Randy Ferbey

Randy Ferbey
Curler
Team Ferbey in 2010
Born	(1959-05-30)May 30, 1959 Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
Curling career
Brierappearances	8 (1987, 1988, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
World Championship appearances	6 (1988, 1989, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005)
TopCTRS ranking	2nd (2004–05 & 2005–06)
Grand Slamvictories	3:World Cup/Masters(Feb 2006);Players(2006, 2009)
Medal record Men'scurling RepresentingCanada World Championships 1989 Milwaukee Team 2002 Bismarck Team 2003 Winnipeg Team 2005 Victoria Team 1988 Lausanne Team RepresentingAlberta Brier 1988 Chicoutimi-Jonquière 1989 Regina 2001 Ottawa 2002 Calgary 2003 Halifax 2005 Edmonton 2004 Saskatoon Canadian Olympic Trials 1987 Calgary

Randy S. Ferbey(born May 30, 1959) is aCanadianretiredcurlerfromSherwood Park,Alberta. Ferbey is a six-timeCanadian championand a four-timeWorld Champion.He recently coached theRachel Homanwomen's team.

Born inEdmonton,Alberta,Ferbey notably popularized the system of having the skip throw third rocks, when he skipped the team nicknamed "the Ferbey Four", a team that he won four Briers (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005) and narrowly missed winning the 2004 final after giving up a 7–3 lead toMark Dacey.Others teams in both men's and women's curling have adopted the system of not having the skip throw last stones, such as theMargaretha Sigfridssonrink, who would win an Olympic Silver medal and numerous World silver medals and European gold medals by skipping while throwing lead stones, andJim Cotterthrowing last rocks forJohn Morriswho would together reach the finals of both 2014 Olympic Curling Trials and 2014 Brier. The Ferbey Four also popularized the "numbered zones",when calling out the weight of various draw shots.[3]Many consider the quartet together at its peak from 2002–2006 to be either the best team or very near to the best team in curling history. Nedohin's often near perfect shotmaking (regularly having games in the high 90s), Ferbey's extremely aggressive shot calling, and the stellar brushing and front end stones ofMarcel RocqueandScott Pfeifer(nicknamed Huff and Puff for their tireless work on the broom) made them an incredibly difficult challenge for every opponent.

All together, he has played in eightBriers,sixWorld Championships,fourContinental Cups,skipped in twoCanadian Mixed Curling Championships,won threeCanada Cups,and twoTSN Skins Games.In In 2019, Ferbey was named the greatest Canadian malethirdin history in aTSNpoll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.As he threw third stones for most of his career, Ferbey was considered a third rather than a skip as his position.

Career

Early years with Pat Ryan

Ferbey participated in his firstBrierin 1987 as a third forPat Ryan.His first Brier would be a disappointment, as they finished with a 6–5 record. The next year however, Ferbey, Ryan and their team Alberta matesDon WalchukandDon McKenziewon the Brier, and were thus crowned Canadian champions defeatingEugene HritzukofSaskatchewan8–7 in the final. At the 1988 Worlds, Team Ryan won the silver medal, losing in the finals toEigil RamsfjellofNorway5–4. As defending champions at the 1989 Brier, Team Ryan would not disappoint, capturing their 2nd Canadian championship defeatingRick FolkofBritish Columbiain a non-eventful 3–2 victory. It was low scoring games like this one, and by teams like Ryan's dubbed the "Ryan Express" that forced theCanadian Curling AssociationandWorld Curling Federationto implement the 3-rock rule, and later the 4-rock rule to force more offense. At the 1989 Worlds, Ferbey and Team Ryan won their first World Championships, beatingSwitzerland'sPatrick Hürlimannin the finals. In 1990, Ferbey left the team, and was unsuccessful at attempting to make it to the Brier with his new team of Don Walchuk,Pat McCallum,andGreg Muzechka.Although they did make it to the final four teams at the 1990 Alberta Championships, failing to make the1990 Labatt BrierinSault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The "Ferbey Four"

After playing his last season with Ryan in 1997 where he played in theBritish Columbiaplaydowns, Ferbey teamed up with a youngDavid Nedohinin 1997 withCarter RycroftandPat McCallum.After a reasonably successful season, reaching the Semi-Finals of the World Curling Tour Championship, and winning the Edmonton Superleague, Ferbey picked upScott Pfeifer,bumping Rycroft to lead.

In 1999, Rycroft left the team to play with Ferbey's main rival,Kevin Martin.Rycroft was replaced byMarcel Rocque.The Ferbey Four that would dominate the Brier for the next few years was complete. Ferbey made his return to theAlberta provincials in 1999.While they didn't win, they did return in 2001 with a bang. They would win the Alberta final against Kevin Martin, 6–4,and then won the2001 Nokia Brieras well beatingKerry BurtnykofManitoba8–4 in the final. This sent the team to the2001 Worldswhere they lost both their semi-final game and the bronze medal game, which they gave up toPål TrulsenofNorway.In 2002, Team Ferbey won their second straight provincial final, defeating Mike Vavrek 6–5.Ferbey then went on to win his fourth Brier, the2002 Nokia Brier,which was his team's 2nd. They beatJohn Morris9–4 in the final. This time, at the2002 WorldsinBismarck, North Dakotahis team won the championship, beating the same Pål Trulsen, 10–5. After defeatingJamie King10–3 in the 2003 Alberta final,Ferbey and his team would return to the Brier,in 2003inHalifax, Nova Scotia.In the finals, they beat the home-town favouritesMark Dacey8–4 in the finals. At the2003 Ford World Curling Championship,his team won their 2nd world title, beatingRalph StöckliofSwitzerland10–6 in the finals. The team won their fourth provincial title in 2004, defeating theKurt Balderstonrink in the final, 8–5.The2004 Nokia Brierwas a blip on his team's record. After returning to the Brier for the fourth straight year, an unprecedented feat especially considering the great number of good teams in Alberta, his team would bow out in the final. After a 10–1 round-robin record, Ferbey and his team lost out to the same team they beat the previous year,Mark DaceyofNova Scotia,in a 10–9 game where Ferbey's team surrendered a lead. However, Team Ferbey did not give up, and their reign would not be over. In 2005, they once again won the Alberta championships, for a record fifth time, defeating theJamie Kingrink 8–6 in an extra end.The team once again won the2005 Canadian championships,setting a record, as his team became the first to win four championships as a team. The final was againstNova Scotiaagain, albeit a different team, that ofShawn Adams.In another close game, team Ferbey pulled it out and won 5–4 in the final. His trip to the2005 Men's Ford World Curling Championshipswere marked with struggles, as the team finished the round-robin with three losses – tied for first with five other teams. After having a 4–3 record, Ferbey mounted eight straight wins for the championship overDavid MurdochofScotlandin a convincing 11–4 victory. Additionally, the Ferbey rink was the first team in history to score five on any single end in the world finals – and they managed this feat twice at the 2005 Ford World Curling Championships.

Many attribute Ferbey's success during this time to the boycott that other major teams of the early 2000s had of the Brier, to play inGrand Slamevents. Ferbey did not boycott the Brier, and as a result, played in very few Grand Slam events. This however could only possibly be applied to his 2002 and 2003 Brier wins, as his first Brier title in 2001 was before the emergence of the official Grand Slam circuit with all top teams involved in provincial playdowns, and his final Brier title in 2005 was after the conflict had been resolved and player's boycott lifted with all now participating in provincial playdowns. After Ferbey's run of 4 Brier wins from 2001–2005, Ferbey rink failed to win another provincial title, as Kevin Martin's rink would win the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 provincial tournaments; from 2007 onwards with a new team with young guns Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy as his front end, and former rival John Morris as his third. The Ferbey four would still remain one of the top teams in the country however, as they would win three Grand Slam events in their career, but Kevin Martin and Glenn Howard would supplant Team Ferbey as the two dominant teams in the country over this quadrennial. David Nedohin would lose his edge as the games top shooter over this period as well.

One of the big disappoints for the team was their failure to qualify for the Olympics. After winning their first Brier, the team went 5–4 at the2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials,missing out on the playoffs or a tiebreaker by just 1 game. In 2005 after winning their final Brier, they finished just 4–5 at theTrials that year.In 2009, the team had another disappointingOlympic Trials,finishing 3–4.

Teaming up with Brad Gushue

In April 2010, Randy Ferbey announced he would be joiningBrad Gushue's team effective for the2010–11 curling season.Ferbey will skip the team, but throw third rocks like he had been with his former team.Previous third,Mark Nichols,will be bumped up to the second position andRyan Frywill play lead.Jamie Korab,the past lead on Team Gushue, decided to take a year or two off. In an ironic twist, the final game played by the Ferbey four would be against Gushue in the quarterfinals of the2010 Players' Championships.Ferbey lost to Gushue 8–3. In their first event as a team, the rink lost toThomas Lipsin the final of the2010 Baden Masters.

In December 2010, Randy Ferbey andDavid Nedohinannounced they would team up once again in an attempt to play in the2011 Boston Pizza Cupfor a chance to represent Alberta at the2011 Tim Hortons Brier.

On February 9, 2011, Randy Ferbey announced his time curling withBrad Gushuehad come to an end. He stated he knew after the Canadian Open Grand Slam Event, he was done curling with them.

The final season and retirement

In the2011–12 curling season,Ferbey teamed up with longtime teammateDavid Nedohin,who threw fourth stones. Ferbey skipped at third position, andTed AppelmanandBrendan Melnykplayed as second and lead, respectively.They fared rather well on the World Curling tour, winningThe Shoot-Outand finishing second at theCactus Pheasant Classic.However, they failed to qualify for the playoffs at the2011 World Cup of Curlingand the2011 BDO Canadian Open of Curling.

Ferbey decided to retire from competitive curling after attempting to construct a team that might be able to qualify for the 2013 Olympic Trials,a plan which ultimately failed when Nedohin decided to form his own team. He was inducted into theWCF Hall of Famein 2014.

In 2023 Ferbey and his Team Ferbey rinkmates (David Nedohin,Scott PfeiferandMarcel Rocque) were inducted intoCanada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Ferbey is a representative for Everest Funeral Concierge Service. He is married and has three children.

Teams

Season	Skip	Third	Second	Lead	Events
1986–87	Pat Ryan	Randy Ferbey	Don Walchuk	Roy Hebert	1987Brier
1987–88	Pat Ryan	Randy Ferbey	Don Walchuk	Don McKenzie	1988Brier,WCC
1988–89	Pat Ryan	Randy Ferbey	Don Walchuk	Don McKenzie	1989Brier,WCC
1994–95	Brad Hannah	Randy Ferbey	Pat McCallum	Rich Vurko
1995	Kevin Martin	Randy Ferbey	Don Walchuk	Don Bartlett
1996–97	Pat Ryan	Ed Lukowich	Randy Ferbey	Merv Bodnarchuk
1997–98	David Nedohin(fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Carter Rycroft	Pat McCallum
1998–99	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Carter Rycroft
1999–00	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque
2000–01	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2001Alta.,Brier,WCC
2001–02	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2002Alta.,Brier,WCC
2002–03	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2003Alta.,Brier,WCC
2003–04	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2004Alta.,Brier
2004–05	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2005Alta.,Brier,WCC
2007–08	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2008Alta.
2008–09	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2009Alta.
2009–10	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Scott Pfeifer	Marcel Rocque	2009COCT,2010Alta.
2010–11	Brad Gushue(fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Mark Nichols	Ryan Fry
	Randy Ferbey	David Nedohin	Blayne Iskiw	David Harper	2011Alta.
2011–12	David Nedohin (fourth)	Randy Ferbey (skip)	Ted Appelman	Brendan Melnyk

Grand Slam record

Key
C	Champion
F	Lost in Final
SF	Lost in Semifinal
QF	Lost in Quarterfinals
R16	Lost in the round of 16
Q	Did not advance to playoffs
T2	Played in Tier 2 event
DNP	Did not participate in event
N/A	Not a Grand Slam event that season

Event	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
World Cup/Masters	Q	QF	C	F	QF	QF	Q	QF	Q
The National	DNP	Q	SF	SF	DNP	SF	F	Q	DNP
Canadian Open	DNP	F	SF	F	QF	Q	QF	Q	Q
Players'	DNP	DNP	C	SF	QF	C	QF	DNP	DNP

External links

• Randy FerbeyatWorld Curling
• Team statistics at CurlingZone
• Brier stats