Jan 30, 2017
Matt Baldwin begins with a story about Gordie Howe's sister in
small town Saskatchewan. From there we head to Saskatoon and
then Edmonton, where he (eventually) graduates with a degree in a
new program for petroleum engineering. Matt's curling begins during
wartime, develops through university, and in the winter of 1954
he's able to convince a local rival to join forces in playdowns
with hopes of reaching the first ever Edmonton Brier. At 27,
Matt became the youngest Brier winning skip (a title now held by
Kerry Burtnyk). He returned to the Brier in 1956, but the
long train ride to Moncton, and frequent visits to the Beaver Club,
may have hindered his chances.
In Part 1, Matt shares thoughts on the early days, explains
his famous long slide in the 1954 Brier and reveals tales from the
1956 and '57 Macdonald Briers.
For more on Matt Baldwin check out: "The Brier" by Bob Weeks, "Curling: The History, The Players, The Game" by
Warren Hansen, and "The Stone Age" by Vera Pezer. Curling Canada
has historical videos from the 1954, 1956, 1957 and
1958
Macdonald Briers available on YouTube.