HOG LINE: Much has changed since 1993 Scotties final

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/01/2023 (1172 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first curling game that I remember seeing on television was 30 years ago.

As it turned out, that contest happened to be held here in Brandon.

On March 6, 1993, Sandra Schmirler captured her first of three Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles at the Keystone Centre as she defeated Maureen Bonar’s Brandon rink in a 7-6 extra-end affair.

While I do remember seeing the winning shot on CBC, I couldn’t tell you anything else about the game.

Well, that was until recently, as I stumbled across the championship contest on YouTube.

I rewatched the game with the mindset of seeing how much of the game was different when looking at it from modern eyes.

To start things off, the fact that Scotties final was held on the same day as the Brier got underway in Ottawa was a little confusing, as you certainly wouldn’t see that happen now.

Then there’s the attire.

Unless Marilyn Bodogh is going to make a shock return for Ontario at next month’s competition in Kamloops, B.C., you aren’t going to see any curlers wearing skirts like the Manitoba team did.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan was rocking windbreaker jackets and what appeared to be a cross between snow pants and the old Cooperalls that Western Hockey League clubs rocked in the 1980s.

Speaking of things that have gone by the wayside, everyone was using hair brooms, which has gone out of the competitive side of curling in the last few years.

The most jarring thing to me though was the lack of downtime between ends.

That was especially true in the later moments of the game, as CBC stuck with the game and didn’t go to commercial between the ninth and 10th end, which you would never see happen now as there’s usually a two-three minute break before each end gets rolling.

In terms of the coverage itself, that hasn’t changed a heck of a lot, besides the change to high definition, of course.

Many of the talking points that the booth of Don Wittman, Don Duguid and Colleen Jones brought up during the game are still being debated today.

From the free-guard zone, the time clock for games and the fact that the defending champions are getting a berth into the event and not having to go through the playdowns process, some things never change.

If you are into the past like I am or are just curious about what things were like 30 years ago, the game is worth checking out.

• • •

Moving back to present day, the final three teams have been determined for next month’s Viterra Championship in Neepawa.

Justin Reynolds (Winnipeg Beach), Richard Muntain (Granite) and Joey Witherspoon (Assiniboine Memorial) all clinched their spots during the Manitoba Open Bonspiel on Monday.

Andrew Irving’s Fort Rouge rink won the Asham Championship final over Reynolds by a score of 5-4, but their squad that was ineligible for a provincial berth.

Muntain and Witherspoon also lost their respective finals to Josh Drews of the Merrimack Valley Curling Club in Nashua, N.H., and Sean Grassie of the Deer Lodge. Grassie had already qualified for the Viterra and Drews was ineligible as an American team.

The 2023 Viterra Championship runs from Feb. 8-12 at the Yellowhead Centre, with the winner representing Manitoba at the Tim Hortons Brier in London, Ont., in March.

• • •

On the local scene, the first edition of the Wheat City Curling Classic — which is a combination of the old Brandon men’s and ladies bonspiels — wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at the Brandon Curling Club.

Chad Sahulka and Dori Vince were the ‘A’ event winners, while Shayne MacGranachan and Erin Barkley captured the ‘B’ event titles.

Cam Toews and Joyce McDougall were ‘C’ event champions and the ‘D’ event titles went to Devin Moore and Karyn Gullett.

The event was held at both the Brandon and Riverview Curling Club. Plans are already being made to expand the tournament for 2024.

• • •

The fields for this year’s Scotties and Brier are beginning to take shape as provincial and territorial playdowns are underway across Canada.

Clancy Grandy (British Columbia), Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories), Brigitte MacPhail (Nunavut), Laurie St-Georges (Quebec) and Hailey Birnie (Yukon) will be competing in Kamloops, B.C. next month, while Jacques Gauthier (British Columbia), Jake Higgs (Nunavut), Felix Asselin (Quebec) and Thomas Scoffin (Yukon) are currently planning out their trips to London.

Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue are already assured of a spot in the Scotties and the Brier event as the defending champions.

EXTRA ENDS: Mike McEwen has found a new lead for the Ontario Tankard, which begins on Monday in Port Elgin. The Brandon product — who now lives in Winnipeg and skips a rink that is based out of Toronto — has brought in Joey Hart to replace Jonathan Beuk, who the team parted ways with last week. Hart is the son of former Brier and world champion Richard, who will serve as the coach for the rink, which also includes Ryan Fry and Brent Laing.

» lpunkari@brandonsun.com

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