From the moment the Canadian Curling Association announced last year that Saskatoon would be hosting the 2012 Brier, there was no question where Kevin Folk wanted to be during the early part of March.
The 31-year-old Saskatchewan native got his wish Sunday when the Jim Cotter rink captured the B.C. men’s curling championship for the second straight year.
The Vernon/Kelowna foursome, also featuring second Ty Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky, downed New Westminster’s Brent Pierce 7-5 in the provincial finale in Parksville.
Trailing 6-5 coming home, Pierce had the hammer, but his angle-raise takeout attempt missed the mark, giving Cotter a steal of one and the B.C. men’s crown.
The win also made amends for a lopsided loss to Pierce—a rink which includes Kelowna’s Jeff Richard at third—in the Page 1-2 game a day earlier.
Cotter then rebounded in the semifinal for a 7-6 extra end win over Royal City’s Chris Baier.
“We have excellent chemistry,” said Folk. “We didn’t get too high or too low, and when we had an off-game we were able to regroup when we had to. The team members have been really good at that all season.”
The Brier will be contested in Saskatoon March 3 to 11 and will be a homecoming for both Kevin Folk and his dad, Rick Folk, the coach of the Cotter team.
The elder Folk grew up in Saskatoon and won the Brier and world championship playing out of Saskatchewan in 1980.
Born in Saskatoon, Kevin Folk lived there until he was seven, then returned to watch his dad play in the 1989 Brier final under the banner of Team B.C.
“I’m expecting our coach (Rick) to be our most popular player,” Kevin said with a laugh. “He’ll be getting a lot of attention there, curling is pretty big there and people remember him…maybe that’s a good thing, that will take the attention off of us.
“For me, personally it’ll be great, it’s my hometown and I have a lot of family there I haven’t seen for a while,” Folk added. “But even with all that, we have to keep everything in focus. We’re there to win.”
While Kevin Folk is making his third trip to the Brier, it will be Tyrel Griffith’s first appearance at Canadian curling’s biggest show.
Griffith, 27, joined the Cotter rink this season at the second position, with Folk moving up to third.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Griffith, the 2005 and 2006 B.C. junior champ. “It’s pretty cool to be with these guys, they’re at the peaks of their careers, and they’ve already accomplished so much.
“I always hoped to one day go to a Brier, and to be able to do with great curlers and great guys, is pretty special.”
As for making their second straight trip to the Brier, Folk expects his rink to learn from last year’s disappointment when the Vernon/Kelowna foursome went 4-7 in London.
“I think we’re going to build for this and try be better prepared, we weren’t happy with the way it went last year,” said Folk. “We’re going to start that process, have some meetings and sit-downs and make sure we’re as sharp as we need to be.”
From a personal perspective, Folk doesn’t want a repeat of last year’s lead-up to the Brier when he had his car broken into in Kelowna, and had his curling shoes and pants stolen. On top of it all, he was battling a case of strep throat.
“I’m planning not to get my stuff ripped off, and I’m making sure I’m taking my vitamins,” Folk joked. “I’m hoping to be a lot better prepared this time.”
Among the other rinks competing at the 2012 Brier will be Ontario’s Glenn Howard, Brad Jacobs from Northern Ontario, Kevin Koe from Alberta, Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue and Robert Fowler from Manitoba.
Kelowna hosts seniors…
The B.C. senior men’s curling championship is in progress this week at the Kelowna Curling Club.
Among the eight rinks competing is the Rob Koffski team of the host club.
On Thursday, Koffski will play Wayne Harris from Comox at 10 a.m., and Dennis Graber of Prince George at 3 p.m.
The Koffski rink also features Dan Worley, Terry Bauer and Larry Kozachenko.
The playoffs begin Saturday, with the championship game at 2 p.m.
