Tardi not feeling pressure in first Brier as Team Koe continues to roll

LONDON, Ont. – Despite a significance difference in both age and Brier experience, it appears Alberta skip Kevin Koe and third Tyler Tardi have been cut from the same cloth.

The pressures of the moment simply do not faze them.

Alberta improved to a perfect 5-0 at the Tim Hortons Brier Tuesday morning after a close 6-4 win over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Team Nathan Young in Draw 10 action at Budweiser Gardens.

Koe’s last throw in the 10th end came with just three seconds left on the clock, a scene curling fans have come accustomed to over the years from the cool-headed, 48-year-old sharpshooter. Of course, Koe made it with effortless execution, leaving Young an extremely difficult shot for the tie – a shot he would end up missing.

That down-to-the-wire tension may rattle some, but Tardi already appears comfortable with the Koe style of curling.

“We actually put it into a pretty good perspective when he threw that last shot with seconds left on the clock. We were saying that ‘Dang, we wasted three seconds.’ So, yeah we’ve gotten used to it pretty good,” Tardi told TSN.ca with a chuckle.

The 24-year-old Tardi is one of Canada’s most decorated junior curlers of all-time – skipping teams to three national titles from 2017 to 2019 as well as two world junior championships in 2018 and 2019 – and says that playing in those big games at a young age has helped ease the pressure this week in London at his first Canadian men’s curling championship.

“I thought there would be more pressure this week, but to be honest, it feels at home,” he said. 

Alberta, who are currently leading the way in Pool A, clinched a playoff spot Tuesday evening after a 10-1 rout of Nunavut to improve their record to 6-0. 

Koe, who is competing in his 11th career Brier, said earlier this week that his third just needs to avoid putting any extra stress on himself.

“We just told him to have fun and enjoy the moment,” Koe told the media. “I mean, it’s your first Brier. Obviously, it only happens once. Don’t put any extra pressure on yourself and just do what you can do.”

After six games, it appears Tardi has taken that advice to heart. He is ranked third among vices with a 90 per cent shooting percentage, including 92 per cent on takeouts.

The foursome, also featuring the former front-end duo for Brendan Bottcher in Karrick Martin and Bradley Thiessen, is shooting a collective 89 per cent.

“We’re just trying to play well and gear up for the end of the week,” said Tardi.

Tardi, who is employed as a motion graphic design freelancer, is hopeful for the future of men’s curling with so many young stars in this year’s field, including Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone, Northern Ontario’s Tanner Horgan, British Columbia’s Jacques Gauthier and Wild Card 3’s Karsten Sturmay, who are all under the age of 27.

“A good chunk of the field is pretty much all the teams we’ve played in that stretch of juniors, so it’s awesome to see that’s there’s no reason to panic for the future of the sport,” he said. 

Cool Koe

When it comes to his skip, Koe has once again turned up his play for the Brier. He’s shooting 90 per cent so far, which is the best among last rock throwers.

The Calgary resident has only won five Grand Slams in his two-decade plus career, but is searching for fifth Brier Tankard this week in London, which would set a new record for most national men’s titles won by a skip. 

In addition to those four Canadian championships, Koe, who won his 100th Brier game earlier this week, has also lost in the final four times. So, that’s eight Brier finals in 10 total appearances for those counting at home.

Tardi is fully aware of how Koe brings it to another level at this bonspiel.

“It’s pretty hard to make the guys miss out here. He cares so much about the big stage and the Brier. It’s really cool to see it all come together and we’re starting to fire on all four cylinders this week,” said Tardi. “We didn’t really have that earlier in the year, but we’re coming together and we’re feeling really good.”

Tardi, who skipped his native British Columbia for a few seasons out of junior before joining Team Koe in Alberta this season, admitted there were some growing pains.

The foursome out of the Glencoe Curling Club didn’t win an event on tour and missed the playoffs at the last two Grand Slams before putting it all together with a victory at provincial playdowns, beating Team Bottcher in the final last month.

“I’m the new guy on tour. I didn’t really know anyone to be honest, but we’re figuring it slowly,” he said.

Tardi, one of just four left-handed curlers at this year’s Brier, says he first got the urge to hoist the Tankard watching his teammate Karrick’s father, Kevin Martin, compete with the game’s best.

“One of my earliest memories was watching Karrick’s Dad, Kevin, at the Brier, and them doing so well was always cool. So, the Brier has always had a special place in my heart,” Tardi said.

The top three rinks from each pool advance to playoffs following the conclusion of round-robin play on Thursday.