SPEAKER_00 0:02

Extra Ends, a curling podcast with Chris, Norm, and sometimes Rob.

SPEAKER_04 0:08

Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode eight of Extra Ends, a Curling Podcast. I am one of your three wonderful hosts, member of the Royal Canadian Curling Club, Chris Rouget. And I am here with fellow member, fellow curler Kevin McDonald. Hey, Norm here. And fellow member, fellow curler Rob Ainsley. Hey there. So, guys, are you having a good week this week or is it getting really crazy for all of y'all?

SPEAKER_05 0:36

It's very busy for me with uh work going on. So uh fun, fun times around.

SPEAKER_04 0:44

Well, it is Halloween, so I'm gonna ask you each of you a quick question, and that is what in curling scares you?

SPEAKER_05 0:54

An outturn hit very just off center line. That's what scares me. Thank you. Is that what you meant?

SPEAKER_04 1:01

That's all right. Mine's an intern hit against the wall. Fair.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Mine's a double run back to try and open up a shot for my last one.

SPEAKER_04 1:11

Ooh. Those are some scary things. Ladies and gentlemen, please remember to like and subscribe our amazing podcast. And if you want, comment in the comment section of wherever you're listening to this about what in curling scares you. Anyways, on to our show this week. There are 75 days to go until curling week in Canada. So we're really excited for this. We're coming down almost the home stretch now, like just over two months to go until curling day in Canada. And you're starting to see this across the curling world. Provinces are starting to dig in, their tours are starting to focus more and more on those regional events, on those tour events, on those events that lead to a provincial final. So we're really pumped. There's only 75 days to go uh until Curling Week in Canada. And I encourage you, if you don't know what we're talking about with Curling Week in Canada, listen to some of our previous pods. We go into great detail. On the agenda this week, on the agenda this week, we have a quick review of the Henderson Metal Fall Classic presented by Coyote Tractors of Ontario. Uh that completed just this past weekend. And then we also have our second very special guest. So without further ado, let's get into it. Kevin, I understand that you uh you were paying attention to the Henderson Metal Fall Classic presented by Coyote Tractors this weekend.

SPEAKER_05 2:33

Held in the great uh Sault Ste. Marie area. I can't remember the name of the club. It is one of those clubs that I think is doing something that other curling clubs should consider. And instead of just being called the name, they have sold the naming rights to a sponsor. And they have then subsequently changed the name of the club. It was called Your Northern Credit Union at one point in time. And I believe it now has a new sponsor, so I can't remember the name. But that is an interesting money-making idea that clubs could consider. Uh, but beyond that, uh watching it, I think, Chris, you uh rightfully pointed out, or may not have pointed out, that uh John Epping uh came out as the winner against a very, very star-studded field that was at this event. Um, I believe it had, I think it was next to the slam, probably the the best collection of male curler teams, both in this country and others, at it. And it had some very, very excellent games. It was interesting that they played from Wednesday to Saturday. So it was very weird on Sunday tuning in and not really seeing any of the games. I don't know, Chris, if you like woke up Sunday and going, Hold on, why is there no curling on? You I think we got used to that, right? So very much got used to it. Yeah, and so you're like, oh no, I feel I I now I have to watch football. This is terrible. But nonetheless, for our I understand your team, yeah, the team the Bears. Good work. Um, so nonetheless, so I think I think that was a very interesting thing. I think the biggest thing from a um another spectating item was they had enough volunteers that they timed every game, and that was something that I think a lot of tour events do not typically do because you need a person per sheet, and so they had sometimes up to six people and they were doing the timing for that. And I think that changed how the game was played to a certain extent, and found that very fascinating. As well, I think this is viewed as one of the top events on tour for the teams, uh, for a couple reasons. One is I think it's the highest prize money again, next to the slam. So it draws a lot of the higher end teams into it, and because the higher end teams are in it, other higher end teams go in in order to garner the points necessary. And then I think the other thing, and this is what I've heard from the players, they said this is something fascinating. It is an eight-sheet club, and they put, because of the number of people that are there to come and watch this, they put stands out on some of the unused sheets. And so the stands are right there and they're right next to the curlers, which I mean that's no different than any of the arenas, but it's different for a curling club. And then as the event goes along and they start hitting the playoffs, the stands start getting closer and closer and closer to the sheets, and they literally go in each night or between draws or whatever it happens to be and move the stands closer. So I think that's something that the players have commented on as something they really like. So those were some of the fascinating uh factors and facts that uh off the top of my head, because I didn't write any of these down that I came up with, but I think it was some excellent curling that I watched, and it was uh spectacular that they frequently had, because it was the only event going on, they frequently had two feature games uh with commentary on it on uh YouTube as well as steady cams of the other sheets. So you could watch any sheet you wanted, which for those of us curling degenerates, we really enjoyed. So I don't know, Chris. Have you had anything more to add to that?

SPEAKER_04 5:57

I I have nothing to add. I think you covered it well. Uh, once again, the fact that John uh did so well against such a stacked field once again proves that right now the curling world is just about anybody's game. Anyone can win any event. Uh, because John's team has taken off. Now they're doing really well and they're going into that next slam strong. So I I think that's excellent. And then on the stands, I I just I think we should make this like the NBA. Like take it right to right to courtside, right to why not? You know, it's so it's so close that you know, that hit along the wall might you gotta watch the fans' toes that they might be a little close to it. Um let's go. Let's let's see what happens. And you know, maybe if somebody accidentally falls into the stands, there'll be some good TV. But uh that's that's what I think about the event, and it it was great. Um, Rob, did you have any thoughts or comments?

SPEAKER_00 6:50

I mean, I I think the stands thing is awesome. I'd eventually love to see somebody get a pick off of uh Fallen Hot Dog, you know.

SPEAKER_05 6:58

Why not, right? And I think uh I had one final thing, Chris. I think with that, we always look each week kind of at who are the top teams in uh Canada vying for that final wild card spot for the Briar, uh, depending upon how they do in their um uh representative play downs. But with that big win at that major spiel, Team Epping is now first year to date overall in uh in the standing. So I think that's a big deal for them that they uh leapt over um uh team favorite and and very special guest, Brendan Botcher's team, uh, who is now uh third. Team Dunstone is in the middle there. Um he already has a spot, having won the Briar last year. So uh we'll just continue to track those standings, especially as we go through the next set of slams that are coming up.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

Now, does the curling Canada last RT C RTS spot is it going to for points on year to date or the two-year rolling point count?

SPEAKER_05 7:54

It's an excellent question. I should know the answer. My guess is year to date.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

Okay. That's so that you're those year-to-date numbers are going to be essential.

SPEAKER_05 8:04

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 8:07

Extra ends, a curling podcast, is not sponsored by Jillies at the corner of Queen and Broadview in Toronto. And they are not a sponsor because, well, if you know, you know. This week we What do you know?

SPEAKER_05 8:24

Chris, what do you know? I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 8:26

If you know, you know, Kevin. If you know, you know.

SPEAKER_05 8:29

Oh, okay. I'll take your word for it.

SPEAKER_04 8:32

This week we are very, very excited to introduce our second very special guest on Extra Ends.

SPEAKER_05 8:41

Good evening or afternoon or daytime to everybody, whatever time of day it is that you're listening to your podcast. Uh, this is Kevin A.K. Norm, and I have here with me a wonderful special guest here today that uh has blessed us with a presence. We have all the way from Newfoundland to Labrador, uh, from the great city of St. John's, we have Greg Smith with us today. Hello, Greg. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 9:01

I'm greatly blessed and highly favored. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_05 9:04

Excellent, thank you very much. Uh, I think we had to always ask and start out with our fun first question. Is this what's your favorite bar on George Street?

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Oh my gosh. Um, I think I'm one of five jazz aficionados in Newfoundland and Labrador. Uh I mean, like you're coming here to hear D Lee. Um, you know, all the Irish Newfoundland stuff. Um I would see the black sheep, but I mean I like all of them. I mean, because I actually enjoy a libation now and then if you know me, no, really.

SPEAKER_05 9:39

I didn't know that about you yet.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Yeah, I I I enjoy a few of them. Um I'm a jazz lover, so I will probably see the black sheep.

SPEAKER_05 9:48

Excellent, thank you. Uh Rob's Rob has a couple of questions he wants to start out and ask you, and then I have a couple more that I'll go into. So go ahead, Rob.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Well, thanks for passing me the mic, Kevin. And I mean, you did bring up jazz there, Greg. I remember at Curl from Kids you did an incredible jazz karaoke. Uh it was mind-blowing. Uh for anybody that gets Greg on a mic for karaoke, request the jazz.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Yeah, or Private Dancer by Tina Turner, because that's also that's also something that I like. If there's a song I'm gonna do that's gonna turn the place up, it is gonna be that. It's not gonna be the very best of Jina Crawl, it'll be Private Dancer, but both are good, both are great.

SPEAKER_05 10:28

And Greg, I don't think you even need the screen to do Private Dancer by now, right? Like you can just do it.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

There's no there is there is no screen, and I have the whole thing in my brain pre-recorded of how I'm going to move the body, when I'm gonna fling out my amex, when she says amex. I I know what I'm doing from oh you oh you have all the props and everything. Okay, listen, you gotta be ready. Oh, I know. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

So Greg, I'm gonna take you into I think um maybe uh thought a very thoughtful question here. Uh oh geez. So you've been to the Briar a couple times now. Yeah. Does achieving that honorary milestone change anything in your competitive drive as a player? No, no, no. So, like, do you you feel as driven or more driven now that you've been there to get there again?

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Uh 100%. I mean, I don't know. Like it might sound a little bit wild to say, but I don't know. I assumed with the work that I put into the sport that I would have been there a couple of times by now. And I was there twice, so which I guess is a couple. Um, you know, um, I would have liked to be there more. I thought I I I genuinely, if you asked me, I would have thought I would have been there more. Um whether it was illness, we all hope, don't we?

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

We all hope.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

You are a fan favorite.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Uh yeah, I know, but I gotta be my favorite, don't I? Um you know, yeah. So, you know, whether it was losing the last couple of finals or or there was a year that I was actually sick and I had to pull myself from the event, which was agony. Uh, I would have thought I would have been in the When was that?

SPEAKER_05 12:07

I don't think I remember hearing about that.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

I thought I knew when you're yeah, you would have thought 2025, uh 10 I had two years ago or a year, uh two seasons ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Yeah. And the worst I ever had it. I almost thought I was gonna be hospitalized. I lost 10 pounds in four days. Uh, and I slept 16 hours for five days, and fever of like 103 point something. It was it was it was pretty wacky, and that obviously would be Fahrenheit, Celsius. I would have been deprived. Right, yes, absolutely. Yes, uh, but um yeah, it was it was pretty bad. But you know, yeah, so going there, awesome, right? Going there really early in my career, awesome. Um does it drive you to get back there a hundred thousand percent. Do you want to go back and do better? 100,000 percent. Um, but I don't think people realize that, like you know, Newfoundland Labrador isn't the free space on the bingo card. There's actually some talent here, and um, it's not as easy as some might reckon that it would be to represent. And I think there's been a few imports uh that we probably agree with that.

SPEAKER_05 13:23

And and can you speak to that, Rob? This was one of the questions I think I I was looking for. Is most of the people listening uh to what we're doing here, um, Greg, are we mostly Ontario based because we're going word of mouth and talking to many people we know, but not maybe not everybody knows all the work that it takes for uh getting out of other provinces. So can you uh like explain a bit about how what it takes to get to the provincials and then just a bit about the field at provincials and and like the quality of the teams and and just overall what it takes in your mind to uh win the new Labrador tanker?

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Yeah, uh I think the first thing I would say is that it's not the most uh the provincial's always at the REMAC Center, which is St. John's Curling Club, which unfortunately, I from my knowledge, the Metropolitan St. John's, 250 plus thousand people, has the least amount of ice access in the nation. And like there's only six sheets of ice. The Bally Haley where I used to work and on the curling is gone. So there's not a lot of ice access, which means that it's really overused. So I'd say the first thing is that you're not playing on a surface that is uh really it's good, don't get me wrong, and it can be really good, but it's not the quality that it used to be because it's overused. So whenever you see that, obviously I think it makes those kind of wild card games where like you see like that middle-of-the-tier team beating the top team happen more often.

SPEAKER_03 14:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Um, not saying it's happened to us because it hasn't, but it's happened to some of the other top uh topper, you know, top tier teams from Newfoundland Laborator, uh, you know, because that's just the nature of the game. So we're not playing on, you know, we're not playing on as Russ Howard was saying straight ice. I would say the ice is kind of shaped like a W plateau, yeah. Um and lightning quick, like 15-5, but depends, you know, a lot on how the surface is. Quality of teams, yeah. Um, I think this year is the least I've seen teams in Newfoundland Laboratory travel. Uh so I think truly it's really ourselves and Simon Perry, and maybe Joel Kratz is doing one or two. Um maybe Stephen Trickett. But the the field is not that bad. I mean, the issue is is that geographically we don't have the privilege of playing like Ontario does in a you know one or two or three or four SFM spiel every weekend. We have literally one WCT event on the rock every season, right?

SPEAKER_05 16:10

Yeah, and that's I mean, I get that challenge. Like, I mean, personally, me, I had a busy weekend just in and around the Toronto area, like going to clubs. I was at four different clubs, and that's just the city of Toronto, which still has clubs closing, but still I I had the privilege of going and doing that. But like one club like on the Avalon Peninsula is just like that's a lot of that's that makes it tough. And I guess also probably with uh the um uh the success of Team Gushu, the sports become pretty popular. So that club is probably slammed from morning to night, right? So it's like, yeah, it's hard to get in, hard to get practice, hard to do a number of things like that, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Totally. So the quality is there. Um, you know, and there's probably three or four teams that I would say are gonna be tough for us to to beat. And I can say that almost every year. Um, you know, we're gonna have good competitive games against them, and then the rest of the field, you know, kind of tears down middle and then lower. But I think, you know, like I think that's the biggest thing is the talent is there. It's they don't play. So like the names that you see, you know, oh, like maybe the first time you saw Simmons win to go to the Briar out of Newfoundland, or um, there's a couple of other names, but like maybe the first time you saw them, you're like, Oh, really? And it's just like they're really good. You just don't see them playing in the events west of the Maritimes and really west of Halifax, right? Like it's pretty much really truly west of Halifax, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 17:38

Yeah, yeah. You're like you're kind of limited just to the area and the geography of that. So um, can you speak to some of those challenges? Is it just literally or so far from everything? Because I know that Gushu did that for many years, but I think he was getting some strong sponsorship money. So just what are the challenges other than it's just far from everything and maybe a little expensive?

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Yeah, great question. Um, I would say that it's not necessarily um sponsorship for my team. Uh uh, you know, I've always done okay with that. It's truly, honestly with you, it is having people that are able to do those many events because it is a slog to get off the island and you're picking a day on the front or the back or two days. You're you know, unless your work is remote, you can't really work while you're gone away. That kind of you know, that kind of stuff. So, you know, this season now, probably the least that I've ever done in my adult career outside of the island. The least.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

The least, okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Yeah, honest to God, right?

SPEAKER_03 18:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Um, it really is. Other years, you know, we've done four or five events off of the rock. Um, you know, and when Ballyhead was open, at least then we had that cash bill too. So you had two cash bills at home, and then some years even had two or three, and then you had the the tankard. But it's, you know, geography is probably the biggest challenge, you know, and I think the way the game is now, to be quite frank with you, is not quite the same as it was in those early Braguju years. You had the Canada Cup East and West, you had events that you could go to that would qualify you for a Canada Cup or qualify you for something else. They don't exist. Like, if you're not playing 10 events a year, your hopes at tier two are GARP, right? Like your hope is then to get like a regional invite, which are not really happening much at it anymore. So the the game has changed so much that I don't think you're going to see the Kerry Galuchas out of the North. I don't think you're gonna to be quite frank, I don't think you're gonna see many teams from Newfoundland Labor in years to come do anything half of what Brad did. And I mean that with the most respect to the rest of you.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Yeah, that's a solid viewpoint.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Yeah, it's just the way the game is. You don't even have the privilege of winning something and qualifying. Like I remember I grow up, sorry to cut you off. I remember growing up, um, you know, other than Brad, uh, you know, Martin Ossie was a big name at home too. But uh you look at Heather Strong and Shelly Nichols. Heather Strong qualified for like a tier two slam uh via winning an event away. Uh Shelly Nichols qualified for um the Canada Cup, which is no longer existent. She qualified for that by winning Campville. So we don't have a path anymore. You either have to play 10 events or good curse word, luck.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

Yeah, so much is really relying on the uh the tour points now these days, and it's really building towards that. So I'd like to segue into another question here. Um this leads me to ask you a bit about how you formed your current team that you've got this year and um what you're looking for in the players that you want around you, but also a two-parter. Um, do you think that the residency rules will need to change now the way the game is going?

SPEAKER_01 21:09

Okay. Uh which one do you want me to start with?

SPEAKER_05 21:13

I wanted to hear about the team, and we're not talking about when you picked up Rob Ainsley for the team south. We'll get into that one later. But yes, we want to know the actual full official team. Yeah, we're gonna be a real team.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Okay, uh, because that'll be the longer part of the question. So I'll start there. Um, well, you know, at the end of the last season, we had uh Scott Sachary from Nova Scotia, we had Sean O'Leary from here, and I did curl a couple years with um Carter Small. Um it was really weird kind of end of the season last year because it was like I you know me, like uh I sound really Newfoundland. Um I would go every weekend if I could, and if I had the squad that was uh willing. To do that, I would go all the time. But um yeah, so we didn't really know what we were doing. We just kind of knew we were breaking up. And ironically enough, I don't know, you know, thank you, thank you, God, thank you, Jesus. I said, for some reason, I said to Carter, I said, I know we both have offers. Let's wait a couple days. Please just wait a couple days. We're gonna do nothing. Wait a couple days. And this was just prior to me coming up for kids, actually. Um, and I was pulling into the Avalon Mall parking garage, and um I got a message from Ben, because I had heard rumors that you know Nathan was gonna curdle in Ontario. And I got a message from Ben Stringer, who was the lead for Nathan Young there for a few years, went to Three Briars with him, uh, him and Nate Locke, and they were like, Yeah, let's meet up, let's talk. And I'm like, Oh, perfect. And and then I called Carter and I said, Every other offer you got, they're gone. They're gone. They're just don't worry about them, don't worry about them. Because somehow within that three days, which I had just a gut feeling or an intuition, um, I was like, I think it's all coming together. And it was like perfect. Uh, so we met up with initially we met up with Nate Locke and with uh Ben Stringer. We formed the four of us, so the front end from Nathan Young's team. Um, and then uh, you know, we planned our season, all that stuff. And then it was in uh August that I was at Trillium in Kishamarloo that uh we found out that Nate, because of work, uh Nate Locke had to step away from curling for the season. And I was kind of like, yeah, it was, it was. Um, so it's kind of like, what are we gonna do now? And lo and behold, I'm coaching at this camp, and Brendan Craig is there. Brandon Craig from Ontario. I've played numerous times at Mixed Doubles.

SPEAKER_05 23:51

Uh yeah, he's a very strong and prominent mixed double player on the Ontario Mixed Doubles tour.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Yeah, very, very, he's a he's a great player.

SPEAKER_05 23:59

Come on, I'm uh I'm I'm uh I'm into all this stuff, Greg. Come on.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

Yeah, he's awesome. Uh so we've played him numerous times. Um, the poor guy has never been able to uh beat the Rosie O'Donnell lookalag from Newfoundland with Jess Wiseman. Uh but somehow, somehow we beat him every time. So I was like, oh, this is a way to this is a way to get him on the team, right? We're just gonna really, you know, twist the knife here. So, you know, I'm friends with obviously Brendan and with Riley. And uh I think I asked Riley, his wife, I said to her, I said, um, so what do you think now? Because I know I was telling you earlier today that we're looking for a player. Now, what about your husband? You've never beat us in doubles, you never beat us. You know, you probably should have, but you haven't. Uh, you think maybe, you know, we could get something going? And she was delighted. She was like, oh my God, do it, do it, do it. So, you know, basically, I think I kind of pressured him into it because I asked every other coach there. They're like, Oh, you gotta curl, you gotta do it, you gotta do it. Uh, so we asked him, and then he said yes, which is amazing because Brendan is a fantastic curler and an even better human being. Um, so we're delighted to have him on board um as our import. So we got uh the four of us kind of together now. So it's uh myself a skip, Carter Small at third, and Brendan Craig at second, and then Nate Lock at lead. So wasn't the most organic way to get a team going, but uh it worked out. Worked out really well. Worked out really well.

SPEAKER_05 25:31

It's four really good curlers that that I think really has a shot, Greg. Like looking looking at each at the resume, each of those individuals and their past experiences and all that. But like as you get that group together, but like how did you work through that to uh get ready for the season and get ready for your first set of uh events that you're going into?

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Well, I think it you know we we kind of knew going into Toronto, and we grew with Rob and uh uh Mike McKitchen and um Brian Chick. We knew going into Toronto because I already signed us up for that event, yeah, that it was like Carter just had a baby last uh early last month. Um and then we knew that Brennan was gonna be out of town. So really, one of the events were just like, okay, Ben, it's you and I, and we gotta get two others.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

There you go.

SPEAKER_05 26:23

Um and Rob happened to be just hanging around town, and you're fucking he was hanging around town, and he he was up for the torture of curling with me.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Uh he was up for it, and we had a fun week. Um, so we got Rob, but you know, we're all in different places in life, you know, and I think at this age now I'm I just turned 30. Um that's the thing. It's like, yeah, do I want to curl every weekend? 100%. Uh, do I have four people from Newfoundland, Labrador that want to do that? No. Uh so it's how do you it's a balancing act? How do you make that work? So Brennan's really into the doubles with Riley. So he's gonna balance everything to do to do doubles and obviously do uh the events with us, the rest of the events on tour, and then the provincial Carter and his wife Sarah just had a little boy, Elliot, and um, you know, Ben is just finishing up some extra courses in school um and getting back into work. So it's it's a balancing act, you know, especially at this age. Like when I was younger, I would say it was easier, but now everyone's at different stages in life, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:34

Yeah, now you've got a lot of career and everything. You've got to balance life, friends, yeah, everything else that you uh want to put on hold gets sacrificed. But um, yeah, yeah. I mean, and if you you gotta all be kind of on the same page if you want to be touring every weekend to play. Um so are you are you doing doubles as well this year on top of your men's team?

SPEAKER_01 27:55

I am. Uh so Jess Wiseman and I are trying to make it a four in a row. Um win the last three Newfoundland Labrador doubles. Um I think it's one of those same things can't beat any, might as well join them. So Jess and I 10 years ago talked about curling together in it, and we never really did it. And I curled with Mackenzie Mitchell for a bit and did well with McKenzie, made the playoffs at the Nationals in the bubble, and uh we did well. And then we were coming back to play doubles here in St. John's and lost to Jess. I was on the other side of Jess, which is way funner to play with her than against her because she is damn good. Um, and uh then we said let's form a team, and uh here we are. So don't know what events we're doing really for the season. Uh there's no mixed doubles nationals within this season. It's gonna be in the fall of 2027.

SPEAKER_05 28:49

I thought I saw that. There's nothing this year, it's weird, isn't it? Like normally it's like later in the season, but they shifted things around this year.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

It's normally around St. Patrick's weekend in uh March, but not this year. So it's it's gonna be moved to the fall. But uh our provincial is gonna be later in the season after the provincial ladies and men's, and I think uh God willing for me before the Briar, and I think God willing before them.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Yes, absolutely. Well, that's great that you get some time to focus on your men's team a bit more this year, uh, since it's being the squad. Um now let's talk about some events. Um so you're known to play the tour, but you're also known to play some fun events, Greg.

SPEAKER_03 29:34

Um gosh.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

So I'm curious if you have a favorite tour event and if you have a favorite fun bond spiel.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

Oh people are gonna get pissed off at me.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Um if you don't say curl for kids.

SPEAKER_05 29:48

If you don't say curl for kids, all three of us are dropping off and leaving. I know.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

So I like I know, but like I like I I don't know. I have to do that.

SPEAKER_05 29:56

No, you say whatever you want. You say whatever you want, and any one of them we will do.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

I have to be so diplomatic here. Um, okay, fun event. I absolutely love curl for the kids, and I actually love the lupus spiel too. I'm answering this question like a former prime minister of this nation, which means I'm not answering the question. Um I'm just gonna go all around the question without answering the question. The lupus spiel is where? Where is that one, Greg? That's in uh uh Minneapolis. Oh, it's it's it's in New Zealand, yes.

SPEAKER_05 30:27

I've I've heard about that one, and a lot of the same celebrity skips from curl for kids go to that as well, right? But more than American skips.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

So I love the lupus spiel for the lupus spiel. I love curl for kids for the curl for kids. However, if you did tell me who where I would rather go for curling, it would be Minneapolis, if other than Oakville. But if you did tell me how many libations I would have and the hotel and all that stuff, I would say curl for kids.

SPEAKER_05 30:58

So there's we may be familiar with that, all of us here, yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Really? I have no I had no idea. Yeah, um, yeah, and uh I haven't been to a House of Hearts because of mixed doubles is always the same time, but I think I'm going this year. So I'll let you all I'll report back and let you know. But a charity spiel, all of those are fun. There's no such thing as not a fun charity spiel. Absolutely. That's great. And we appreciate it. Absolutely, yeah, it's for a good cause. You meet a lot of great people, and at the end of the day, I end up balling my eyes crying because of how much good was done. And yeah, I'm because I am soft as shit.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

I really am, so I come off as not. Um now, now, Greg, now onto a tour event. Is it safe to say that maybe the Stew Cells Toronto might be one of your favorite tour events? Because uh you seem to make that trip every year.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

I do, yeah. I love that one a lot because it's probably one of my favorite parts of Toronto. I love High Park. I am an avid bird watcher, so I literally, whoever's supposed to do it, yeah. Is it ever? Is it ever? So whoever's on my team, they are getting ready for just the dorkiest couple hour walk with me ever. Um, do you see that wood duck? Like, do you see that? Like, like I just I go on a tangent, I have an absolute time. So it's one of my favorite events, and I also really love uh Charlevoix, the one in Claremont in Quebec. The I know that, yeah, uh the challenge de Curling Desjardins.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

It's a great spiel.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Um great spiel, um, which means I I'm not that bilingual. I'm way more bisexual than bilingual. But when I when I was when I walk into a supermarket, I just yell out poulet, you know. I'm just like, where's chicken? You know, like, you know, so I try my French grips. I try my French grips as much as I can. And Carter is from New Brunswick, uh, so obviously a bilingual province. So I he he can interpret for us, and I know a little bit, but he said to me, as he said to us yesterday when I saw him and Ben, it was like just sometimes way more fun here and you try. And sometimes you just say like English words in a French accent. And I'm like, it's acting, baby, it's acting. Uh but um, yeah, no, I love that one too. There's a lot, there's a lot of good events that I've been to. I think the only one in my tenure that I would say um was I loved it, I loved it a ton, but the only one that I would say was crazy was when we went to the Stu Cells Port Elgin. And I loved it because there were so many newfies. They even made us jigs dinner and like they brought like newfie treats. It was it was lovely. However, we got it was in November, we got 110 centimeters of snow in two and a half days. Uh, we made the final and everything, but we had to we were like, we need to win or lose this in four inns to make the airport because it was so much snow.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Um, yeah, I think I got my car stuck like five times. I was gonna say, I think Rob was in that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

And you know what blows my mind is I think so many people think I live in a Callowin. I'm like, I don't know it where you think I live, but it's not as cold as you think I live. So they're like, you must be used to this. And I'm like, it's November 20th. In St. John's, they're still golfing, and it's plus 17. I'm like, why is it 110 centimeters of snow now?

SPEAKER_00 34:14

I think it's funny because Greg remembers me from that spiel because of my allergy to cats.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

I do. We talked about that. We talked about that last weekend. I was like, the cats, Rob, the cats. The cats.

SPEAKER_05 34:29

Great. We'll save that story for another podcast.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

That is so funny. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 34:38

So, uh, Greg, uh earlier this year, the uh Briar happened to be hosted in your hometown of uh St. John's. I know it was unfortunate that you didn't get the opportunity to curl in it, but I'm sure you in some way either attended or helped out or were in and around the Briar in St. John's. What was your favorite memory from this year's Briar then?

SPEAKER_01 35:00

Oh, um my favorite memory. Is there a best part when you don't play? I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 35:09

Um we've enjoyed our Briar experiences. I don't know about you like ever girl that was.

SPEAKER_01 35:14

Yeah, fair enough. Fair enough. I was really adamant on playing in that.

SPEAKER_05 35:18

So it was it was a big opportunity, right? It's unfortunate that it didn't happen. And I apologize that I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

Yes, I understand that apologize.

SPEAKER_05 35:33

Hashtag too soon, yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

No, it's not no such thing. Yeah, uh, because you know I would have asked something way worse most of the time. Um, I think my favorite part of that was the crowd, the seeing two Newfoundland Labrador teams. Um, you know, obviously Nathan is a friend of mine and seeing him do well and actually had a great game against Brad in the feature game, too. Um I but I obviously why I was there for Brad's last game. So one of our sponsors, Harvey's um Harvey's home eating. They were up in the booth. So I mean that made the event easier. Is that they had a booth for us, so I didn't have to go listen to old Nan saying, are you still curling or are you playing? Because he did that on night one, that was horrible. Uh so I was kind of tucked away, just drinking wine and eating chicken wings. So it was way better than, if you're wondering. Um, but the best part was watching Brad's last game, and that was emotional, even for I. That was like for all of us as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, he will go down on history as one of the best athletes to ever come out of uh Atlantic Canada, let alone Newfoundland and Labrador, uh, truly, and one of the greatest of all time in our sport. And to be a part of watching that last game, I mean, I cried. I honestly did. Brad is someone we've all looked up to. Brad's actually helped me numerous times and Mark in my curling career, uh, whether it's conversations or coming around the ice with us, etc. So that was a special moment uh there. And obviously seeing them make the playoffs, because that would have been wouldn't have been as great if they didn't make the playoffs, but they did, which is good. And um yeah, I'd say that was probably one of the bet one of the best moments. Is as sad as that moment was, it was also so special to be a in the building for that with seven and a half thousand other people.

SPEAKER_05 37:30

Yeah, I can't imagine that. I was watching it on TV and I was emotional watching it. I can't imagine what it would have been like, and I probably would have been crying along with you there. So absolutely it's it's it was an amazing moment, and uh that was great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Um, I think we might have time for one more question for you. Um Do you have any advice for the next generation of curlers coming out of Newfoundland? Anything you'd like to share with them to mentor them forward.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

Um I think the biggest thing for any young curler, whether wherever they're from, you're not playing against a team, you're playing against the rocks that are thrown at you. It's one rock at a time, one end at a time. It doesn't matter who you're playing. You're not playing names, that's BS. You're playing against rocks. So everyone misses, you're not playing against God, you're playing against human beings that curl, that might curl 20 events a year, and that's why they have a thousand points. So go out there, believe you can beat anybody, go out there, play every end, play every rock, try to win angles, try to win positions. That's all you can do. You know, I I've never ever went into a game thinking that I was gonna lose the game, because obviously then you're gonna lose. You've already brought it into fruition, you've already um, you know, whatever manifested it, but you know, believe in your ability. And I think the other part too, which I already kind of touched on earlier in um this call was how much harder it is now for people from more geographically remote areas to break through. How it's harder now, and I think you know, Felix Asla and I have had the conversation and you know, and others, it's harder now than ever to break through. It's almost impossible. So focus on what you can focus on. If you can't do 10 events, pick the events that you want to do, the ones that are gonna give you the most benefit. If you can't go away this weekend, but you know you can be home and practice, go practice. Get a practice game, get on the laser, get some speed traps, do the grunt work. There's a reason why Krista McCarville has done so well without doing all the events. It's because she's putting in the grunt work. She's a great example of that. Um doing 10 events. She always shows up at the Scott tournament hearts, the Scottties. So control what you can control and try to find as many like-minded people as you can. And then the final thing is enjoy who you curl with. If you don't enjoy who you curl with, you're not gonna have success. You can see so many teams that are formed by four great players, and it is seldom that you see them actually have success at the highest level or whatever level that they are trying to achieve as a unit. You have to enjoy who you curl with because at the end of the day, like almost all of us, like overall majority, we're not out there for money or fame. We're out there because we absolutely love this sport. So you want to love the people that you're with too, and that'll make the moments of victory and the moments of loss way more either easy to swallow or um even more elated.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Really, really well put, Greg. Great advice. Thank you so much. Excellent advice.

SPEAKER_05 40:45

That was that was so good, Greg. And I know several people that'll be very thankful for what you just shared with us because it's every single thing you said was so wise. Really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

Yeah, thank you. A wise 30-year-old, hey? Oh, I know, right?

SPEAKER_05 40:59

Old soul or something like that, right? An old soul. Excellent. So thank you, Greg. We we greatly appreciate your time and joining us here on this call and joining us on our wonderful podcast as we get going. Extra ends are curling podcasts. And and thank you so much for that. And we we're already signed up for Curl for Kids for this year. So we look forward to seeing you there at that event, hoping that you will confirm your attendance as a celebrity skip right now.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

You know, I will be there. I tell my family every year the turkey happens the week later because I'm not gonna be home for Easter.

SPEAKER_05 41:33

Thank you very much, Greg. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 41:36

You have an amazing night.

SPEAKER_05 41:37

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 41:38

I absolutely love talking to Greg. He's one of the my favorite people to have a conversation with. And in that true Newfoundland charm, he always has a great story to tell. You guys uh started that interview off and did such a great job. Uh I can't wait to uh hear our fans' reaction to Greg's inputs.

SPEAKER_05 42:00

Thank you. I think my favorite part was towards the end where Rob asked him about like advice to future Newfoundland and Labrador curlers, and I heard his answer, and I'm like, I don't think that just applies to Newfoundland and Labrador curlers. I think that applies to all curlers of just you're playing rocks, not names. It's a very, very valuable.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

Yeah, really great advice.

SPEAKER_04 42:22

Yeah, I think it was really solid. Yeah, is is is so good, and it's good advice I think everyone can take. So we've got a uh a moderately busy week in curling up ahead. Um, just to let our listeners know, there is all kinds of curling out there. Just because there isn't a slam on doesn't mean there isn't curling to find. We have the European Championships this week, which is going to be some top-notch curling. You're gonna see all of the top curlers in Europe uh playing together. And so you can look for that. There's also in Eastern Ontario the Rose Dolan Women's Fall Classic. Uh it is on this weekend and streaming online. And then we have the RBC Dominion Securities Western Showdown happening on the western side of the country. So these events are are you're gonna see some of these games online this weekend, so make sure to check them out. But I'm most excited for is uh, and I mentioned them, mentioned it in my substack last week, uh, and the guys are pretty supportive of this too, is the Ontario Curling Club Provincials. Now, this is provincials for anyone from curling clubs, you, me, Rob, Kevin, Norm, whoever, uh can uh can take a shot at these championships. And I I can't wait. I'm hoping that as much of it as possible is going to be streaming and I'm gonna be catching a few games online.

SPEAKER_00 43:42

Uh I think the only prerequisite is that the teams in this have to have won their club championship.

SPEAKER_04 43:48

Yes. That's my understanding is you have to have won a club championship in a competitive league at your club.

SPEAKER_00 43:53

In a league, yeah, in your men's league, in your women's league. Um, whoever the winner is at the end of your season can submit to play in the club championship provincials.

SPEAKER_04 44:02

That's amazing. So uh now I believe we have some some friends we may know that are competing in this. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_05 44:08

Uh there are some specific friends we know of individuals. I believe uh uh Chris, yours and my former uh Curl for Kids skip, Scott McDonald, is playing in this, representing a team out of London. I think that's a big deal for him this year because the nationals are being held in St. Thomas, Ontario, which is his hometown. So I think he's really looking forward to seeing if he can make that. Uh one of the players that is playing on tour, representing Nova Scotia, Mark Keene, is also uh playing on this event for Ontario. And then there are several other teams that are former uh club uh champions for the province that are in it as well for both the men's and the women's. And then um yours truly is fortunate enough to be named as the coach of team uh Hannah Davis that is representing the Dixie Curling Club, uh, and will be starting that event on Thursday. So if you're gonna follow and stream, follow and support that team because that's the one that uh I will be sitting on the ice and doing some fun coaching for that team. We've been working together for the last several years. So looking to uh see some solid results from everyone involved.

SPEAKER_04 45:16

Kevin's going full coach mode this weekend. Make sure to buy him a coffee. He's gonna be up late reviewing game tape and helping the team uh 100%. And make sure to cheer him on. So that's great. I'm looking forward to this uh this coming weekend. And for all the other events, you know, check your local listings, aka YouTube, for live curling that's happening this weekend. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we are entering one of the most requested segments of Extra Ends, and that is Coach's Corner with Rob. This week on Coach's Corner with Rob.

SPEAKER_03 45:49

Coach's Corner.

SPEAKER_04 45:52

Rob, do you have any advice for dealing with a stubborn skip that keeps making the wrong shot calls, and no matter what you do, you can't convince them to do things your way?

SPEAKER_00 46:05

Like a deer in the headlights of impending disaster. Stand your ground. Your way is the right way. Just convince a skip that your way was their idea.

SPEAKER_04 46:15

And that has been Coach's Corner with Rob. All right, everyone. We've had a lot of fun today. Special thank you to our second very special guest, Greg Smith, for taking so much time for us this week. We really appreciate it. And it was so great to get his insights. Please, ladies and gentlemen, keep coming back for future very special guests on extra ends. Make sure to like and subscribe. We enjoy seeing those metrics go up. It's so much fun for us. Uh, and it's been a fun week. Do you guys have uh anything to add on our way out? Happy Halloween, everyone. Yeah, happy Halloween. Happy Halloween, everybody. All right, with that, may your ice be fast and curly in the shed and cold and ready at the bar.