1999 Brier
SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Curling
1999 BRIER
ON THE ROCKS
INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
The one that got away
Curling gods frown on Hunka after morning triumph
Just when Ken Hunka takes one step forward, he takes another step back.
The good news is he's not the only skip two-stepping on this dance floor. This is a dogfight for every team out there. Even though Hunka finished the day in a five-way tie at 4-3, he's still only one game back of the leading four.
The day started out just fine.
Hunka finally had his draw weight in his pocket.
There was a bounce in his step and a jingle in his pants after he beat Saskatchewan's Gerald Shymko 9-7.
He reached in and pulled out a handful of Hec Gervais. Those are the Brier Patch tokens, for those of you who haven't had the privilege of coming down to the biggest party in town at the Sportex.
"I found my draw weight in the Patch,'' said Hunka with a laugh.
Even though Hunka faced the Prairies version of the Battle of Ukraine against a fellow perogy-muncher, Hunka at least found some time to relax the night before.
He'd been battling the first three days to find his draw weight and it finally came together for him.
"I thought I had it real good for a change,'' said Hunka. "I was throwing rocks the way I wanted to and the boys kept sweeping to where I wanted it to. The past few days, I was always deep with everything. I definitely know I was overthrowing them before because now I've got a competely different delivery. On the draws, I'm just kind of flopping out of the hack and I still have to hold it back.''
But as the guy whose likeness he had in his pocket always used to point out, the sweepers can't stop the rock, but throw it light enough and they can get it there for you.
"We're definitely better than we were,'' said Hunka.
But the emotional roller coaster continued last night when he gave up a steal in a 7-6 loss to Rich Moffatt of Ontario.
Hunka appeared to have his game well in hand going into the 10th end. He'd wrestled back control with a sixth-end deuce in the tight match. His supporting cast did all that was asked of it.
Then, the curling gods frowned.
Hunka's first rock picked at the hog line. That left shot rock wide open for Moffatt.
But Hunka had one more chance, the same type of double takeout.
"It picked just over the hog line and went sideways,'' said Hunka. "The second one I had to hit a little thinner.''
This is one that got away and that's the way Hunka looked at it.
"You win some you shouldn't and you lose some you shouldn't. They normally balance out.''
Hunka faces Bert Gretzinger of B.C. this morning in yet another in what seems to be a long series of key games. He still hasn't lost the focus. He knows what he has to do.
"Make the playoffs, make the playoffs,'' he said.
"It's a long week, all right. We're still upbeat and stuff like that. We'll probably go to the Patch tonight and take it from there, come out firing in our last morning game.''
Maybe he can find a Hec Gervais that will get him the wins he needs to make his playoff wish come true.