Old Boys in the News: Peter Becker (#1842 1963-66)

Monday 12th August 2019

King of Curling


There is not much in New Zealand curling that Peter Becker hasn't done. Born and bred into a curling family in the Maniototo, Peter first honed his skills from the crampit on the outdoor rinks during Central Otago winters.

In the early 1990s when curling from the hack was introduced to New Zealand, Peter skipped the first National Men's teams to compete internationally in the modern form of the game at Pacific championships. Successes were few, but the lessons learned and passed on to the NZ curling fraternity laid the foundation for future success.

From 2003, Peter skipped eight of the first nine Senior Men's teams that NZ sent to the World Seniors Championship. He has at different times acted as coach, manager and co-selector of a range of teams – from the Winter Olympics, to Mens and Womens National and Junior sides, to local Maniototo Area School novices.

Included among his many titles are four Wendorf Rock bonspiels (two of these when it was the unofficial NZ championships), and the remarkable double of NZ Open Men's and Senior Men's titles in 2013.

Peter has been the secretary of the Ranfurly Curling Club since 1981 and in 1989 became the club's delegate to the Naseby Curling Council and a delegate to the New Zealand Curling Association. He was NZCA Secretary from 1995 until 2009.

His service to the sport has been recognised by Ranfurly CC with the award of Life Membership. In 2009 he became one of a small group to be awarded Life Membership of the NZ Curling Association.

(Source: www.curling.org.nz)

At the 2019 ASB Otago Sports Awards Peter Becker was honoured with the Otago Polytechnic Services to Sport award. The Becker name is synonymous with curling in NZ and the amount of coaching, managing and governance contributed by Peter is many lifetimes of work for the normal person. Peter was stunned to receive the award as his family had told him the evening out was a birthday present to come down from Ranfurly. A humble man who could not deserve the award more. (Source: http://www.sportotago.co.nz/Events-1/ASB-Otago-Sports-Awards-1). Also check out: https://youtu.be/3wJuzhVySqU