P.E.I. skip Suzanne Birt yells out instructions to the sweepers during the Ford Hot Shots competition Friday at the Civic Centre.
Guardian photo by Mitch MacDonald
(by Jason Simmonds)
The wait is almost over for Suzanne Birt.
This afternoon’s opening draw will mark the Summerside native’s return to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts after a two-year absence.
“It feels like I’m going for my first time,” said Birt (nee Gaudet). “That’s how exciting it is. . .
“It’s going to be a big deal because it’s in Charlottetown.”
After winning back-to-back Canadian junior titles in 2001 and 2002, a world junior title in 2001 and bronze at the 2002 world junior championships, Birt represented P.E.I. at the Canadian women’s curling championship five of the next six years, compiling an overall round-robin record of 25-30 (won-lost). Her best showing was 10-1 in 2003, followed by a 2-9 showing in 2004. She went 4-7 in 2006, 6-5 in 2007 and 3-8 in 2008.
“You have to take every year as if it’s your last,” said Birt. “You never know when you’re going to return. I appreciate and love every opportunity that we get.”
Won junior title here
Birt knows what it’s like to curl in a national championship on P.E.I. She skipped her Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink to the Canadian junior women’s title in Summerside in January 2002.
“It’s a different experience for sure than playing somewhere you don’t know anybody,” said Birt, 29. “We did learn something from that.”
P.E.I. opens round-round play in the 12-team championship at the Civic Centre against New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly today at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, P.E.I. faces Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche at 2:30 p.m., and Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland at 7:30 p.m.