Registered: Nov 2009
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Damn I would have guessed Bryan Rafuse was the oldest skip ever at the Brier

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 2505

quote:

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Originally posted by Demon Sweeper
Damn I would have guessed Bryan Rafuse was the oldest skip ever at the Brier

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"An Old Legend of the West"

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: vernon bc
Posts: 1419

It's interesting how this thread has spun sideways (Legend strikes again!) into a slight discussion about age.

One of the biggest differences today vs the days of the Richardsons, Northcott and Duguids is the attitude towards fitness and general health. Curlers hit the gym, eat better and party less (well, a little less anyways ). The average Canadian 50 year old is probably in better shape than the average 35 year old was in the 60's (or the 70's and 80's for that matter).

This, IMO, translates into better longevity for the competitive curler. I don't agree with ML's comment that Russ Howard shouldn't throw skip stones. The guy can still win throwing last bricks, why step down?

If there's one thing though that I think affects the older competitive curler its not fitness (presuming they are working out), its the mental side. There is a tendency to 'think' yourself too old to skip. And that is a psychological, not physiological, issue. Once you start believing this, you start to miss shots-because you've given yourself a handy excuse-I'm older.

Age means nothing from the standpoint of the stone. It doesn't know, or care, how old the thrower is. An older skip with strong legs can throw a high hard one just as accurately as a young one. They just have to start realizing that middle age isn't as big a barricade to winning as they have taught themselves to believe.

In short, you might have an older body, but keep your mind young and hungry-that will keep you winning.

What guys like Russ Howard or Kerry Burtnyk needs are teams that also understand this and don't allow age to be an excuse for not performing. Four players in this mindset will erase that 'age' doubt and make older players, like these two, even more serious contenders than they already are.

Which reminds me, the original topic was Mead and Stoughton. IMO this is a great move for both. Park is a great player but something was missing for Stoughton. Mead will, IMO, bring back that intangible and give Jeff a confidence boost. If they get away to a good early start, Martin and Howard better start looking over their shoulders.

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Last edited by jamcan on 07-28-10 at 08:41PM

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 2505

Very good essay jamcan - should be posted on the bulletin boards at all curling clubs.
And you only side-slagged me once. I'm impressed!

Sports and aging are obviously areas you know something about. Good to see a solid and serious perspective about the two elements. Do you mind if I cut and paste your piece to my local curling association?

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"An Old Legend of the West"

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: vernon bc
Posts: 1419

sure thing Legend, fill your boots.

Two things to add:

One, every middle-aged competitive player should have learned a big lesson about age watching Tom Watson's charge at last years British Open. Like curling, golf is a sport that you can stay very competitive at for a long time.

Watson may have faltered the last two holes (due, IMO, to being overwhelmed by emotion from what I saw on his face), but he showed that the golf ball, like a curling stone, doesn't care a rat's backside how old the striker, or thrower in our case, may or may not be.

Two, an old skip of mine had a hat that said it all: "old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and exuberance". And in our case that hat was bang on-lol.

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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Hunter S. Thompson

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 2505

No truer words. I remember playing Jack Keyes and Garnet Campbell in a spiel near Weyburn in the late 70s (Yellowgrass, I think) and I looked at these old dudes and said, heck these guys are legends but they're old, o so old man, can't barely sweep, tossing the rocks out of the hack without much of a slide, blah blah blah....

By about the 4th end I realized we were in a dogfight.

By about the 6th end I realized we were on the wrong side of a dogfight.

By the 7th end we got a head start on going home. We were whipped by these gnarled old vets and lesson learned.....

Jack said to all our players (ages 25 to 35) - - - "NICE GAME, BOYS!'

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