Retired? Who Said I Was Retired?

“My name is gunnery skip Mike Fournier, and I’ve drawn more pins and dumped more in-turns than all you numbnuts combined.”

Retired?

Who said I was retired?

Well, I guess I did. But you all knew it wouldn’t stick. Just like Tom Brady (and that’s where the similarity ends).

Last summer, I accepted a job that involves me moving to Toronto. And until I moved (which I will be doing this July) I was going to have to go back and forth between Montreal and Toronto, so there was no way I could play a competitive season with my Quebec team. I planned on stepping back after the Olympic Pre-Trials were done.

But the Curling Gods—I’m not particularly religious, but the Curling Gods are real—were not done toying with me. My replacement was injured, so I was called back into service to finish out the season and try to play for the Brier. We ended up winning one of my favorite cashspiels, Charlevoix, and getting a free pass to the Brier as the top-ranked men’s team in Quebec.

But what now?

I guess at my age (50, shhhh) a lot of curlers move on to seniors. They leave the competitive game behind and give up trying to find ways to win against the top teams in the country. I understand why. But that is not me, for the following reasons:

1) I only really started doing well at curling in my mid-40s. Before that, I worked too hard at my day job, practiced too infrequently, and couldn’t find the right team. Then it clicked. The result of this Benjamin Button-styled career is that I am better at 50 than I was at 40, and I was better at 40 than I was at 30. So I kind of feel like I’m just figuring this game out. Seems wrong to leave now.

2) This is still a lot of fun. The Brier is fun. Cashspiels are fun. Winning is fun. And building a team is fun. I really love playing this game at a high level. And, my wife is terrified of what a miserable prick I will be at home when I stop doing this.

3) I seem to have stumbled onto a new team of eager curlers with talent, experience and a desire to play the game well. It’s hard to turn that down.

4) My knees don’t hurt. Yet.

So, I am back. For how long—who knows. But if I am playing then I will be practicing. And if I am still practicing, then I know we can be competitive.

And here is some free advice for all of you aging Gen-Xers asking yourselves … when is it time to retire?

Age has absolutely nothing to do with it. If you feel good, if you have the time to play and practice, and if you still want it, then keep playing. Wisdom is becoming an under-appreciated trait in this game, as everybody seems obsessed the next up-and-coming young team. But wisdom counts. Experience counts.

I think I am becoming the Gunnery Sergeant Highway of curling; here’s a clip from Heartbreak Ridge if you didn’t catch my 80s movie reference.

So my new team, for those following, is made up of Kevin Flewwelling (who I knew from when he played juniors in Quebec at Lachine), Sean Harrison and Zander Elmes. A couple of these guys managed to kick my butt last year at a ’spiel, so they must know something! But I am fortunate to find guys that want to play, get better and win. Next season feels like a new adventure. I can’t wait to play.

Give is a follow on social media (FournierCurling). And if you are the type of person/company that likes to sponsor eager, grassroots likable curling teams, then for sure just slide into our DMs (I’m trying to use hip terminology to impress my new team).

Of course, I wish all the best to my old team. Felix, JF and Martin were awesome teammates. I would have loved to keep playing with them, but the move to Toronto, coupled with the fact that we were a team of three back-end players and a lead made it time to move on. I have a feeling they will replace me with someone who can sweep a rock for more than just six feet.

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Speaking of retirement, an old buddy of mine did announce his retirement from competitive seniors last week, after his team lost out in the Quebec provincials. 

Mike Kennedy (not the NB Mike Kennedy) is one my all-time favorite teammates.

I was at Lachine Curling Club the night Mike first walked in to try the game with his buddies, looking for an excuse to drink beer together. Who knew then that years later we would become teammates and friends. We played a bunch of cashspiels and provincials together, went to a couple of mixed nationals and got into way too much trouble. The 2013 Canadian Mixed in Montreal is still one of my favorite events ever, and Mike was a big part of us being there and the fun we had.

Guys like Mike are the reason I still play competitive curling. He taught me a lot about how to be a better teammate, and got me to remember that it’s just a game. I’m hoping he is just grumpy from a bad provincial and will reconsider, but if not, tonight I raise my rye and coke and say cheers.