Curling, Etcetera_ A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game - Bob Weeks [17]
• In the 2001 Canadian Olympic trials Russ Howard, trailing by three points with one end left, contemplated conceding a game against John Morris. The wily veteran, however, decided to play out the final frame, and what followed was a case of experience winning out over youth. Howard used a corner guard to hide several stones, and rather than removing the guard, Morris tried to pick out the Howard stones, but missed each time. Eventually, Howard took four points, winning the game and sending Morris storming off the sheet, ripping his shirt into shreds in the process.
• Playing the tenth end of the final of the 1985 Brier in Moncton, New Brunswick, Pat Ryan was leading 5-3 and appeared in complete control of the final frame. In fact, after his last shot, he came down the ice with his broom in the air, already starting to celebrate what he thought was a Brier victory. However, that proved premature. Northern Ontario’s Al Hackner played what is regarded as one of the greatest shots in Brier history when he made a thin double takeout to score two points. He then led his team to a steal of one in the extra end for the win and the Canadian championship.
• Ontario’s Jenn Hanna was set to celebrate a victory in the 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts in St. John’s, Newfoundland. With just one rock left to be thrown, Hanna led by three points and had shot stone buried on the button. Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones sat second, third, and fourth shot but had only one hope of getting to Hanna’s stone—that was to redirect her shooter off a stone sitting almost off the sheet. She called the shot, played it, and watched as it hit and then went on a perfect angle to remove the Ontario stone and give her team four points and the national title.
Curling Quote
“I worked with French CBC during the Torino Olympics. I did a TV show with a French-Canadian speed skater, and during that show, he tried some curling. At the end he looked at me and said, ‘Geez guys…how do you do that? You guys are real athletes.’
Coming from a 29-year-old, two-time gold medalist in prime athletic condition, that’s a very good compliment.”
—Guy Hemmings in the Penticton Western News
PIZZA AND MEDALS
Pete Fenson was the skip of the first American team to win an Olympic medal in regulation play (American teams had earned medals in Olympic demonstrations). His rink, from Bemidji, Minnesota, took the bronze medal at the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy. As such, he became one of the best-known curlers in the United States. Here is a bit about this popular American curler:
• Fenson’s father, Bob, won the United States Men’s Championship in 1979. He taught Pete how to curl and has continued to serve as coach for the team.
• Fenson won his first national title in 1993, playing third for Scott Baird. He won again in 1994. He was a semi-finalist at the ’93 world championship and finished fifth in ’94.
• In 1998, Baird took a year off, and Fenson moved up to skip, learning under the watchful eye of veteran third Mark Haluptzok. In 2003, Fenson skipped his team to the U.S. title and then finished eighth at the world final.
• Fenson won the 2004 and ’05 U.S. championships and then skipped the Red, White, and Blue to a bronze medal in the 2006 Games, earning that honour with an 8-6 victory over David Murdoch of the United Kingdom.
• The team was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s team of the year for 2006.
• Fenson owns two pizzerias, operating under the name Dave’s Pizza.
• On the U.S. Olympic Committee website, Fenson