Bernie Trischuk learned to curl as a kid. When his mom and dad gave him a little crash course in the game, that was it.
鈥淥h yes, they played,鈥� says Trischuk.
鈥淭hey played [on the] mixed team, which was mens and womens, and dad would with the men鈥檚 team, bonspiels, and all the curling things, he鈥檇 go and do that. So, that鈥檚 how I knew about curling. I just really played hockey when I was younger, because curling was maybe sort of the 鈥榦lder man鈥檚 game鈥�, but as I went to university, they had intramural university curling, so I tried that because I knew about it and enjoyed that. Then, when I came to Yorkton, to start work, I started to meet people 鈥� especially over at the curling club 鈥� and joined a team. You could curl however you want [sic], you know? Either for fun, or competitive, or you could join a men鈥檚 league, or mixed league 鈥� how[ever] far you wanted to go. I was at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, at the intramurals. Just for fun. It was nothing too serious at all.鈥�
Still, there was an undeniable appeal to the game.
It wasn鈥檛 the only sport, of course. Golf and hockey were loves of his, too. But plenty know Bernie for his mettle on the curling rink, and the veteran curler knows a thing or two on how to command the ice. Trischuk dominated the floor at the Seniors鈥� Bonspiel this month, clinching the 鈥楢鈥� game final. There鈥檚 been a lot of changes in the game over the years in terms of equipment and other little upgrades 鈥� but at the end of the day, it still comes down to good, old fashioned skill. And skill, Trischuk says, comes from the time honoured tradition of putting your time in. In short, practice. No tricks. No fancy theatrics. Watch your footwork, hurry hard, and slide.
Now, he devotes his time to his game and to his family, especially his grandson. Life is pretty good.
鈥淲ell, you know, you鈥檝e got a big heavy rock and you push it down the ice to the other end, and you tried to make it stop on the thing. They鈥檇 explain the rules to me, you sort of watch it, and then you鈥檙e interested. You can see that there鈥檚 a game involved. You just sort of go from there. The rules of curling, for those that have never seen it before, well, it鈥檚 not a real spectator sport. You just throw the rock and run beside it, go up or down the ice like that, and you don鈥檛 understand it. It鈥檚 just like maybe cricket or something like that 鈥� in the game, you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going on. But that鈥檚 how you get interested, I guess. You just learn the sport, and the rules, and what鈥檚 available. It鈥檚 a good sport. It鈥檚 cheap to enter. Curling shoes, and a broom, and some warm clothes, and try your best out there. You can take lessons. Learn how to slide and not fall down, throwing the rock 鈥� in turn, out turn. I introduced my kids to it after a while. They played hockey. They came out and tried it and said, 鈥榊eah, dad, that鈥檚 not as easy as it looks.鈥� You鈥檝e got to have the right grippers on the shoes so you don鈥檛 fall down. When you have the shoe with the slider on when you push out [from the hack] to slide the rock, you鈥檝e just got to be really careful so you don鈥檛 fall down.
鈥淸Besides], there are other teams that are better than you that have curled longer, or more competitive,鈥� he laughs.
鈥淏ut in any game, in any curling game, anyone can beat anybody at the time. It鈥檚 more fun when you have these better competitive teams and Continued from Page A15
you get to beat them 鈥� or a close game, and you feel like you鈥檝e accomplished something. It鈥檚 like a little chess game out there. It [involves] a lot of strategy, and you鈥檝e got to be able to sweep. In the old days, you used to sweep with a broom! A corn broom, and all that. Now, they鈥檝e changed it to these push brooms, so it鈥檚 easier for people. Now, they allow people to use these sticks 鈥� that are getting older, to get out of the hack, and you just walk on the ice with a stick and push the rock which allows older people to continue curling. In the Yorkton Bonspiels, the average age was eighty five. And they were very competitive! They knew the game and played it well, and they enjoyed it. So they鈥檙e allowed to continue the game by using these sticks.鈥�
There have been some changes.
鈥淚鈥檓 not too familiar with the newer equipment, but you鈥檝e got newer shoes, and sliders that are easier to slide. Of course, easier to slide means it鈥檚 easier to slip and fall, too. The brooms, I guess, are made with different fabric so you can sweep better. So, yeah. They must be making improvements every year. I just use the 鈥榤iddle of the road鈥� equipment and enjoy the game that way.
鈥淭he brooms, the way they make them now, you can sweep with a certain angle on one side of the rock or the other to make it more curlable, or stay straight. Quite a real improvement. More scientific, more precise way of doing things. Of course, these guys [professional curlers], they鈥檙e all high performance athletes, and they work out. They鈥檙e strong. When they push out on a broom, it really makes a difference. Some other people do, [but] we just do it for some exercise. Hopefully it helps.
鈥淵ou still get your exercise, and your ability, and all that kind of stuff. It鈥檚 just a different sport that you have to learn, and if you grow up with it, and you鈥檙e interested 鈥� you of course have all these things on TV with the elite teams that are making these great shots 鈥� and they never miss a shot 鈥� whereas in our calibre we鈥檙e just lucky to make every second one, which is good,鈥� Trischuk laughs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun game.鈥�
When it comes to strategy, though, curling is just one of the games that Bernie loves that occupies his attention. Now, Trischuk says, he鈥檚 also got time for one of his other loves: golf. That鈥檚 a game that involves a lot of strategy, too. Just a little warmer, though.
Will his grandson learn to curl too?
鈥淲ell, he鈥檚 not walking just yet,鈥� laughs Trischuk.
It may well be just a matter of time.
