Bruce Roberts was intense. Disappointments at the 1966 and '67 World Championships drove him to push his young recruits to the top of the podium at the 1976 Air Canada Silver Broom in Duluth, Minnesota. The episode opens on a group discussion which took place in 2022, featuring Bruce, his younger brother Joe and their front-end, Gary Kleffman and Jerry Scott. Following the talk, Joe Roberts joins…
Kerry Burtnyk was a gambler. He pioneered an aggressive style of play that puzzled and panicked his opponents. Inspired by the Kenny Rogers song, the young team from Winnipeg attempted a freeze on their first stone of the 1981 Brier. A week later Burtnyk, barely 22 years old, became the youngest skip to win the Canadian Men's Championship. Kerry and third Mark Olson, second Jim Spencer and lead…
This episode is a rerelease of the Around The House Podcast from January 28, 2015. Colleen Jones joined hosts Kevin Palmer and Gerry Guerts to discuss many topics, including curling in Halifax, the 2014 Olympics, relegation, Brad Gushue's struggles at the Brier, and preview the 2015 Scotties. Colleen Jones passed away November 25, 2025.
John Kawaja was obsessed. His competitive drive led to a Brier Championship as second for Ed Werenich in 1983 when John was just 21 years old. Joined by third Paul Savage and lead Neil Harrison, the "Dream Team" went on to win the men's World Championship, then known as the Air Canada Silver Broom. In 1990, now third for Werenich and with the front end of Ian Tetley and Pat Perroud, John won a…
Bob Nichols was on a mission. His goals were to become an accountant and a curling world champion. Bob captured his first Air Canada Silver Broom in 1974, playing third for Bud Somerville. It was the inagural season for the team from Wisconsin, which included Bill Strum and Tom Locken at front end. His second world championship came in 1978 as a skip, with Bill and Tom moving up positions and Bob…
Beau Welling followed a peculiar path. From studying physics to designing golf courses and eventually becoming the President of World Curling. Beau shares his origin story and how the cancellation of a European business trip led him on a quest to explore curling in Bemidji, Minnesota. Beau offers perspectives on how technology is impacting golf and curling and examines the challenges of…
In Part 2 of my conversation with Ken Horton we begin after the 1977 men's world championship, progressing to the 1983 worlds and the controversy surrounding Swedish corn brooms. Ken shares an assortment of stories including a Paul Gowsell tale, tin foil at the 1989 worlds and a trouser mishap that forced umpire Chuck Hay to rule on the use of denim at a world championship. We wrap with an…
Ken Horton was obsessed about curling. He honed his skills at the Crossmyloof Ice Rink in Glasgow, eventually teaming with skip Robert Kelly and the front end of Willie Jamieson and Keith Douglas to win the Scottish Junior Mens title in 1976. They were the home team at the Uniroyal Junior Men's Championship in Aviemore, losing in the semifinal to the eventual winner, Canada's Paul Goswell. The…
Andrea Schoepp could focus on the game and nothing else. Her skills developed from curling outdoors with her family in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. At the age of fifteen, Andrea skipped her team, including her mother Elinore at third and Monika Wagner at lead, to a bronze medal at the European Championship. Her and Monika would go on to reach the world championship final four times, winning in 1988 and…
Toby McDonald always chose to wake up with a smile. From his beginnings at the St. John's Curling Club, Toby had a passion for the sport and its evolution in Newfoundland and Labrador. His crowning acheivement was winning the Brier in 1976 with skip Jack MacDuff and the front end of Doug Hudson and Ken Templeton. Their victory was the first for Newfoundland, which joined Canada in 1949 and the…