Hitting golf balls on the fairway on a sunny summer day or throwing stones in cold rinks during the winter months is a lifestyle Daniel Bruce is enjoying to the fullest.
The 19-year-old Corner Brook native could only wish it lasts forever, but the reality is he has to find a balance between fun times and academics as he pursues an economics degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Bruce, the defending provincial junior men’s curling champion, is back on the ice this winter with a trip to the junior nationals on his mind, but this year there is a new face in the mix.
St. John’s native Greg Blyde is the new guy on the team, serving as the skip of a talented group that includes returnees lead Nathan King of Corner Brook and second Ryan McNeil-Lamswood of Stephenville.
Daniel is the fourth for the team, the guy who will throw the final two stones as Blyde calls the game from the house.
Blyde was added to the mix this winter after Daniel’s twin brother — Andrew Bruce — wasn’t available because he’s playing golf at the University of Victoria on a scholarship.
Bruce throws stones five nights a week to keep his game sharp, and that’s all of the free time he has to work with, so curling is pretty much his life outside the classroom.
Blyde is no stranger to the guys. He has been a keen competitor at the junior level for a number of years and won the provincial junior men’s crown two years ago.
“He’s going to bring a real competitive edge and he will motivate us to do well,” Lamswood-McNeil said. “I feel great about the new team. I think we have a real shot at having some good competitive games at provincials and we could give it a good run.”
Crunching numbers by day and throwing stones by night will be the norm for Bruce and that’s just fine with him because whether it’s a curling broom or a golf club, he’s not interested in doing anything else with his precious time.
