Rick Lang Mixed Curling Rink (1981)
Rick Lang Mixed Curling Rink (1981) was a mixed curling team from Northern Ontario that won the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in 1981. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[1]
Overview
Season
The Rick Lang rink represented Northern Ontario at the 1981 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Entering the final match, the team faced significant challenges, as Rick Lang had never previously defeated a representative from Saskatchewan. Their opponent, skipped by Rick Folk, held the title of 1980 Men's World Champion. During the round robin, the Saskatchewan squad had posted a 9-2 record, which included a 9-5 win over the Northern Ontario team on ice conditions that favored Folk's style of play.[1]
The conditions shifted during the playoffs as the ice surface became faster and straighter, a change that benefited the specific skills of the Northern Ontario players. The rink consisted of skip Rick Lang, the husband and wife duo of Anne Provo at third and Bert Provo at second, and lead Lorraine Edwards. In the semi-final, the team secured a dominant 11-3 victory over the entry from Alberta to earn a place in the championship game.[1]
In the final against Saskatchewan, Rick Folk struggled with draw weight but maintained a 3-2 lead until the eighth end, when Rick Lang leveled the score. After a scoreless ninth end, the game came down to the final stone. Folk faced two Northern Ontario rocks in the house on his last shot, but his delivery was too heavy. The victory made the Rick Lang rink only the second group from Northwestern Ontario to claim the national mixed crown.[1]
The team was later honored for their achievement with induction into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 29, 1990.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Lang | skip | |
| Anne Provo | third | |
| Bert Provo | second | |
| Lorraine Lang | lead |
Honours and achievements
- 1981 Canadian Mixed Curling Champions
- Defeated Alberta 11-3 in the national semi-final
- Defeated Saskatchewan in the national final
- Second team from Northwestern Ontario to win the Canadian mixed title[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Lang [Rick] Mixed Curling Rink", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/8cdfc01e-ce97-4655-90b8-4ddd784c8764 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.