A native of Midland, Ontario, Russ Howard is undoubtedly one of the most well known and respected curlers in the world. The holder of numerous Canadian curling achievements, Russ has been credited with the invention of the Free Guard Zone – a rule that has revolutionized the game.
Russ is a two-time World Champion, winning the sport’s most coveted prize – the 1987 and 1993 World Championships. In 1993, the Russ Howard team was the first and only team to win the Grand Slam of Curling – the TSN Skins Game, the Players Championship, the World Championships and the Canadian Championships. This was a great personal achievement for Russ and created tremendous momentum for Canadian curling enthusiasts.
In 2006, Russ joined Team Brad Gushue and added Olympic Champion to his distinguished accomplishments. It was the first time Russ competed in the Olympic Games and winning the Gold medal is a highlight to his long and lustrous career.
Russ has become a familiar name in curling circles and since his first Ontario championship in 1980, he has accumulated a long list of curling credentials including three TSN Skins Game champion titles (seven time qualifier), two Canadian Championship titles (ten appearances), and eight time Ontario Provincial Championships (seventeen finals) and two New Brunswick Provincial Championships.
