“The Shot” from The Big Spiel
Bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, bases loaded, full count, down by 1 run…and, here’s the pitch… Oh wait, wrong sport. But, same feeling. Intense, nervous, excited.
Yeah, that’s why I love sports.
So, our merry band of misfits were in a close draw at Frogtown Curling Club against a similar type Cedar Rapids team. Good group of guys. We had a big end early and took an early 5 point lead. However, our “experience” started to show and they came within 1 point after the 7th. Keep in mind, that the 3 of us from Windy City Curling have a COMBINED experience of less than a year and a half. We go into the 8th and final end with the hammer. After the first 12 stones, there is a pile of guards just above the house, there are several stones in the house and they are sitting two with stones in the four foot. Their skip throws his first stone trying to put a third point in play. He misses and runs it through the house. It is now up to me.

Pictured (from left to right): Dan Mulka, Phil Darin, Greg Torkelson, Nate Bock
Greg Torkelson skips curling, stops pucks, and makes homemade crokinole boards. Surprisingly, he isn’t Canadian.
MORE FROM THE BIG SPIEL
Phil Darin’s “Curling Next to Royalty”
Dan Mulka’s “Bonspiels are More Than Just Curling”
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