Piha’s Rodger Curtice was recently honoured with one of surf life saving’s highest awards, a Life Membership Award given at the DHL In it For Life Awards. Rodger followed his father, Charlie Curtice, and uncle, Tiger O’Brien, into the Piha club, and has held many offices. He was also instrumental in the inauguration of the helicopter rescue service. What is not mentioned in the attached article, is that he put the motion in 1978 that enabled women to be admitted to Piha surf club, there having been entrenched opposition to this reform which had already been taken by most other clubs. And in that regard, let’s not forget the earlier efforts of Richard De Vries, and our local muso George Thomson to get women admitted, something the club was then not ready for.

The photo shows Rodge in his entertainer mode at a Piha cabaret. He’s a talented pianist, but here he’s helping Tiger perform a trick with beer glasses while a Piha lovely looks on. Looks like Island Night with Rodge gone troppo.

Here’s the article on Rodge from the Western Leader:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/5798762/Lifeguards-long-service