Hats are normal. At the Brier, hats are special.

Anyone can have a baseball cap but only a few people wear a lobster hat well.

Sue MacLeod from PEI and her friend Lynda Howell from Saskatoon were resplendent with crustaceans on their heads on Monday at the Tim Hortons Brier at TD Place.

Howell has never been to a Brier. Her friend Sue told her “You got to get a lobster and come to the Brier with me.” So they are here and also volunteering.

Howell explained that they submitted their names last May to volunteer in the Patch but the staffing was complete. They subsequently got jobs selling 50-50 tickets.

Both paid to come to Ottawa. Both are paying for their accommodation. Both are volunteering. Why? Howell said, “Cause it’s a fun way to meet people.”

MacLeod said 50-50 tickets aren’t a tough sell.

“We could have sold many here today,” she said. “They were really popular.”

To put the clarified butter on the lobster, neither MacLeod nor Howell curl. “I don’t have a clue,” laughed Howell.

The real PEI cheering section, however, was the 44-person-strong Potato Patch. Their leader is Ron — the father of skip Adam Casey.

“We just wanted to have some fun. So we got some Anne of Green Gables hats and some bells and some noise and (the group is) just trying to have fun and enjoy the curling,” Ron Casey said.

While some of the contingent returned home Monday, they are still a vocal presence in TD Place, many times causing both the players and TSN crew to laugh out loud.

“I think the players enjoyed it. I think they get a few kicks out of it. It’s all for fun,” chuckled Casey.

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