Ford Hot Shots

The Ford Hot Shots is 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.

History

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

Disciplines

There are five disciplines that each competitor must do:

• 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)

Scoring

In each shot, where the shooter rock comes to rest determines how many points are earned. A rock that ends up on the button receives 5 points. A rock that ends up in the 4 foot gets 4 points. 8 foot, 3, 12 foot 2 and one point if a "shot has been to have provided some sort of positive result"

Prizes

The winner of the Hot Shots receives a 2 year lease on a Ford vehicle. First and second runners-up receive 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.

Winners

References

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