Back To Earth for Club Curling Champs

Barely 24 hours after winning men’s gold at the Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships, Team Ontario was back on the ice.

It was 6:55 p.m. on the Monday after the final when Jordan Keon’s team stepped onto sheet one at Richmond Hill Curling Club for another men’s league game.

Same as always. Well… not quite.

In honour of Sunday’s glory, a rival league player presented the squad with the inaugural “REALLY TINY GOLDEN KEON CUP.”

Yes, it really is tiny.

Back to earth, eh fellas?

“We’re club curlers, so we have a game tomorrow in our league,” Keon had said after winning on Sunday. “That’s what we do, so we never take these moments for granted.”

“Jordan, Ryan, Curtis and Trevor were happy to pose for photos and answer any questions that our members had,” said a Richmond Hill CC Facebook post. “Curtis’ voice sounded a little rough around midnight.

“As members, we are proud and happy for these guys and their accomplishments.”

It’s true, however… one moment you’re a national champion, lauded by crowds and a streaming audience of fans.

Just hours later, the special jackets have been packed away and while your fellow league players are offering congratulations now, things will be very much back to normal the following week.

With all the attention paid to the superstars of the Roaring Game, it’s easy to forget that an estimated 85-90% of all curlers play purely at the recreational level.

And that many of them haven’t even played a game outside of their home facility.

In a few short years, however, we’ve seen national “club” championships grow in both Canada and the United States, and now there’s an international challenge series for those winners.

Things seem to have taken a step further with the announcement that Canada, USA and other nations are gathering next month for the world’s first “5U” world championship.

Let’s hope the introduction of these championships continues to help drive a) existing rec curlers’ desires to improve their technique and strive for more, and b) more rookies into curling facilities for the first time.

Team Ontario, incidentally, scored a perfect 10-0 record at the nationals in Barrie, Ont. including a 7-3 win over Manitoba’s Zachary Wasylik in the final.

The team previously won their first Everest title in 2022 with a slightly different lineup, but Keon’s transition to skip (replacing Greg Balsdon) obviously worked well.

Keon was supported by third Ryan Werenich (yes, son of Ed Werenich), second Curtis Samoy and lead Trevor Talbott.

On the women’s side, Nova Scotia’s Michelle Armstrong (Lakeshore Curling Club, Lower Sackville) rebounded from a 2018 gold-medal loss to win the 2024 crown, a 9-8 come-from-behind extra-end thriller over PEI’s previously unbeaten Amanda Power.

Armstrong was backed by third Julie McEvoy, second Abby Miller, lead Kathleen Conrod and alternate Mary Mason.

In the women’s bronze medal game, Manitoba’s Deb McCreanor (La Salle CC) defeated Quebec’s Gabrielle Lavoie (Victoria CC) by a 6-5 scoreline.

In the men’s bronze match, Northern Ontario’s Dylan Johnston (Fort William CC) overcame Quebec’s Stéphane Brabant (Boucherville CC) with a 9-5 victory.