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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 (1:04:45) to relive the 1984 World Championship where Bruce skipped and Joe threw fourth stones. He explains Bruce's ferocity for winning and how losing wasn't an option in their family. Joe also reveals why he was laughing before a final draw against Mike Riley and Team Canada. Bruce Roberts passed away on December 30, 2022.

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 Ron Kammerlock, with a combined age of 88 years, remain the youngest team to win the Brier. In 1995, Burtnyk returned to Halifax and outlasted Werenich, Folk, Martin, Hackner and Heidt to win his second Brier. Kerry, along with third Jeff Ryan, second Rob Meakin and lead Keith Fenton, went undefeated at the World Championship in Brandon, Manitoba. Kerry shares stories from the early days at the Assiniboine Memorial through the bonspiels, the Briers, the boycott, and reflects on his incredible year of curling and cancer in 2001.

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 second Brier and World Championship. Following a semifinal loss in the 1997 Canada Olympic Trials, at an age (36) when many curlers reach their peak, he walked away. John shares stories from the bonspiels, the Briers, the Battles of the Sexes and battles with European teams, while helping uncover the genius of Ed Werenich.

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 Cristman joining at lead. Bob shares memories of Bud, the Superior Curling Club, and many stories from a golden era for USA curling.

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 self-officiating, suggesting potential approaches for curling to improve while maintaining honour and integrity, the bedrock of both sports' Scottish roots.

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 explanation of the Scottish Curling Trust and its efforts to promote participation and preserve the history of curling.

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 following season, Robert aged out and the three schoolmates moved up a position, adding Richard Harding at lead. They fell short at the juniors but shocked everyone by winning the men's championship and representing Scotland at the World Championship in Karlstad, Sweden. In Part 1, Ken shares stories from his early days to the 1977 Silver Broom and depicts what Scottish curling was like in the 1960s and '70s.

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 2010. Andrea explains her ambiguous feelings on the Olympics, despite winning a gold medal when curling was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Winter Games in France. Andrea shares stories from her many world championships and Olympic appearances, including a bicycle mishap near the Korean border and warming up to curl on the ski slopes. She recalls the challenges of building a team in Germany and the disappointment of failing to qualify for the world championship when it was held in her hometown in 1992.

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 Brier in 1951. It would be another 41 years before Brad Gushue captured another title for the province. Toby shares memories from his early days to coaching at the 2022 Brier and everything in between. He revisits the 2006 Olympic games and explains how Russ Howard joined Brad, Mark Nicols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam to win a gold medal. Toby passed away on January 24, 2025.

Don Finkbeiner speaks at the banquet celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Manitoba Men's Provincial Curling Championship. Resby Coutts provides the introduction and later shares a story of Mark Olson's grandfather in-law's dog to close out the evening.

Bryan Wood led the seventies. Woody learned to curl on a two sheet natural ice club in the small community of Justice, Manitoba. His legacy began when he was recruited by Don Duguid at a urinal in the Granite Curling Club. He went on to become the first player to win five purple hearts in Manitoba, winning the Brier and Worlds with Duguid in 1970, '71 and his final Brier with Barry Fry in 1979. Bryan shares stories from his legendary curling exploits, including getting lost after the first Brier victory celebration.

Ron Braunstein missed the Scotch Cup. Committed to his exams, Gordon McTavish went in Ron's place and Canada lost its first world championship in men's curling in 1965. Back in 1958, Gord had helped Ron and brother Terry join the men's league at the Granite Curling Club, becoming the first Jewish members and, joined by Ray Turnbull and Jack Van Hellemond at front end, the youngest team to participate in the Brier. Ron shares stories from his early days to his Brier success, all while painting a picture of Winnipeg curling during the post-war boom of the fifties and sixties.

George Fink is unflappable. Raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, he began curling with his family on a two sheet club with natural ice. George won the Brier and World Championship in 1966 as third for Ron Northcott. The team, which included Bernie Sparkes and Fred Storey at front end, started as an entry into the Edmonton carspiel. George explains how the team came together and touches on his many other accomplishments, including winning five carspiels over his playing career.

John Cullen joins Kevin to discuss his new podcast series Broomgate: A Curling Scandal. John explains how the project came together, what he learned through the experience and what surprised him. John shares stories left out of the show and they discuss how sweeping is impacting the sport today. Following the talk with John, Warren Hansen provides his memories from two of the craziest Briers in history. The 1993 Brier featured an unexpected procedure to break the four-way tie for first place. The resulting Friday night fiasco was preceded earlier in the week by a secret visit from ice maker Shorty Jenkins. In 1994, the newly written Brier rulebook produced a stalemate between Rick Folk and Russ Howard on choice of stones ahead of the playoffs, all leading to a confrontation the night before Sunday's championship final.