But at the Fork'n Tap in Arrowtown yesterday one thing clearly hadn't - the friendship and camaraderie of the 1968 New Zealand Winter Olympics team, reuniting for the first time.
Margot Blakely, Anne Picher (nee Reid), Mo Gardner, Chris Womersley, Michael Dennis and their flag-bearer and ''fearless leader'' Tomas Huppert have spent the past two days reminiscing in the Wakatipu about their experiences in Grenoble, France.
The only athlete not at this week's reunion was the late Robert Palmer, who died in a plane crash a few years after the Olympics.
Memorabilia, including one of seven Olympic flags stolen under the cover of darkness from the Olympic Village, was displayed and the stories flew thick and fast - including one revealed for the first time to the Otago Daily Times, to the surprise of the team.
Mr Huppert, at the time aged 25, said he had just finished racing in the downhill at Chamrousse when a couple of guys ''ran over'' and asked for his help.
''[They] said 'we're in a bit of a predicament'.''
Film star Audrey Hepburn had intended to arrive at the race in time to see the medal ceremony but ''being a film star she never arrived on time''.
''They said 'would you mind doing us a favour and taking her out to lunch, and we'll pay for it all?'.
''It took me a nanosecond to agree.
''As true as I sit here, I had lunch with Audrey Hepburn. [She was] absolutely gorgeous.
''I couldn't believe my luck''.
While he wouldn't divulge where they ate lunch, he said they were chaperoned by Doris Kleiner - Russian-born actor Yul Brynner's second wife - who ''spoiled it''.
When asked why Mr Huppert - the Chef de Mission of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy - had not shared the story before he said ''I was keeping bloody quiet about it''.
Recalling their experiences, Mr Huppert said he decided at the age of 15 he was going to the Olympics; 10 years later he walked into the opening ceremony holding the New Zealand flag.
''I cried my eyes out - I couldn't stop crying.
''It's no different from the Olympics today.
''It's an emotional ride and it's absolutely bloody awesome.''
Mr Womersley remembered walking in to a ''big roar'' from the crowd and ''all of a sudden you realise s... you're at the Olympics.''
The group was the last of the ''serious amateurs'' to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, and did so on a shoe-string budget.
''It was hard,'' said Mrs Blakely, who was 17 when she went to the Olympics.
''Everybody else got fresh skis every day - I had to borrow ... the Italian girls' training skis [when hers broke].
''We had no money,''
To which Mr Gardner responded: ''But we were so proud''.
