Curl B.C. inducted its first group of 76 hall of famers earlier this week. The organization said members of the inaugural class made a lasting impression on the heritage of curling in British Columbia.
“(Curling) is one of the historic sports in Canada – especially in smaller communities, outside of the populated areas, there’s a curling centre. They’re the centrepiece of the town,” said Scott Braley, CEO of Curl B.C.
Graham Prouse was inducted into Curl B.C.’s hall of fame. Prouse played curling competitively, but the Fort Nelson native said his administrative work within the sport earned him his spot in the Curling Canada Hall of Fame.
According to Braley, the B.C. Curling Hall of Fame was determined by cross-referencing other bodies’ hall of fames – including Curling Canada’s.
“I thought it was a really nice gesture that Curl B.C. went back and looked at B.C. residents who were members of various hall of fames to incorporate as inaugural members,” Prouse said, describing his reaction to the honour.
The 62-year-old said he’s curled for 50 years of his life. Prouse began his curling journey in his hometown, where he began playing with his parents recreationally. Prouse said he found a “community within a community.”
As he grew up, he curled competitively – starting in the juniors, then in men’s and mixed categories.
While in high school, Prouse began his journey behind the scenes. He started a curling club board at school. Later he was approached to be an executive of a non-school-related curling club.
“That just kind of naturally branched out into the region, and then provincially, and then nationally, and then internationally. It just seemed like a path that I didn’t get off of,” Prouse said.
Prouse worked for Curling Canada in 2010 during the Winter Olympics in B.C., he described the experience of working in the sport he loved while the Olympics were in town as surreal.
However, one of Prouse’s favourite Olympic memories comes out of the 2014 games.
“We were at the game in Sochi when the Canadian women’s hockey team beat the American women’s hockey team in overtime. I still count that as probably the coolest sporting event I have ever been to live,” he said, recounting Canada’s 3-2 win for gold.
Prouse said Curling’s future looks bright as the sport spreads into warmer regions and the high level of play from new curlers keeps him optimistic.
