2018 Brier. Photo By Cody Glydon
SWEEEEP! HURRY HARD! Those are a few of the words you’ll be hearing at the Montana’s Brier in Regina this March. Curlers from across the country will converge at REAL District to determine who will be crowned the men’s team champion and punch their ticket to World Curling Championship.
For one curler from Newfoundland, it’s going to be a feeling of deja vu and nostalgia this year. Alex Smith first appeared at the Brier 35 years ago when he was only 23 and went 7-4 that year. As life goes sometimes, priorities took Smith away from the sport of curling so he could graduate from university, pursue a career away from Newfoundland, and start a family. Eventually Smith found his way back to “the Rock” and decided to get back into curling. Thanks to an unfortunate injury on Team Symonds, Smith was called up to play with the guys, and, surprisingly they managed to take the provincial title and earn their way into the Montana’s Brier. That means, Smith will now hold the Canadian curling record for the longest stretch between Brier appearances at 35 years! Even though they’re considered major underdogs this year, fans will be the first to tell you that you can never count any team out in the sport of curling because anything can happen.
This year’s Montana’s Brier will welcome 18 teams from across the country, including Saskatchewan’s foursome of Mike McEwen, Colton Flasch, Kevin Marsh, and Daniel Marsh. Team McEwan is looking to get Saskatchewan’s first Brier title since 1980 when Rick Folk won the championship. This year will mark the fifth time that the Brier will be played in Regina (most recently in 2018) and the 10th time the championship has been played on Saskatchewan soil.
2018 Brier. Photo by Cody Glydon
Since 1998, Canada has managed to capture 11 medals at the winter games every four years. That breaks down to six gold medals, three silver, and two bronze medals. One of the most iconic curling moments happened in 1998 when Sandra Schmirler and her team from little ole Saskatchewan won gold at the Nagano Winter Games, making Canada the first country to win the championship. I think everyone remembers where they were when they heard this young Saskatchewan foursome just captured gold. What a moment!
The 2024 Montana’s Brier will rock Regina from March 1st to 10th.
