GSOC Sick Shot: Fleury makes the Iceman double
It’s considered one of the greatest curling shots of all time, yet we almost gave Tracy Fleury’s homage only four stars instead of five because her team made it look so easy.
Flashback to the 10th end of the 1985 Brier final between the Iceman Al Hackner of Northern Ontario and Alberta’s Pat Ryan. Hackner trailed by two when he made an incredible shot avoiding a tight guard, making a thin double takeout and sticking his shooter to count a pair of points and force the extra end. Ryan rolled heavy on his last in the extra as Hackner stole the game and the national championship.
In the 31 years since it’s been named the greatest curling shot in Northern Ontario curling history and is a lock on top 10 Brier shot lists.
This season the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling created the Sick Shot Challenge, a half scavenger hunt and half trick shot contest for teams to compete in with a winner-takes-all $5,000 prize. One of the challenges for the WFG Masters was to submit your best double takeout graded from one-to-five stars. Teams receive 100 points multiplied by their star rating.
Team Fleury, of Sudbury, Ont., stayed true to their Northern Ontario roots and pulled off the Hackner double like it was nothing. Given that stars are awarded based on style and execution, it was an automatic five for 500 points.