VIDEO: Sensational curling spinarama; Mike McEwen spins, plants it on the button at the Continental Cup

Spinarama shots in curling are still crowd-pleasers, even though more and more players are able to pull them off.

It used to be called the "Stoughton Spinarama," simply because it was Jeff Stoughton who seemed to do it most.

It is not something that is seen all that often, usually being trotted out when a game is a blow out, or a throw through the rings is all that's needed to blank an end.

Manitoba curler Mike McEwen - skip of perhaps the hottest men's team on the planet right now - capped Friday afternoon's Continental Cup action with a spin of his own. His was even more impressive than most, though.

Quite often, these shots end up through the rings, short of them, off to the side and - occasionally, somewhere in the paint. McEwen, as you'll see, completed his about as well as you possibly can.

McEwen's mastery of the spin-to-the-button was worth five points, as Canada's men and women battled Europe in the afternoon draw, which consisted of a number of challenges for players, each one worth from zero to five points, depending on how well they completed the task. Spinning was not part of the challenge of the 'draw through the port' competition, it was merely a little McEwen mustard designed to delight the fans. With his team trailing Tomas Ulsrud's 23-17 before his shot, McEwen had nothing to gain with his final stone, as a perfect shot to the button would only get him the maximum five.

So, he spun.

The Continental Cup is a terrific blend of fun and serious curling, to which Canada's captain, Randy Ferbey can attest. While the games between Canada and Europe will get more and more serious as the weekend continues and we get closer to a winner, you will still find the odd bit of frivolity, such as McEwen's spin during the afternoon's singles' competition.

Canada leads the competition, 12 points to 6. First team to 30.5 points wins the Continental Cup.