Clarence (Clancey) Boettger has been curling for as long as he can remember, and at 94 years of age, is still ‘hurrying hard’ and putting the rock right on the button.
Boettger is one of Revelstoke’s most exceptional characters. A retired railroader and a long-time member of the Elks, he always has stories to tell.
READ MORE: Personal History: Clancy Boettger
Although he has a competitive edge, Boettger said that the thing that kept him coming back to the rink after all these years is the fun of the sport and keeping active.
On this particular Tuesday night at the Revelstoke Curling Club, Boettger and his partner played a fierce match against some sharp opponents. He said it came right down to the wire, but they ended up coming away with a hard-fought victory.
“We finally got their number,” he laughed.
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Walking through Boettger’s home in Selkirk Gardens in Revelstoke, you immediately get a sense of the impact he’s had on his community and the people in it. You can barely see the paint on the walls behind the rows of awards and trophies, both in the form of brass-plated statues and a mounted buck head.
Boettger was born in June 1929 in Salmo. His family owned a dairy farm and his father Fred worked in mining and logging and was away a lot, leaving his mother, Maude, to mind the farm and the kids.
He’s made Revelstoke his home since 1950, where he’s been putting rocks on buttons ever since. Boettger’s curling partner says he never misses a game at the rink, playing every Tuesday for as long as he can remember.
The only time he missed a night of curling, he was next door cheering on the Grizzlies at the Revelstoke Forum.
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Boettger is a passionate hockey fan, with beautiful hand-painted portraits of The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, as the centre-piece of his living room.
“I’m a hockey nut,” said Boettger. “They built the rink in ‘66 and I’ve been in it since.”
Boettger is also a fierce supporter of the Canadians at the Olympics and is excited to cheer on the Canadian curling team in the coming weeks.
When asked what the secret to his longevity is, Boettger leaned back in his chair and laughed.
He grows as much of his own food as he can and said the secret to staying athletic is eating fresh produce straight from his garden.
Boettger has worked his very own plot of land next to his apartment for over ten years and said it’s essential to grow your own food.
Boettger’s curling career has spanned over nine different decades, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon.
READ MORE: ‘I’m a survivor’: 90-year-old gardener still growing strong
@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com
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