SUNDRE - Former Sundre curler Dylan Webster says his experience at the 2024 Montana’s Brier was a memorable and exciting time.
Webster, 32, was the lead on one of the Alberta teams, which included skip Aaron Sluchinski, third Jeremy Harty and second Kerr Drummond.
Coached by Mickey Pendergast, the team qualified for the Brier by defeating the Kevin Koe rink at the 2024 provincial championships in Hinton.
Played March 1-10 in Regina, Saskatchewan, the 2024 Brier featured 18 teams. The Sluchinski team ended up with a four-wins, four-loses record.
“It was great and we played a lot of good teams,” Webster told the Albertan. “We beat some good teams and then we lost to some teams that we should have beaten, but overall with a four and four record we can’t be too upset at our first Brier.
“We tried to soak in the experience as much as we could. It’s definitely a big spectacle. There’s a lot more going on that week than in any other event we’ve played in with lots of off-ice commitments and eight games packed into the week.”
If the team makes it back to the brier in 2025, “we will definitely know what we are walking into and we won’t be so much deer-in-the-headlights,” he said.
Asked about his play in particular, Webster said he had some highs and sone lows.
“I had an up and down week, I played some good games at the beginning and then struggled a bit near the end,” he said. “Overall, I’m capable of playing better and more consistent but I can’t be too disappointed with it being my first brier.”
There was lots of support of the team, both at the event and back home, he said.
“My wife Danielle and eight-month-old daughter Brooklyn came to Regina to cheer me on, along with my mom and stepdad,” he said. “It was great support. I saw some people from Sundre there. It was all great.”
So what’s up next for the Sluchinski team?
“We will probably spend a couple weeks letting everything die down and we will get together as a team and talk about the season and make sure we are all on the same page for next year,” he said.
“When we put the team together we have a four-year plan, like with the Olympic cycle. Next year is the last of the cycle with the Olympic trials coming up, so we are right in the cusp of the trials with eight teams getting in and we are ranked seventh in Canada.”
The Olympic trials are in November 2025.
