A North Shore curling team accomplished one of the rarest feats in the sport when Bruce Campbell’s rink collected an eight-ender during a game at Hollyburn Country Club Feb. 25.
The elusive eight-ender, also known as a snowman, occurs when a team scores with all eight of its rocks during a single end. Campbell’s team also included Eleanor Campbell, Marji Hirst and Carol Williams.
According to Bruce, the team started the end by drawing three rocks into the house and then intended to set up guards in front of the rings but their shots kept sliding into the paint. The rocks lined up in a row, making them hard to remove, and Bruce was left with a final draw to score the eighth point. The last shot was heavy but bounced off a couple of rocks and settled in the rings, making it a clean eight with one nibbler at the back.
The team celebrated their feat in perfect curling fashion by heading to the lounge.
“We were all pretty excited,” Bruce told the North Shore News. “I have been curling for 20 years and have never even seen an eight-ender before.”
The feat is so rare that the Canadian Curling Association recognizes all official eight-enders with Eight-Ender pins and certificates.
Famous eight-enders include 2014 Olympic champion Brad Jacobs with a snowman against Tim Phillips in the 2012 Northern Ontario championships as well as British Columbia world champion Kelly Scott with an eight-ender over Cathy King, a former world bronze medallist, in the 2006 Players’ Championships in Calgary.
