Andrea Schopp won the Championship, but it was Swift Current that won the World!
What an amazing time on so many levels in the small southwest city. The entire community embraced this event and welcomed the curlers and visitors into town, not as tourists, but as neighbors. The signs were everywere, the flags displayed proudly and you couldn't avoid a conversation with the friendly folk even if you tried. The rays of sunshine seemed to have taken up permanent residence over Speedy Creek.
One look at the seats in the I-Plex and it was obvious that this was a hot ticket. Even the dreaded 8:30am draw without Canada playing had the building clamouring with patrons. It was a job well done by the people in charge and those following directions. Oh, and the Patch wasn't a badtime either!! Lol. Seriously, everybody laughing and chatting with people they'd never met. It felt more like a family reunion than a sporting event.
On the Gith"Mark"
I had the good pleasure of being able to spend some brief time with some of the curlers and really found out that this is a hard group to beat. This was a young bunch, but not shy on experience. Most had played in big games, whether it be Junior Champinships or even more recently the Olympics, and they all seemed to handle it all in stride. Each shot, every interview and every autograph/picture they posed for brought out a genuine smile.
On Friday I spent part of the afternoon with Norway's skip, Linn Githmark. I'm still laughing about the tour we took. After meeting her in the lobby of the hotel she apologized for being late as she was busy doing an interview with Chinese tv. Yeah, she speaks fluent in 3 languages, her english is impeccable. So, I asked her what she wanted to do in the limited time we had to chat. Food was #1 on her mind, so off we went to grab a bite and at my recommendation a beer. I wanted this gal to really experience Saskatchewan and in order to do that, she'd need a Pilsner!
The Buffalo Brew Pub was our stop. Its a nice little joint that was fairly full with the lunch crowd, so we selected a table for four right in the middle of the room. We were told that today was buffet day, but Linn announced being a vegetarian and talked our waitress into a veggie panini. My only requirement was Pil, but played along and ordered what she was having. The beer came and after a couple of sips, Githmark declared it fit for her.
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Over the hour we touched on many things from curling, to education, and even to religion. This woman, who I didn't know from before this week, was like sitting and talking to an old friend. Even when the food came and I tried to scrape off the mushrooms, she promptly reached across the table, closed up the sandwich and told me to "eat it, its good for you!"
Throughout the meal, several people would stop by the table and say hi to Githmark, I guess it was the polka dot skirt that gave away who she was. Each one had a little something to say about the curling or how their parents were from Norway. Githmark would instantly take an interest in them and engage them with her whole heart. No doubt each and every one of them left smiling and with a story.
With the meal done and the beer near the bottom of the glass, Linn decided we should have another, but I urged her that we must be going to her previously scheduled appearance with the Scandanavian Club. She moaned, but agreed. Just as we tried to pay, Craig the owner came along, picked up our tab and gave us some jackets. Just another sign of how the people in SC were enjoying the event as much as it enjoyed them.
Off to the Scandanavian lunch and it was obvious from the second she set foot in the room, that she was the star attaction. The small group that was there was mostly seniors and she entertained the group by just being herself. It may not have been the most exciting stop for the team during their time in Canada, but you'd never have known that from the smiles they flashed around the room. You could see the eyes of the locals light up everytime Githmark spoke. "She's a real character!" I heard someone blurt out.
After that, she climbed into the team vehicle and was off to another engagement and I was headed to the rink. But in those short few hours, it was hard not to have had an impression left. Oh yeah, she's a pretty good curler too!
How Swede!
Another group I got to share some chat time with was the Swedes. What a group! Going into the championship, their coach was hoping for a top 6 finish. Well, CC and her crew came in and wowed with their curling, finishing in 4th place. But it was their actions and excitement that really wowed me.
At last check, the high-5 count on team Sweden had nearly reached infinity! Everywhere you looked, there was another high-5. And how about the smiles? They were never ending. This group personified what it should be to play sports. They truly enjoyed every second of their time.
After their tie-break win, the girls came and sat at my table for lunch and I chatted with Sara Carlsson for awhile. Sara had the best control of the english language and again, it was just a delight to speak with her. The young curler couldn't wipe the smile off her face after their big win. There was no staying composed or trying to hide emotion. She was raw! In fact, you felt good just being around there. Again, it was a constant stream of people coming up to say hi and ask for autographs and pictures. And again, as all curlers seem to do, the Tri-Croners stood and signed and posed.
Patch
Oh, how could I forget. This is curling after all and that means a few pops get consumed. The atmosphere in the rink was great but the atmosphere in the patch was Saskatchewan in a big way! Heck, I had a drink with the mayor! I found out I used to play hockey against him back in the day, so we briefly chatted about the 'old' days and then moved on. That was the thing, everywhere you went, there was somebody you could chat with. Just walk up and talk!
There was some local talent in there as well. SK champ Amber Holland made the trip down and certainly entertained me, or maybe it was the other way around. In any case, she just continued to fuel that fire that curlers are just good folk looking for a good time! There wasn't an unhappy person anywhere to be seen. The dance floor was packed with people dancing to songs that they don't remember or never even knew. By the way, the Chevelles cosed the night with a Gn'R song!! A melding together of athletes, fans and good timers all seeking the same thing. A smile.
Sure I'll remember the shots and the scores, but its the curlers, the town and the people that I will never forget.
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