The last time Saskatchewan won the Brier: A trip down memory lane

Mike McEwen has built a lot of momentum heading into the Brier playoffs, with Saskatchewan holding a 7-1 record.

It’s got a lot of us thinking back to the last time Saskatchewan won the Brier, when Rick Folk claimed the championship 44 years ago.

The date was March 9, 1980.

Flare pants and permed hair were the hottest fashion trends. Minimum wage was sitting at $3.50 an hour, but milk was $1.12 a gallon and gas was only 22 cents per litre. That said, the Oldsmobile Cutlass many people were driving at the time didn’t exactly get great mileage.

At the box office, ‘Star Wars’ – yes, the original one – was the top movie. On the radio, Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was the No. 1 song.

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Oh, and indoor smoking was still permitted in 1980, including on the curling ice. In fact, you could usually find ashtrays conveniently located at both ends.

Pierre Trudeau was prime minister – for the second time – and celebrities like Chris Pratt, Kate Hudson and Kevin Hart were all crying in their cribs.

The excitement is building at the Brier, because if Saskatchewan snaps its 44-year drought, it’ll happen on home ice in the province’s capital city.

McEwen’s rink is set to take on Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher in a 1 vs. 2 Page qualifying playoff game on Friday at 1 p.m.

The Brier wraps up on Sunday at the Brandt Centre.