Having participated in seven different national curling championships covering three different brackets of play, 67 year-old Sudbury native Bruce Munro is well equipped to offer an insightful perspective on how some events might differ from the others.
In fairness, we'll back the 1974 Ontario Schoolboys Championship (later renamed the Canadian Juniors) that he attended with the Lockerby Vikings' rink of Ron Collins, Brian Chisnell and Sandy Reid as well as coach John Hause out of that mix, simply because its a given that much has changed over the course of fifty years.
But the 2013 Seniors (Duncan Bell, Drew Eloranta, John Querney) that gives way to five national Masters bonspiels, including this spring in Chicoutimi (Québec) are certainly points of discussion.
"In seniors, everyone still hung out after the games, but with Masters, everyone sits down afterwards and tells stories," laughed Munro. "It's still very competitive on the ice - but these guys have some great stories to tell."
Few can spin a curling yarn better than Thunder Bay native and curling legend Al Hackner, the man that Munro accompanied to his first few ventures to Canadian Masters.
The 2024 versionof Team Munro, however, offered an even more personal touch for the man who recalls easily the challenges of simply trying to get out of the club when the Idylwylde could boast as many as twelve or so ultra-competitive men's open teams.
"With Al (Hackner) and that group, they really enjoy themselves, like to tell stories and stay up late," suggested Munro. "This group was just really good friends."
For Munro, that would mean a first Masters alongside Duncan Bell, a teammate on curling rinks of some sort or another for some 35 years now. They were joined by Al Harnden and Mark Borgegelli, a nearly as tight twosome from Sault Ste Marie.
To boot, Munro was throwing fourth stones for the first time at this particular event - though he might be the one on this current team who keeps himself most busy with the game.
"For me, I need to play," he said. "I'm with Chucker (Ross) for Pensioners, with Duncan on Tuesday (All-Sorts League) and Thursday. I love it; I love throwing rocks. If our game ends early, I'll stay out on the ice 15, 20 minutes minutes, throwing rocks."
"It helps keep me fit."
And yet, for as much as the competitive fire still burns within him, Munro finds a way to marry it with a personable approach to every encounter, both on and off the ice, capturing the Sportsmanship Award in Chicoutimi.
Career highlights, however, rest with his first national title at the Canadian Masters (2017 in Guelph), with his brother in attendance, as well as the memories of the 1974 Schoolboys - in part because Sudbury had not sent a team to the provincials in some 13 years or so, at the time.
Munro would go on to claim a second Canadian Masters crown (2022 in Winnipeg), teaming up with Al Hackner, Eric Harnden and Frank Morissette and adding just one more layer of perspective for a man who has pretty much seen it all in the sport of curling.
