Pat Ryan grew up curling in Winnipeg, where he perfected his tuck slide delivery, but found his greatest success in Alberta. Following his heartbreaking loss to Al Hackner in the 1985 Brier, Pat would go on to build a team with Randy Ferbey, Don Walchuk and Don McKenzie. The "Ryan Express" won back-to-back Briers in 1988 and '89 with advanced hitting abilities that transformed the game and helped lead to the adoption of the free guard zone in the 1990s.
After moving to British Columbia, Pat joined forces as third for Rick Folk. Along with Bert Gretzinger and Gerry Richard, they would reach back-to-back Brier finals, winning in 1994 over Ontario's Russ Howard. The 1994 Brier included a little known controversy with rock choices heading into the playoffs. Pat will share his version of that experience in Red Deer along with his thoughts on sweeping controversies going back to 1970s.
For more information on Curling Legend Pat Ryan, locate a copy of Jean Sonmor's "Burned by the Rock" or "The Brier" by Bob Weeks. The famous 1985 Brier final can be found in its entirety on YouTube. You can also find several of Pat's musical performances on Youtube as well.
Next week: Terry Braunstein
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