ASSINIBOIA — With Assiniboia Curling Club in the early stages of preparations for 90th anniversary celebrations, residents have begun sharing their memories and photos with Tess Corman, who is spearheading the milestone celebration.
Assiniboia curling is synonymous with one of Assiniboia’s most well-known curling fans, Bobby Corman.
The legendary Corman made friends across the country and was known in curling circles as one of Saskatchewan curling teams’ biggest fans.
Warren Hansen, who once served as director of competitions and media relations for Curling Canada, shared some of his memories of this big curling personality who called Assiniboia home. Hansen is still involved with the sport today, co-hosting a podcast called Inside Curling, now in its fifth year of operation, alongside another curling legend, Kevin Martin.
“Bobby Corman, yes, I knew him well, he was a character,” started Hansen’s response to the Assiniboia Times and SASKTODAY.ca
“I had an interesting relationship with Bobby. He was a die-hard Saskatchewan fan to the core, and in the early 80s I was the person who was responsible for the operation of the Brier. One of our umpires had made a hog line call on a Saskatchewan team that was a little controversial, and Bobby sought me out to unload his frustration on me,” said Hansen.
The director of operations said that Corman got it out of his system and about a day later, Hansen was walking through the Brier Patch and was hailed down by the staunch Assiniboia curling enthusiast.
“He felt bad about what he had done and indicated he was sorry. From that day, he became one of my best Brier friends as I always kept him in the loop with the most recent Brier pins he was collecting.”
Hansen recounts that many Briers Corman spent much of his time in the Patch, talking to people and enjoying curling camaraderie.
“He was always decked out in green and white and was without question the best friend of every Saskatchewan team at the Brier. He was one of a few key characters who made the Brier really special between about 1985 and 2015. I’m not sure when he attended his last Brier, but I would guess it was somewhere around 2012. I remember seeing him in his glory at the men’s worlds we did in Regina in 2011,” acknowledged Hansen.
Corman’s obituary noted that he travelled to 37 Briers (Canadian curling championships) and 32 world curling championships – the last three in Europe.
Corman was presented the Saskatchewan Curling Association’s Honorary Life Membership, and according to the then executive director of the Saskatchewan. Curling Association, Amber Holland, “The impact Bobby had on the curling world was that all the curlers were favourites and those things he did for curlers and curling fans came straight from his big heart, and you sincerely felt it.”
In 2005, the Province of Saskatchewan awarded Corman a Centennial Commemorative Medal for his contribution to the development of farming and his support of curling.”
Corman was also instrumental in igniting a whole new generation of curling enthusiasts by organizing a grand welcome home celebration for local team Bob Ellert after they competed in the 1981 Brier, finishing in fourth spot.
