Kevin Koe - A Legacy of Curling Greatness Born in the Canadian Arctic

Welcome to Arctic the Culture Cure, the podcast all about Canada's Arctic, the climate, the animals, the land, the people, the culture, and what it can teach the rest of the world. I'm your host, Rob Fagan.

Kevin Coohy is a Canadian and World curling champion with four Canadian championships, two world championships, and an appearance at the 2018 Olympics. To his credit, he has to be recognized as one of the Canadian greats in the curling world. Kevin comes from a family with a legacy of curling. His father Fred, brother Jamie, and sister Carrie are all curlers of note with national and international accomplishments of their own. However, perhaps not as well known by curling and sport enthusiasts is Kevin's family legacy from a cultural perspective. Kevin's roots lie deep in the Mackenzie Delta of the Northwest Territories in the Canadian Arctic. His heritage is a rich one of the Gwich' in people from this region. His grandfather, Jim Coohy, was chief of the Clavic Indian Band, a respected leader for many years throughout the Mackenzie Delta. His father, Fred, was elected to the Northwest Territories legislature and later served as president of the Northwest Territories Development Corporation and a member of the board of directors for the First nations bank of Canada and the Da Da GE Development Corporation in the Yukon. Both Kevin's father, Fred and grandfather survived the Canadian residential school system. We are incredibly honored today to have Kevin on our podcast. Welcome, Kevin.

Thanks for having me.

Yeah, no, it's a pleasure. Kevin, you're talking to us from Calgary today.

Yeah, I live in Calgary.

Once I moved from the north, I came down to Calgary to go to university and just ended up staying down here. Got a job. Obviously Caroline's a big part of my life and, And I love Calgary. So I, you know what, I. I've probably been here, Geez, now close to 25 years, so it's home for me or a few days.

Do you ever get a chance to head back up to the Mackenzie Delta?

Not a lot, no.

Since we moved away from there, I've only probably been up there a couple times in my life. My family, they all live in Yellow Lake. So, you know, when we go back to the Territories to visit that, that's where we. Where we go to see them. And, you know, we don't get that up there as often as we'd like. Just given, given. You know, everybody's busy, but, you know, we run into family. They. They come through Calgary quite a bit too, so we still see quite a.

Bit of each other. Okay. Now, it seems that in many ways the world came to a screeching halt in February and March of this year with COVID Was it like that for you? I mean, were you getting ready for a tournament or just finished a tournament or where were you at when all of this stopped?

Yeah, actually, we just finished the Briar in Kingston, Ontario. So, you know, it was just becoming a. I mean, obviously Covid started to become an issue in the new year, but it hadn't really hit, you know, North America too much. And so we played the prior, got home, you know, got a week of work in, and then, you know, that's pretty much when it started to get, I guess, really serious. You know, I was home working from home for months. Kids were home from school for the rest of school year. So, yeah, it's been a bit of a whirlwind, for sure. And, you know, I just went back to work for the first time this week. So, you know, hopefully that's a sign of things to come and that will slowly get back to normal.

Whatever.

Whatever the new normal is. I'm sure it will be.

That's right back to what it was.

But, you know, at least we can get out of the house now.

Yeah. Yeah, now. You had a fantastic 2018, 2019 season. Did very well. The Briar. 2020 Briar. You never made it to the final. Did that make it a little more difficult to have that right before COVID hit, you know, to have not make it to final with Briar, and then all of a sudden, boom, the season ends without other tournaments coming?

Yeah, I mean, it was good and bad.

It was obviously disappointing.

We.

It's hard to win the Briar and we weren't quite at the top of our game. You know, we got the tiebreaker round and, you know, we were a couple shots here and there for making it further, but, you know, we obviously weren't at our peak. And it's hard to win so hard to win that event when you're not at your feet these days, for sure. So, yeah, I mean, we would have liked to end the year strong. We had a couple big events coming up that obviously got kind of canceled. But at the same time, you know, we had the year before. We had a crazy long year. We had a great year, like you said, but, you know, in September we were in China and we. We ended the season right before May, long weekend getting home from China. So, you know, it was a crazy long year the year before, you know, unbelievably successful winning the Briar that year. So to. To wrap it up, I guess this year this year was by our standards, you know, mediocre at best. So, you know, it might not have been a bad thing for us just to be able to kind of wrap the year up, turn the page on it, and I guess we'll see what happens next year. But yeah, we would have liked to play those couple events, but at the same time, you know, maybe the break will do us good, hopefully going forward.

Yeah, a little bit of. A little bit of a reset now. Have you been able to get on the ice at all during COVID No.

You know, I went and practiced. I took my kids to practice. They curl a little bit here and there. So, you know, went through with them maybe about a week after the briar, when places were still open in Calgary, and it was shortly after that that, you know, it really happened fast. I don't know about up there, but, you know, in. In Calgary it went from, you know, one day, leagues were normal, you could play to the next day, you know, the whole facility shut down. Pretty much all of downtown Calgary shut down. Schools are shut down.

So.

So no, not since mid March, I guess. So, you know, it'll be by far my longest break off the ice for, by, you know, who knows how much. But like I said, it's been good in other ways to get a. To get a break, I think. And I think it'll help us come back refreshed and, you know, maybe with a little something to prove.

Yeah, yeah. Now, I understand that Curling Canada has released some modified rules to allow the return of curling for curling clubs as Covid subsides. And that may involve one sweeper and spacing and things like that. Do you see the grand slam of curling tour or world curling tour events doing the same type of thing to allow play in the fall and winter? And would that. How big of a difference would that make with one sweeper and some modified rules?

Yeah, I mean, we've seen them, we've had chance to look at them. I think most of those rules will stick. They probably make sense. I could see us being allowed to have two sweepers for the big events because, you know, as a team, we're traveling together, we're living together, we're eating together. So I mean, we're spending all our time together just as much as we are with our other families. So for us to sweep together is not a big deal. Now, if you're just a club team that plays once a week and, you know, you all live in different houses, I can see how that makes sense. But you know, I Don't think those are finalized, but you know, I hope we get to have two sleepers when we come back. It's such a big part of the game. And like I said, you know, when you're spending all your time together as a team, being able to sleep together shouldn't be a big deal.

You know, you mentioned the length of time. You know, what a brutal season. Great season for a winning perspective, but how long 18, 19 was. What is your usual season? When does it usual usually start and usually end?

Well, usually start practicing, I guess right after Labor Day in early September, depending when our first event is. But usually our first event is usually around the third week of September. So we'll, I mean places going to.

Have curly nice all summer.

Right. So it's, it's not like we can practice all summer so, you know, try and get some practice in before the first event. Typically mid September. This, I'm sure this year will be later, but. And then it usually ends about the first week in May, typically. So it's gotten pretty long for sure. It's gotten, you know, way longer than it used to be. But, but that's, that's challenging. But at the same time it's a good thing because there's a lot of new events that we can play to be able to play that long.

Right.

I mean two years ago those were new World cup events in China. So you know, if we get big events like that for, you know, they're high profile, good prize money on tv.

So it's, we're talking about the length of the season, Kevin, that, that you're faced with. And it does sound like a bit of a grueling haul, the length of the season you have now. So I mean, again, like you say, maybe the reset and a shorter season might be just what's needed now. Your team is going to look differently this year with the addition of John Morris. I believe he was a third when he curled with Kevin Martin. What's your team gonna look like? What adjustments are you making with the addition of a new team member?

Yeah, it'll be, I mean we're gonna have to learn as we go. Right. I mean the good news is I've played with John before and Ben has played with John and we know John, I mean he's a great curler. He's won a ton. So you know, it's not like we're bringing in a young curler who hasn't played a lot of big events. But you know, we've had some kind of online meetings to talk about it, but until we hit the ice and kind of, kind of get some games under our belts to see how it, how it's going to go together, I mean, I have no doubt that it'll, it'll work out good, but it'll kind of be more of a, you know, learn on the fly, I guess, especially knowing, not knowing what next year is going to look like for us given, given the pandemic. Right. So that's, that's not a good, not good timing for us with that and likely starting later. But at the same time bringing someone in with his experience, I think we'll be able to hit the ground running when we do.

That's fantastic. So, yeah, it will be an adjustment and then different looking season and all those things to make room for. It strikes me very much, and I'm not a seasoned curler by any stretch of the imagination, but involved in many different sports. But it strikes me that more than other sports, curling is very much a combination of the physical and the mental and strategy a lot more than other sports. Which do you find the most difficult or are they equally difficult, the physical or the mental side of things?

Yeah, I mean, for me, being a skip and not having to sweep, I don't have the, the physical don't, don't require, I guess, the physical, physical skills that the big sweepers need. And sweeping is a huge part of the game these days. You can win or lose games on your sweeping and I think you can see that with how good a shape a lot of the sweepers are. But you know, obviously that's important. Mental. You know, there's a lot of strategy that goes into it. And not just that, I mean, like some other sports, it's, you know, being able to, to make shots that, you know, under pressure situations. Right. That, that goes to the mental aspect of the game for sure. And you know, that's, that's probably one of the, if not the most important. You know, if, if you're playing in these big games, there's, you know, there's going to be a lot of lights on your cameras. You're playing for big prizes. That's when you need to play your best. So that's for sure. You know, you're not going to go very far if you can't make the big shots at the right time.

Any tricks you can share in dealing with that pressure side of things, that mental focus side of things?

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, obviously everybody's different. I've been fortunate to play in A lot of big games in my life and I, you know, it goes without saying that you do get a little used to it, but at the same time, you know, you want to be in those situations where there is pressure that, you know, that just means you're in some big games for sure and you're playing for something important. And so there's nothing wrong with it. You just got to learn to learn to work with it, I guess. And you know, for me it's, you know, just focus in on, you know, throwing a good stone, I guess, when it is that key shot. Right. And you're not going to make them all still, no matter what you do. But, you know, as long as you put a good throw on it, odds are there's. You're probably going to make it. So, you know, that's. That seems simple, but that's kind of what I remind myself.

Well, you talk about pressure shots I've watched several times the. The end of the 2019 Briar. Oh, my Lord. Yeah. You know, I can't imagine making a shot like that under all of that pressure. And just an amazing shot that, you know, I'm sure many people have watched that over and over, you know, over the past year. You were born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, but I think that I read somewhere that you learned to curl in a Nuvik, is that correct?

Yeah, I mean, I first started up there, probably the first place I touched the ice. We didn't live up there for too long, but, you know, my dad did the ice up there for a bit, so me and my family were around the rink and that's kind of where I maybe watched it for the first time or threw a rock. But yeah, for the most part, I kind of did. Learned to curl and started taking it kind of seriously and enjoying it was when I was living in Yellow Lake.

Okay. But now. So you learned in Yellowknife, not in a new Vic?

Yeah, I mean, I. I tried it in Anuvik. That'd be where I got my start, I guess. But when I really started taking it more serious and playing a lot was when we were living in Yellow Knife.

Okay. Now you're of course, as I mentioned, you curling family, your siblings, your father, your grandfather, even in a clavic was involved in curling. Did your dad pressure you at all to get into curling or was just something that, you know, the family was doing and you got into it and you fell in love with the game?

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, just my parents curled so we'd Spend a little time around the, around the rink watching or just, you know, playing around while they, while they curled. So, you know, it seemed natural to try it and there was never any pressure to play it. Once I started playing it, I, I enjoyed it. And you know, they've, they always were great and letting us do kind of what we wanted, take it as serious as we wanted or not serious if that was the case. But, you know, for me and my brother and sister, you know, we all enjoyed it and played it at a competitive level and kind of haven't looked back.

Now, you've played your brother a few times, Jamie, and do you approach things differently when you have to play your brother? Does that kind of play on your mind a little differently when you're playing your brother?

Not, not too much out there. I mean, it's, it's, it's not, not.

Always a lot of fun.

Right, because someone has, someone has to lose, you know, especially when we're at the Briar, we want each other to do well and would like to, you know, would like to see him, him.

Do well as well when he, when.

When he's at them.

So.

But at the same time, you know, it's a big event, competitive, you. You gotta, you gotta try and win. And you know, it's. I'm happy usually when it's over. And then, you know, it's. We just end up cheering for him the rest of the way. And I'm pretty sure he would say the same thing.

Yeah, you bet. And it must be hard on your dad, Fred as well. I mean, being there in the stands, he's your biggest fan and both of your biggest fans and you know, when you guys are playing each other, that must be really difficult and hard on him.

Yeah, that's for sure. It's probably not the funnest game to watch.

So, Kevin, as we talked about, your grandfather was chief in a Clavic Northwest Territories. And did you get any much chance to spend time with Jim when you were younger? Do you have any memories of your grandfather?

No. You know, when I was born, we actually didn't live up in the Territories for a bit. We moved off to.

We kind of moved all over with.

My dad's job, so. So spent quite a bit of time in. Out in Ontario, in Ottawa for a bit and then Yellowknife for another stint before we actually got up to an UVic. So no, didn't get the chance. But, you know, glad I did get to live up there. You know, even it was, I think it Was only about three years when I was up there and you know, this was when I was about kind of grade 4 to 7 ish. So still, still was good to get up there, meet a ton of people and you know, we have a lot of fans from up there. I hear from them all the time. So you know, I wish I could get up there more and, and hopefully someday down the road I can get up there. But you know, for me I think it, like I said, didn't get too much time to spend up there.

Most of my time growing up was spent in Yalme.

Right now both your grandfather and your dad did spend time in residential school. Is that something your dad has chatted about at all or has any thoughts on or anything that he shared with you that sticks with you?

Yeah, it was not really anything we talked about too much for sure. Obviously that was a pretty challenging time. Would be an understatement, for sure. But you know, I know there's been a couple, you know, call them little stories on TV when we're at big events and he's chatted about it and that and, but you know, it wasn't something we, we really chatted about too much growing up.

Yeah, likely a difficult conversation for sure. Now you, you live in Calgary now and you know, sometimes people, they represent a province or a curling club or you know, when you're, you're curling internationally, you represent your country. I know I have thousands of friends on Facebook and when you curl, it's like the world comes to a stop in the Northwest Territories in Nunavut and you know, everybody's cheering for you. There's messages going back and forth. How does that make you feel to know that, you know, not only you represent a province or that you represent several groups of people in the Territories in Nunavut who really identify with you?

Yeah, it's pretty neat and something I'm pretty proud of right to be, to be from the North. Even though I've been gone for quite a while, I still call myself a northerner and look forward to all the chances I get to get back up there for sure. But, but like you said, we've got a lot of fans from up there, my team, you know, my whole family, their teams and you know, non stop messages of support and you know, just telling us they're watching us, cheering for us, proud of us, you know, it's pretty neat. Like I said, I, you know, I still consider the north home for me even though I haven't been get up there too much. But you know, like I said, I'm proud of it and I appreciate all the support we get from people across all the North.

And your family received a special recognition award at the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories. Well back at their awards dinner for years of service in the curling community, which is a great honor for the folks up there to recognize you in that way. Was that quite special?

Yeah, for sure. I mean, curling has been, you know, our whole family, it's been about curling and not just playing but, but in support. You know, my parents who have been involved in various curling rinks wherever we lived and especially across the north, and promoting junior curling or just helping out, just helping out on the boards when necessary. You know, know, I know my brother and sister are the same way. So, you know, it's, it's not just the on ice plane. It's also, you know, I don't know what to call it, giving back, but because, you know, everyone, you know, like I said, curling has been our family's life and we're just happy to, happy to participate in, you know, any aspect of it when we get the chance.

Now I think you mentioned your, you had your kids on the ice a little earlier in the interview. How old are your kids? And are we going to be looking at some more curlers in the Cui family?

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. They're 13 and 15 and yet they both like to play. They play other sports too, so it can be challenging down, down here. You know, there's lots of travel and it's hard to, hard to commit to just the sport. But, you know, hopefully they stick with it. I guess we'll see. But I know they both enjoy it and you know, I know Carrie's daughter Sydney loves to curl too, and she plays non stop, so I guess you never know.

Hopefully we can cheer them on someday.

Yeah, that'd be so neat. Now one question I did want to ask you is, you know, your dad, Fred, he's kind of coached you through the years and of course taught you when you were young. What is it like with your dad after a tough loss? Does he just kind of stand back and not say much and you know, give you some time or does he give you advice or what's that like?

Yeah, no, it's, it's. I think we're, we're past those days, you know, for sure. You know, obviously he goes to all the events and he's our biggest fan.

And cheers us all on and, but.

You know what, you know, win or lose, just Tells us, you know, good try. He's proud of us if we win or lose. And, but yeah, he doesn't, he doesn't give, he doesn't, he's definitely past the days of giving us advice, let's put it that way. And he's, he's just a great cheerleader and, you know, we're lucky to all, all of us are lucky to have him pulling for us.

You bet. Now, it took you a few years to get to your first briar and you know, to become successful at that level. What advice would you give to folks? Now I have to make special mention. There's a friend of mine, Jeff, and he, I promised him I'd ask this question. He said, I'd like to ask the question. What advice would you give a 56 year old First Nation curler who still dreams of playing in the briar?

You better. I guess he better hurry up would be my, my advice. I mean, you know, that's the, that's the good thing about the briar these days, right?

Everyone gets the chance to enter and.

And win your way there. You know, you start at the club level and, and you can, you can, you can dream of getting there and, and you can get there. So, I mean, I don't know where your friend lives, but obviously it's more challenging in some places. But hey, you never know. If you just keep working hard at it, you bet.

So, Kevin, what advice would you give to young indigenous person growing up in the Arctic who may be in a community that doesn't have as many opportunities and they might feel that going far and curling is out of reach, but they have aspirations. What advice would you give to them?

Yeah, I guess the main thing I would just say is keep believing. Don't ever think that you can't do that.

You know, I started playing in Inuvik.

So way, way up in the Arctic and, and learned to curl and yell knife and we didn't have a lot of opportunities to travel and I guess really have a good, good idea where we stood amongst competition.

I mean, we liked playing and we knew that.

And we went to our first junior Canadiens and didn't really know what to expect. And, you know, we got second, which was, you know, a great accomplishment at the time. And, you know, we're close to winning the national championship. And you know, I guess it was.

About that time, you know, you look.

Around and say, you know, wow, we can compete at this level. Just because we're, you know, we're from the Northwest Territories, doesn't really mean we can't win this thing, right? So, you know, that opened our eyes.

At the time and, you know, like.

I said, that's where I got my start. And, you know, obviously it takes a lot of hard work, but, you know, if you just keep believing, you can do it. And it definitely is harder being given the remoteness, but it's definitely not out of reach.

Really, really great advice, Kevin, and I so much appreciate your time today. It's been great chatting with you. We've had a little connecting problems here and there, but I'm sure we can make that work. And again, I know that folks up north will just be thrilled to hear you and appreciate your time greatly. So thank you so much, Kevin.

Hey, thanks for having me.

You take care of.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Arctic the Culture Cure. For more information about my novels or to inquire about my presentations, please Visit my website, www.robertfagan.com. we'll join you again on the next episode of Arctic the Culture Cur.