"I couldn't stop talking about it for hours afterwards."
There was "nothing else" like it, he said.
"Where else can you share a drink during a game and still be really competitive about it?"
He was one of nearly 100 competitors back on the ice in Naseby yesterday - some of them possibly more serious than others - for the Naseby Curling Council’s Baxter Cup, being held for the first time in seven years.
With clear blue skies and the temperature a shade above 5°C at the start of the tournament at 9am, conditions were finally right for the 10 teams to fight it out in what is one of New Zealand’s oldest sports tournaments.
Ice master Jock Scott said the teams had only 24 hours warning to get everything ready.
"You have to have a pretty good excuse not to participate in it if you belong to a curling club. It’s a very prestigious tournament."
The Baxter Cup was first contested in 1884, and was believed to be New Zealand’s oldest "active" sporting trophy, after the Ballinger Belt for competition rifle shooting.
"It can only be played on natural ice.
"It means the conditions can be very unpredictable compared to an indoor rink.
"I'd been listening to the forecasts and knew the depth of the water wasn't huge, so I had been waiting for this."
Hand-eye co-ordination was vital for any competitive curler, he said.
"For me, this tournament is huge. It’s what I want to do most of all."
At 13 years old, Jake McMillan was the youngest competitor in the tournament.
Playing alongside his father, Jamie McMillan, he said was excited to be part of something so historic.
"It’s just been a lot of fun."
Curler Peter Becker, who is a World Curling Hall of Fame member, said this tournament was as important as any he participated in.
"There’s something about the open air and the cup’s history. The ice is absolutely ideal.
"To be a good curler, you need to throw a good line with the right weight — it’s like being a good bowler in cricket."
Naseby curler Christine Diack was another long-timer, having participated in tournaments for more than 40 years.
"Curling is the only sport I know where etiquette and sportsmanship is paramount and yet it’s still highly competitive."
The cup was won by the Ranfurly team with four wins (81 points), Naseby was second with three wins (79 points) and Garibaldi was third with three wins (75 points).
