• He was born in 1904 in Minnedosa, Manitoba, the son of a reverend.
• He started curling at 15, and his first curling prize was a butter knife.
• He skipped the Brier-winning rink in 1939, ’42, and ’49.
• Many felt he would have won more Briers, but the championship was put on hold from 1943 to 1945 because of the Second World War, right at the peak of Watson’s career.
• He was one of the first people to slide while delivering the rock. He accomplished this by taking off his rubber, which all curlers wore on their shoes at the time, and sliding on the sole of his shoe. In later years, he affixed solder to the bottom of his shoe so he could slide even farther. He was roundly criticized by many traditionalists for this shocking delivery.
• He wrote a best-selling book, Ken Watson on Curling, which listed the Seven C’s for Success: Compatibility, Concentration, Co-operation, Courage, Confidence, Competitiveness, and Consistency.
• In 1959, against the wishes of the Canadian (then Dominion) Curling Association, Watson set up matches between the Canadian champions, the Richardsons, and Willie Young and his Scottish champs. That tournament led eventually to the start of the World Curling Championship.
• For 20 years, Watson made his living as a high school teacher, but because of his notoriety, he went into the insurance business and was extremely successful.
• Watson won the overall title in the Manitoba Bonspiel, the largest event in the world, a remarkable six consecutive times, from 1942-47.
Charles Reid, Lyle Dyker, Grant Watson, and Ken Watson with their Brier trophy in 1949.