Cameron de Jong - Curling at the Brier

It’s been a while but I am back! With the busy end to the school year and a bit too much fun this summer, plus an ill-timed computer issue, you haven’t had a new episode for a while. But better late than never, right? So, this time on Can I Talk To You? I am back with a mid-summer episode about… curling. That’s right, lets throw it back to the spring for a trip to the Brier!

What is the Brier? Well friend, it is the national curling championship of Canada, where teams representing each of the provinces (though a couple areas get two teams, it’s a bit confusing) battle it out to be named national champion and represent Canada at the World Curling Championships. In the spring I talked with Team BC’s skip – who is sort of like the captain and the last rock thrower on a curling team, and also someone I knew in high school – Cameron de Jong.

I talked with Cam just after he returned from the Brier, which took place this year in Kelowna, BC. His team, which also featured Alex Horvath, Corey Chester, and Brayden Carpenter, represented the province at the national championships and were the third consecutive team from the Victoria Curling Club to make it to the national championship.

I was curious about the pressure of being the home team at this year’s event, plus what it was like making the big tournament for the first time. I asked Cam about his experience as an elite level curler, how his team got to the national championships, and what it was like playing against some of his own curling idols. We talk about Team BC’s 2-6 record and how it doesn’t show just how close some of the games were, plus how much experience was built towards a return in future years.

Image from Curling Canada / Team de Jong Facebook

What is the Brier? Well friend, it is the national curling championship of Canada, where teams representing each of the provinces (though a couple areas get two teams, it’s a bit confusing) battle it out to be named national champion and represent Canada at the World Curling Championships. In the spring I talked with Team BC’s skip – who is sort of like the captain and the last rock thrower on a curling team, and also someone I knew in high school – Cameron de Jong.

I talked with Cam just after he returned from the Brier, which took place this year in Kelowna, BC. His team, which also featured Alex Horvath, Corey Chester, and Brayden Carpenter, represented the province at the national championships and were the third consecutive team from the Victoria Curling Club to make it to the national championship.

Photos from Team de Jong Facebook page.

I was curious about the pressure of being the home team at this year’s event, plus what it was like making the big tournament for the first time. I asked Cam about his experience as an elite level curler, how his team got to the national championships, and what it was like playing against some of his own curling idols. We talk about Team BC’s 2-6 record and how it doesn’t show just how close some of the games were, plus how much experience was built towards a return in future years.

Curling is a great sport, especially for the social attitude and community spirit. I played on teams for three years in both Victoria and Edmonton and loved every minute of it! If you haven’t tried curling, get yourself down to the local rink this year and give it a try. Cam mentions a Learn to Curl league, but some clubs also do open houses where you can try the sport once to see if you like it.

A big hack weight thank you to Cameron de Jong for joining me from his car outside the curling rink where he was about to go throw rocks down a sheet of ice. Now, since recording this interview there has been some team news: Brayden Carpenter has stepped back from the team to focus on his career outside curling and Sterling Middleton, a two-time World Junior Champion and also a two-time BC Men’s Champion, is joining the team. They are hitting the ice in just a couple weeks, so make sure to follow the team’s Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more and show some support in the coming season. Hurry hard boys!

You can find past episodes of this podcast here or find me on BlueSky at ben-fast. Tell me what you think of this show’s big return to the ice over there, or leave your thoughts in a review on Apple Podcasts. While you’re at it, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast there or wherever fine podcasts can be found.

This episode was recorded and produced by me, Ben Fast, in Victoria BC on the unceded traditional territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ and the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. The music you’ve heard is by Kirsten McCormick, and, fun note, you’re going to be able to hear the full version of this on an upcoming album! For now, you need to head over to @kirstenmccormickmusic on Instagram and stay tuned for the release news.

Next time, we’re hitting the road…