Jim Cotter remembers sitting in the stands of Riverside Coliseum, a 21-year-old watching Kamloops’ Barry McPhee compete in the 1996 Kamloops Brier.
“It was quite the feeling to sit in the crowd and see that unfold,” Cotter told KTW on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
“Being a big fan of Barry McPhee and Kenny Brown and those guys, it was like ‘Wow, what a dream come true for those guys, I would love to be in that situation.’”
Eighteen years later, now 39, Cotter will have the opportunity to realize that dream, when he steps into the hack on March 1 at the Interior Savings Centre for the 2014 Kamloops Brier.
Though this will be his fourth Brier appearance — he threw fourth stones for skip Bob Ursel in the 2008 Brier in Winnipeg and skipped his own teams in 2011 in London, Ont. and 2012 in Saskatoon — this time things will be a little different. He’ll be returning to his hometown to play on one of the biggest stages in Canadian curling.
Cotter throws fourth stones for John Morris’ rink, which will be representing B.C. at the Brier.
Despite now calling Vernon home, Cotter was born and raised in Kamloops and still thinks of himself as a Kamloops boy, even though he left the city more than 10 years ago.
“It definitely makes it a little more special,” he said. “Born and raised in Kamloops, I grew up curling there, playing baseball, I’ve got tons of family and friends there. So, it definitely makes it extra special to go back to my hometown and play in such a big event like the Brier.”
Cotter’s mother, Pat, and his sister, Richelle, still live in Kamloops. He also has a lot of friends who still call the city home, connections from his years in sports and his time as a student at NorKam secondary and the University College of the Cariboo.
Cotter doesn’t know how much free time he’ll have to visit friends and family — the Brier runs on a tight schedule — but regardless, he’s excited to have the opportunity to play in front of a hometown crowd.
“It’s fantastic,” Pat said. “He’s really excited. This is his hometown — he was practically raised at the Kamloops Curling Club”
She’s hoping that despite the fact that he now makes his permanent home in Vernon, people around the city still think of him as a local product.
“I’m hoping he’s got lots of supporters, I’m pretty sure he does,” she said.
This year’s Brier is special for Cotter not only because of its location — it’s one of the best shots he has had at winning the national title. This season’s addition of Morris at skip has helped Cotter take his game to another level, focusing on throwing the last rocks rather than calling the game.
“John’s one of the best players, if not the best player, in the world,” Cotter said. “It kind of spreads the pressure amongst our teammates. John calling the game, he can concentrate on that, and I can concentrate on throwing the last brick.
“I think it’s a great combination and we work extremely well together.”
The Morris rink came up just short in their bid to represent Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics — they finished second to Ontario’s Brad Jacobs at the Roar of the Rings — but winning the Brier will give them the opportunity to represent Canada in another capacity.
A gold medal in Kamloops would mean a berth in the 2014 Men’s Curling World Championship in Beijing, China. For the first time in Brier history it would also mean an automatic berth in the 2015 bonspiel as Team Canada.
Not that Cotter needs another reason to be excited about coming home to slide in Kamloops.
“The Brier is just a phenomenal event,” he said. “People compete their entire lives to try and get to the Brier and for us to go back there — you want to be 100 per cent ready, go out there and put in a great effort. Hopefully, at the end of the day, you’re standing on the podium.”
