I have always been somewhat of a sports fanatic, lately becoming more of a spectator than a participant as I have been forced to mellow just a little. This winter I have added curling to my couch capades calendar, which I am usually relegated to enjoy in the comfort of our spare bedroom, a.k.a. dad’s office and mess room.
In my younger years I learned how to curl at the old Alberta Hospital rink, was coached by the diminutive Mr. Tom Dick in High School, then loved hanging around the Ponoka and district rinks, especially for the bonspiels. Right from the start I did not like sweeping, so I always volunteered to skip, where I could just stand still, call the shots, and yell at my mates to sweep, even harder.
While most of us were having great fun curling in leagues and bonspiels, many got the urge to get into zone competitions, with a dream of maybe getting a taste at the traditional playdowns to the classic Canadian Brier. It hasn’t taken very long for these provincial, Canadian and world curling competitions to become huge at both the cash and medal level for men and women from the junior to senior set.
Most of us will remember when the curling elite started going head to head in front of the television cameras across the nation. It was new and exciting at first, but then there got to be so many blankety-blank ends, with no rocks in play, very low scores and quite boring and predictable, especially for the spectators.
Thank goodness the powers-to-be in the Curling Associations decided to spice up the game by adding guard rules, matched rocks, and round robin competitions that threw the great game even more wide open. Then along came a whole bunch of red-hot rinks like Kevin Martin, Randy Ferby, Sandra Schmirler, Pat Ryan, Colleen Jones, the howling Howards, Ursel, Gushue, Kliebrink, Scott and on and on; who took the game to another level in a wild chase for the granite glory.
They proceeded to throw caution to the winds and would fill the house with rocks in just about every thrilling end. Although the draw and the takeout were still the most popular shots, they were now challenging each other to perform double and triple takeouts, hit and roll, raises, come-arounds, tap-backs, place or peel the perfect guard, and what ever hard-rock magic may be needed for the occasion.
The results are magnificent shots and strategies, high scoring ends, and no lead safe until the final stone is tossed. I guess that is the way that most of us curl, because we didn’t really know any better, and no matter what the result, we were supposed to be out there having some fun? Of course the sweepers will always be very important to the game, but the equipment they use now is very high tech, and just a little more expensive. The ice will also always be a big factor in curling and while we always hear about the dreaded pick, the frost, the swing, light, heavy and the pebble; it should be looked as just another part of the fun and tricky challenge of the game, but never as an excuse.
I also love the way that these classy curlers discuss their shots so that we can all listen, while they try and out-psych their opposition, turning the crowds at home or at the rink into a real frenzy. The clock and timeouts also give us thousands of arm-chair curlers a chance to guess or suggest the next shot, or maybe even place a small wager on the outcome. No matter how heated curling competitions reach, for the most part it has remained a sport full of keen skill and sportsmanship with the only body contact being a handshake or a high five.
Yes, curling has always had the skilled players and strategies, but in my opinion this top-caliber level has now become a thrilling participation and spectator sport that can now compare with a hole in one, a shootout, a grand slam home-run, the final lap, the Super Bowl, a strikeout in bowling, eight seconds on a bull and all the rest. In 2010 the 16 best men and women’s curling teams in Canada and the world will meet at the Rexall Place in Edmonton to decide our nation’s representatives in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It should be another unbelievable rush.
Whatever the case curling is alive and well in Canada, and we must all remember that the very best of the bunch all started out at their friendly hometown rinks. Although they are likely closed now for the season, they will be welcoming everyone again in September to a great slip and slide game that is a lot of fun for all ages, all speeds, and all skill levels. It’s okay to shine up the golf clubs, put away the winter tires and have a great week, all of you.