Prairie rinks and high backswings

By Joan Janzen

A photo of Bob Pickering’s famous high backswing shared on Historic Saskatchewan’s Facebook page sparked some memories from prairie dwellers. One curler said the prairie rinks enjoyed characters like Bob Pickering and celebrated his high backswing. Teenage curlers “came of age” when they mastered this skill, along with feats of strength at the curling rink.

A rock was picked up by the handle and cleaned by rubbing it on the woollen siwash sweaters everyone wore to keep from freezing on the outdoor ice. Remember those thick hand-knit siwash sweaters?

Another curler said she learned the sport by mastering the backswing. It was how she got momentum on the rock with no need for touching it as it neared the hogline. No one wanted to sit behind the glass when the rock was delivered for fear the handle might break mid-backswing and the rock would end up in a spectator’s lap.

Bob (Pee Wee) Pickering was a Saskatchewan curler from the Avonlea curling club who was well-known for his backswing. Photo Historic Saskatchewan