Turnbull heading to Hall of Fame

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/03/2015 (4203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CANADIANS know him best as the man who explained the sport of curling to this country for 25 years as the curling analyst for TSN.

Internationally, meanwhile, he’s known for his curling clinics that helped bring the sport to the rest of the world.

But on the day he was inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame, Winnipeg’s Ray Turnbull said his proudest moments came much closer to home.

Turnbull parlayed a Manitoba men’s curling championship in 1965 — one of two provincial men’s titles Turnbull won curling out of the Granite — into his one and only Brier.

Almost 50 years to the day, Turnbull said hoisting that Macdonald Brier Tankard in Saskatoon remains the highlight of a life devoted to curling.

“There is nothing that can compete with walking down that centre ice sheet in Saskatoon in 1965 as Canadian champion. And to be able to have done it with three of my very best friends made it even more special,” Turnbull said Thursday after it was announced he is one of three Canadians being inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame this year.

Turnbull, 75, was the lead on that 1965 Brier champion, with Granite clubmates Ron and Terry Braunstein and Don Duguid rounding out the squad.

Three years after winning the Brier, Turnbull began hosting international curling clinics around the world, from Japan to Norway.

Decades later, Turnbull was able to count 17 world curling champions among his former students — a legacy he remains proud of today.

“It means a lot to me that some of the work I did over the years is credited with helping develop the game around the world. It’s a terrific honour,” said Turnbull.

In announcing Turnbull’s induction, Curling Canada noted Turnbull was a pioneer in developing teaching techniques for curling “and was among the first to offer formal instruction for players and coaches.”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

To mark the 50th anniversary of their team’s Brier championship, Turnbull said he is getting together in B.C. this spring with the Braunsteins and Duguid to reminisce and play a little golf.

The other Canadians being inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame this year are former world champions Randy Ferbey and Russ Howard. The three Canadians — as well as Japan’s Hiroyuki Saio, a former World Curling Federation executive who helped expand curling in Asia — will be honoured next month at the Men’s World Curling Championship in Halifax.

“It’s an honour. It’s nice. It means a fair amount to me,” Turnbull said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people over the years because of curling.”

The World Curling Federation describes induction into the World Curling Hall of Fame as “the highest non-playing honour that the World Curling Federation can bestow on someone and recognizes outstanding contribution to the sport of curling whether through on-ice exploits or off-ice endeavours.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek