19th annual Ford Hot Shots competition ready to go
Canada’s best curlers will show off their individual shot-making skills for the 19th straight year in the Ford Hot Shots skills competition at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kingston, Ont., and the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Monsanto, in Edmonton.
The annual competition sees curlers throw six different shots: Hit and Stay, Draw the Button, Draw the Port, The Raise, Hit and Roll and Double Takeout. Each shot is awarded points on a scale from 0-5 depending on the end result of the shot.
Ford of Canada will provide the winner after four rounds of competition (preliminary, quarter-finals, semifinals, final) at both the Scotties and Brier with a two-year lease on a 2013 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L, AWD with EcoBoost, an approximate retail value of $14,000. This stunning new 2013 Ford Fusion features a 2.0L, turbocharged, direct injection EcoBoost engine that will give drivers maximum power and efficiency from each drop of fuel. Available Sync with MyFord Touch driver connect technology integrates the vehicle with the drivers’ digital world. Available Active Park Assist will help you parallel park with ease. The All-New Ford Fusion. It’s an entirely new idea of what a car can be.
The second-place finisher will be presented with a cheque for $2,000, while the third-place finisher receives $1,000.
At the Scotties, the Ford Hot Shots preliminary round will begin at 2 p.m. (AST) on Friday, Feb. 15. The playoffs (Final Eight, Final Four, Final) begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, following the Opening Ceremonies.
At the Brier, the Ford Hot Shots preliminary round will begin at 4 p.m. (AST) on Friday, March 1. The playoffs (Final Eight, Final Four, Final) begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, following the Opening Ceremonies.
Since 1995, the Ford Hot Shots event has provided not only an exciting beginning to each championship but has proven to be an extremely popular competition for curlers and fans. Previous Ford Hot Shots winners at the Hearts are the Territories’ Kelli Turpin, British Columbia’s Sherry Fraser, Kelley Law (twice) and Kristy Lewis, Alberta’s Marcy Balderston and Cheryl Bernard, Saskatchewan’s Kay Montgomery, Manitoba’s Gerri Cooke and Jill Officer, Ontario’s Andrea Lawes and Jenn Hanna, New Brunswick’s Allison Farrell (Franey), Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne Birt (Gaudet), Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones, Saskatchewan’s Amber Holland, Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones of Manitoba and last year’s winner, Kerry Galusha of the Territories.
Past winners at the Brier have been Greg McAulay and Pat Ryan of British Columbia, Alberta’s Don Bartlett, Randy Ferbey and John Morris, Saskatchewan’s Steve Laycock, Manitoba’s Steve Gould (twice), Northern Ontario’s Mike Coulter, Ontario’s Ed Werenich, Craig Savill and Richard Hart, New Brunswick’s Rick Perron, Jeff Lacey and Marc LeCocq, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Mark Nichols, Ontario’s Glenn Howard and last year’s winner, Wayne Middaugh of Ontario.