Sudbury curlers to represent northern Ontario in national event

Sudbury's Robbie Gordon has three priorities in life: family, work and curling.

"I think I need all three to keep sane," he said. "Fortunately, I have a family that's been supportive of that."

Gordon who is a justice of the Superior Court of Ontario and his curling team arepreparing to compete at the national level, representing northern Ontario at the Canadian Senior Men's Curling Championships.

He's originally from Haileybury and started curling at the age of 12. By 14, he and his friends were given a key to the curling club to practice.

The sport continued to play a key role in his life, as he competed in the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 1979 as well as through university.

The Superbowl of curling

In 2006, he was appointed a judge and that same year, he won the northern Ontario provincials for a second time. That victory earned him the honour of competing in the Brier.

"The Brier was the Superbowl of curling for me," he said.

"It was what I worked all my life to get to. We didn't have the success there that we would have liked, but being on TSN playing an extra end in front of 17,000 people I get chills just thinking about it."

Now, he's skip of a team in Sudbury, a position that could be compared to a judge.

"You sort of analyze what's before you," he said. "It's a little quicker on the curling ice. You don't get all day, or sometimes months, to think about things and write things."

He adds curling helps him find balance in life.

"I need the diversion from work," he said. "When I'm out there, I'm not thinking about anything else except what's in front of me."

The Canadian Senior Men's Curling Championships will be in Fredericton, NB, starting Saturday.