Curlers get feel for the ice
SASKATOON — After two draws in the afternoon and one in the evening to start the Tim Hortons Brier, it was rise and shine for Saskatchewan on Monday.
Scott Manners’s team got their day started with an 8:30 a.m. matchup against Yellowknife’s Jamie Koe, which brought with it some subtle changes aside from an earlier wake-up call.
“It’s a morning draw, the ice had it’s little tendencies to be a little different,” said Manners. “You could tell this morning that I got caught on that a little bit.”
Saskatchewan lost 9-5 to Northwest Territories/yukon after giving up four in the eighth end. Manners’s last shot over-curled allowing Koe an open hit.
“Every sheet’s a little bit different. They were pretty good conditions though,” said third Tyler Lang. “One thing though, it’s definitely hot out there.”
Another ice item of note: Canadian Curling Association’s certified national ice technician Hans Wuthrich said late last week that the sheet would likely get “patchy” if outside temperatures rose higher than 3 C. Thursday’s high is expected to be 5 C.
Monday’s crowd definitely wasn’t the biggest of the Canadian men’s curling championship so far, but it was likely the rowdiest.
Buoyed by Green Day, where fans were asked to attend Credit Union Centre wearing the main provincial colour, fans were loud and proud in support of Saskatchewan’s Scott Manners.
During Saskatchewan’s Draw 8 matchup with Alberta’s Kevin Koe, two sets of fans — one in skin-tight green suits and another wearing nothing but green body paint and white underwear briefs — led the charge.
The groups started the wave, contorted themselves to ride imaginary human bicycles and even jeered Koe before one of his throws in the fourth end.
They capped off the night by throwing doughnuts to welcoming fans in the stands.