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Happy Saturday, folks.
In the now 34-plus years that I’ve been working here, I only recall ever covering curling once. It was the final day of the junior girls provincial championship in 1995.
I’m pretty sure it was at Eric Coy Arena — someone will correct me, if I’m mistaken — and an upstart team skipped by Kelly MacKenzie defeated — in what would certainly have been written up as an upset — two-time defending champion Jennifer Jones.
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Trust me, I had no clue I was covering such greatness that Sunday afternoon. There was, of course, no way to know at that time the success both skips would go on to experience.
MacKenzie went on to win the national championship and then the world championship in Perth, Scotland that year. She had been the only Manitoban to win the junior women’s worlds until MacKenzie Zacaharias accomplished the same feat last year in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
BORIS.MINKEVICH@FREEPRESS.MB.CAKelly Scott follows a shot during the final of the Manitoba Lotteries bonspiel at Fort Rouge Curling Club Monday evening.
Late, after moving to BC and becoming Kelly Scott, she also won a women’s worlds in 2007 after winning her second consecutive national Scott Tournament of Hearts title. She narrowly missed representing Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin: she finished in first place in the round robin with a 7–2 record, but wound up losing to Shannon Kleibrink in the final.
Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones meets winless Nunavut tonight. (Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press files)
Jones, as you all know, rebounded from that loss to MacKenzie in 1995 to go on to what many would consider to be the most accomplished career of any female curler in Canadian history: 11 Manitoba championships; six national championships; two world championships; and a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Games.
I recall attending a curling event two other times, both in my current role as sports editor:
On one occasion, former FP columnist Gary Lawless and I dropped by to visit former crack curling reporter Paul Wiecek while he was covering the women’s worlds at the downtown rink in 2003. I remember two things about that: I found it very difficult to follow the game from the media bench despite Paul’s coaching — and there were donuts.
The other occasion was in Selkirk where Wiecek and I were doing one of those videos we used to do and we were setting up a provincial championship of some sort. I don’t remember what the event was but I do recall there were donuts in the media lounge and I recall Wiecek laughing and telling me there was always donuts: because that’s what curling reporters like to eat, I suppose.
I do not recall if there were crullers. I would have been disappointed had there not been. I’m not sure what your favourite donut is, but that would be mine.
This weekend kicks off another championship season of curling as Canada’s top teams have gathered in Saskatoon for the Olympic Trials. Our current crack curling reporter is Jason Bell and he has made his way to northern Saskatchewan and will have daily reports on how the five — that’s right, five — Manitoba teams are making out.
I know you expect nothing less from us. I might not know a whole lot more about curling today than I did in 1995, but one thing I have learned since then is Free Press readers demand comprehensive coverage of the sport.
Jay had a stellar preview of the event in Friday’s print edition that included a look at all the Toba teams, including Jones who is looking to return to the Games, and today has this report on how the opening practice session went at SaskTel Centre.
Mike McIntyre is also writing about curling today with a column on how he will be keeping his eyes peeled — I used that word on purpose — on the event as he will be heading to Beijing in February to cover the 2022 Olys and the two teams that will wear the Maple Leaf will be determined by the end of next weekend.
One final note: I checked with Jay on Friday afternoon and he advised me that due to COVID restrictions, there is no donuts and coffee table for the media at the Trials.
Don’t worry — I’ m confident that will not create a hole in our coverage.
Have a great weekend, folks.
As always, you can reach me by replying to this mailing or by sending me an email here.
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