(by Charles Reid)
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Bobby Dillon’s curling resume is a wish list most curlers would die for.
Second-place Brier finishes in 1964 and 1973; third-places finishes in 1968-69; placing second in the big-time Tournament of Champions cashspiel in Toronto in 1965; appearances in five mixed nationals and five senior nationals; induction into the Curling Hall of Fame of Canada, the P.E.I. Curling Hall of Fame and the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame.
That’s a heap of goodies, made sweet by Dillon’s play on the pebbles which began by throwing second stone in for Art Burke’s Charlottetown rink at the 1962 Brier in Kitchener, Ont.
Robert Francis (Bobby) Dillon died last week at 79 in his hometown of Charlottetown and leaves behind a curling legacy unmatched by many.
Veteran Island curler Blair Weeks would agree with that. As a teen, Weeks watched Dillon play while he grew up in the game. Eventually he had a chance to face him on the ice.
“…It was always exciting watching him and his team with their trademark black sweaters and purple hearts. Even into their forties they were able to compete with the great teams of the late 70s led by Justice Kenny MacDonald, John Fortier and Dr. Wayne Matheson,” said Weeks. “I played against Bobby in the city championship finals and it was the thrill of my curling life up to that point.”
The Guardian caught up with Weeks for a Q&A session about Dillon’s abilities, style of play and his legacy.
The Guardian – What affect do you think Dillon had on the game in P.E.I?
Weeks – He gave it national credibility. He played on P.E.I.’s best Brier team, in 1968 and 1969, with the great Alan Smith skipping. The Smith team finished in third place both of those years. He, his brother George and Doug Cameron set the standard for Brier appearancess and it took 20-25 years before these standards were surpassed.
The Guardian – Did others copy his style of play?
Weeks – Bobby had his own style of delivering the rock as so many did during his era. It was fluid and aggressive. His teams in the 1970s were all superb at the takeout game while Bobby would often finish with a key draw shot. Everyone at the Charlottetown Curling Club wanted to be able to hit curling rocks like his teams could.