As the Brad Jacobs rink continues to roll along, the moose calls from his Northern Ontario fans seem to get louder and louder.

After the draws, the spirit lives on at the Brier Patch, the traditional beer gardens at every men's curling championship.

Here, the dominant species isn't the moose, it's likely the cougar.  

But I've noticed a significant lack of cougar-bait at the Brier. Spotting people under the age of 30 (aside from the notable 20-something Brier participants) is as difficult as pinpointing a flaw in Glenn Howard's game.

For all the talk of curling being the coolest thing at the Vancouver Olympics, there's been little evidence to show that the sport has captured a new audience.

It's not for lack of trying.

Organizers gave away 5,000 tickets to Halifax-area school children. They introduced curling into the curriculum, teaching them about the game and the history of the Brier. The students then adopted a province to cheer for.

Throughout the week you could hear their loud, high-pitched calls from the upper deck, encouraging each and every skip.

They were also given a coupon to brinig their parents to an evening draw at half price. At Thursday night's final round-robin draw, many of them showed up, filling the lower bowl.

But for the most part, the fans in the crowd seem to be the hardcore curling supporters -- not the younger demographic organizers had been hoping to reach. The fans chanting the name of their favourite province in an awkward, hokey manner, have likely arrived at the evening draw after taking advantage of the 4:30 early-bird special at Smitty's.

That's not to say it's been all old people in the seats.

I did spot a group of university students taking in the evening draw on Wednesday night, cheering with more enthusiasm than anybody in the building. But I'm pretty sure they were playing a drinking game.