David Moser

HACK TO HOUSE

Martin rolls along despite C defeat

Bill Martin didn't stop curling just because his rink lost a C-event final and was eliminated from the Regina (Region 7) men's playdowns on Sunday.

On Monday morning, Martin was back on the ice participating in the Regina masters (60-and-over) men's playdowns.

The 65-year-old Martin, who was a member of the Harvey Mazinke rink that won the Saskatchewan and Canadian men's championships in 1973, has skipped 23 playdowns games (17 men's and six masters) since Jan. 3. That total does not include club games.

How does Martin feel?

"Tired," Martin said Tuesday night after a club game at the Tartan Curling Club. "You enter the playdowns to take part. You win a few games and you keep going.

"Curling has always been part of my life. I've always curled since I was 12 or 13 years old."

The Martin rink was without Craig Martin, Bill's son, during the men's playdowns championship event. Craig was attending a music trade show in Los Angeles and missed the playdowns, which ended Sunday.

With Clint Krismer filling in at third, the Martin rink played in two championship-event finals, losing the B final 6-4 to Randy Bryden and a C final 8-6 to Bill Weppler.

"We're not supposed to be a top team, but we were there in every game," Martin said. "When you lose to good teams that's not that hard to take."

Regina's playdowns had a distinct greying at the temples. Gary Bryden's senior (50-and-over) rink won the A-event final; Martin was in two finals; and, senior skips Ed Bitz and Al Richards had teams in the Final 16.

"A lot of the older guys may not have the Curl Canada delivery, but they still have a feel for the game," Martin said. "That's what counts."

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A proposal has been put forward to change the Alberta provincial championship from an eight-team to a 10-team competition.

The proposal, made by five-time Alberta champion Kevin Martin, would have one additional spot reserved for the defending provincial champion and another to be determined at a province-wide challenge round. That would make the Alberta championship a six-day affair.

Saskatchewan went to the Challenge Round in 1996, changing the provincial round-robin from eight to nine teams. The provincials last five days (Wednesday afternoon to Sunday afternoon).

The Alberta Curling Federation is expected to discuss the matter at its annual meeting in June.

In Ontario, the Ontario Curling Association has increased the '99 provincial playdown from 10 to 12 teams, making it a week-long competition.

But that won't happen every year. The OCA executive decided in June to give a berth to any team that wins the Canadian championship the previous year (Wayne Middaugh did that in 1998) and to any team that wins the Olympic trials (Mike Harris did that for '98 Winter Olympics).

Speaking of Martin, he was eliminated on Tuesday from the Northern Alberta playdowns. Martin has been a spokesman for the 1999 Labatt Brier in Edmonton.

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THE EXTRA END: Saskatchewan may have its Challenge Round, but Manitoba has the 111th annual Manitoba Curling Association Bonspiel. The Challenge Round is the last chance for a rink that has played in the men's playdowns to secure a berth to the Saskatchewan Pool Tankard championship. The three-year-old Challenge Round usually attracts 10 to 16 rinks to fight for the one berth. This year, the MCA has 512 teams looking to grab one of eight berths to the Safeway Select provincial championship. Former Canadian champions Jeff Stoughton and Vic Peters are still in the hunt for berths to the provincial championship . . . Speaking of the Challenge Round -- possible candidates to be in Humboldt on Feb. 4-7 include Saskatoon's Bruce Korte, Quill Lake's Doug Harcourt, Regina's Randy Woytowich and Regina's Randy Gilewich, who won the challenge last year . . . Saskatchewan curling fans should note that tickets for Saskatoon's Labatt Brier 2000 are on sale now for this province only. The Brier has set aside 4,500 tickets exclusively for residents of Saskatchewan until March 5. To order by phone, call 1-800-970-SEAT (7328). The Brier sold 1,600 weekly packages on Jan. 21 -- the first day it was open for business! . . . Remember that the CTV SportsNet GM Goodwrench Skins Game is slated for this weekend at the Calgary Curling Club. The Skins Game features eight of the countries top team battling for $75,000 in prize money. The teams will be divided into regions, with an East vs. West final on Monday. The West is represented by Martin, Peters, Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk. The East has Middaugh, Harris, Russ Howard and Ed Werenich . . . Werenich was knocked out of the Ontario playdowns on Sunday and will miss that province's Challenge Round to play at the Skins Game . . . Here's our Fearless Forecast for the women's SaskPower Scott Tournament of Hearts provincial championship. We see the top three teams after round-robin play being Regina's Sandra Schmirler, Regina's Michelle Ridgway and Sherry Anderson of Delisle. Our crystal ball shows that Ridgway will beat Anderson in semifinal play and then Schmirler will beat Ridgway to advance to the 1999 Scott Tournament Hearts, Feb. 20-28 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

(Hack To House appears Thursdays.)