The opening weekend of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts drew the dedicated, the colourful and the noisy from across Canada.
On any given draw, the seats inside the Enmax Centrium were a kaleidoscope of fans dressed in red, green, yellow or blue and waving provincial flags.
Medicine Hat’s Sponge Girls weren’t hard to miss between their spirited cheers and their flashy attire. The group of about 15 showed their Team Canada and Team Saskatchewan pride by dressing from head to toe in bright green or red garb depending on the draw.
The Sponge Girls get their moniker by putting a spin on the major sponsor Scott Paper Towels. Member Sheila Rumberg said the women named their group in 2004 when the Scotties were last in Red Deer. The Sponge Girls are a well-known crew in curling rinks in Medicine Hat and surrounding communities.
“We just love curling,” said Rumberg.
Rumberg said the women are recreational curlers, between the ages of 30 and 65, who love to support the game either through volunteering at events or watching games. Rumberg said most members of the group will leave on Wednesday but a handful will stay for the duration of the tournament. Because most members are transplants from Saskatchewan, they back the Canada and Saskatchewan rinks.
“One day we’re wearing red and green,” said Rumberg. “You never know what to expect from this group.”
Not too far away from the Sponge Girls in another section were another boisterous group from Yorkton, Sask., including Hans Madsen who topped his head with a large, red Canadian hat and painted his beard a bright red to match on Sunday afternoon. At the day’s first draw his beard shone a light shade of green.
“Just for fun and get in the spirit of things,” said Madsen, 62, who travelled with a group of about 30 fans. “We’re just here to have fun and cheer the girls on.”
Madsen’s beard tells the story of his support – either Saskatchewan or Canada. Later in the week, he will paint his beard pink for breast cancer and blue to support the Scotties.
Calgarians Linda Matuska and Dianne Kazakoff were no strangers to the Scotties either. The two friends wore a subtle shade of blue to support the Alberta foursome.
“I love the game,” said Matuska, who wore a light blue scarf. “I love the social activity related to the game.”
Kazakoff attended the Scotties in Red Deer (2004), Calgary, Charlottetown, Brandon, Saskatoon, Victoria, Prince George, Vancouver and Lethbridge.
“It’s fun seeing the gals (that) we only see at the Hearts every couple of years,” said Kazakoff. “This year we’re down to four. For twenty years there were eight of us.”
Sherri Ryckman, host committee chair, said the fan support was outstanding this first weekend.
“It’s so fun,” said Ryckman. “Team Canada has an incredible following. Of course we have our regular people who come to all our curling events ... Different fans have just a ton of fun doing different things. There’s been a lot of cheering and excitement.”
The Scotties tournament runs until Feb. 26 at Westerner Park.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com