Homan Wins St. John’s Slam Amid Curling Etiquette Debate
ST. JOHN’S—Ottawa’s Rachel Homan won her second straight Grand Slam women’s title at the Mary Brown’s Centre as players and pundits continued to debate curling fan behaviour.
Homan’s 17th career Slam title, the KIOTO National, came with a 6-5 defeat of the seven-time Slam champion Anna Hasselborg squad from Sweden.
Before the match, Homan echoed thoughts of numerous male athletes who welcomed boisterous fans, even those who choose to boo “their” team’s opponents.
“I think everything’s good,” Homan told the Grand Slam of Curling. “I think getting that energy in the building, both teams loved it. (Brad) Jacobs is egging (the crowd) on and just having a great time with it.
“Curling needs more of that and hopefully, it just continues.”
This sport is hard. Honest.
The pro-Brad Gushue crowd booed and jeered Team Jacobs for the final end of their Saturday quarterfinal match.
Jacobs, who was born to take criticism and feed off of it, loved every second of it.
The Curling News first broached the issue a full two days before the quarterfinal scuffle, in which multiple men’s competitors stood fast and welcomed what is traditionally considered a major breach of fan etiquette.
The story, entitled Curling Fans, Players On Collision Course, was still going viral during The National’s championship Sunday.
More women’s competitors have since chimed in, and they mostly echo the thoughts of the men.
“I think I speak for every curler, it’s the dream. It’s definitely the dream,” said Hasselborg before the final.
“To be honest, if we want crowds to be here and we want to have this kind of support and this kind of energy, they can do whatever they like.
“Just keep going, keep shouting, keep clapping, keep feeling emotions. Sports is about emotions, so just go.”
Hasselborg (left) with Sara McManus
“I think it’s cool having a lot of noise in the arena and if the public is cheering,” said Switzerland’s Carole Howald.
“(Although) I’ve never experienced booing in curling.”
Guess which women’s competitor has? The now-retired and reigning Olympic champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland, who jetted into St. John’s for the final weekend.
“At the Olympics in Vancouver, I had a shot to beat the Americans and I just remember the crowd started chanting ‘U-S-A, U-S-A,’” recalled Muirhead.
“It was more of a hockey crowd but as a skip, I’m pretty dialled in and I love it when there’s atmosphere. I think in curling we need to get away from the quiet, can’t-make-noise type of atmosphere.”
So… what happened back in Vancouver?
“it must have been aggravating at some point, but I just got in with it,” said Muirhead.
“But I missed the shot,” she laughed.
Eve Muirhead at Mary Brown’s Centre
The women’s final see-sawed back and forth with Homan trailing 5-4 after a Swedish steal in the seventh end.
The Canadians fought back with a tricky tap for a deuce in the final frame to run their current won/loss record to 40-2 on the season.
Hasselborg cruised past Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson 7-1 in one semifinal while Homan had a third consecutive close game in her semi, and edged Korea’s Eun-jung Kim 7-6 in an extra-end.
