Martin rink wins Olympic berth

On the basketball court, people knew it as Bird versus Magic.

In boxing, it was Ali versus Foreman. On curling’s long ice? Definitely, Howard versus Martin.

Curling’s clash of the titans played out Sunday afternoon at Rexall Place, a dream final matchup almost everyone was craving.

"The two best teams in the world," said Dustin Eckstrand. "Couldn’t ask for better," offered Brent Paquette. "Who would miss it?" added Freida Toker.

After all the rocks had been played, it was hometown hero Kevin Martin securing his spot at the 2010 Winter Olympics by defeating Glenn Howard 7-3 in the men’s final of the Roar of the Rings.

Martin’s victory sent many of the spectators home in a jubilant mood, but much of the game produced tension as thick as the frost outside.

Fans kept their eyes glued to the granite as it slid up and down the ice, cheering every clutch draw and gasping at every missed takeout.

Perhaps the most anxious spectator in the building was Paquette, a firefighter from Station No. 59 in Chestermere — the same station that employs John Morris, who plays third for the Martin team.

Paquette showed up with a small group all dressed in the Martin team colours of black and white, including hats, face paint, jailhouse shirts and even faux feather boas.

"I think we might be more nervous than Johnny is," he said.

The firefighters had been watching the team’s games at the firehall earlier in the tournament, including a group of 40 that got together for the first match with Howard on Thursday. But for the championship game, Paquette and his group decided to brave the icy roads and temperatures near -40 C to watch the finale live.

"We saw the warning signs on Highway 2, but we said we’re making it to Edmonton no matter what."

Paquette was feeling confident after Martin’s squad stormed out to a 5-1 lead at the halfway point. But then Howard narrowed the gap to 5-3 in the seventh end, giving some hope to Eric Smith.

"I just think Howard’s team would represent Canada the best," said Smith, who travelled from Sudbury, Ont., to watch the tournament. "Some teams have good and bad days, but these guys are just so skilled and consistent."

To show his support, Smith was holding the letter H in a line of six people spelling out the word H-O-W-A-R-D. "I made them in the hotel room," said his wife, Kelly. "I went to Dollarama and got the supplies for about $7."

Smith’s optimism was short-lived. As Martin made a pressure shot in the ninth end to widen his lead, the faces of Howard fans started to turn glum.

"If Howard loses this, I’m going for the United States at the Olympics," joked Heather Oulton, a NAIT student who was hosting her father Doug from the Yukon. "It’s warmer in Whitehorse right now," he groaned.

Oulton said she became a Howard fan in 2007 when he won the world championships in Edmonton. "Besides, I’m also a (Randy) Ferbey fan, and you can’t cheer for Martin if you are a Ferbey fan," she said.

Added her father: "One thing about Martin, he dominates the round robin, but when it comes to the final shot, I don’t know."

Sunday’s final was the best attended match of the tournament, but still short of a sellout. A total of 175,229 tickets were sold for the eight-day event, a little shy of the goal of 180,000. Jackie-Rae Greening, chair of the host committee, said the snow and cold temperatures slowed walk-up sales.

kgerein@thejournal.canwest.com