Hall of Famers: 2014

Gould, Steve
CURLER
Inducted 2014

Steve Gould curled at the competitive level from 1985 until 2012 when he retired from the sport.

Steve changed the importance of the lead position.  He spent his entire career perfecting his throwing and sweeping skills.  These skills included the “Gouldie” tic shot which has been adopted by many of the leading competitive teams.

As a junior curler, he curled on teams that won bonspiel events in 1985, 1986, and 1987.  He also appeared in 2 Provincial Junior Men’s Championships in 1991 and 1992.

In 1995, Steve made the first of 15 appearances in the Safeway Select Provincial Championships; winning in 1996, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.  Having won the Brier, he played lead on Jeff Stoughton’s 2006 and 2011 Men’s World Champion teams.

Steve participated in 3 Olympic Trials in 1997, 2005 and 2009.

He was recognized as the all-star lead 7 times at the provincial and national levels.

Mitch Tarapasky started curling at a young age at the Thistle Curling Club and soon moved to the Victoria, where he was involved for almost 40 years.

Very soon he became involved in the administrative side of curling.  Following in the footsteps of both his parents, who were presidents, past presidents and Honorary Life Members of the Victoria, Mitch first joined the Board while still in his late teens.  He was on the Board for almost 30 years and was club secretary for 16 years.  He is a past president and HLM of the Victoria (2004).

Mitch served for 12 years as a member of the MCA Board of Directors.  Included in these years were 3 years as Club Representative, 2 years as a Regional Director and 5 years as a member of the Management Committee.  During this time, he chaired all the championship committees as well as the bonspiel review committee (2004).  Mitch was MCA President in 2006 -2007.  He also served a 5-year term on the CCA Board of Directors.

Beginning in 1991, he played a major role in all of the national and international events hosted in Winnipeg.  He held chairmanships in the 1991 and 2003 Worlds and 1998 Brier and was vice-president of the 2008 Brier.  He was chairman of the Roar of the Rings Olympic Trials (2013).

Mitch has been actively involved in such projects as launching the first MCA website (1999), the Winnipeg Curling Clubs Association, and the American Goodwill visits.

Mitch was made an HLM of the MCA (2007).

Tarapsky, Mitchell
BUILDER
Inducted 2014

Wuthrich, Hans
BUILDER
Inducted 2014

Hans Wuthrich is known throughout Canada and the international world for his superior ice making knowledge and skill.

He is a certified National Ice Technician, Ice Technician Instructor, and National Course Instructor for the Canadian Curling Association. With these qualifications he has been responsible as head technician for 39 provincial competitions, 18 national competitions and 4 Olympic Trials in Canada.

As Head Ice Technician Hans, has been responsible for 10 international events, 19 World competitions and Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Sochi, Russia and Pyeongchang, South Korea.

As an Ice Technician Consultant, Hans was a facilities consultant for CurlManitoba for many years. In this capacity he visited 30 to 40 clubs per year; consulting and assisting local clubs as they strived to improve their ice making capabilities and acquire new, modern skills to make the best possible ice surfaces.

Being multilingual, Hans has been able to consult and teach in Europe since 1991. His first international ice making responsibility was in 1993 at Geneva, Switzerland for their national championship and his first Canadian assignment was the Ford World in Brandon in 1995.

In 2003 Hans was the recipient of the Canadian Curling Association’s “Award of Achievement” for his significant contributions in the development of new pebble heads and ice scraper technology. He was made an Honorary Life Member of CurlManitoba in 2018.

The 1979 Canadian Men’s Champions consisted of Barry Fry as skip; Bill Carey – third; Gord Sparkes – second; and Bryan Wood – lead.

In 1979, they curled out of the Deer Lodge Curling Club.

At the provincial British Consols Championship they won the event with a 7W – 1L record.  They were then successful at the Canadian championship, the 50th Macdonald Brier, with a 10W – 1L record.  Barry Fry was the all-star skip.

At the World Championsip in Berne, Switzerland, the Fry foursome posted a 6W – 3L round robin record and advanced to the semi-final with a tiebreaker win over Scott Baird (USA).

In the semi-final, Canada lost 6-4 to Norway’s Kristian Soerum. The Soerum foursome had lost the final a year earlier in Winnipeg but this time were not to be denied. In the final, they defeated the Swiss team skipped by Peter Attinger Jr.

Three of the team members are inductees of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame for other accomplishments.  Barry fry was inducted as a curler (1994) and as a member of the 1973 Canadian Mixed Championship Team (2013).  Bryan Wood was inducted as a curler (1995) and a member of the 1970 & 1971 Canadian and World Championship Team (1987). Gordon Sparkes was inducted in the curler/builder category (2004).

Fry – 1979 TEAM
Canadian Champions
Inducted 2014

Pidzarko – 1978 TEAM
Canadian Champions
Inducted 2014

The 1978 Canadian Ladies’ Champions included Cathy Pidzarko as skip with Chris Pidzarko (More, Scalena) – third; Iris Armstrong – second; and Patti Vande – lead.

This 1978 team curled out of the Stony Mountain Ladies’ Curling Club in Manitoba.

At the Manitoba Lassie Championship they had an undefeated 5W – 0L record. At the Canadian Championships, held in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, they won with a 7W – 3L record. In the round robin format used in 1978, the Pidzarko Team was in the unique position of having to sit out the final round in the stands while other teams’ wins or losses determined their fate!

These four champion curlers are already recognized members of the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in other categories. Cathy and Chris are members of the 1972 & 1973 Canadian Junior Championship Team. They were inducted in 2003. As well Chris is a member of the 1984 Laliberte Team inducted in 1995. She is also a member in the individual curler category; inducted in 1994. Iris was inducted in 2005 in the curler category. Patti was inducted in the curler/ builder category in 1994.