1999 Brier
SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Curling
1999 BRIER
ON THE ROCKS
INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
History takes centre stage
After the massed bagpipe bands set the tone and the dignitaries went on their drone, history took centre stage.
In the darkened house, the spotlights highlighted the rings on Sheet C.
And the curlers who had brought fame to Northern Alberta slowly walked to their places.
They were here to deliver the ceremonial rock. It's a usual part of annual opening ceremonies, but this one was unusually special.
Somewhere up in the Brier Patch in the sky, you know two-time (1961 and 1974) champ Hec Gervais would be smiling down approvingly.
His son, Stan, held the broom while three-time (1954, 1957, 1958) champ Matt Baldwin delivered the rock.
Pat Ryan, who won back-to-back Briers in 1988-89 and Alberta's curler of the '90s, Kevin Martin (1991 and 1997) were assigned sweeping duties.
Stan had fished out the sweater his dad used during his 1974 season out of a museum in St. Albert.
RESPECT AND ADMIRATION
"I'm very honoured to be wearing his sweater,'' said Gervais. "When they introduced him, I could feel the respect and admiration everybody had for him. He was a great man and a great curler. He's done a lot for this game.''
And when it came time to deliver the rock in the darkened Skyreach Centre, Baldwin proved equal to the task.
He followed the rock down the ice. When it looked like it was slowing down, Baldwin yelled, crossing the other hog line and swishing his corn broom on the ice.
It cranked hard and stopped in the four-foot.
"That's as big a finish as I've ever seen in my life,'' said Baldwin. "That was neat. I can't get over it. I had tears in my eyes. That opening ceremony was unbelievable.
"The bagpipes make your hair stand up on the back of your neck and that sort of stuff. It's a wonderful feeling. As a matter fact, my lips were dry, just like last night (at the opening banquet). Except this time, I didn't have to say anything except 'sweep.' I just can't get over it.''
Baldwin admitted he felt the same type of pressure that he felt in any Brier final. This one, in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a Brier opening ceremony, 10,213, felt just as much pressure.
"I didn't want them to have to stop it, I didn't want to hog it,'' said Baldwin.
At 72, Baldwin joked that this would be the last rock he'd ever throw at a Brier opening.
"I think it's a good time to quit - right there,'' he said. "Next time they have a Brier in Edmonton, they'll have to take me in a wheelchair, anyway. Maybe they'll let me hold the broom in a wheelchair. I tell you, I'm going to have a couple in the Brier Patch after that one.''
Ryan received a warm round of applause and afterwards said it was a great honour to be part of the show. He moved to Kelowna even before the Ryan's Express won the Worlds in 1989.
KIND OF NERVOUS
"If felt great,'' said Ryan. "We were all kind of nervous out there. We knew Matt wanted to make it, naturally, so we were determined to make it without any footwork. Shooting in the dark was a bit of a test.''
Ryan's team is going to be inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Red Deer in late May.
"I think it's great for the team and for all the players to get recognized by the province,'' said Ryan. "We've represented it so many times. We all have a real strong attachment to Alberta.
"Plus, it will be a nice chance for us to get together. I moved right away, so we haven't had a weekend together. We'll get a chance to go out together and relax, so it'll be nice.''
The team of third Randy Ferbey, second Don Walchuk and lead Don McKenzie had a chance to spend some time together this weekend, thanks to the Brier organizing committee.
"It was really good to see the guys again,'' said Ryan. "We all got doing our own things. Three of us are still competitive (McKenzie does not curl), so we see each other around on the circuit, but we're on different teams, so it was nice to get together with them.
"It makes me wonder what we could have done if I would have stayed here.''
It was a great trip down memory lane.