Impossible Shots Contest - Curling Day In Canada

In the mid 1970’s, 3 club curlers asked me to skip their team in the Manitoba Curling Association Bonspiel. Although we curled well, we did not make the playoffs,

But, most memorably, in a game against one of the top-ranked curlers in the country at the time, I was called upon to make a circus shot that no-one else thought was possible.

We were trailing by 1 shot playing the final 2 shots of the final end. My opponent had a counter on the button, and decided to block direct contact with, or access to, rocks in the 4-foot circle. He accomplished that feat, but I had already visualized another shot which remained open to me. My teammates had given up on the game, but I described the shot I intended to try, (and hopefully make). I have to explain that difficult in-offs were rarely attempted, and even more rarely made, in those days. There was an opposing rock at about 4:30 just outside the 4-foot circle in a position from which I could hit 2/3 of the rock and glance onto (and remove) their counter.

I said “What the heck! Let’s give it a whirl.” Our opponents literally laughed at the audacity of my proposed shot.

Needless to say, I shocked everyone, both on and off the ice, by executing the shot perfectly to score a couple and win the game.

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