It may be a little known fact, but the first person from New Zealand to compete at a Winter Olympics was from Oamaru.
Herbie Familton, who died in May 2002, aged 74, was one of three Kiwis who represented their country at the 1952 games in Oslo, Norway.
Despite having a broken thumb, Oamaru-born Herbert competed in the giant slalom and finished in 77th place, the highest finisher in the New Zealand team.
Selected as a travelling reserve, he replaced team captain Roy McKenzie, who was forced to withdraw through injury.
The 2m-long wooden skis he used at the Olympics were given to the North Otago Museum in 2002, probably by his family after he died, curator of collections Chloe Searle said.
Herbie's son, Herb Familton, who lives in Christchurch, said while his father did not speak of his Olympic experience often, it was clear he was proud of his achievement.
''He did talk about it a little bit, but not a lot. He talked about how good the Europeans were and that he did some training in Austria beforehand. He knew they would have to do well and perform well because the Europeans were pretty good. He always said he had beaten the Lebanese and the Australians, which gave him some great satisfaction.
''Skiing in New Zealand, particularly then, was a real novelty. People from overseas didn't realise people could ski in New Zealand at all. From the games on, the ski industry in New Zealand developed quite a lot.''
Herb said his father, also a keen tennis player, would wear his New Zealand Olympic team blazer when he went to play tennis, a sport he played well into his 40s.
Herbert skied regularly until 2000, primarily at Coronet Peak, and also at Awakino Skifield near Kurow, which he helped develop.
He would often base himself at the family crib at Frankton, which the family still owns.
Herbert participated in national and transtasman ski racing through the 1950s until a broken leg forced his retirement from competitive skiing in 1956.
Herb, who often skis with his sons, said his father would be proud of what bronze medal-winning Olympians Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (women's big air snowboarding) and Nico Porteous (men's freestyle ski halfpipe) achieved in their respective disciplines at the winter games in South Korea this week.
''Absolutely, he would be proud. I remember when Annelise Coberger won her [slalom] silver medal in 1992, at Albertville and there was a news item of dad congratulating her on her work. They've done tremendously well.''
