Curling Legends • Matt Baldwin (Part 1 of 2) Matt Baldwin begins with a story about Gordie Howe’s sister in small-town Saskatchewan. And the stories have just begun. From there we head to Saskatoon and then Edmonton, where Baldwin eventually graduates with a degree in a new program for petroleum engineering. Matt’s curling begins during wartime, develops through university, and in the winter of 1954 he’s able to convince a local rival to join forces in the playdowns with hopes of reaching the first-ever Edmonton Brier. At 27, Matt became the youngest Brier-winning skip, a title now held by Kerry Burtnyk). He returned to the Brier in 1956, but the long train ride to Moncton—and frequent visits to the Beaver Club—may have hindered his chances. In Part I of two amazing episodes, Matt shares thoughts on the early days, explains his famous long slide in the 1954 Brier and reveals tales from the 1956 and ’57 Macdonald Briers. As usual, images are embedded in the media player to enhance your podcast experience.
