Shorty Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Clarence W. "Shorty" Jenkins (born 1935 in Hanna, Alberta
) is a famous ice technician in the sport of curling
. He is known for his trademarked pink cowboy hat
, pink leather jacket and pink cowboy boot
s.
Raised in an orphanage in Victoria, British Columbia
, Jenkins served in the Canadian Air Force from the age of 17. He would be posted in Germany and in Canada to do various military jobs. He eventually left the military to work with Sunoco
. That wouldn't last, and Shorty convinced the curling club in Trenton, Ontario
to take him on as ice maker. He wanted to be an ice maker after noting how terrible the ice was at the 1974 provincial championships he was competing in.
One trend Shorty started in curling was that of timing rocks. He used his idea to judge how good the ice was. Shorty claims he is the only person who can "choose and match rocks for major championships". He refuses to do the ice of a tournament without choosing the rocks for it. Jenkins keeps video tapes of the tournaments he has done to see what the television announcers are saying about his ice.
In the late 1990s Jenkins starred in his own commercial for the Tim Hortons
donut chain, celebrating "true Tim Hortons stories".
Presently, the Shorty Jenkins Classic curling bonspiel
is held in his name. It occurs annually in Brockville, Ontario
in the month of September.
Hanna, Alberta
Hanna is a town in east-central Alberta, Canada.The town's main industries are agriculture, oil production, tourism, and coal mining. It is the centre of a large trading area called Short Grass County and is the home of approximately 200 businesses...
) is a famous ice technician in the sport of curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
. He is known for his trademarked pink cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
, pink leather jacket and pink cowboy boot
Cowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
s.
Raised in an orphanage in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Jenkins served in the Canadian Air Force from the age of 17. He would be posted in Germany and in Canada to do various military jobs. He eventually left the military to work with Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
. That wouldn't last, and Shorty convinced the curling club in Trenton, Ontario
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
to take him on as ice maker. He wanted to be an ice maker after noting how terrible the ice was at the 1974 provincial championships he was competing in.
One trend Shorty started in curling was that of timing rocks. He used his idea to judge how good the ice was. Shorty claims he is the only person who can "choose and match rocks for major championships". He refuses to do the ice of a tournament without choosing the rocks for it. Jenkins keeps video tapes of the tournaments he has done to see what the television announcers are saying about his ice.
In the late 1990s Jenkins starred in his own commercial for the Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
donut chain, celebrating "true Tim Hortons stories".
Presently, the Shorty Jenkins Classic curling bonspiel
Bonspiel
A bonspiel is a curling tournament, traditionally held outdoors on a frozen freshwater loch. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic and means league match . Though not mandatory, curling teams involved in bonspiels often wear theme costumes...
is held in his name. It occurs annually in Brockville, Ontario
Brockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
in the month of September.