In curling circles, the name Guy Hemmings is synonymous for capturing the hearts and minds of fans during the 1998 and 1999 Briers.
Hemmings won a few more hearts and fans in a special visit to the Gibsons Curling Club Tuesday.Hemmings, along with national coach Bill Tschirhart and Hemmings' assistant/photographer/bodyguard Andre Proulx, were at the club to promote the game of curling with the Rockin' the House tour.
The afternoon started with a clinic on the ice with 16 Grade 5/6 students from Cedar Grove and Sechelt Elementary schools.
Most of the students had never tried curling before and were enthusiastic to try the sport with tips from one of Canada's best.
Following the clinic and an autograph session, two teams of curlers from the club got their chance to rub shoulders with Hemmings.
The team of Jared Wannamaker, Dwayne Clegg, Francine Morissette and Dennis Mann took on the team of Hemmings, Ed Beketa, Carol Hickman and Ed White in a two-end exhibition.
The teams had a great time on the ice. No word on who prevailed, although the Wannamaker foursome's smiles were noticeably bigger afterwards.
Hemmings was then the guest speaker at a dinner put on by the club in the lounge.
Following the 2001 Brier (Canada's national men's curling championship) in Ottawa, Hemmings and his wife and two children moved to France. Shortly after the move, the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) asked Hemmings to return to Canada to be a part of a series of promotional appearances during the course of the next three curling seasons.
Since that partnership four years ago, Hemmings has appeared at 33 major tour stops and more than 150 one-day appearances in curling communities across Canada. In that time he has signed more than 40,000 autographs and promoted the sport of curling to 20,000 school-aged children.
The CCA has extended his contract to include the 2008 curling season as requests for appearances continue.
"Since curling really got into my blood, I have always wanted to do more than just compete," Hemmings said. "Playing at the Brier, I enjoy the interaction with the fans as much as the competition on the ice. Through this series of appearances, I feel as if I can give back to the people who have supported me.
"The goal of this tour is to have fun, promote the game and get more people involved in the game. It's great working with the kids. It's a lot of fun. They're always so enthusiastic, and to see the smiles on their faces at the end is the real reward."
Hemmings hasn't lost the competitive fire. In between his tour stops, he will play in several cash spiels across the country. He also hopes to be in a position to qualify for the Brier out of his home province of Quebec next year.
"Last year we didn't have a very good year. This year we have a pretty good team and hopefully we'll get back to the provincials," he said. "We're playing this weekend in a cash event in New Westminster. You never know, we might be able to surprise a few teams and maybe get back to the Brier."
