Curling, Etcetera_ A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game - Bob Weeks [1]
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Weeks, Bob
Curling, etcetera : a whole bunch of stuff about the roaring game / Bob Weeks.
Includes index.
eISBN : 978-0-470-73889-4
1. Curling. I. Title.
GV845.W.964 C2008-902118-5
Production Credits
Cover design: Jason Vandenberg
Interior design and typesetting: Mike Chan
Cover photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Printer: Tri-graphic Printing
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
6045 Freemont Blvd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J3
TR
This book is printed with biodegradable vegetable-based inks. Text pages are printed on 60lb. 100% PCW recycled paper.
To Peter, Alfie and Ken—the guys who opened the door for me
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book exists because I have a strange capacity for remembering all sorts of useless bits of information. Well, useless may be too strong a word, but certainly unusual and offbeat. Over the many years that I’ve written about curling and covered curling events, I’ve always managed to store in my mind not only the winners and losers but small associated items that wouldn’t make the main column. I never had a place to put all these items . . . until now.
This book is a collection of years of these tidbits, the sum of which I hope will intrigue you. However, as sharp as I believed my memory was, I was still a bit foggy on certain facts and needed verification from a number of sources. Chief among these was Warren Hansen, the Canadian Curling Association’s director of competitions. He knows as much about curling as anyone and—once again—graciously passed on a correction or clarification of certain events. If there’s someone who has done more for curling in this world, I’ve yet to meet them.
Many others pitched in as well: Jeff Timson, Keith Wendorf, John Kawaja, Danny Lamoureux, George Karrys, and the late Doug Maxwell were the primary aids.
I also couldn’t have managed this project without the assistance of my co-publishers of the Ontario Curling Report: Peter Birchard, Alfie Phillips Jr., and Ken Thompson. They are three wonderful guys who have as much passion for the game as they do for red wine.
There is a shrinking but still strong fraternity of curling media who also pitched in (whether they knew it or not): Alan Cameron, Paul Wiecek, Jim Bender, Bob Garvin, Jim “Hollywood” Henderson, Brian McAndrew, Bill Graveland, Terry Jones, Vicki Hall, Mike Burns Jr., and the web-heads Dallas Bittle and Gerry Guerts.
Many of the game’s best players also answered questions for me either in person, on the phone, or via e-mail. Thanks to Russ Howard, Glenn Howard, Richard Hart, Dave Nedohin, Mike Harris, Ed Werenich, Kevin Martin, Joan McCusker, Hans Frauenlob, and Randy Ferbey. A special acknowledgment to Paul Savage, who may have enjoyed the game more than anyone I know.
The gang over at Wiley continue to amaze me with their talent and enthusiasm. Karen Milner had the faith to give this project the go-ahead and led a team that has shown a lot of faith in the roaring game.
Finally, to my family. My parents, Bill and Deane, are my biggest fans and the feeling is mutual. My sister, Carol, is simply the most remarkable person I’ve ever met. Her husband, Dennis, is a close second. And my son, Chris, I am so proud to be your father. You are the centre of my universe.
Bob Weeks
May 2008
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Curling did not get its name because the rocks arc as they travel down the ice. That’s known because the sport was called curling long before there was any intentional turn applied to the stone. The name “curling” is believed to come from an old Scottish word, “curr,” which refers to the roaring sound the stones