Wanaka may have the Wells brothers, but Queenstown has their match in ice hockey clan the Frears, of which all three sons have been recently named most valuable player for their top level teams.
Oldest brother Cameron Frear (21), now studying towards a bachelor of commerce degree in Dunedin, was named MVP at the end of last month for his efforts with the Dunedin Thunder in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League.
Followed in his footsteps are younger brothers, and Wakatipu High School pupils, Mitchell (17) and Lachlan (14), who aside from playing for the school team, are making great moves of their own.
Mitchell was named MVP for the Under-19 New Zealand Ice Hockey League Southern Team this year, and the New Zealand squad at March's World Under-18 Championships in Romania, of which he was captain.
Lachlan won the same honour for the Under-16 New Zealand Junior Elite League Southern Team, and both are off to next year's world championships in the Czech Republic.
Mother, Luana Frear was as surprised as anyone when a friend pointed out the triple success following the end of the ice hockey season last month.
"That's the first time that they have ever had that happen before, so that just blew me away," Mrs Frear said.
The brothers were equally surprised and delighted with the feat, with Mitchell putting the family success down to hard work and the support, both financial and other, of their parents.
"It's definitely good to represent our province like that and step up . . . It's both the hard work and that they support us quite a lot, Mum and Dad, managing and driving us around."
Their father, Niel, team co-ordinator for the Southern Stampede, went to Romania with the Under-18 team as manager, sits on the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation committee, and along with Mrs Frear, coaches the Wakatipu High School team.
When the Frears moved to Queenstown from Invercargill 16 years ago, they had never been part of the sport.
Looking for an alternative sport to rugby for 5-year-old Cameron at the time, they tried ice hockey and "have never looked back".
