BRIER WEEK A FINE FESTIVAL OF FUN FOLKS
This grizzled gargoyle of the media has spent the past week waddling around the Brandt Centre, soaking in the atmosphere of the Brier and occasionally watching curling.
With all due respect and admiration for the practitioners of the roaring game, it’s the people who make this event such a gem. For example ...
CHICKEN DEE-LIGHT
Wearing a chicken (not a real one) on her head is old hat for Dee Hopley of Nipawin.
The unique headgear has been on display at various curling events, at which Hopley has also been resplendent in a Team Canada jersey (which includes the autographs of luminaries such as Russ Howard, Brad Gushue and Marc Kennedy).
“You don’t put one of these things on your head and expect to be a wallflower,” Hopley says in the fine company of her husband, Grant. “It may be childish and immature, but it’s fun and doesn’t hurt a gosh-darn soul.”
Instead, it’s one of the reasons why the Brier is such a fine festival of fun folks.
“It’s a puppet, too,” Hopley says while using the hat as a glove of sorts . ... And it just collects pins. I don’t, but it just happens.”
Appropriately, the Brier’s new format included Pool A ... poulet! ... get it? ... sorry, that was just a bad idea ... onward ...
RULLER OF THE FREE WORLD
Amanda Ruller is the Brier’s runaway leader in Instagram followers (93,500).
Curling, however, is one of the few sports with which she’s not routinely associated.
She’s played in the Legends Football League, represented Canada at the world women’s football championship, and appeared on Mosaic Stadium’s big screen as a Saskatchewan Roughriders game-day host.
Her athletic resume also includes track and field, skeleton and, most recently, wrestling. She recently auditioned for the WWE in Orlando, Fla.
This week, however, she can be found at the Brandt Centre, where she’s enjoying the curling, doing some promotional work, renewing friendships and generally enjoying life.
Oh, and by the way, she once won a car on The Price Is Right.
And she’s a personal trainer
... and someone who aspires to study journalism at the University of Regina, where she once competed in track and field. “I’m well-rounded,” Amanda said with a smile. “I’m a jack-of-all-trades.”
FINE FOLKS AT THE SHRINE
Not far away from the Brandt Centre, a large trailer — the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame’s travelling exhibit — can be found.
Heather Kelly and Brock Gerrard are quick to offer greetings, and tidbits about any of the myriad items in the mobile exhibit.
My favourite: A chunk of the wooden goalpost from the 1951 Western Inter-provincial Football Union final, in which the Roughriders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 19-18 on Taylor Field to win the rubber match of a best-of-three series.
After the game, Roughriders fans tore down the uprights. In fact, some Riders rooters carried the uprights through the streets of Regina en route to the residence of Glenn Dobbs. The splintered goalposts were then deposited on the popular passer’s front lawn.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re doing in Saskatchewan,” said Gerrard, the hall’s curator. “It all comes back to the Roughriders.”
The hall’s travelling exhibit welcomed 450 visitors per day during the Brier’s opening weekend.
CASE STUDY
Earlier this week, I wrote about New Brunswick lead Peter Case, who conducted his first interview in six Brier appearances.
The column prompted a message from an anonymous source, whose name is Dave Thomas and whose home telephone number is (REDACTED). Dave informed me that Case wore the mascot’s costume at the 1999 world curling championships in Saint John.
Upon receipt of this tip, I ensured that Case would receive the second interview request of his accomplished curling career.
“Me and my buddy Dean Grattan, we got the role of being Skipper — a polar bear,” said Case, whose New Brunswick team is skipped by Dean’s brother, James.
“The best part of the whole week was that, when we were done, we took the shirt and the shorts off Skipper and we ran around the rink like we were commando. It was beautiful. We had a naked polar bear running around the rink.”
(Would that be a polar bare?) And how was life as Skipper? “It was really, really hot in the costume,” Case said.
“Back in 1999, I don’t think technology was as good as it is today, so the cooling fan was pretty crappy. I think I lost 10 pounds that week.”
JENN-SATIONAL SERVICE
There is, blessedly, a Booster Juice outlet in the Brier Patch.
As one who has a not-inconsiderable appetite, I approached the booth early in the Brier and pondered the selection of smoothies.
The options: Strawberry Sunshine, Mango Hurricane, Very Berry and Funky Monkey.
Hmmm. What about Mean Mocha? No such luck? What to do?
Jenn Leib provided the calm at a time of crisis, patiently walking me through the menu.
“Funky Monkey,” I said, totally in command of the situation.
Two days later, it was back to Booster Juice. Funky Monkey, please.
Upon filling the order, Jenn handed the Booster Juice to me and said, “Here you go, Rob.”
“How,” I responded, “did you remember my name?”
“We had a conversation,” Jenn replied. “It wasn’t just a transaction. We were friends by the end.”
Jenn’s mother-in-law, by the way, is Glenda Leib — one of the great Roughriders fans of all time.
(See again: “It all comes back to the Roughriders.”)
FIRING UP THE CROWD
Nipawin’s fire chief, Brian Starkell, is in the spotlight despite the fact he’s off-duty this week.
Starkell is the most prominent booster of the home province at the Brier, leading the crowd in “Let’s Go, Saskatchewan!” chants.
He is, of course, wearing green — a No. 23 Roughriders jersey with Ron Lancaster’s surname on the back.
“The Little General,” Starkell, 58, said with a smile. “(The jersey) is the only thing green that I have. I felt that if I was going to Regina, I’ve got to wear green.”
He wears it well, as evidenced by the fact he’s been shown on the Brandt Centre’s video board “15 to 20 times.”
Starkell said, “I enjoy it. I’m just trying to get the fans worked up.”
And, once again, it all comes back to the Roughriders ...