Curling History Made: Octogenarian Team Scores Near-Impossible Eight-Ender

November 4, 2025

In a sport where perfection is rare, a team of seasoned curlers at the Garrison Curling Club recently achieved the near-impossible: a coveted eight-ender. The feat, comparable to sinking a hole-in-one in golf but exponentially rarer, was executed by a dedicated quartet of curlers, including two women in their 80s, proving that passion and precision only improve with age.

The historic moment belongs to Team Saunders, consisting of skip Ingrid Saunders, Flo Volcko, Barb Aasen, and Nancy Matyas. For Saunders, who has been curling for half a century, the achievement is still sinking in.

A One-in-120,000 Shot

Ingrid Saunders, 88, who threw the lead rocks in the end, described the team’s performance simply: “Our team played perfectly.” She explained that the stunning outcome was entirely unplanned. “After I saw six yellow stones, my mind was working and it worked,” she recalled. The eight-ender requires every stone thrown by one team in a single end to rest within the house and outscore the opponent—an incredible display of consistency and strategy.

According to Steve Cloutier, the general manager of the Garrison Curling Club, the rarity of the accomplishment cannot be overstated. “A hole in one in golf, the odds are one in 12,000,” Cloutier noted. “An eight-ender in curling is one in 120,000, so most people don’t come anywhere close to it.”

Inspired by a Return to the Ice

The monumental win was particularly significant for teammate Flo Volcko. The 81-year-old was throwing skip stones for the team, and this marked her very first day back on the ice following a recent medical procedure.

“Because I had a pacemaker put in and this was my first day back curling. No warmup, no anything—I just got on the ice,” Volcko explained. She credited a bit of fate, saying, “The curling gods were with me because I made two of the most perfect shots to take them out and gave us an eight-ender.”

In an even more remarkable twist of fate, this was not Volcko’s first eight-ender; she also managed the feat decades ago at a women’s bonspiel in Banff in 1992. After accomplishing such a rare feat twice, friends have been joking that Volcko should try her luck with the lottery. “People keep saying that. I did go buy one, but I didn’t win,” she said with a laugh.

Staying Young on the Ice

For Saunders, who is 88, the thrill of the eight-ender is a powerful motivator. The achievement has inspired her to continue her long love affair with the sport, which she says keeps her feeling young.

“I love curling,” she said. “I love the camaraderie and the challenge.” Now, she hopes to keep going “Maybe until I’m 90. We hope a couple more years,” she stated.

Team Saunders is deservedly the talk of the Garrison Curling Club, having cemented their place in local curling lore with an end that will be recounted for years to come.