As we sit befrore the computer, blown away by the spectacle of the Beijing 2008 opening ceremonies, there is a major curling announcement to make.
Curling’s F.E.U., or Front Ender’s Union, is back.
Some may recall the 1993 era of the above logo, which was printed on T-shirts. A national list of members was created and began to grow.
However, the imperialism of “Back Enders” – the evil skips and their thuglike henchmen, their thirds – eventually wore out the weary broom-carrying, slave labouring front enders... and the group faded out.
Now Toronto’s Paul Wadland, a former Canadian Mixed finalist, has brought the original Scott Linsman design back to life. Wadland will be selling F.E.U. T-shirts today and throughout the weekend in Guelph, Ontario at the annual Sticks And Stones event, which combines curling with golf.
There’s also a F.E.U. Group on Facebook (must be a Facebook member to view).
What prompted the return of the Front Ender’s Union? Was it TV commentator bias? Was it the 2007 WCT decision to give front enders fewer CTRS points to carry over to another curling season?
Who knows? Who cares?
“I remember how we started the F.E.U.” said Ottawa’s Linsman.
“Dave Murphy and I were the front end for Team Ron Diguer at the 1993 Ontario Tankard. We were sitting around the hotel pool with the front end of Team Dave Merklinger (Bill Fletcher and Kevin Lemenchuk) after the last draw of provincials, sipping on brews provided to the Merks by Team Mike Harris. Merk had just beaten Werenich, which gave Harris the bye to the final.
“No doubt we were taking some sort of abuse at the time, and decided right there that we needed a union. Of course it was all in fun, we leveraged the whole carry the broom bag, sweeping, no respect thing.”
Linseman estimates some 300 people “registered” for the union, and received a shirt.
“I’m glad to see the F.E.U. reborn,” Linsman added. “Murphy and I still curl together, although we are on the back end now.
“Of course, we managed to stay members of the union, through a founder’s union contract loophole!”
What else for a Friday?
• Ranfurly Curling Club in New Zealand is celebrating 75 years of curling this weekend ...
• NHL hockey coach Pat Quinn recently lost his mother, Jean. She and her husband were avid mixed curlers in Hamilton, Ontario ...
• BAD MEDIA: TCN hereby calls on Raleigh’s Triangle CC to... attack!
• BAD MEDIA PT II: here is Jonathan Gill’s first editorial posting at bleacher report, and it should really be his last ...
• BAD MEDIA PT. III: yes Andrew, you did call your first curling event last fall and, well, let’s put it this way: we look forward to your continued improvement ...
• The new Team Potter attended the Green Bay high performance camp and are now sharing their training stories online ....
• And finally, Russ Howard, campeón de Curling, no deja de ser un ejemplo de superación!
Curling’s F.E.U., or Front Ender’s Union, is back.
Some may recall the 1993 era of the above logo, which was printed on T-shirts. A national list of members was created and began to grow.
However, the imperialism of “Back Enders” – the evil skips and their thuglike henchmen, their thirds – eventually wore out the weary broom-carrying, slave labouring front enders... and the group faded out.
Now Toronto’s Paul Wadland, a former Canadian Mixed finalist, has brought the original Scott Linsman design back to life. Wadland will be selling F.E.U. T-shirts today and throughout the weekend in Guelph, Ontario at the annual Sticks And Stones event, which combines curling with golf.
There’s also a F.E.U. Group on Facebook (must be a Facebook member to view).
What prompted the return of the Front Ender’s Union? Was it TV commentator bias? Was it the 2007 WCT decision to give front enders fewer CTRS points to carry over to another curling season?
Who knows? Who cares?
“I remember how we started the F.E.U.” said Ottawa’s Linsman.
“Dave Murphy and I were the front end for Team Ron Diguer at the 1993 Ontario Tankard. We were sitting around the hotel pool with the front end of Team Dave Merklinger (Bill Fletcher and Kevin Lemenchuk) after the last draw of provincials, sipping on brews provided to the Merks by Team Mike Harris. Merk had just beaten Werenich, which gave Harris the bye to the final.
“No doubt we were taking some sort of abuse at the time, and decided right there that we needed a union. Of course it was all in fun, we leveraged the whole carry the broom bag, sweeping, no respect thing.”
Linseman estimates some 300 people “registered” for the union, and received a shirt.
“I’m glad to see the F.E.U. reborn,” Linsman added. “Murphy and I still curl together, although we are on the back end now.
“Of course, we managed to stay members of the union, through a founder’s union contract loophole!”
What else for a Friday?
• Ranfurly Curling Club in New Zealand is celebrating 75 years of curling this weekend ...
• NHL hockey coach Pat Quinn recently lost his mother, Jean. She and her husband were avid mixed curlers in Hamilton, Ontario ...
• BAD MEDIA: TCN hereby calls on Raleigh’s Triangle CC to... attack!
• BAD MEDIA PT II: here is Jonathan Gill’s first editorial posting at bleacher report, and it should really be his last ...
• BAD MEDIA PT. III: yes Andrew, you did call your first curling event last fall and, well, let’s put it this way: we look forward to your continued improvement ...
• The new Team Potter attended the Green Bay high performance camp and are now sharing their training stories online ....
• And finally, Russ Howard, campeón de Curling, no deja de ser un ejemplo de superación!
How does a US curler get in on the F.E.U. ??
ReplyDeleteI'm a F.E. everywhere we spiel, besides I like the shirt ??