This February, a group of UBC Engineering alumni of all stripes travelled from far and wide to meet in Calgary for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canadian women’s curling championship. Our little group was composed of alumni from a wide range of departments with even more varied career paths. Many of us were friends from attending UBC engineering together, but this weekend we got to introduce friends to other friends and enjoy the creation of new connections.
I have often wondered why engineers seem especially drawn to the sport of curling, whether to play or simply watch. Perhaps it is the physics of the sport we appreciate – the precise angle angle to hit a rock so it moves just so, or how fast to spin the stone so it carves the perfect curved path down the ice. Perhaps it is the strategy we find so compelling, planning out a game rock by rock and end by end. Or perhaps it is the sportsmanship and camaraderie integral to the sport of curling that we love so much, reminding us of the collaborative spirit of engineering we learned at school and continue to practice in our careers. In any case, it was a treat to get together with like-minded people to watch a sport that speaks to us so deeply.
Aside from our enthusiasm for curling, we were especially excited to attend the 2024 Scotties to see the Canadian curling legend, Jennifer Jones, compete in her final championship before retiring from the sport. We each came into the tournament with our own favourite teams, and we all wore our reds to cheer on team BC, but sadly they were eliminated before the championship weekend. In the eight games we watched over three days, we got to witness some outstanding curling from powerhouse teams, and some exciting upsets from the underdogs. Team Alberta defied expectations by making it all the way to the quarterfinals, spurred on by the enthusiastic support of the home-province crowd. Throughout the tournament, Jennifer Jones fought hard to make it to the final against Rachel Homan, another great Canadian curler. Both teams played an amazing game, but in a nail-biting finish, team Homan secured the victory.
We are all grateful for the opportunity to connect with old friends and make some new ones, all while cheering on some of the best athletes in the sport of curling. Thank you UBC APSC for your contribution.
Submitted by Elizabeth Vasilkovs, BASc '21
