Background
He was born in Nipigon, Ontario.
He was born in Nipigon, Ontario.
Hackner has skipped the Northern Ontario team at nine Briers. To tie the game with last rock in the 10th end Hackner had to make a near impossible double-take out, coming around a guard to hit two stones some 8 feet apart, which would later go down in curling infamy as the "Al Hackner double". The shot was named the greatest moment in Northern Ontario curling history by the Northern Ontario Curling Association.
In addition to playing for Northern Ontario, Hackner also represented Alberta at the 1977 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, playing second for Don Sutton. In 2004, Al Hackner was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In 2013, Hackner announced he would be playing in his final provincial championship, literally saying he was "too old for this shite" However that was a short lived retirement.
He lost the men's provincial final to Brad Jacobs in 2015.
He is a two-time Brier and World Champion skip. He won the Brier in 1982 and again in 1985. In 1982, he defeated Brent Giles of British Columbia to win his first Brier.
In 1985, he defeated Pat Ryan of Alberta to win his second Brier. Hackner's team then stole a single point in the extra end for the win. Hackner won the 2006 Canadian Senior Curling Championships which he followed up with a silver medal at the World Senior Curling Championships in 2007.
He is of Ojibwa descent and is a member of the Red Rock Indian Band.
