Brier without fans changes players’ mind games

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This article was published 04/03/2021 (1834 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Colin Hodgson is most himself when he’s affectionately kibitzing with the crowd between deliveries.

The interaction with fans in the stands is a crucial element of the Brier experience for the 29-year-old curler, who tosses lead stones for Mike McEwen of West St. Paul.

He’s grown accustomed to exchanging fist bumps with star-struck youngsters, playful barbs with hecklers who’ve had one too many at the Patch, and smiles and winks with his fiancé, Brittnie. Those are cherished memories from four previous appearances at the Canadian men’s curling championship that can’t be erased.

The 2021 rendition, set to begin in the Calgary bubble Friday night, will be a Brier like no other, and Hodgson’s effort to monkey with anyone from the bleachers with so much as a pulse will, indeed, be futile. Only cardboard cutouts of spectators will occupy seats at Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that won’t stop him from engaging.

“I’m gonna look crazy but I’m going to be talking to the cutouts, especially people I know, because it just brings me back to that feeling of normalcy that I need,” Hodgson, a former Winnipegger now living in Balmertown, Ont., said Thursday afternoon.

The McEwen team, playing as Wild Card 1, was just hours from hitting the arena ice for a practise session. The squad, representing the West St. Paul Curling Club, has a Friday morning practice scheduled as well, prior to its opener on Saturday’s 9:30 a.m. draw against Brier veteran James Gratton of New Brunswick.

Team Manitoba, skipped by Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, begins its second career Brier on the Saturday morning draw against Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher, who has lost three consecutive finals.

“I talked to some athletes that played in the Scotties, and the overwhelming thing is the silence in the building. It’s a double-edged sword. It will significantly improve communication and it will lower the distractions, but for me, personally, that’s my favourite part — the fan interaction,” added Hodgson, an exceedingly popular player in Canadian curling.

A year ago in Kingston, Ont., Hodgson was named the recipient of the Ross Harstone Sportsmanship Award, given to the player chosen by his peers as “the curler in the Brier who best represents the ideals of good sportsmanship, observance of the rules, exemplary conduct and curling ability.”

“High-fiving a kid in the front row or giving it right back to a heckler in the stands. Those things are so much fun. So, coming up with different strategies is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit,” he said

Hopefully, TSN’s camera crew catches some of the tricks Hodgson has up his sleeve of tattoos.

Hodgson is already planning to warmly greet the cutouts of renowned curling fans Hans Madsen (known for his wacky wigs and painted beard), and his partner, Judy, from Yorkton, Sask. The liknesses of Brittnie and the couple’s cat, Oliver, have spots saved, as does Hodgson’s father, Lee, and business partner, Faron Asham.

“They’ll be there with us, and you can hear their voices in your head out there. That might be what makes the difference. I don’t think many are going to look at it his way, but this is how I’ve prepared myself mentally,” said Hodgson.

In a three-hour contest, short gaps of time in between shots and strategy meetings require filling — to leave no room for negative thoughts to creep in — and players have their own methods to make that happen.

“That psychology is where elite performance comes from and I think it’s absolutely imperative, and a lot of the best athletes in the world do it,” Hodgson said. “Most do it naturally, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s a topic we’ve discussed as a team because it’s important to us.”

His teammate, third Reid Carruthers, keeps playing those mind games, too.

“The teams that are focused but allow themselves a little mental break are the ones that are successful. I remember in some of the moments where I was playing in front of big crowds, if you’re out there making those big shots, you really can’t hear the crowd, you really can’t see it. But for those moments when I’m not shooting or sweeping, I won’t be able to look around the crowd for that mental escape,” said Carruthers.

McEwen’s team had a sensational run a year ago in Kingston, Ont., finishing with a 7-1 record in the preliminary round to take first place in Pool A. However, it won just once in four tries in the championship pool and then lost a tie-breaker to miss the playoffs.

Individually, their stellar play was rewarded with selections as Brier all-stars. Carruthers and Hodgson were named to the first team, while McEwen and second Derek Samagalski made the second team .

“We’ve talked about different techniques that we can utilize to give ourselves a little mental reset while we’re in game mode because the crowd is usually a good way to do that when you’re in that setting,” added Carruthers. “It might mean I’m watching a little bit more of the other games that are going on around me, because for three hours, a 10-end game, it’s hard to stay totally focused all the time.”

When not deeply immersed in the competition, one might think Hodgson’s thoughts would automatically turn to business. He’s the co-founder of Dynasty Curling, which is supplying uniforms to Curling Canada for all major championships inside the bubble.

But competitors received their shipments and were outfitted in time for the Brier, so that’s a load off his mind.

“Prior to the events is usually my highest stress point,” he said. “Mentally, I’ve already been at this event for two months straight.”

 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell