Ford Hot Shots

Former curling skills competition

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The Ford Hot Shots was the annual skills competition preceding both the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's women's and men's national curling championships respectively.[1] The competition has not been held since 2018.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Disciplines
* 3 Scoring
* 4 Prizes
* 5 Winners
* 6 References

## History[edit]

When Ford became a sponsor of the World Curling Championships in 1995, it also began a tradition of a skills competition preceding Canada's national championships.[2]

The change in competition format for the 2018 Tournament of Hearts and 2018 Brier led to a change in format for the Hot Shots. Fifteen teams would compete instead of individual curlers, with the winning team being awarded a cheque for $15,000 and one of four Hot Shots spectators winning the two-year lease on the Ford vehicle.[3][4] The three finalist spectators would each receive $500 to donate to the charities of their choice.[5]

## Disciplines[edit]

There were six disciplines that each competitor (for 2018, each team) had to do:[6]

* The "hit and stay" (they must hit a rock on the button and not roll out)
* The "draw to the button" (they must throw the rock as close as possible to the centre of the rings)
* The "draw through the port" (the must throw the rock as close as possible to the centre of the rings, but go between two guard rocks in the process.
* The "raise" (they must bump a guard rock into the rings as close as possible to the centre)
* The "hit and roll" (they must hit a rock at the edge of the rings and roll as close as possible to the centre of the rings)
* The "double" (they must remove two rocks with one stone, and end up as close as possible to the centre of the rings)

The "Hackner Double"

The "Schmirler in-off"

Since 2017, the event included five new disciplines:[2]

* The "Hackner double", replicating Al Hackner's famous double takeout at the 1985 Labatt Brier.
* The "Schmirler shot", replicating Sandra Schmirler's in-off at the 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials to send her team to the 1998 Winter Olympics.
* A "straight raise to the button"
* A "drag-effect double takeout"
* An "around the horn triple takeout for two".

## Scoring[edit]

For each shot, where the shooter rock came to rest determined how many points were earned. A rock that ended up on the button received 5 points. A rock that ended up in the 4 foot ring got 4 points. 8 foot ring, 3; 12 foot for 2; and one point if a "shot has been to have provided some sort of positive result."[7]

## Prizes[edit]

Until 2018, the winner of the Hot Shots received a 2-year lease on a Ford vehicle. First and Second runners-up received cash ($2000 and $1000 respectively). In 2009, the women's winner received a lease on a 2009 Ford Flex SEL FWD and the men's winner received a lease on a 2009 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4. In 2013 the lease vehicle was a Ford Fusion SE.[1]

Winning women's vehicles:[8]

* 1995: Ford Contour GL
* 1996: Mercury Mystique
* 1997: Ford Contour
* 1998: Mercury Mystique LS
* 1999: Mercury Mystique LS
* 2000: Ford Taurus SE
* 2001: Ford Taurus SE
* 2002: Ford Focus SE Wagon
* 2003: Ford Focus ZX5
* 2004: Ford Escape XLT FWD
* 2005: Ford Freestyle SEL
* 2006: Ford Explorer XLT
* 2007: Ford Edge
* 2008: Ford Fusion SEL V6
* 2009: Ford Flex SEL FWD
* 2010: Ford Taurus SEL FWD
* 2011: Ford Edge FW
* 2012: Ford Focus Titanium
* 2013: Ford Fusion SE 2.0L
* 2014: Ford Fusion SE 2.0L AWD
* 2015: Ford F-150 XLT
* 2016: Ford Edge Sport EcoBoost
* 2017: Ford Escape SE
* 2018: Ford Escape SE

## Winners[edit]

Year  | Women  | Men

|
|

1995 |  Kay Montgomery |  Ed Werenich
1996 |  Gerri Cooke |  Rick Perron
1997 |  Sherry Fraser |  Mike Coulter
1998 |  Allison Franey |  Greg McAulay
1999 |  Marcy Balderston |  Steve Gould
2000 |  Kelley Law |  Don Bartlett
2001 |  Kelley Law |  Jeff Lacey
2002 |  Kristy Lewis |  Pat Ryan
2003 |  Suzanne Gaudet |  Marc LeCocq
2004 |  Andrea Lawes |  Randy Ferbey
2005 |  Jenn Hanna |  Mark Nichols
2006 |  Colleen Jones |  Steve Gould
2007 |  Kelli Turpin |  John Morris
2008 |  Jill Officer |  Steve Laycock
2009 |  Cheryl Bernard |  Craig Savill
2010 |  Amber Holland |  Glenn Howard
2011 |  Jennifer Jones |  Richard Hart
2012 |  Kerry Galusha |  Wayne Middaugh
2013 |  Rachel Homan |  Marc Kennedy
2014 |  Heather Strong |  Kirk Muyres
2015 |  Heather Strong |  Colin Hodgson
2016 |  Jennifer Jones |  Brad Gushue
2017 |  Rachel Homan |  Brad Jacobs
2018 |  Manitoba (Team Jennifer Jones)[3] |  Northern Ontario (Team Brad Jacobs)[5]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Marc Kennedy wins Ford Hot Shots competition". Canadian Curling Association. March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
2. ^ a b "New skills unveiled for 23rd annual Ford Hot Shots competition". Curling Canada. February 16, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
3. ^ a b Granger, Grant (January 27, 2018). "Perfect fit at Ford Hot Shots for winning Penticton fan". Curling Canada. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
4. ^ "New-look Ford Hot Shots format puts fans in driver's seat". Curling Canada. January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
5. ^ a b Granger, Grant (March 2, 2018). "Northern Ontario makes fan's day with Ford Hot Shots triumph". Curling Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
6. ^ "Brad Gushue wins Ford Hot Shots competition". Curling Canada. March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
7. ^ http://cloudfront6.curling.ca/w2/files/2014/05/2013-2014_Ford_Season_of_Champions_Fact_Book.pdf[bare URL PDF]
8. ^ 2017 Scotties Media Guide: Overall Records

* ExtraEnd Magazine, 2009-10 edition, pg 20-21