Classic rock

NEW GLASGOW - Some elements of sport go far beyond winners and losers.
In some events, the participants are not all world-class competitors, but the prize is something storied and special.
The McLellan Cup is just that trophy. It's been around for more than a century - 103 years, to be exact - and every year, curling clubs around the Maritimes try their best to make history by holding it, if only for a little while.
Yesterday, the Bluenose Curling Club took back the Cup, defeating the defending champions from the Westville Curling Club in an afternoon event that featured a of couple dozen curlers and plenty of drama.
You see, every winter, the Cup travels from town-to-town, with the winning rink earning the right to defend it the next week as champion.
The stops aren't always glamourous - after this week, the trophy heads to River Hebert - but the prestige is unquestioned.
"History," explains Jason?LeBlanc, as to why his mates from?Westville spent the day making shots. "It's got a long history in the Maritimes, and you get to meet people from all sorts of clubs."
Also, there's something special about the way this trophy is contested - three games are played at once, and the scores of all three matches are added up. That way, no end is wasted, even if a particular contest is a blowout.
Matches last a whopping 14 ends, which would have been mighty cold in the old outdoor rink days. That's about four hours of curling - for men only, of course - and games are only to be played on a Wednesday afternoon. The timing sometimes limits a club's roster, because one's best curler might have to work at that time, although the odd one or two will play hookie.
Afterwards, the host club serves the two teams a meal, a sign of the goodwill and fellowship of the sport.
Still, such a trophy does warrant a certain level of competitiveness - after all, this is considered the oldest continuously played-for trophy in the sport.
Westville held the trophy for two weekends after capturing it, but they surrendered it on this day.
The three matches were all very distinct, with LeBlanc guiding Westville to a convincing 25-8 win over Bob Hanes' rink on sheet A. The third sheet was a blowout the other way, as Haylett Clarke and Bluenose built a commanding 24-3 lead over Tom Gordon's mates. That left the middle sheet as the decider, and John Marshall did enough to wrest the trophy from Westville, winning his match over Ivan Millen 13-11.
When the scores were tallied, Bluenose had beaten Westville
45-39, and will now travel as hosts until they suffer defeat.
"Our lopsided win balanced out the lopsided loss for Bluenose on the other sheet," said Bruce Wornell, part of Bluenose's 24-3 win. "The people in our club understand what this is all about, and they want to participate. Every point counts.
"It's club curling. It's not provincial level. But clubs generally try and put their best teams out, given that it has to be Wednesday afternoon, and that can affect work schedules."
The Bluenose Curling Club has a rich history in the event. Wornell said a group in the mid-1980s won the trophy, then successfully defended it 17 consecutive times. He believes that remains a record for the competition.
"When you think about it, to go every week to another curling club and win, travelling all the while, that's a really impressive streak."
Wornell points out that this year's run might not match the impressive feat of that 1980s Bluenose team - in fact the River Hebert team ended their run pretty quickly last season.
"They whooped us pretty bad," he said.
As for Westville, their run of three was better than they had managed for a little while, and LeBlanc said the team will eagerly await their chance next season.
"This was our second defence, and third week playing, so it's the best we've done in a while," LeBlanc said. "It's a friendly competition, but it's still a competition. As the game goes on, you start watching what's happening on the other scoreboards, doing the math and trying to get enough points to win the overall match.
"Pretty much every team that loses the Cup will challenge for it the following year, and that's what keeps it going."
The nice meal at the end of the day solidified the friendly nature of this day. There was something on the line, but most of the guys kept it pretty light, cracking jokes on the ice and enjoying the occasional beverage to stay warm on the ice.
There are no more rinks in Pictou?County scheduled to compete for the McLellan Cup this season, so if it's going to spend the summer around these parts, Bluenose will be the last hope.
Either way, there's always next year, when the old mug turns 104, still shiny, golden and meaningful after all these years.