a mystery, after dedicating more than 50 years of his life to it.
From playing and coaching to managing and selecting, Becker joked “any word you can think of, I've done it".
"I would hate to guess how many hours over the course of the past nearly five decades."
Much of that time was devoted to creating the southern hemisphere’s first dedicated curling facility in the small South Island town of Naseby, Becker’s home, in 2001.
But Becker’s love of the sport goes much further than his hometown. You could say curling is frozen solid into his family tree.
Becker's son Peter and Creighton's daughter Wendy met down at the ice rink and became closer than a couple of well-slid stones.
Both went on to represent New Zealand before helping create the next generation of Kiwi curlers with his four children; Sean, Bridget and Scott, who all captained New Zealand teams like their parents.
Wendy died in 2016 but Peter knows his most recent award couldn't have come without her.
"If you get the right people behind you, you can do anything you want," he said.
“It’s just, you've got the right people in the right jobs and away you go."
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