Eight
Enders
The ultimate curling score
is Eight in an end. In the history of the Potomac Curling Club, Forty plus years,
we have had exactly five. They are that rare, five in forty years. Three of them in our (not so new any more) Natioinal Capital Curling Center.
The first was scored in Cabin John by John Bittner's rink in the late 1960's.
The second was scored by
the rink of Michael Fry, Dave Thompson & Patrick Doyle, in March of 1999,
also at Cabin John. There are only three names because they were playing
with just three curlers that evening. In the days before digital cameras
and cell phones with embedded cameras, no photographs were taken, but they
did return the following week and staged a photo.
The third is better documented.
The rink of Mary McHugh, Allen Pickens, Tommy Hamilton, and Rick Casey
scored an eight ender on Nov. 17, 2006. It was the first end of the Friday
night Pizza League, Mary had the hammer, and was already sitting seven. All
that was left, excluding some nerves, was just to draw in for eight. She
did. And yes, also went on to win the game.
(L to R) Allen Pickens,
Tommy Hamilton. Mary McHugh, & Rick Casey,
scored the first 8-ender in
the National Capital Curling Center.
(click the thumbnails for full size pictures)
The fourth eight ender, March 11, 2009...
The Wednesday evening team of Bill McDonald, Lisa Andrew, Liz Andrew, and Becky Andrew scored an 8-ender, on the last end, to win their game. That makes two in the history of the NCCC. Bill's fist rock (7th stone) was supposed to be a guard, taking care of the five he already had in the house. It didn't quite turn out that way. He was just a bit heavy and drew into the 4 foot ring for six. His nameless opponent threw his final rock and results were less than spectacular. The two teams out on the ice (sheet A again, if you are curious) were shaking hands when several folks from the warm room erupted out onto the catwalk saying "you gotta ago for it!" After a few moments of hesitation, Bill and his team decided that the possibility was there and said ... Why not? If you've hung in this far you already know he made it. Bill threw his final stone, chipped his guard into the outside, and rolled the shooter into the inside. The warm room erupted in cheers, applause,and general pandemonium. Pictures were taken with cell phones and at least one digital camera. Jeff Erickson sent in the cell phone picture below.
(L to R) Lisa Andrew, Becky Andrew, Liz Andrew, & Bill MacDonald
(click the thumbnails for full size pictures)
The fifth eight ender, December 16, 2009...
George Shirk was looking for a spare to curl a second game in the late draw. Ron Aubin volunteered. Best decision he made all week! George's rink gave up two in the first and had the hammer in the second. They were sitting four in the four foot ring one in the top left eight, and two that were questionable biters. Stadnichuk had one in the back eight buried. Stadnichuk tried to take any of the mess in the four and crashed on the single stone out in front - his. Sort of like parking in an empty parking lot and hitting the only post. George played a double run-back off his four foot stones to take out and stick. We pulled out the biter bar and measured the two questionble stones. 8-Ender! I told George it had to be the Scotch. I poured him another shot.
George is quoted as saying "Please remember it is a team sport and I did not get an “Eight!”. We made eight shots and were lucky as hell. Barb curled 100% for the six ends we played, Ron was a take-out machine, and Kenny had his usual touch, like a blacksmith (just kidding, we all curled well last night)."
George Shirk (Skip), Barbara Shirk (lead), Ron Aubin (second), and Kenny Pellerin (vice)
The first cell phone photograph below and write up are courtesy of Bruce Black. The next two cell phone photos are from Courtney Shaw. The final pictures are with a real camera, from Sandra McMakin.
(click the thumbnails for full size pictures)
The
Receiving End
Of course
for every rink that scores eight ends, there is a receiving rink that has
eight ends scored against them. Perhaps the most famous is the "Hal McGrady"
shot. Hal's rink was looking at seven opposing stones in the house. All
he had to do was hog his final rock, but instead he hit the opponent's guard
and promoted it in to the house for the eighth rock. Legend has it that it
was in Cleveland, but we don't really remember the location, just the shot to be forever known as a "Hal McGrady"..
Bob Pelletier's
rink was also on the receiving end of an eight ender, one time in Chesapeake.
The names of whomever
was on the receiving end of John Bittner and Michael Fry's eight enders have been lost to posterity. For obvious reasons all of the rest would prefer to remain anonymous, but we can't let that happen, can we?
Rachel Beyerle (skip),
Jeremy Vandenhouten, Amelia Avdic, & Dennis Avdic
were the (un)lucky ones on Nov. 17, 2006.
Scott Fairley (skip), Bob Pursell, David B., and David Bykowski were the recipients on March 11, 2009.
Derek Stadnichuk (skip), David B. (for the second time), and KC McGrath, a three person team, were on the wrong end on December 16, 2009.
