If you have been following the curling season in the "Lists" category, then you already know that my competetive team won, won, lost, won, lost in Harriston which was good enough to qualify for some cash, but a bit depressing because we lost two games in extra ends I believe we should have won. Either way, it was a great weekend.
There is one story that needs to be shared because it pretty much stole the whole weekend, and it wasn't limited to one team, one small group, or a particular individual. Everybody was there, and everybody remembers "The Shot."
Sometimes, people watching curling play a game called "Ends." Essentially 8-12 people draw cards that indicate a possible outcome of this particular end. 1 Red, 1 Blue, Blank End, 2 Red, 3 Blue, etc. We had 11 people playing, so there were 5 cards for each color, and one for the blank. Regardless, who ever holds the card of the ACTUAL outcome of that end has to buy a round of drinks for everyone playing.
We had been playing this game for quite some time, and I had managed to draw the good cards so I didn't have to buy a drink all night. In the last end of the game, however, I had a worrisome card. 2 Blue. Blue was down 2, and had last rock, and would need to take 2 to force an extra end. The opposing skip, Jon St. Denis was doing the appropriate thing and calling for red to hit any red rock on the ice, to make sure they were unable to score 2. This was going according to plan until Jon himself got up to throw his last rock. There were no rocks in the house, just one about a foot in front of the rings, that could have been split on for 2... IF the other skip made a fantastic shot. As it stood, 2 Blue was looking very unlikely... especially with a peel weight hit coming down the ice. Dennis "Lumpy" Lemon was already at the bar ready to buy his round, when instead of the CRACK! of a peel, there was a delicate *tick!* and the rock that had been in front of the rings slid gently on to the rings... I was almost sick.
Blue drew for 2... I bought the round.
The next evening, there was much discussion about "The Shot" and somebody made the comment that he couldn't do it again if he tried 100 times. In fact, if he could go out on the ice and do it, that somebody was prepared to pay him $100. So Jon St. Denis went out on the ice, put a rock in front of the house in roughly the same spot, and threw peel weight at it... he missed by about half an inch.
An hour or two later, St. Denis had lobbied for a 2nd try at the $100 shot... but the condition was he had to do it in his underwear. The rest, as they say, is history...
*tick* slide... CROWD ERUPTS.
Also... a great big thank you goes out to Lyndsey and Maurice for hosting us this weekend. A free place to stay is one thing, but a gracious host, a fireplace, and friendly people are another. Thanks ;)
| Blog Posts
|
| Recent Lists
|