The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Former area resident Jason Jacobson, who has been curling on the Brad Heidt team in the World Curling Tour, is looking forward to the second half of the season, and is getting geared up for the road to the Nokia Brier. For Jacobson, 3rd, the Brier playdowns begin on January 9 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan. After an up and down cash season that saw the Heidt rink finish 12th on the World Curling Tour money list for 2003, the team is hoping for a top finish in the SaskTel Mobility Tankard in February. Heidt (skip) has healed from knee surgery two weeks ago and is ready to play again after leaving the skipping duties up to Jacobson since mid-November when he tore cartilage in his knee at the Yorkton World Curling Tour spiel. "Playdowns are what we prepare for all year," said Jacobson. "Having lost four provincial finals in my curling career, I am incredibly hungry for a 2004 Brier appearance, as are my teammates." Heidt has been to the Brier twice, losing the final to Kerry Burtnyk in 1995 by one point. "He badly wants another shot at a Brier title," said Jacobson. "Mike Jantzen (2nd) and Steve Laycock (lead) are reigning Junior World Champions. It is imperative to them to prove their awesome talents at the men's level just as Kevin Martin, Carter Rycroft, John Morris, and Scott Pfeifer have done in the past." Having been recently hired by the Saskatoon City Police as a Constable, Jacobson will be unable to play for a few days during playdowns due to training. A suitable 5th man is in the works to play 3rd in his place for those few days. "This is the strongest team any one of us have ever played on," said Jacobson. "We are definitely greater than the sum of our parts when we hit the ice. A strong appearance at the Saskatoon Nokia Brier was our goal at the beginning of the year and still is. With a little luck and continued support from our families, friends, and hometowns, our goal could be realized." Jacobson and his teammates realize that they are still young as a team, having been together for only a few short months, but are excited about what they have accomplished already this season. "We know that we are still a new team that has not been together long enough to read each other perfectly," he said. "That's part of what makes this team so exciting Ð we are already one of the top teams in the world and we are constantly improving as we play together. "The support from friends and curlers in Flin Flon has been incredible over the past few years. Please keep it up. Happy new year!"
