Mike Slyziuk

The U.S. Representative to the Scotch Cup in 1963, Slyziuk maintained a 2-win/2-loss record against the famous Canadian Ernie Richardson who has been quoted as saying Mike was the toughest U.S. Skip he had played. In the first round of the ‘63 competition Slyziuk handed Richardson his first Scotch Cup loss after 16 consecutive victories.

To win the National that year in his home city Slyziuk had to draw to the button in the playoff game against a Wisconsin team which marked the second appearance of Bud Somerville. Tim Wright’s book about the first 30 years of the National’s give this account of the game:

“The Championships match was tied at five before Wisconsin stole one in the ninth end. In the tenth end, Slyziuk drew to the four-foot behind cover with his first shot. Somerville tried to follow but came up a foot short. With his hammer, Slyziuk calmly drew to the button for the championship.”

 Slyziuk joined the Detroit Curling Club in 1948 and served as its President in 1969-70. An active curler for over 35 years, he was U.S. National Champion in 1958 and 1963, attending the Nationals ten times. His record as a skip in the Nationals puts him in third place with 69 wins and 21 losses. He won the Detroit International Bonspiel a record five times and was inducted into the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.

 With him on the team that played in the Scotch Cup were his brother, Ernie at second, Walter Hubchik at lead and the late Nelson Brown at third.