However, when he started returning from overseas championships with trophies and medals, they started to accept it.
"Recently, they've taken quite an interest in it because I've been competing against the Aussies," Chris said.
Endurance, co-ordination, strength and commitment are the cornerstones of his success, which began when he was spotted by Queenstown-based Canadian coach Cheryl Budjak at Kiwi Skate school classes.
"I tried cricket and rugby and swimming before but skating was the one for me.
"It's being able to do something the majority of the population can't and skating is like a zone where I can just `be'.
"When Cheryl offered me a place in the competitive team, it was out of the blue but I thought I'd give it a go."
When he was 9, he told his father he would have the pick of the girls because he was the only boy in the team.
"There was me and eight early teenaged girls.
"I was like their kid brother and they definitely put me in my place."
At his first competition, the Otago-Southland Ice Skating Championships in 2002, the skater won the trophy in the pre-elementary category.
Highlights since then include winning first and second in juvenile elementary heats during the Peace River Championships, in Canada, and competing in Australia last year. Last Friday Chris passed his Intersilver Freeskate test, which elevated him to the intermediate grade and on course for the New Zealand National Ice Skating Championships in September in Gore.
He was in action at the Otago-Southland championships in the Queenstown Fun Centre last weekend to his favourite Dire Straits and Neil Diamond tracks.
"The technical skating programme is tightly confined by rules and judges want to see certain elements otherwise you get points deducted big time.
Whereas in the free programme you can show more of your personality, there's more drama and theatrics."
Chris juggles his studies at Christs College in Christchurch with intensive 5am training sessions four times a week.
While medical school is his ultimate goal, the Queenstown club captain is focusing on representing the resort at the South Island championships in Dunedin on August 8-9, and joining the New Zealand team for the Australian championships on August 16-23.
"I'll be happy to get to senior grade, get to the New Zealand nationals and train in Canada when I leave school.
I want to get my coaching qualifications, which are in three levels.
"I coach basic grades to Kiwi Skaters twice a week and it's very fulfilling to pass on the training."
