Curling News UNITED STATES
February 2012
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Volume 67 Number 3
Index Bonspiel Results.....12-14 College Curling..............6 Comics........................... 4 Curler’s Calendar......... 12 Letters..................... 10-11 Member Services........... 3 Rocket Exhaust............ 15 Tales From Sheet 9........ 4 Training Tips..................5 Tucked in the Back...... 15 USWCA News...............7 Youth Corner..................3
Inside Body does not lie........ P5 College Mania............. P6 Five-and-under rocks.. P7 Senior Champs............ P8 Copper Country rises...P9 Big MCA Win............. P9 YOG results............... P11 Doubles Champs.......P16
Established 1945
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www.usacurl.org
by Terry Kolesar, Editor
A
merican Korey Dropkin (Southborough, Mass.) became the first American curler to win a medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Games when he won bronze with Russian partner Marina Verenich in the mixed doubles component of the inauguarl WYOG held in January in Innsbruck, Austria. The American team of Dropkin, Sarah Anderson (Broomall, Pa.), Tom Howell III (Brick, N.J.) and
Taylor Anderson (Broomall, Pa.) finished fifth in the mixed team competition. Dropkin, 16, didn’t let a language barrier keep him off the podium in Innsbruck. “It feels amazing. I always wanted to get a medal and now it has happened. It feels great,” he said. Dropkin and Verenich defeated Japan’s Mako Tamakuma and Korea’s Minhyeon Yoo, 6-5, in an extra end to earn the bronze medal. Switerland’s Michael Brunner and Germany’s Nicole Muskatewitz won gold.
See YOG, Page 11
USA’s Korey Dropkin (far right) became the first American curler to win a medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Photo by Richard Gray, World Curling Federation
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The Norfolk Curling Club in Norfolk, Conn., was destroyed by fire on Dec. 18.
by David Garber, Emeritus Editor
T
he Norfolk Curling Club facility in northwest Connecticut was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning, Dec.18, 2011. Fortunately, no persons were injured. Young arsonists are alleged to have destroyed several buildings in the county area, including the club, making it difficult for firefighters to arrive quickly at the club fire. Virtually everything was destroyed, including the stones, many of which burst from the heat of the blaze. The fire has served to galvanize support for the Norfolk club from curlers and others in Connecticut, the Grand National region, across the United States, and internationally. The club members expect to rebuild, with their fire insurance policy providing a wel-
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$2.50
Bronze finish for USA at Youth Olympics
Fire destroys Norfolk Club
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come financial base. Club president Mary Fanette, who arrived in Connecticut via Texas and the University of Minnesota, joined the Norfolk club after winning a silent auction for a six-month membership. She stayed on after discovering she loved the curling experience on and off the ice. “The fire has presented us with a major challenge,” Fanette told the Curling News “We must rally, pull together, define our building goals and then raise dollars. The outpouring of support from curlers has given me the confidence that we can meet the challenge.” Fanette is grateful for support received from the GNCC with communications, helping with “a daunting task, overwhelming at times, during an already hectic holiday season.”
See FIRE, Page 6
F I T N E S S
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Help grow the sport of curling Curling is a sport to be enjoyed throughout your lifetime. The United States Curling Association (USA Curling) has many goals – to grow the sport, help U.S. curlers maximize their enjoyment of the sport, produce numerous national championships that lead to world events, and be the official avenue to participate in the Paralympic Winter Games and the Olympic Winter Games. With so many new clubs and curlers, and the changing demographics of USA Curling’s membership, for the first time ever we are reaching out directly to each and every curler through our 2012 Sweep the Country Annual Appeal. This program replaces the existing annual pin program that so many of you have graciously donated to in the past. Pin collectors will be pleased to know that a pin is still available as a thank you gift from us. Your gift is tax deductible. Check out the online donation web portal at www.usacurl.org (look for the logo above). Thanks!
F I N E S S E
Curling News UNITED STATES
VOlUmE 67, No. 3
February 2012
Official publication of the United States Curling Association Editor — Terry Kolesar Associate Editor—Rick Patzke Emeritus Editor—David Garber Design: Terry Kolesar Next editorial deadline: Feb. 24, 2012 The United States Curling News (ISSN 1064-3001; USPS 392-020) is published five times per year in October, November, February, March and May by the United States Curling Association. The USCA and Curling News office is located at 5525 Clem’s Way, Stevens Point, WI 54482. Telephone 715-344-1199. Subscription price for non-USCA members: $16 per year (North America), $26 per year (overseas), payable in US currency. Single copy price: $2.50. Advertising rates on request. Established 1945. Periodicals postage paid at Waupaca, Wisconsin, and additional offices as requested. Postmaster sends address changes to U.S. Curling News, 5525 Clem’s Way, Stevens Point, WI 54482.
United States Curling Association Officers President Chris Sjue Vice Presidents Kent Beadle Dave Carlson Jerome Larson James Pleasants Treasurer Sean Silver Secretary Bob Pelletier Directors Paul Badgero [2012] Kent Beadle [2012] Craig Brown (AAC) [2012] Dave Carlson [2013] Maureen Clark (AAC) [2012] Gabrielle Coleman [2014] Lynita Delaney [2012] Janet Farr (USWCA) [2012] Dean Gemmell (AAC) [2012] Nancy Haggenmiller [2013] Peggy Hatch** [2014] Jonathan Havercroft [2013] Cyndee Johnson [2014] Gwen Krailo [2013] Jerome Larson [2012] Jan Legacie [2014]
Rich Lepping* [2012] Gordon Maclean [2013] Richard Maskel (AAC) [2012] Bob Pelletier [2012] James Pleasants [2013] Allison Pottinger (AAC) [2012] Leland Rich [2014] Sean Silver [2012] Chris Sjue [2013] Mark Swandby [2014] Ann Swisshelm (AAC) [2012] Beau Welling* [2012] Sam Williams [2014] * Board-elected ** Voice, no vote
USA Curling National Office 5525 Clem’s Way Stevens Point, WI 54482 Office: 715-344-1199 • Fax: 715-344-2279 E-mail: info@usacurl.org • Web site: www.usacurl.org CHIEF OPERATINg OFFICER: Rick Patzke, rick.patzke@usacurl.org DIRECTOR OF COmmUNICATIONS: Terry Kolesar, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org CONTROllER: Sandy Robinson, sandy.robinson@usacurl.org EVENT SERVICES mANAgER: Dawn Leurquin, dawn.leurquin@usacurl.org ADmINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Christy Hering, christy.hering@usacurl.org gROWTH & DEVElOPmENT mANAgER: Kim Nawyn, kim.nawyn@usacurl.org
Off-site staff:
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FEBRUARY 2012
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Building relationships on and off the ice A big part of the work we do here at USA Curling is building lasting relationships inside the curling community, and just as important, outside the curling community. After finding out that curling would be included in the Super Bowl Village, I knew I was asking too much to have my beloved Green Bay Packers playing in the Big Game. I guess it is curling’s year to shine. I can live with that. A unique outdoor curling rink was set up in the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis from Jan. 27-Feb. 5 for fans to try their hand at one of the fastest growing winter Olympic sports. USA Curling partnered with Rock Solid Productions Inc. and the Circle City Curling Club to introduce this 500-year-old sport to the hordes of Super Bowl Village visitors. The Village was a family-friendly area in the heart of downtown Indianapolis spanning three blocks designed to be an interactive festival of football and fun for 10 days. Our relationship with Vernon Davis, the San Francisco 49ers tight end who served as U.S. curling’s honorary captain in Vancouver at the Olympic Games (and scorched the Packers), continues to build. Davis and his agent, Sasha Taylor, donated items to our latest auction to help grow the sport. Keeping in the Super Bowl spirit, the auction features two football-related items and two from the world of golf, which were secured by USCA Director Beau Welling of South Carolina,
From the Editor’s Desk
Ideas? Complaints? Send your thoughts to Curling News Editor Terry Kolesar terry.kolesar@usacurl.org 715-344-1199, Ext. 202
who works in the golf industry. Each $14 donation gives you a chance to win one of these great items. Find out more at http://www.curlingrocks.net /contest. Our connection to the San Francisco 49ers goes beyond Davis. Last year, two of your Olympians were invited to teach curling to those attending the 49ers Foundation Winterfest in Lake Tahoe, which is a private event for 49ers alumni, coaches and current players. Olympians John Benton and Tracy Sachtjen did such a great job that they were personally invited back by 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. Thanks to Jerome Larson and the Wine Country Curling Club for hauling the stones and helping out. Another opportunity to pair curling with another sport is set to take place Feb. 26 in Milwaukee, Wis. The Milwaukee Admirals,
an American Hockey League team, have once again invited curling back for a special night. The Salute to Curling night will feature USA’s 2012 senior champions doing a quick curling demo during intermission. Four dollars from each ticket sold to the game will be donated to Team USA for the 2012 World Senior Championships in April in Denmark. Relationships within the curling community are just as important. When the 2012 USA Curling National Championships get underway Feb. 11 at the IceWorks Skating Complex in Aston, Pa., Joe Calabrese and Brian Anderson of the Rochester (N.Y.) Curling Club will take their passion for the sport and love of webstreaming to the next level as they partner with us to stream every draw from the Nationals. As some of you may know, Joe and Brian created the 12th End Sports Network and started streaming league games from the Rochester club. We hope to help them grow their webstreaming interests as we partner to provide fans with more opportunities to watch this awesome sport. If you’re going to be in Philly for the Nationals, be sure to stop by and say hello. Happy 2012 everyone. Wow... 2012. While Tuck has eclipsed his one-year writing anniversary with the Curling News (See P. 15), I am proud to have so many great people writing for this publication. I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy putting it together for each of you.
Director of Sport Education Scott Higgins 913-449-2933 • scott.higgins@usacurl.org Director of High Performance Derek Brown derek.brown@usacurl.org US: +1 715-254-5024 • UK: +44 7793 099668 National Wheelchair Development Coach Steve Brown, steve@stevescurling.com National Wheelchair Curling Outreach Development Director Marc DePerno, mdeperno@sitrin.com Head Ice Technician Dave Staveteig 701-772-0705 • daveandbrenda@gfwireless.com
AmERICAN CURlINg FOUNDATION & mUSEUm The Museum is located at the Chicago Curling Club, 555 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062 CURATOR: James M. Miller Jr. 2011 Glendale Ave. Northbrook, IL 60062 847-272-7224 UNITED STATES WOmEN’S CURlINg ASSOCIATION OFFICERS PRESIDENT Maureen Guay FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Bridget Matzke SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Shelley Dropkin SECRETARY Mary Ann Hulme TREASURER Carolyn MacLeod USCA LIAISON Janet Farr PUBLIC RELATIONS Nancy Wilhelm PROMOTIONS Jennifer Stannard
USA Curling, Circle City Curling Club and RockSolid Productions teamed up to provide 10 days of curling in the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis. The ultimate curling fan experience utilized fullsize, customized curling rocks on specially treated flooring designed to replicate an ice surface, and was just a stone’s throw from Lucas Oil Field, site of the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.
Curling News
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
FEBRUARY 2012
UNITED STATES
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The parent/coach – wearing both hats
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erhaps you happened across last month’s column and were inspired to coach a new U-14 Bantam team, eager to travel down the path to a world curling championship! If so, your team is likely to have something in common with most young curling teams – they are coached by a parent of somebody on the team. Being a coach of any successful athletic team requires a certain level of skill. Being a parent/coach will certainly test those skills. There is a fine line a parent/coach must negotiate when interacting with the team. On one end of the continuum is the coach who lavishes praise on their “can-do-no-wrong” child, at
Youth Corner
By Dave Jensen, Chairman, USCA Youth Committee the expense of that member’s teammates. Those teammates don’t feel as though they are equal partners in the sporting endeavor. As resentment builds, performance dwindles. On the other end of the
continuum is the coach who finds it far too easy to criticize their own child’s performance, while treading lightly on the rest of the team. It’s as if those parents know their child can’t quit the family, so the verbiage doesn’t have to be measured. Maybe a prerequisite for coaching youth teams should be to coach your spouse’s team in a fourweek boot camp of sorts, where you would quickly learn positive and encouraging ways to get your ideas across! While it’s difficult to generalize in this area, most parent/coaches are all of the above at various times – mostly in the middle, but sometimes too hard on our own kids, and other times unreasonable and/or unfair
about our expectations of their teammates or the team as a whole. Parenting is tricky, coaching is tricky, and being a parent/coach adds another level of complexity to sporting competition. The parent/coach really needs to wear two hats, one as a parent when at home and one as a coach when working with the team. Do you wonder how your team views you? Ask. You may be surprised to learn what they think. Once on a drive home from a bonspiel, I asked the question. The skip of our team relayed the story of how she came to our house one day to return something to my daughter (her teammate) and was surprised when I answered the door.
She said her first thought was, “What is my coach doing at Steph’s house?” The parent/coach in particular needs to approach criticism of their child’s athletic performance constructively and cautiously. Good parent/coaches find ways to initiate needed change in a positive and encouraging way, for the benefit of the team as a whole and not segments of the team. Young people especially need their emotional gas tanks filled more often than do adults. The Positive Coaching Alliance website at www.positivecoach.org offers some great tools to help ensure that your kids’ gas tanks are always full. Good coaching, good curling!
USCA governance reformation: Why the change? Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. – John F. Kennedy Today is not Yesterday. We ourselves change. How then, can our works and thoughts, if they are always to be the fittest, continue always the same? Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful. – Carlyle This article is in support of the proposed governance change for the USCA. The world in which we live and play has changed substantially since 1958 when the USCA was first formed. How people make their choices in spending their recreational time has changed. How countries’ sporting organizations choose to focus their limited resources in the worldwide competition for Olympic and international excellence has changed. The USCA, as it is gov-
erned, needs to reflect these changes. If the USCA chooses to remain the same, or at most to nibble around the edges, how realistically may we expect the USCA to be anything better than it is now? An analogy in the debate over the proposed governance change has been made between the USCA and the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress is elected based upon each state having elected representatives to it. What is inaccurate about this analogy is that it is not the states that are doing the electing. It is the individual citizens of each state. The votes are cast by the people, not the state. The days of having the state legislature elect the state’s senators are long gone. So, too, the proposed governance is to have the directors elected directly by the vote of the curlers through their clubs, not indirectly
through the states or regions. A significant component of the proposed governance change for the USCA is that the vote in the election of directors to the Board of Directors and members on the standing committees will be by individual clubs, weighted based upon the number of individual curling members of the club. The clubs will have a direct vote on the representatives to the board and standing committees. This process will give direct voice and vote to the 16,000 plus individual curlers who are the dues paying constituency of the USCA. For those who argue that the vote should be with the states or regions, how is that not continuing the process that was abandoned decades ago when applied to the election of Senators for the states to the U.S. Senate? If one’s position is
Certifications level I Instructor Robert Corn Bob Cuomo Keith Erdman Neil Feil Irwin Freed Justin Kupper Michael G. Neimon Lucas Ostrowski John F. Salza Todd Schober Irene Schuder Michael Schuder Jim Shlimovitz Bradley David Sward Tamara Trutwin Bill Waddington Mitch Wayne
level II Instructor C.T. Marhula Lucas Ostrowski Teresa Thomas level I Official Craig Evans Karen Kan Martin Kelly Margaret Lawler Dean Markwardt Kimberlee Nawyn Darrell M. Passo Elaine Ritchie Kevin Ritter level I Ice Technician Joe Adamczak Mark Ambroz Scott Belvitch Brian Bergquist
David Bohlander Frank Cebelinski Jay Emmerich Joey Erjavec Christopher Horak Hans Jones Dan Lilla Kevin Madsen Mark Mikulich Shawn Olesen Lucas Ostrowski Jay Packard Jim Parmeter John Parmeter Matthew Sandquist David Staveteig Quentin Way Mitch Wayne Tom Wood
that the 16,000 individual curlers need to have direct influence by their voice and vote over the national organization, then one should favor the proposal by which the individual curlers through their clubs have a direct voice and vote
in the process. This is what is sought to be accomplished in the governance change. Signed, Rich Lepping Mark Swandby David Carlson
The U.S. Curling Association is proud to recognize the following sponsors who support our sport and organization:
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Curling News UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 2012
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Norfolk’s Childs key part of club’s history
T
he USCA Hall of Fame was initiated in 1984 with the induction of the legendary Raymond “Bud” Somerville. The second class was inducted four years later, in 1988, when five men received the necessary two-thirds vote from the USCA Board of Directors to be elected. These five had played and/or served curling with great distinction: world champion skip Bruce Roberts, and the late Don McKay, Hughston McBain, Glenn Harris and Edward C. “Ted” Childs of Norfolk, Conn. The April 1988 issue of the North American Curling News had this to say about Childs: “… participated in the National Men’s Championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962 … past president of the Grand National and the (then) U.S. Men’s Curling Association ... Honorary Life Member
Elisabeth, of the Norfolk Curling Club, burned by alleged arsonists in December 2011. Ted’s son Star, who was about 3 when the club was built and is a lifetime curler, recalls his dad as “an entrepreneur who loved curling and was able to provide the support needed to start a club and have it built, on six acres donated by him and my mom.” The family’s curling traditions went even further back. Elisabeth’s father, John Walcott Calder, of Utica, N.Y., curled in the first ever Olympic demonstration at the 1936 Winter Games in Lake Placid. The John Walcott Calder trophy for the Norfolk Men's Bonspiel, says Star Childs, “Was established around 1960 after grandfather’s passing in the previous year. The original winner and runner-up pins were made of pewter and gold
and were very coveted on the men’s bonspiel circuit!” The Calder Trophy itself survived the fire because it was out of the club in custody of a winner. Good luck to the curlers of the Norfolk Curling Club in their efforts to rebuild! 1956 In addition to the founding of the Norfolk Curling Club, what else was happening in curling in the 1956-57 season? The Nov. 20, 1956 issue of the North American Curling News (founded in 1944 and edited by Glenn Harris of Superior) had articles about the 12th Annual Midwest Curling Association “Classic” slated for that December in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa; the progress being made on the first U.S. men’s national curling championship (played in 1957 in Chicago Stadium under the sponsorship of Marshall Fields,
whose chairman was Houston McBain); a foursheet club in Virginia, Minn., was being built at a cost of $35,000; Tacoma’s Lakewood Curling Club members vied with Vancouver, B.C. curlers at the Lakewood Arena, for the “Spike” Briggs Trophy; and the Medford, Wis., club was “now entirely modern” including refrigerated ice and a newly added bar.” (This writer is privileged to have been served many times at that bar.) Curling men’s tours were being arranged to Switzerland and Sweden. And, all the men in the photos in the Curling News wore neckties. Correction A reader with a sharp eye and a good memory has corrected me: in the classic old Duluth Curling Club building, the curling was on the first floor, hockey on the second level. I had it reversed in my last column.
Vice Elizabeth DeJong made it possible by executing two skillful takeouts, the first around a guard and the second through a port. The skip, John DeJong, drew to the eight-foot for the final shot of the end. Bemidji The Dallas Way rink of Moe Webb (vice), Kirby Bahr (second), and Richard Carter (lead) kicked off the holiday season in style. The rink scored an eight-ender at the Bemidji Curling Club on Dec.13, 2011, during the 1:30 p.m. Legends draw. Canadian Club of Boston The Canadian Club of Boston had something special to celebrate while curling at The County Club in Massachusetts on Jan. 9, 2012. The Anne Robertson rink of Kay Ham (vice), Ellie Manseau (second), and Joan Partridge (lead) scored an eight-ender while competing in their weekly Monday evening league.
Doug gluth Doug Gluth, 57, of the Appleton and Clintonville Curling Clubs, passed away after an illness Dec. 3, 2011. Former Appleton Curling Club and Wisconsin State Curling Association president Jim O’Neill told the Curling News, “Doug was an outstanding competitor, having won many bonspiels and taking part in many playdown competitions. But his biggest contributions to curling were his open and honest personality, tremendous sportsmanship and clear love of life and friends and family. No one that knew him will forget his infectious laugh. I was privileged to have known Doug and curled with him for many years. Our club was also the beneficiary of his woodworking skills, and the beautiful wooden curling stones that he and the Rock Runners made are proudly displayed at homes across the state and country.” A graduate of Clintonville High School,
Doug owned and managed Brown County Cabinets for 38 years. Doug is survived by his wife, Connie, son Matthew, his mother, and four sisters. Wes Smith Weston K. Smith, 71, Sun City Center, Fla., formerly of Bangor, Maine, passed away Dec. 5, 2011. He was an independent living specialist with ALPHA One, Bangor. He was on the U.S. curling team for the 2006 Paralympics in Torino, Italy. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Elaine; three sons, Eric and Pam, Scott and Joan, and Ryan and Dana Smith; his sister, Sandra and Richard Voytilla; and 10 grandchildren. The family requests memorials be made in lieu of flowers to Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
ACF&M donations accepted
America’s #1 Curling Supplier for 36 years!
Tales From Sheet Nine
David Garber, dj.garber@charter.net
of the GNCC … financial supporter of curling … supplier of stones to various clubs … has supported all World Curling Championships.” Not mentioned was his co-founding in 1956, with spouse
Eight-Enders The following eight-enders were reported recently to the U.S. Curling Association: Potomac The Southern Comfort Inaugural Bonspiel hosted by the Potomac Curling Club at the National Capital Curling Center may be remembered by most for its warm hospitality and BBQ with all the fixin’s. But, for the rink of Dan Kennedy (skip throwing vice rocks), Doug Andrew (vice throwing skip rocks), Laura Barrantes (second), and Lisa Andrew (lead), it holds another special memory. The rink achieved an eight-ender at the bonspiel on Oct. 15. Plainfield The John DeJong rink of Elizabeth DeJong (vice), Karen DeJong (second), and Tom Orians (lead) scored an eightender on Nov. 12 during the Saturday night league game at the Plainfield Curling Club.
The Funny Side
Donations to the American Curling Foundation and Museum, located in the Chicago Curling Club, can be sent to 555 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. The curator is James Miller Jr., 847-272-7224.
Largest Selection in Country BalancePlus, Performance, ASHAM, 8-ender, Tournament, Ultima and more. All your curling needs! Same Day Shipping Phone: 608-222-1691 Orders: 1-800-227-CURL E-mail: steve@stevescurling.com Web site: www.stevescurling.com
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FEBRUARY 2012
5
Timing: Developing muscle memory My previous articles have focused on the ABCs of a good curling delivery – alignment, balance, and curl (grip, turn, and release). So, let’s assume you have mastered all that and have a textbook slide and release. But, the really big question is, how hard should your throw? The answer is a combination of three things – a stop watch, muscle memory, and some basic math. Starting with the watch, there are several different ways to time the ice to determine how heavy or keen it is. Perhaps the most widely used system is called interval timing. It is based on recording the amount of time taken during the delivery for the leading edge of the stone to go from the back line to the near hog line. It is totally dependent on a smooth delivery with no arm extension pushing, etc. by the shooter. Interval timing is used as both a shooting and a
sweeping aid. This article focuses on shooting; we’ll save its sweeping aspects for a later column. To determine the relative quickness of the ice, one of the team’s sweepers times a shot and watches to see where the rock stops – ideally near the far tee line with no sweeping. Typical times will range from 3.2 to 3.6 seconds. The higher the number, the keener the ice. Shooters can learn to make their drive out of the hack coincide with the desired interval time. With practice and resulting muscle memory, you can learn to throw different weights, thereby taking the guesswork out of wondering how hard to throw. The real beauty of interval timing relates to the fact that 1/10th of a second is equal to about 6 feet of distance. That’s where basic math comes in. If the ice is running 3.4 seconds and the skip calls for top house weight, the correct interval time to throw would be 3.5
Training Tips From Jon
Jon Mielke, jon.mielke@ndsu.edu seconds (tee line weight at 3.4 seconds less .1 second for 6 feet from the tee to the top of the house). A guard 6 feet in front of the house would call for an interval time of 3.6 seconds. Going the other way, back-line weight would require a 3.3 second interval time and hack weight would require a 3.2 second shot. With interval timing, once you figure out what tee line weight is, you can
throw any variety of shots just by doing the math – 1/10th of a second equals six feet. No more guessing. (And for you “old timers” who use long times (hog to tee), 1/2 second equals about 6 feet). Developing the required muscle memory takes lots of practice with a teammate or coach who times your deliveries and immediately lets you know how hard you just threw. With time and practice, you will learn how hard to drive out of the hack to achieve various interval times. Ideally, teams also use interval times to zero in on consistent take-out weights. Assuming reasonably keen ice, many teams look for take-out weights with an interval time of about 2.8 seconds. Light hits might be 3.0 seconds. It is also important to time the ice throughout the game because the ice changes, especially during the early ends. You should also time the other team’s
shots, especially if it is likely that your next shot might be down the same path that they are using. But also remember, timing a shooter who has a tendency to push or pull back at the point of delivery will give you erroneous times. A smooth delivery is critical to getting an accurate interval time. Interval timing – give it a try and start developing the muscle memory that will allow you to throw all the interval times from 2.6 to 4.0. It will allow you to throw all the shots, with confidence, from long guards to hack, board, light hit, and regular take-outs on all kinds of ice. You will make more shots, win more games, and have more fun. Until next time – good curling! (Jon Mielke is a Level III instructor and a Level III coach. He is the past chairman of the USCA’s Training & Instruction Committee and a member of Bismarck’s Capital Curling Club).
The body does not willingly lie
T
he field for the 2012 Nationals has narrowed and seeding is settled so that teams preparing for Philadelphia in February are striving for a podium finish. Spectators observing teams perform at the top level will see a display of various people skills on and off the ice. According to James Borg, an expert on nonverbal communication context (the situation the team’s in), congruence (the consistency of people’s behavior under pressure) and clustering (the variety and number of nonverbal movements and signs) of behaviors will show a team’s helpful interaction with each other when they are under pressure. Borg likes to say the body does not lie. Let’s explore a little bit more in the next paragraphs what we might see from teams on and off the ice. But first, we will discuss some aspects of pressure and their influence on behavior. Pressure points affecting behavior We know when a performer perceives stress negatively this can lead to lower performance and affect how they trust themselves and others. When individual pressure builds, positive behaviors can sometimes be minimized between teammates. Emotional upset caused by teammate relations hijacks curlers during their performance by causing them to lose focus, worry, and attend to other things rather than what they are doing. These things happen
By John Coumbe-Lilley, USA Curling sports psychology consultant
all the time to curlers; curlers are human. What we have to remember is that curlers cannot control what happens to them in their team relationships, but they can control how they respond to them. Curlers have to learn to cope to reduce the negative effects of these things on their performance. So, how do they do that? Easy, right? Wrong. There’s nothing easy about this part of curling performance at the top level. The few great curlers at the world level have hard-won success by developing individual and team strategies that work under pressure. For those watching the games in Philadelphia, here are a few perspectives that can be used to learn what might be going on between teammates. Three behaviors to watch for in teams under pressure: Circle of trust Look for teams that have identified people who are close to them and willing
and able to support them through their performance preparation. See if they have recruited them to be part of their performance team. Typically, friends, family, teammates, coaches and workmates are recruited for this purpose. See if the teams have distanced themselves from unhelpful or toxic people. If they have done this, they have protected their outer shell. The inner shell is that what happens inside the team (including the coach) stays in the team, and the core of the team’s self belief is always preserved and protected. Teammates that chip away at this when the team is under pressure usually drain the team of energy and put the skip in a terrible situation to carry the team’s performance and manage the people aspect, too. Few skips can do both excellently. Look for skips who have high energy and teams that feed the energy down the line from lead to skip so that each shot looks and feels like a team shot. Listen for gossip behind the glass like a discussion about players playing on one team at nationals already scouting to play with another team next season; look for inconsistent behaviors between teammates on the ice. These are two strong signs that trust might not be high between teammates. Social routines Look for positive team behaviors at Nationals in Philly. These behaviors look like teammates warming up
in a similar fashion; smiling, arms and legs relaxed. Open stances to each other, ‘high fives,’ smiles where people show their teeth, arms (not crossed) and ankles loose (not locked). This sounds weird, but fake smiles are common in curling and teammates at ease with each other smile big and broad (not always, but curlers enjoying the opportunity to be with each other in pressure show this often). Look for the proximity of teammates to each other when they talk, and show ‘love’ or ‘hate’ to each other by opening their palms or pointing fingers. Check out the fifth-end break. Look for positive eye contact, open body language, listening ears (turned slightly toward the speaker), nodding, weight shifts (make sure you know the score and context and look for two to three behaviors at once). At the end of the game watch the 10 minutes after the final shot. This period can often show the victorious and defeated sides of body talk. The body does not send messages the brain does not want it to. Conflict resolution When a conflict arises in competition it usually happens around the calling of line and weight weighed against the risk and reward of the shot against the context of the situation, and the belief the team has in the person throwing the rock. Teams show their ability to resolve conflict when effective decisions are made
under pressure. Look for teams where vices and skips look at the shot from same and different vantage points and come back together sideby-side. This often shows a back end that can resolve a difficult decision and come together. The teammate that walks away from the skip in difficult situations can be communicating ‘over to you, skip’ and they turn their back on the skip, slide to a distant point on the ice from the skip, cross their ankles and fold their arms. They are likely showing disagreement with the previous interaction. Experienced curlers know that the body does not lie. When you are watching the top teams, look at the situation they are in (high or low pressure), look at the consistency of their body language (how often they do what they do in high pressure and low pressure situations) and look at the number of behaviors at the time (crossed arms, distance from teammates, place of safety on the ice and absence of eye contact with teammates after a conversation on the ice at a difficult moment). Pay attention, keep focused on what is in front of you because these behaviors happen rapidly and change as quickly as the brain responds to pressure. Remember, reading bodies is one technique and is not an end in itself for knowing teams. It is a means of interpreting the team psychology. Have fun with it. It is amazing what our bodies communicate under pressure.
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Curling News UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 2012
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
College Curling
Sign up today for great college events by Rich Larko, College Curling Coordinator
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he regional championship event at Bowling Green (Ohio) will take place Feb. 17-19 with student teams from all over the eastern midwest taking part. A detailed report will be featured in the next issue. There is still time to sign up for events at Kettle Moraine (Wis.) and Broomstones (Mass.). The Kettle
Moraine event will take place March 10-11 in Hartland, Wis. Three round robin games will take place on March 10 followed by the finals on March 11. Entry and a $150 check is due at 5 p.m. CT on March 1. Contact Mike Schuder at mschuder@carrollu.edu for more details. The Broomstones event is set to take place March 30-April 1 in Wayland, Mass. This event will feature one game on Friday
FIRE, continued from Page 1: Sally MacKenzie, is first vice president of the Grand National Curling Club, Norfolk’s regional organization. She will act as point person for Norfolk for the rebuilding project – people are encouraged to go through MacKenzie on fire-related communications matters. Contact Sally at smackenzie46@ gmail.com. MacKenzie and former GNCC president Gwen Krailo attended the Norfolk club board meeting Dec. 28 to lend support and answer questions about sources of support for rebuilding. Mackenzie noted, “The Utica model helps (for rebuilding after a fire) by showing it can be done. Also, Nutmeg lost their facility and kept the club alive for several years before rebuilding. Spontaneous offers have been made to help with stones and even pro-bono architect services. The Cape Cod club is hosting the GNCC Mixed Bonspiel, originally slated for Norfolk, with all proceeds going to Norfolk. The GNCC Memorial Fund can provide a lowinterest loan to a club, to be paid back over a long period of time, although only a nominal amount of funds are available.” For many, curling is more than just a sport and/or a social outlet, it is a family tradition. So it is for Star Childs and Jon Barbagallo. Childs, the son of club founders Ted and Elisabeth Childs, reflected that “Norfolk is a hamlet of about 1,800 people, plus summer visitors, four miles south of the Massachusetts border. The club was founded in 1956 and the membership represents a cross section of the community. I was three when the club was founded and grew up with curling. “We have a mix of ideas on how to rebuild. It may take more than one year, dependant on several variables, including walking the property and deciding where to rebuild. Land is not a problem. The club was originally built on
evening, two on Saturday, and the finals on Sunday morning. Cost is $150 per team with an entry deadline of March 1. For more information, contact Monica Walker at monicawlkr@gmail.com. These events are a great opportunity for experienced curlers to get real competition and inexperienced teams to taste first-class competition. A waiting list will be started for both events after the deadlines pass. Each event will be same for-
property donated by my parents, near a golf course, about a mile from the family home. Many visiting bonspielers have been hosted at the house.” (Editor’s note: for more about Ted Childs, a USCA Hall of Fame inductee, see Tales From Sheet Nine. P. 4.) Jon Barbagallo was born and raised in Norfolk and has curled there since age 12. In addition to his full-time career as a human resources manager, he is a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, and the Norfolk Curling Club icemaker. In an ironic turn of events, he was one of the first firefighters on the scene at the fire. While working at a house/garage arson fire several miles away, Barbagallo got a call from the Connecticut State Police about the club fire, which was started late Saturday night and not reported until 1 a.m. Sunday. By the time he was able to get to the club, the fire had been going well over an hour. “When I arrived, it was like watching my own house burn down,” Barbagallo recalled. “Since age 12, I’ve spent a huge amount of time there. I knew every nook and cranny, so I tried to enter from the away end of the ice sheets to see if we could at least get to the stones, but it was too late, the stones had already burst from the heat. “We will rebuild. We’ll have a presence at the USCA Nationals in Philadelphia, a booth or other means, to help raise awareness and funds. We will build a fine place, but one can never completely replicate the coziness, hominess and uniqueness of the old place.” Curlers will find information on the Norfolk web site http://www.norfolkcurlingclub.org/support.html. The club asks donors to make checks payable to “NCC Rebuilding Fund,” and mail their donation to the Norfolk Curling Club, P.O. Box 102, Norfolk, CT 06058-0102. PayPal is available. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law [501c(3)].
Nominate someone for new Volunteer of the Year Award The U.S. Curling Association is proud to roll out its Volunteer of the Year Award. Nominations will be accepted through June 1, 2012, with the inaugural winner being announced next summer. The Volunteer of the Year Award honors one great volunteer who stands out for his/her work to help promote the sport of
curling. Please help spread the word about this great award to thank the backbone of our organization – our volunteers! Criteria and a nomination form can be found online at www.usacurl.org/usacurl. Thank you to all our great volunteers. For more information, contact the USCA office at 1-888-CURLERS (287-5377).
mat as the National Tournament with eight-team divisions seeded by team experience. Award pins will be provided in each division. Free food and soft drinks will be available as well as great curling and much fun. New teams and teams with one year of experience are welcome. All teams play at their own skill level. Vist the College Curling website at www.collegecurling.org for more details.
College Nationals to return in 2013 by Gordon Maclean, Chair, College Curling Committee
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he College National Curling Championship will return in 2013, with a new host, a new look and a new format. The event will take place at the Duluth Curling Club, March 8-10, 2013. The championship will be an invitational event consisting of 16 schools, selected on curling merit. Schools (rather than set teams) will earn the invitation based on points accumulated by competing against other schools during the curling season in headto-head, triangular, quad, or other format events. Only games against other colleges or universities will be considered. Schools may bring as many members to the Nationals as they wish, and will be encouraged to change line-ups between games. The 16 teams will be seeded into four groups of four, with each group play-
ing a round robin schedule. The top team from each group will advance to the medal round, which will be a single elimination event. Further information on the 2013 College Nationals will be posted on the website www.intercollegiatecurling-usa.org, on Facebook (search for US University Club and Varsity Curling), and here in the U.S. Curling News. We expect that the 2014 College Nationals will be held somewhere on the East Coast, and that the event will move to different areas of the country from year to year. Intercollegiate Club and Varsity Curling (ICVC) has two primary goals; promoting the development of curling clubs in a college/university environment and encouraging these clubs to meet and compete against each other on a regular basis. Long-term, we would like to see curling transition to a varsity level sport at schools where it is appropriate to do so.
Curling News
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
FEBRUARY 2012
UNITED STATES
7
Five & under events are a great time by Karen Ronk, Chairwoman, USWCA 5 & Under Bonspiel To increase the numbers of curlers who participate in the sport of curling, the USWCA sponsors a 5-year and under bonspiel along with a participating club, throughout the United States. Many clubs have already enjoyed seeing the
participants with five or fewer years of experience take to the ice without hesitation, and with great anticipation of a bonspiel experience. The women’s challenges are comprised of women’s teams and the open events may have teams of any combination of men and women on the teams. The only
qualification for either event is that the curlers have five or fewer years of experience. The USWCA provides a traveling trophy for the winners of the first event. They also provide pins for the winners and runners-up for each event. To find out more about the Five- and-Under Bonspiel in your area, check the USWCA web-
site at www.uswca.org and find the link under USWCA bonspiels. This is also where you will find the eligibility forms, which must accompany your team’s entry to this event. Please take the time to review the guidelines and rules. To find out how your club can host an event, contact Karen Ronk at YR5andUnder@USWCA.org.
Five Elements of Curling Technique now available by Terry Kolesar, Editor USA Curling’s Sport Education program, led by Scott Higgins, has signed a three-year partnership with Immersion Media for educational content for the USA Curling community. Currently, Immersion and USA Curling are partnering on The Five Elements of Curling Technique, along with Curling Academy Rodger Schmidt GmbH of Switzerland. Schmidt, a three-time Olympic and multi-time European and World Championship coach, played a key role in the preparation of Team USA for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and has an extensive resume of coaching many teams at international events, as well as providing curling instruction, team training camps, and coach mentoring through his curling academy. The Five Elements of Curling Technique will be listed and available for sale on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon. In addition, it will be listed in Bowkers Books in Print. The manual also will be provided in electronic publications (iPad, Nook, Sony, etc.) and a MOBI (Kindle) formats very soon. It is designed to promote education in the sport of curling across the association’s membership. “As curling continues to grow across the United States, there is a vital need for sport education and development materials for participants at all levels,” said Rick Patzke, chief operating officer of USA Curling. “This is an area where USA Curling can definitely make an impact nationally and provide a resource that has benefits for all members. The Five Elements of Curling Technique manual is the first in what is expected to be a growing library of resources developed by USA Curling in conjunction with many contributing coaches and athletes, and the professional services provided by Immersion Media.” The first in a series, The Five Elements of Curling Technique is designed to bring world-class curling knowledge and expertise to the curling community by providing a simple format to improve curling techniques. These techniques are being used to prepare world and Olympic level curlers, and can also benefit curlers at the novice and intermediate levels. “The Five Elements manual from USA Curling Sport Education is the most comprehensive technical manual on the curling delivery ever put together,” said 2010 Olympian John Benton (St. Michael, Minn.). “There is no longer ‘one way’ to throw a curling stone. The truth is that there have been, and always will be, many
ways to slide the granite down the sheet. But Coach Roger Schmidt figured out that the best curlers, regardless of their delivery type, all had the same five principles or ‘elements’ in common. This manual explains those elements and helps us to understand how to teach and apply them in any situation with any curler. Breaking down the delivery process in this way is a groundbreaking method, which allows for differing ages, genders, and body types to have more immediate success delivering the curling stone. Not to mention that it gives coaches and instructors a common language and method for teaching a delivery to anyone who wants to learn. Whether just starting out or a seasoned veteran of ‘The Roaring Game,’ I highly recommend that you get a copy of this manual and put it to use.” The Five Elements brand name addresses the five core components that are identified as necessary for world-class curling success, which aligns with USA Curling’s Athlete Performance and Developmental Models, identified by USA Curling coaches and athletes. As a result, resources are being built around these five elements for the community, the first of which meets the technical area. The manual will be part of a technical certification program, which the association will roll out in 2012. A second series of educational resources, built around shot-making and tactics, is slated for production and will be available this fall. “To have a publication of this magnitude is a big step in USA Curling education. I am pleased we were able to produce a comprehensive resource on the curling delivery for the curling community with our Olympic Coaches and Olympians in partnership with Immersion Media,” said Scott Higgins, USA Curling’s director of sport education. “In finding a partner to produce our educational content we desired a firm that had a proven track record of success and would work to develop a highquality resource with the right look and feel for our membership.” To order a copy of the manual or to preview it, visit www.usacurl.org and look for promos for it. USA Curling members will be able to purchase the manual at a special introductory cost of $24.95 (50 percent off retail) until March 1, 2012. After March 1, the price will be $34.95 for USA Curling members and USA Curling Fan Club members (30 percent off retail price) and $49.95 for non-members. A portion from all sales will be contributed to the Chris Moore Legacy Fund. If you have questions about the manual, contact Scott Higgins at scott.higgins@usacurl.org.
Women’s Circuit Area Coordinator Tracy Lawless (left) presents the 2011 USWCA Circuit Trophy to Shelley Pilon of Exmoor Country Club. Submitted photo
USWCA’s circuit event off to roaring start by Jennifer Stannard, USWCA Circuit Committee
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he USWCA Circuit for the season is well underway. Fifteen women’s bonspiels to date have been planned nationwide and the competition has been keen. Last season’s national winner, Shelley Pilon of the Exmoor Curling Club, was awarded the Winner’s Trophy, sponsored by Brooms Up Curling Supplies, as well as a check for $850 from the
USWCA. Developed to encourage women’s curling and bonspiel participation, the event has been a success. Women from Connecticut to Seattle are attending bonspiels with the added incentive of cash prizes, Hot Shots Curling Camp scholarships and Brooms Up Curling Supplies gift certificates for the regional winners. Sponsor RockIt Gurl provides each participating bonspiel with merchandise for their raffle. Come join the fun!
Hall of Fame nominations sought Nominations are now being accepted for consideration for the USA Curling Hall of Fame. Curlers can be nominated in three categories: curler, builder or curler/builder based on the candidate’s contributions to the sport. Nomination paperwork can be found online at www.usacurl.org/goodcurling. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2012. Submit supporting information to the USA Curling office via e-mail to Dawn Leurquin at dawn.leurquin@usacurl.org, via fax to 715-344-2279, or by mail to 5525 Clem’s Way, Stevens Point, WI 54482. Selection is determined by the USCA Athlete/Curler Recognition Committee.
FEBRUARY 2012
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USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Wisconsin rinks win 2012 Senior Nationals by Terry Kolesar, Editor
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isconsin’s Ian Journeaux rink captured the 2012 USA Curling Senior Men’s National Championship title Dec. 5 with an 8-2 win over two-time champion Paul Pustovar at the Capital Curling Club in Bismarck, N.D. Journeaux and teammates David Carlson (Portage, Wis.), Timothy Funk (McFarland, Wis.) and Ken Spatola (McFarland, Wis.) finished the competition with a perfect 7-0 record. This is the first senior men’s title for Journeaux, Funk and Spatola and third for Carlson, who won in 2008 and 2005. They now become Team USA, along with Pam Oleinik’s team, which captured the women’s title, for the 2012 World Senior Championships April 14-21 in Tärnby, Denmark. “Winning my third senior title fuels my passion for the sport, but it is not nearly as satisfying as being a part of a team whereby I am able to help three other curlers/friends win their first senior title,” said Carlson, who works as an attorney in Portage, Wis. Although Pustovar (Hibbing, Minn.) and teammates Brian Simonson (Hibbing, Minn.), John Kokotovich (Hibbing, Minn.) and Don Mohawk (Nashwauk, Minn.) started with the last rock advantage, the team did not score until the fourth end and gave Journeaux’s team a quick advantage as the Wisconsin squad stole five points early on. Pustovar’s team started to inch back into the game with a single in the fourth and a steal of one in the fifth, but they wouldn’t score again. Journeaux’s team locked down the win with a three-point sixth end
Team USA (l-r): Ken Spatola, Tim Funk, David Carlson and Ian Journeaux.
2012 Senior men’s Nationals Round Robin Pool A: Ross Litman 4-1 Paul Pustovar 4-1 Jeff Erickson 3-2 Dale Gibbs 2-3 George Godfrey 2-3 John Kram 0-5 Craig Disher Ken Neidhart Scott Edie Ken Sambor Leland Rich Steve Sirianni
Pool B: 4-1 4-1 3-2 3-2 1-4 0-5
Ian Journeaux David Russell Phil DeVore Ken Persinger Dave Jensen John Mielke
Pool C: 5-0 4-1 3-2 2-3 1-4 0-5
Litman *Neidhart
Quarterfinals: 032 003 xx – 8 100 110 xx – 3
Pustovar *Russell
000 020 101 – 4 000 101 010 – 3
Journeaux *Litman
Semifinals: 010 103 10 – 6 001 010 01 – 3
Disher *Pustovar
000 300 00 – 3 020 011 02 – 6
Championship final, senior men: Journeaux 311 003 0x – 8 *Pustovar 000 110 0x – 2 *last stone in first end
and only had to play defense thereafter to keep the 2010 world senior champions at bay. “Stealing three in the first in the championship game gave us all confidence that we were ready to play and win,” Carlson said. “Following up with taking three with the hammer in the sixth after Pustovar had stolen one in
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2012 Senior Women’s Nationals Round Robin Sharon Vukich 5-1 Pam Oleinik 5-1 Margie Smith 4-2 Delores Montgomery 4-2 Cynthia Smith 2-4 Mary Jaster 1-5 Debra Horn 0-6 Tiebreaker: Oleinik 100 201 11 – 6 *Vukich 011 020 00 – 4 *last stone in first end
the fifth took back the momentum for us. We felt we were challenged in the seventh to keep our focus. When Ian made the thin double take-out to clear the house of opposing stones, I thought we met the challenge.” Wisconsin’s Pam Oleinik found her way back to the top of the podium as she clinched her third senior women’s title with a 6-4 defeat of Seattle’s Sharon Vukich rink at the 2012 USA Curling Senior Women’s National Championship at the Grafton Curling Club in Grafton, N.D. “We had two very close games with Sharon. Her team was consistent, and Sharon is always a dangerous opponent, seemingly able to pull incredible shots out of her back pocket at will. Both games were decided by a matter of inches,” Oleinik said. This is also the third title for Oleinik’s longtime vice skip, Laurie Rahn (Lake
Team USA (l-r): Pam Oleinik, Laurie Rahn, Julie Denten and Stephanie Martin.
Forest, Ill.). The two also teamed up to win titles in 2008 and 2007. “We went into Sunday knowing that if we could pull off a win against the hometown team (Jaster), we would be facing the winner of the Vukich-Margie Smith match, since they both had one loss and one would be eliminating the other,” Rahn said. “That was a tight game with a lot of drama in the last few ends. We were ready for a rematch against Margie (which was our one loss), or another tough one against Sharon, whom we took into an extra end in our first game.” Along with teammates Julie Denten (Northbrook, Ill.) and Stephanie Martin (Barrington, Ill.), the Oleinik rink now becomes Team USA for the 2012 World Seniors. “April seems a long way away, but we will make good use of our time to prepare ourselves for Copenhagen and represent the U.S. well,” Rahn said. After Oleinik’s team stole a single to start the game, Vukich and teammates Miyo Konno (Monroe, Wash.), Linda Cornfield (Seattle) and Cathie Tomlinson (Seattle) scored two points over the next two ends. The lead was quickly taken back by Oleinik’s team as they scored a deuce to grab a 3-2
advantage. Vukich answered with a deuce as well but it was Oleinik’s rink that put points on the scoreboard in the next three ends to secure the win. The team is coached by 2002 Olympian Joni Cotten (Mount Prospect, Ill.). “We are fortunate to have the one and only Joni Cotten as coach. She has worked hard with us over the past several months, and has shared with us a huge amount of advice and information,” Oleinik said. “So, we send a big shoutout to Joni – an integral part of our team. She is no doubt planning our next practice and getting ready to chastise us for giving up
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
FEBRUARY 2012
Copper Country back to throwing stones by Gordon Maclean, President, Copper Country Curling Club
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ast summer a wind storm in Calumet, Mich., did significant damage to the building the Copper Country Curling Club uses. The building, known as the Drill House, was built in the 19th century for the manufacture and refurbishing of drill bits used in the local copper mines of the time. Most of the damage was to the main portion of the building, completely removing the cupola. Substantial damage was also done to the roof support structure of the curling wing of the building. The curling wing was built to a perfect width for two sheets of ice, and features a crane that was originally used for removing or loading pallets of drill
bits onto train cars, but is now used as “skyboxes” for viewing the on-ice action. The facility’s ice is “natural,” being achieved without the use of compressors. Our normal season runs from mid-December to late March. The building’s owner, Calumet Township, spent $85,000 to repair the Drill House. Construction began in September and was completed just before the New Year. Our ice is down. Our open houses are complete, and league play started Jan. 17. The Copper Country Curling Club was founded in 1993. Last year we had 67 members curling on two league nights, with a third night set aside for the exclusive use of students belonging to the Michigan Technological University Curling Club and Finlandia University Curling Club.
The Copper Country Curling Club suffered significant damage from a wind storm last summer, but the club is back to curling after repairs were finished in January. The top photo shows the club today while the bottom image shows the damage sustained. Photo by Paul Eisenman, Copper Country Curling Club
End of a drought
USA’s team of Kroy Nernberger, Matt Hamilton, Derrick Casper and Craig Brown (not pictured) became the first team since 1953 to win the MCA Bonspiel.
For the first time since 1953, a team from the United States has won CurlManitoba’s MCA Bonspiel. Craig Brown’s U.S. team was a 5-2 winner over former Canadian Mixed Champion Sean Grassie to become the first U.S. players to have their
names engraved on the bonspiel’s top trophy since the Bob Dunbar team of St. Paul, Minn., in 1953. The team of Craig Brown, Kroy Nernberger, Matt Hamilton and Derrick Casper finished 8-0 in the competition, which featured 352 teams.
www.united.com/usoc – Use promo code: 903AW
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FEBRUARY 2012
Curling News UNITED STATES
Reject some governance changes Dear Editor: I write about the proposed changes to operations and governance in the United States Curling Association. I count many friends on the USCA Governance Task Force, and others on the Board of Directors. I generally agree with proposals to change the way the USCA operates. I strongly disagree with the proposals to change the way the USCA is governed. I do not understand why both operations and governance have to be changed together in one “all-or-nothing” proposal. It would be better to vote on such changes separately, each on its own merits. As to operations, it is okay to have a new, stronger Chief Executive Officer, taking over many of the duties now done by volunteer directors. I do not buy the idea that the USCA is not now a “world-class organization.” I know the United States Olympic Committee gives the USCA one-third of total USCA revenue. I know the USOC is disappointed that we have not won more medals recently (perhaps forgetting that the women won a world championship in 2003, and the men a bronze medal in 2006). I understand the USOC is upset that some people had the gall to object to a “high-performance” plan. I appreciate all that the USOC has done for curling. But I don’t think that means we have to dance to their tune when it comes to how we govern ourselves as an organization. Corporate “best practices” change every so often. But the USCA has endured for over 50 years, with many big changes along the way, some of which I was personally involved with. Massive changes in governance, while attempting to improve operations and competitive performance, is throwing the baby out with the bath water. Five impediments to excellence were cited by the Task Force. Improving convoluted lines of authority, and changing the Board of Directors to a policy, rather than operational, body are reasonable steps. I believe there is better responsiveness by the USCA to curlers now, through state and regional representation, than there would be under the proposed large-assembly
process, where each club is entitled to send representatives to a national meeting, with provisions for proxies. As to better fund-raising, that has always been an issue. But I do not favor putting well-heeled “independent” Directors on the Board for that purpose. And I am not persuaded that when states and regions send elected representatives to the national Board, those representatives are too parochial to act in the best interests of the national organization. Over the years, I did not always agree with my fellow Directors from other states and regions. But we respected each other and felt all were trying to do what was best for United States curling. If such representation by states or regions is good enough for the United States government, it is good enough for curling. As to competitive curling, the elite athletes have representation by law, and can speak for themselves. But to me, there always have been, and should continue to be, two bedrock principles: (1) competitive teams should form themselves; and (2) United States champions should be determined by competition on the ice, not selected by a group of experts. The most important issue is the proposed radical change in governance of the organization. It has been the case that individual curlers throughout the United States can have a clear, direct voice through their states and regions, the members of the USCA. It has always been easy to determine the wishes of a majority of curlers in the United States, by how those curlers, represented by their states and regions, vote in the USCA members meetings, with one vote for each curler. But under the proposed change, 15 people on the Board of Directors (only seven of whom will be elected directly by the members) will have more power than 15,000 curlers. During my years on the
USCA Board, I much preferred more people having the ultimate decisionmaking power, rather than fewer people. There is much less potential for abuse. Again, operations is a different issue, as long as those few people with real operational authority are accountable to the larger Board. Right now, under USCA bylaws, all the curlers in the country have the ultimate power over changes to those bylaws. This is proposed to change. The new Board will have the ultimate power, with the curlers presumably having a “referendum right” which can only be used in the negative – that is, to respond to bylaw decisions by the Board, but only during a time-limited, cumbersome process, requiring twothirds of the curlers to override. The USCA is organized as a nonstock corporation under Wisconsin law. In my opinion, the proposed changes as to bylaws would violate sections 181.0206 and 181.1021 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Read those sections for yourselves. In my view, they indicate that the members of a corporation shall have the upper hand over the Directors when it comes to creating and amending bylaws. I am willing to compromise on many of these issues, but not this issue. I appreciate the efforts of so many dedicated curlers in working on the proposed changes, and especially the work of the members of the Governance Task Force. Reasonable people can disagree on these issues. I favor some changes, but not the massive governance changes proposed. I urge curlers, through their states and regions, to reject many of the proposed changes. David Russell
Member initiated amendment or veto
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
adopted by the Board. (A Board, by the way, to which these members are electing seven-member elected directors). In addition, that the members must retain their power to initiate future By-Law changes. As a member based national organization incorporated in the State of Wisconsin, the retention of these two powers by the members are addressed in Wisconsin law. The law provides that these powers are to be retained by the members. It is because of that requirement that the proposed governance changes with the additional proposal supported by the Wisconsin State Curling Association Executive Committee recognized the members’ power to veto and initiate By-Law changes. The proposed governance changes set forth a specific process by which any member initiated veto or initiation of By-Law change is to follow. It is a process that requires serious efforts on the part of more than a few dissatisfied members. It is a process that is intended to insure that the veto or initiated change has support of more than a small vocal few. It is a process meant to balance the voice and vote of the membership on two
scales. One is the voice and vote of a vocal few will not overwhelm the will and direction of the silent majority in the firery passion of the moment. Second is the influence the major funding source for the USCA, the USOC, has and the realistic need to acknowledge that influence while not being overwhelmed by it. The USCA is and intends to continue to be a member based organization. It is in balancing this basic organizational fact with the perceived and articulated preference of the USOC that the USCA be a board-based, non-member organization that the processes applied to member based veto and initiation of By-Law changes is proposed. The probable consequences upon the USCA of ignoring the USOC on this issue will not be in the best interests of the USCA. To read the proposed bylaws, please go to www.usacurl.org/usacurl. Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have – and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up. – James Belasco and Ralph Stayer, Flight of the Buffalo (1994) David Carlson Wisconsin State Curling Association
The USWCA Circuit Event Compete in Women’s Bonspiels and Earn Points for Area and National Cash Awards! Learn about The Circuit: • How you can compete in The Circuit in Women’s Bonspiels in all Areas of the USWCA! • How your club's Women's Bonspiel can become part of The Circuit! Register your Club’s Bonspiel for Increased Participation! Register yourself as a Circuit Participant!
Dear Editor, At the Wisconsin State Curling Association meeting in the fall of 2011, there was voiced an objection to a provision in a 60-page proposed governance change document. This provision addressed future ByLaw changes once the proposed governance changes are adopted. The objection was that the members of the USCA must retain the power to veto By-Law changes
www.uswca.org Click on “USWCA Circuit Event” on the Home Page
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UNITED STATES
USA team finishes fifth in Austria; Dropkin wins bronze in mixed doubles CONTINUED FROm PAgE 1: It was a dramatic finish for Dropkin as he became part of USA Curling’s history at this new event. The bronze-medal game went to the final shot in an extra end as Japan’s Mako Tamakuma and Korea’s Minhyeon Yoo made Verenich earn the win with a draw into the fourfoot to out-count the stone Tamakuma just put into scoring position. “Everything feels awesome right now. I’m just so happy that we won a medal. It’s been a great time here, and that’s all I could ask for,” said Dropkin, a student at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Mass. In addition to the bronze medal, Dropkin and Verenich made event history as the first team to score a perfect six-ender in mixed doubles. Team USA overall finished the Games with 10 medals, including three golds, three silvers and four bronzes. The 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Lillehammer, Norway, which was the site of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games. Earlier in the week Dropkin, Howell and the Anderson twins went through the round robin with a perfect 7-0 record but had one bad end in the quarterfinal against Italy and suffered a heartbreaking, 7-5 loss to finish fifth. A critical steal of four by Italy in the first half of the match proved too big of a deficit to overcome. “It was a big steal and it kinda got in our heads, but we needed to get our heads back into it and focus and try to come back, and that’s what we wanted to do. The first half we missed a lot of our shots, and we needed to play better,” Sarah Anderson said. The team was coached by 2010 Olympic coach Wally Henry (Beaver Dam, Wis.). “We were not up to our standards the first half of the game,” Henry said. “The second half we came back and played strong and forced the Italians into some mistakes. With the lead that they had after the halfway point, it was difficult to come back but our team almost did that.” Taylor Anderson made it to the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles with her Great Britain partner Duncan Menzies. Howell made it to the second round with Chinese teammate Ying Yang. Sarah Anderson was eliminated in the first round with Korean partner Go Keon.
USA’s Taylor Anderson, Korey Dropkin and Thomas Howell compete in the mixed team event at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Along with Sarah Anderson, the U.S. finished fifth. Photo by Leslie Ingram-Brown 2012 Youth Olympic games mixed Doubles Round of 32, USA results: *GER/SUI 020 202 11 – 8 USA/KOR 104 010 00 – 6 USA’s Sarah Anderson *SUI/EST 200 010 xx – 3 RUS/USA 021 406 xx – 13 USA’s Korey Dropkin SUI/AUT 000 101 0x – 2 *CHN/USA 312 030 1x – 10 USA’s Tom Howell *NZL/SUI 201 010 300 – 7 USA/GBR 010 202 021 – 8 USA’s Taylor Anderson Round of 16, USA results: *RUS/USA 105 012 1x – 10 SWE/NZL 010 200 0x – 3 USA’s Korey Dropkin *CHN/USA 030 001 0x – 4 KOR/NOR 202 120 3x – 10 USA’s Tom Howell *USA/GBR 100 210 02 – 6 EST/SWE 011 001 10 – 4 USA’s Taylor Anderson Quarterfinals, USA results: JPN/KOR 021 030 01 – 7 *USA/GBR 100 101 10 – 4 USA’S Taylor Anderson *CAN/AUT 000 101 1x – 3 RUS/USA 122 040 0x – 9 USA’s Korey Dropkin Semifinals, USA results: GER/SUI 110 203 0x – 7 *RUS/USA 001 010 1x – 3 USA’s Korey Dropkin Bronze medal: JPN/KOR 010 101 020 – 5 *RUS/USA 101 020 101 – 6 USA’s Korey Dropkin and RUS’s Marina Verenich gold medal: *GER/SUI 320 404 xx – 13 KOR/NOR 001 010 xx – 2 *last stone in first end
2012 Youth Olympic games Round Robin, Team Blue Pool: 7-0 USA Switzerland 6-1 Czech Republic 4-3 China 3-4 Norway 3-4 New Zealand 2-5 Korea 1-6 Estonia 1-6 Red Pool: Sweden 6-1 Japan 5-2 Canada 5-2 Italy 4-3 Great Britain 3-4 Russia 3-4 Austria 2-5 Germany 1-6 USA round robin games: USA 10, Estonia 1 USA 10, New Zealand 2 USA 7, Korea 4 USA 6, Switzerland 4 USA 11, Czech Republic 1 USA 6, Norway 3 USA 8, China 1
*NOR CHN *SUI JPN
Tiebreaker: 020 300 1x – 6 101 001 0x – 3
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‘Arena curling’ just a stepping stone Dear Editor: As one who curled on arena ice for more than 20 years (Broadmoor; Newark, OH; Columbus), I know that the rise in arena curling (U.S. Curling News, Fall, 2011), while providing a quick growth in USCA membership, is definitely not a good thing for the sport. Trying to curl on hockey or skating ice dooms a club to so many negatives; ice whose curling quality ranges from poor to unplayable, and taking the leftover times (usually late weeknights) when the hockey juniors don’t outbid the curlers for the time, just for the beginning of the problems. Ice at $200+/hr or more leaves an arena club barely breaking even, rarely putting money in the bank for a rainy day. Ice expense makes vital “learn to curl” events an expense instead of a revenue event. Most arenas do not allow outside liquor or food sales, making it difficult to raise both external (bonspiel and corporate events) and internal (bar sales) revenues. Most severely, a change in arena ownership or policy can wipe out an arena curling club overnight, as it did 15 years ago to our old Broadmoor Curling Club (now reopened elsewhere). The moment arena management can rent the ice for hockey for more money, your club is gone. Far better is what is becoming known as the “Columbus Model.” As a past president of the Columbus Curling Club, the way to success is not “arena curling” as a longterm state, but only as a stepping stone made as brief as possible. Real sta-
bility comes from fast and furious growth to 100+ members, even if it diminishes play quality (it will, for a few years); fund-raising like mad; leasing an old industrial space and using volunteer help to renovate it; and taking advantage of new ice technologies that drastically reduce the icemaking costs of a dedicated facility. In a nutshell, that is the way to grow curling. From a dozen or so curlers in Newark, Ohio, 10 years ago, we are now growing at 150+ members strong, and enjoy at least seven months of curling on the three beautiful sheets of our dedicated club. We keep and use our dues; corporate events fees, bonspiel and bar revenues; and teaching clinic fees to gradually upgrade our club, all the while building our financial savings toward the establishment of an even better facility. If you want to constantly live on the bubble, passing through every penny to the arena owners and never knowing if the club will survive until next season, fine; but if you really want to establish curling, there is no substitute for dedicated clubs. Don’t kid yourselves that “it’s better than nothing.” Like so many other aspects of life, if you’re not moving ahead, you’re falling behind. Sincerely, Michael J. Gallagher Immediate Past President, Columbus Curling Club
Quarterfinals: 000 003 01 – 4 001 100 10 – 3
*SWE NOR
000 221 3x – 8 000 000 0x – 0
*ITA USA
001 402 0x – 7 000 020 3x – 5
*CZE CAN
201 002 10 – 6 020 320 00 – 7
*ITA CAN
Semifinals: 201 301 1x – 8 010 010 0x – 2
*SUI SWE
302 050 xx– 10 010 201 xx – 4
CAN *SWE
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Bronze medal: 102 011 01 – 6 010 300 00 – 4
gold medal: *SUI 202 010 1x – 6 ITA 010 201 0x – 4 *last stone in first end
USA’s Korey Dropkin led the Americans to a fifth-place finish in the team competition at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. He earned a bronze medal in mixed doubles. Photo by Richard Gray, World Curling Federation
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FEBRUARY 2012
Curling News UNITED STATES
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Schenectady men’s The Schenectady 10-and-Under Bonspiel took place Dec. 9-11 in Schenectady, N.Y. Here are the results: 1EW–Rich Dimperio, Jeff Pulli, Jason Scott, Chris Lopez 1ERU–Albany 1: San Keller, Bret Sentiwany, Rick Nelville, Dimitri Garder 2EW–Utica 3: Chuck Skinner Jr., Chuck Skinner Sr., Dave Schroeder, Ken Thibodo 3EW–Utica 2: Roger Rowlett, Dan Stuhlman, Jerry Stevens, John Collea, Kevin Gomes 3ERU–Albany 2: Garth Mashmann, Mike Peterson, Tim Schlie, Matt Martin 4EW–Schenectady 1: Marek Rzonca, Jeff Muha, Matt Daly, Robert Klees 4ERU–Green Mountain: Mike Sitko, Rob Allen, Scott Rose, Mitch Dehond
Winners of the National Capital Cashspiel were (l-r) Stephen Dropkin, Korey Dropkin, Tom Howell, Derek Corbett and Cameron Ross.
Winners of the 2011 Norfolk Men's Bonspiel (The Calder Trophy) were (l-r) Scott Brennan, Rich Gonyeau, Charlie Brown and Dan Machold.
Winners of the Rice Lake College Bonspiel were (l-r) Evan Jenson, Ron Bichler, Zach Taylor and Kelly Traska.
Winners of the Portage Junior Bonspiel were (l-r) Cody Falk, Ben Vorpahl, Nate Schmudlach and Rob Shlimovitz.
Schenectady 10-and-Under champions were (l-r) Rich Dimperio, Jeff Pulli, Jason Scott and Chris Lopez.
Winners of the Rice Lake Mixed Bonspiel were (l-r) Ryan Spielman, Laureen Spielman, Jason Pickett and Erica Pickett.
Key: O–Open; X–Mixed; XD–Mixed doubles; M–Men’s; W–Women’s; S–Senior; Wc–Wheelchair C–Cashspiel; J–Junior; St–Stick Events are listed Friday through Sunday but some may begin earlier. Check the club’s website for more information. FEB. 10–12 Centerville, WI X Itasca, MN–Sweethearts X Lakes, MN–Vern Turner O Madison, WI X Marshfield, WI M Norfolk, CT–Valentine O Pardeeville, WI–Am. Legion O Racine, WI X St. Paul, MN–Kyle Satrom J Wausau, WI M Wauwatosa, WI O FEB. 17–19 Detroit, MI X Duluth, MN–USWCA W Grand Forks, ND W Green Bay, WI M Heather, MN M Kettle Moraine, WI SM Marshfield, WI–Youth/Adult O Plainfield, NJ J Utica, NY–Cobb X Waltham, IL M Wauwatosa, WI SM FEB. 21–22 Chicago, IL–Heather W FEB. 24–26 Albany, NY W Anchorage, AK O Centerville, WI M Clintonville, WI–Couples X Cook County, MN X Grand Forks, ND–CanAm J Heather, MN W Kettle Moraine, WI X Lewiston, MI O
Grand Forks, ND M Granite, WA J Green Bay, WI J Heather, MN J Kettle Moraine, WI M Lodi, WI X Nutmeg, CT–Golden Handle O Superior, WI J Utica, NY–Gordon International M mARCH 23–25 Arlington, WI SM Blackhawk, WI M Duluth, MN–House of Hearts O Grafton, ND X Itasca, MN O Potomac, MD–Cherry Blossom O mARCH 29–APRIl 1 Granite, WA O Green Bay, WI X Mankato, MN X Petersham, MA–Spring Fling O Stevens Point, WI X Two Harbors, MN X APRIl 1–6 Potomac, MD–Rotary M APRIl 13–15 Anchorage, AK–Spring ‘Spiel O Plainfield, NJ–Bonsqueal O Rochester, NY O APRIl 20–22 Coyotes, AZ–Desert Ice O APRIl 27–29 Broadmoor, CO–High Altitude O mAY 4–6 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX O
granite Open The Holiday Spiel took place Dec. 2-4 in Seattle. Here are the results: 1EW–Granite: Darren Lehto, Travis Way, Nicole Way, Patti Killins, Jamie Jamieson 1ERU–Granite: Brady Clark, Cristin Clark, Sean Beighton, Bev Walter 2EW–North Shore: Paul Rankin, Tanya Badaeva, Mark Bailey, Bev Bailey 2ERU–Granite: Jiyoung Lee, Thomas Brandt, Will Pfleger, Joseph Tremoulet 3EW–San Francisco: Allan Barber, Davinna Kong, Mason Kong, Barbara Feist 3ERU–Granite: Mike Blackard, Ray Melton, Ethan Bradford, Lola Bradford
Norfolk men’s The 2011 Norfolk Men’s Bonspiel (The Calder Trophy) took place Dec. 24. Here are the results: 1EW–Schenectady: Dan Machold, Charlie Brown, Rich Gonyeau. Scott Brennan 1ERU–Norfolk 1: Russell Russ, Jody Law, Bob Peterson, Al Boucher 2EW–Nutmeg 2: Allan Alward, Mike Kriz, Mike Hope, Mark Malkin 2ERU–Ardsley 2: Walt Baggett, Heinz Gruettner, James Duke, Curt Pader 3EW–Canadian Club of Boston: Dick Veidenheimer, Robert Yetman, Tim Kelley, Davis Yetman 3ERU–Cape Cod 2: Paul Mort, Phil Bruce, Mike Minior, Ted Stone 4EW–New York Caledonian: George Austin, Adam Chebetar, Jon Kuniholm, Jm Parsons 4ERU–Cape Cod 1: Russ Lemcke, John McCarthy, Todd Benedict, Frank Balas
St. Paul Stick The St. Paul Curling Club Second Stick Bonspiel took place Nov. 5. Here are the results: 1EW–Detroit Lakes: Ron Windloss, Mike Nustad 1ERU–Detroit Lakes: Mel Holdenfield, Ken Gulseth 2EW–St. Paul: Mary Jane Kranz, Tom Pieper 2ERU–St. Paul: Jeff Hogden, Terry Wilson 3EW–Grand Marais: Jim King, Mike Fredeen 3ERU–St. Paul: Loren Holmstrom, Chuck McMahon 4EW–St. Paul: Bob Golder, Bob Flammang 4ERU–St. Paul: Karen Volkman, Nancee Melby
Winners of the St. Paul Stick Bonspiel were Ron Windloss (left) and Mike Nustad.
Madison, WI–Curl v. Cancer Mankato, MN Mayfield, OH–Evergreen Pardeeville, WI–Red Baron St. Paul, MN–International Utica, NY–College mARCH 2–4 Appleton, WI Curl Mesabi, MN Detroit, MI–5 & Under Grafton, ND Granite, WA–5 & Under Kettle Moraine, WI La Crosse, WI–Mississippi Marshfield, WI–Lobstein Medford, WI–Alumni Nashua, NH–Granite State Pardeeville, WI–Spring Fling Plainfield, NJ–Stone Schenectady, NY Superior, WI–Northwest Tri-City, WI Two Harbors, MN–5 & Under Waltham, IL Williston Basin, ND mARCH 9–11 Centerville, WI–Funspiel Columbus, OH Cook County, MN Grafton, ND Granite, WA–USWCA Green Bay, WI–Shamrock Pardeeville, WI–Alumni Portage, WI–Alumni Schenectady, NY–Gordon Em. Stevens Point, WI Wauwatosa, WI Willmar, MN mARCH 13–14 Itasca, MN–Senior Mixed mARCH 16–18 Centerville, WI Curl Mesabi, MN–Springspiel Duluth, MN–Dunlop
O W X M M O St X O W O J O X O M O M J M M O X X O X O M W W O O M M M O SX SM M X
mAY 18–20 Park City, UT–Utah Open O mAY 25–27 San Francisco, CA O JUNE 8–10 Granite, WA–Summerspiel O JUNE 29–JUlY 1 Hollywood, CA–Blockbuster O JUlY 5–8 Pittsburgh, PA–Tropicurl O JUlY 12–15 Cape Cod, MA X Green Bay, WI–Tailgate O JUlY 15–18 Cape Cod, MA W JUlY 19–22 Cape Cod, MA M Capital, ND O JUlY 23–26 Cape Cod, MA Wc AUg. 3–5 Triangle, NC–Carolina Classic O Green Bay, WI SM AUg. 10–12 Charlotte, NC–Grits ‘n Granite O AUg. 31–SEPT. 2 Vacaville, CA–The Crush O Don’t see your event listed or it’s listed incorrectly? Send bonspiel dates and corrections to Terry Kolesar, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org. The next deadline for submitting bonspiel results is Feb. 24.
Advertising disclaimer “None of the advertisers in this publication are agents of the U.S. Curling Association, which hereby disclaims any liability for acts of any of the advertisers.”
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UNITED STATES
Rice lake mixed
Eau Claire Open
The 36th Annual Stein ’Spiel took place Jan. 13-15 in Rice Lake, Wis. Here are the results: 1EW–Blackhawk: Ryan Spielman, Laureen Spielman, Jason Pickett, Erica Pickett 1ERU–Superior: John Hines, Kelly Reed, Gary Reed, Julie Hines 2EW–Curl Mesabi: Jim Oakman, Sandy Dahl, Gordy Dahl, Janine Oakman 2ERU—Centerville: Bryan Hosler, Lisa Hosler, Dave Fish, Marilee Fish 3EW–Curl Mesabi: Denny Bone, Becky Bone, Mark Erickson, Lana Erickson 3ERU–St. Paul: John Eustice, Kim Wapola, Erik Schultz, Christine Jensen 4EW–Curl Mesabi: John Altobelli, Cindy Altobelli, John Radinovich, Jeanette Radinovich 4ERU–St. Paul: Tim McMahon, Deb Sevelius, Randy Sevelius, Linda McMahon
The Leinenkugel’s Open Bonspiel took place Jan. 6-8 at the Eau Claire Curling Club. Here are the results: 1EW–Eau Claire: Ron Parks, Doug Anderson, Stuart Lorentz, Brad Sommer, Mike Peplinski 1ERU–St. Paul: Rueben Harris, Aaron Nunberg, Zac Owens, Matt PEterson 2EW–St. Paul: Jeremy Sigel, Daniel Metcalf, Joe Marinac, John Hoffoss 2ERU–St. Paul: Brett Charpentier, Dan Rick, Meghan Urbanski, Zach Stoltz 3EW–Eau Claire: Jim Beirne, Dave Coon, Len Vetch, Doug Kunic 3ERU–St. Paul/Duluth: Ty Vietanen, Bombo, Bryan Anderson, Bill Cohoe 4EW–Denver: Cynthia Smith, Sean Stevinson, Dena Rosenberry, Scott Stevinson 4ERU–Appleton: Steve Kawleski, Susan Kawleski, Brad Kleinenkugel, Bobby Salm
Detroit men’s
mayfield men’s
The 2012 Detroit Men’s International Bonspiel took place Jan. 68. Here are the results: 1EW–Forest: Brad Willert, Blair Willert, Shawn King, Dave Nagy 1ERU–Detroit: Gil Schumacher, Steve Rietz, John Danckaert, Bret Jackson 2EW–Detroit: Duke Grimshaw, Mike Cloutier, Fred Zosel, Paul Szmigiel 2ERU–Beach Grove: Gerry Stecyk, John Bortolotti, Romano Curti, John Petrasovic 3EW–Roseland: Tom Greer, Nick Keren, Dave Marchand, Tom Puskas 3ERU–Kalamazoo: Garnet Eckstrand, Kent Elliott, Marcus Gleaton, Chris Gleaton 4EW–Chicago: Anthony Giannini, Tri Banh, David Carlson, Ray Laurin 4ERU–Beach Grove: Bob Benson, Chris Zappio, Duncan Hind, Doug Knapp 5EW–Midland: Chris Doremus, Ken Burdett, Mike Vosberg, Dave Hinson 5ERU–Bowling Green: Phil Gohr, Cheeze Miller, Rich Romano, Alex Smith
The 25th Annual Mayfield Men’s Invitational took place Nov. 10-13 in Cleveland, Ohio. Here are the results: 1EW–St. Catharine’s: Mike Rode, Rob Dowd, Brian McCallum, Bob Borthwick, Sam Sarkisian 1ERU–Mayfield: Chris Goldsmith, Paul Buzzard, Kent Young, Andrew Riehl 2EW–Paris: Mark Chittock, Bill Skorentz, Jeff Vivian, Marty McComb 2ERU–Mayfield: Mike Moore, Dan Maisonville, Matt Holtwick, Jordan Wessler 3EW–Detroit: Duke Grimshaw, Mike Cloutier, Fred Zosel, Paul Szmigiel 3ERU–Thornhill: Bob Anderson, Tom Bryceland, Ron morrison, Kim Wilson
St. Paul men’s The Fabulous Fireball 500 took place Nov. 25-27 at the St. Paul Curling Club. Here are the results: 1EW–Mankato: Randy Cumming, Tom Froistad, Vince Bernet, John Eustice 1ERU–St. Paul: Mark Fisher, Chris Rugg, Scott Fisher, Tim Wailor 2EW–St. Paul: Alexandra Carlson, Derek Ryder, Chris Rick, Zach Stoltz 2ERU–Owatonna: Chris Clasen, Scott Jerylo, Guy Griesmann, Steve Hirsch 3EW–Coyotes/Broomstones: Merlin Orvik, Dan Naylor, Sarah Burns, Rachel Orvik, Peggy Gazzola 3ERU–Itasca: Mark Hanson, Vicky Forconi, Bryan Hanson, Renae Harmoning 4EW–St. Paul: Dave Smeed, John Miller, Clay Orvik, Erik Ordway 4ERU–Dallas/Fort Worth: Dale Severson, John Tryon, Cindy Severson, Lisa Jensen
Norfolk men’s The 2011 Norfolk Men’s Bonspiel (The Calder Trophy) took place Dec. 24. Here are the results: 1EW—Schenectady: Dan Machold, Charlie Brown, Rich Gonyeau, Scott Brennan 1ERU—Norfolk 1: Russell Russ, Jody Law, Bob Peterson, Al Boucher 2EW—Nutmeg 2: Allan Alward, Mike Kriz, Mike Hope, Mark Malkin 2ERU—Ardsley 2: Walt Baggett, Heinz Gruettner, James Duke, Curt Pader 3EW—Canadian Club of Boston: Dick Veidenheimer, Robert Yetman, Tim Kelley, Davis Yetman 3ERU—Cape Cod 2: Paul Mort, Phil Bruce, Mike Minior, Ted Stone 4EW—New York Caledonian: George Austin, Adam Chebetar, Jon Kuniholm, Jim Parsons 4ERU—Cape Cod 1: Russ Lemcke, John McCarthy, Todd Benedict, Frank Balas
Exmoor mixed The Exmoor Mixed Bonspiel was held on Nov. 11-13 in Highland Park, Ill. Here are the results: 1EW–Exmoor: Steve Waters, Deborah Moulton, Bob Moulton, Sandra Waters 1ERU–Chicago: Doug Boyd, Susan McDonald, Terry Nicola, Cheryl Dudeck 2EW–Chicago: Colin Rittgers, Michele Rittgers, Adam Faust/Ryan Murphy, Sherryanne Robertson 2ERU–Midland: John Zimmerman, Pat Zimmerman, Pete Waters, Loretta Waters 3EW–Exmoor: Russ Armstrong, Ann Swisshelm, Sean Silver, Leslie Armstrong 3ERU–Midland: Craig Murchison, Pam Murchison, Wayne Hilger, Sue Hilger 4EW–Sun Parlour: Frank Willoughby, Cathy Moncur, Dave Moncur, Debbie Willoughby 4ERU–Wauwatosa: Pam Oleinik, David Style, Stephanie Martin, Ken Groover
madison Open The Madison Curling Club Halloween ’Spiel took place Oct. 27-30 in Madison, Wis. Here are the results: 1EW–Madison: Scott Reich, John McAllister, Daniel Dettmers, Paul Statz 1ERU–St. Paul: Chris Dolan, Donnie Henry, Tony Bowman, Scott Rud 2EW–Kettle Moraine: Mark Lee, Stephanie Erstad, Shelly Kosal, Paul Zach 2ERU–Madison: Trevor Host, Alex Schieber, Jasen Funk, Jake Schieber 3EW–Stevens Point: Ian Journeaux, Dave Carlson, Tim Funk, Ken Spatola 3ERU–Madison: Pat Roe, Jeff Kuemmel, Matt Rodefeld, Mark Hartman 4EW–Madison: Randy Blumer, Jacqueline Walisser, Sara Soma, Cindy Lawton 4ERU–Green Bay: Doris Yelk-Wilberg, Tristen Zimmerman, Will Anlauf, Ted Treska
Albany Women’s The Women’s 10-and-Under Bonspiel took place Dec. 11-12 in Albany, N.Y. Here are the results: 1EW–Schenectady: Linda Austin, Laura Knussman, Amy Machold, Barb
FEBRUARY 2012
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Kimmey 1ERU–Schenectady: Sue Adair, Lisa Filkins, APril Katz, Sara Marchand 2EW–Albany: Martha Naber, Wendy Berger, Marilyn Goldstein, Amy Dooley 2ERU–Schenectady: Fay Navratil, Paula Lancaster, Yuko Kashiwado, Becky Trousil
Appleton mixed The Holly Hog Mixed Bonsiel took place Dec. 3-4 in Appleton, Wis. Here are the results: 1EW–Wauwatosa: Neil Fruend, Rebecca Nguyen, Tony Kaminsky, Tiff Reilly 1ERU–Wausau: Terri Fisher, Howie Fisher, Susan Sandquist, Corey Sandquist 2EW–Wauwatosa: Kara Sacia, Joe Corrao, Deb Holger, Pete Guenette 2ERU–Wauwatosa: Amy Arzbaecher, Peter Gentiles, Pat Heim, Adam Menke 3EW–Lodi: Dan Dolson, Robbin Reigel, Shawn Kennedy, Julie McConnell 3ERU–Appleton: Denny Kroner, Annette Siedschlag, Danny Barzona, Conne Gherna 4EW–Green Bay: Bill Wilberg, Doris Yelk-Wilberg, Shawn Schroeder, Lisa Schroeder 4ERU–Wausau: Jeff Stubbe, Becky Stubbe, Charlie Hanz, Monica Hanz
Winners of the Itasca Junior Bonspiel (competitive division) were (l-r) Alex Fenson, Mark Fenner, Trevor Host and Ethan Meyers.
Rice lake Open
Winners of the Itasca Junior Bonspiel (novice division) were (l-r) Jennie Kampa, Stewart Savela, Evan David and Jesse Kangas.
The Rice Lake College Bonspiel took place Dec. 3-4 in Rice Lake, Wis. Here are the results: 1EW–UW-Marathon County: Evan Jenson, Ron Bichler, Zach Taylor, Kelly Traska 1ERU–Viterbo College: Nick Lemke, Kyle Russell, Cole Brehler, Jeremy Braun 2EW–UW-Barron County: Colin Tomesh, Jake Nett, Romaine Quinn, Syndey Schieffer 2ERU–UW-Superior: Tony Nelson, Anders Silverness, Ben Miler, Allan Watkins 3EW–Carroll College: Megan Bolton, Jacob Schertz, ALex LaBahn, Adam Kowal 3ERU–Carroll College: Tyler Tylinski, Nicole Pollack, Brian Voss, Steve Kubisack 4EW–University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Michael McEinrt, Morgan Rose, Katherine Mitenko, Tracheal Dixon 4ERU–Carroll College: Ally Marshick, Kristina Spieker, Robyn Linner, Katie Meddaugh
Winners of the Laphroaig Scotch Open Bonspiel were (l-r, back) Pete Fenson, Shawn Rojeski, Joe Gabardi and Ryan Brunt. Women’s champions were (l-r) Erika Brown, Debbie McCormick, Jessica Schultz and Ann Swisshelm.
Exmoor men’s The 53rd Exmoor Cotinental Bonspiel took place Dec. 8-11 in Highland Park, Ill. Here are the results: 1EW–Scotland Tour Team: Bill Rhyme, Dan Brunt, Russ Brown, Dick Macartney 1ERU–North Halton, Canada: Darryl Hartman, Dave Budgeon, Dave Bates, Paul Sanderson 2EW–Exmoor: Jeff Wright, Art Helt, Chris Schallmo, Steve Wright 2ERU–Scotland Tour Team: Russ Armstrong, Bob Dixon, Rich Lepping, Jim Pleasants 3EW–North Shore: Bob Rustman, Dan Stryker, Scott Barnes, Walter Burns 3ERU–Brant, Canada: Bruce Park, Hugh McCleod, Frank Willoughby, Ted Caton 4EW–Penetanguishene, Canada: Dave Gravelle, Pete McCormick, David Pollard, Jeremy Hozjan 4ERU–Chicago: Dick Urevig, John Reid, Morgan Porter, Mike Sherry
Winners of the Madison Halloween Bonspiel were (l-r) Scott Reich, John McAllister, Daniel Dettmers and Paul Statz.
madison Women’s The Madison Curling Club, Madison, Wis., held its All American Event for evening women curlers on Nov. 19-20. Four teams participated in a round robin. The bonspiel was won by Cindy Godar, Mamie O’Connor, Abby Podratz (who was curling in her first Madison bonspiel), and Carol Hessemer (who was playing in her first bonspiel ever).
Winners of the Grain Belt Classic Bonpiel held at the Owatonna Curling Club were (l-r) Jerah Flynn, Warren Coan, Darren Zempel and Aaron Olson.
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FEBRUARY 2012
Curling News UNITED STATES
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Chicago men’s The Chicago Men’s International Bonspiel took place Jan. 12-15 in Northbrook, Ill. Here are the results: 1EW–Chicago: Greg Wilson, Skip Heiser, Beaner Franks, Bob Wilson 1ERU–Exmoor: Jeff Wright, Sean Silver, Steve Waters, Ken Brown 2EW–St. Paul: Scott Clasen, Greg Walsh, Bruce Rehwaldt, Steve Day 2ERU–Highland: Chris Bowden, Scott Drinkwater, Bill Rockwood, Mark Rinker 3EW–Exmoor: Russ Armstrong, EJ Stern, Chris Schallmo, Mark Striblin 3ERU–Chicago: Doug Boyd, Colin Rittgers, David Style, Pete Erazmus 4EW–Chicago: Greg Touchette, Lloyd Yanis, George Allendorph, David Flinn 4ERU–Bluenose: Haylett Clarke, John McNaughton, Victor Belliveau, Peter
Winners of the Albany Women’s 10 and Under Bonspiel were (l-r) Barb Kimmey, Linda Austin, Amy Machold and Laura Knussman.
Winners of the GNCC Senior Championship held Jan. 26-29 at the Ardsley Curling Club were (l-r) Bill Malgieri, Tim Klein, Gert Messing and Jeff Lesuk.
Winners of the Chicago Men’s International were (l-r) Greg Wilson, Skip Heiser, Beaner Franks and Bob Wilson.
Winners of the Clintonville Men’s Bonspiel were (l-r) Doug Anderson, Jim Pahl, Kurt Klussendorf and Jason Hill.
Winners of the Exmoor Continental were (l-r) Russ Brown, Dan Brunt and Bill Rhyme.
Winners of the Detroit Men’s International were (l-r) Shawn King, Brad Willert, Dave Nagy and Blair Willert.
Winners of the Leinenkugel’s Open in Eau Claire were (l-r) Ron Parks, Doug Anderson, Stuart Lorentz and Brad Sommer.
Winners of the Exmoor Mixed Bonspiel were (l-r) Sandra Waters, Bob Moulton, Deborah Moulton and Steve Waters.
Winners of the Fabulous Fireball 500 in St. Paul were (l-r) Randy Cumming, Tom Froistad, Vince Bernet and John Eustice.
Winners of the St. Paul Jack McCann Bonspiel were (l-r) Dale Olsen, Rory Ellingson, Bob Nelson and Jeff Anlauf.
Portage Junior The Portage Junior Bonspiel took place Jan. 20-22. Here are the results: 1EW–Poynette: Cody Falk, Ben Vorpahl Nate Schmudlach, Rob Shlimovitz 1ERU–Blackhawk: Jenna Haag, Chloe Pahl, Grace Gabower, Erin Wallace 2EW–Portage: Katie Dubberstein, Brittany Falk, Lani Dubberstein, Madison Bear 2ERU–Portage: Palmer Gohlke, PJ Kornaus, Jeff Maenner, Alex Vorpahl 3EW–Portage: John Yerke, Rachel Jensen, Ryan Jensen, Davida Sulas 3ERU–Portage: Nathan Krumpos, Sam Clemmons, AnnMarie Dubberstein, Adam Puterbaugh 4EW–Pardeeville: Clay Osterhaus, Andy Makoutz, Nick Palen 4ERU–Wauwatosa: Alissa Elwing, Amanda Marciniak, Emily Marciniak Emily Mitchell 5EW–Kettle Moraine: JP Munich, April Weatherbee, Sarah Bera, Lisa Brown 5ERU–Kettle Moraine: Travis Loepfe, Colin Urchell, Dan Kmiec, Scott Clarkson
Appleton men’s The Seventh Annual Appleton Men’s Bonspiel took place Jan. 6-8. Here are the results: 1EW–Kettle Moraine: Dean Zoesch, Wes Cuomo, Bob Cuomo, Jim Stephens 1ERU–Tri-City: Myles Brundidge, Ethan Brundidge, Jed Brundidge, Drew Brundidge 2EW–Stevens Point: Chris Henning, Jack Konopacky, Tom Okray, Robin Engum 2EW–Racine: Chris Anderson, Nate Hazen, Matt Wood, Stephen Baylon 3EW–Appleton: Tony Mueller, Jim O’Neill, Shawn Kennedy, Bob Thomas 3ERU–Ladoga: Jeff Robelke, Greg Kuelz, Ed Tyler, Jay Myrick 4EW–San Francisco: Bill Todhunter, Greg Johnson, Chicky LeBrec, Tony Diaz 4ERU–Wausau: Shane Lay, Chris Horak, Jim Spear, Bob Marcelle
St. Paul men’s The 2011 Jack McCann Men’s Over-40 Bonspiel took place Dec. 9-11 at the St. Paul Curling Club. 1EW–Cambridge: Dale Olsen, Rory Ellingson, Bob Nelson, Jeff Anlauf 1ERU–Mankato/St Paul: Randy Cumming, Mike Schneeberger, Vince Bernet, John Eustice 2EW–St. Paul: Merlin Orvik, Darin Holt, Dale Webb, Chris Horack 2ERU–St. Paul: Mark Willmert, Reuben Harris, Lionel Locke, Ken Olson 3EW–Denver/St. Paul: John Angst, Mike Crea, Steve Cerkvenik, Paul Winkelaar 3ERU–St. Paul: Tom Froistad, Bob Nelson, Tim Lindgren, Danny Frey 4EW–St. Paul/Cook County: Craig Futterer, Chuck Futterer, Fred Herring, Rob Welsh, Bob Walsh 4ERU–St. Paul: Jim Jerylo, Scott Jerylo, Jim Stute, Gary Pappenfuss
Curling News USA’s Brown rink wins MCA Bonspiel
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
A full year has passed and I remain nestled on the back page of the U.S. Curling News ... prattling on and on about the game I still love. Yep, this is my anniversary. I can now shed the term “rookie” and just be a columnist. For those of you betting in a pool on how long I would last: If you had “less than a year,” you just lost. My bossy boss, the dictatorial editor of the U.S. Curling News, continues to e-mail me subtle hints that I still have a job. Hints like, “Your deadline is coming up extremely soon and I still haven’t seen anything. I might have to kill you.” Terry probably coined the word Dead-Line. Sure, she seems sweet and cute and supportive and kind ... but that is simply her disguise. Ask anybody who writes for her, except Jon “My Column Was Submitted 30 Days Early” Mielke. He is such a suck-up. I have no illusions of grandeur. It is not my goal to write this column forever nor even to supplant the venerable Dave Garber as Senior Writer. To become Senior Writer, I would have to arrange the accidental deaths of lots of people. Hmm. Maybe? No, that would be wrong. It would be especially wrong to bump off Garber. For a very long time he held the position now held by Rick, COO of the USCA. That meant that every dues-paying curler considered themselves to be his boss, just like every American considers themselves to be President Obama’s boss ... except that curlers actually believe it. So to arrange Garber’s premature passing would be pointless, for he has already been to hell. But I am rambling. Frau Terry likes my rambling to fit onto one page, so I will skip making a wordy and smooth transition. It’s time to get to my point: My first column contained my best advice: Get to a bonspiel out of town. If you are a new curler, don’t worry about being a new curler ... the bonspiel will love having you. If you are an experienced curler and want to give something important back to the game, take new curlers to a bonspiel ... turn them into curling junkies. On this, the anniversary of that inaugural column, I am sticking to the bonspiel theme. Go to Winnipeg and play in the MCA next year. MCA stands for Manitoba Curling Association. The bonspiel is really named the Manitoba Curling Association Annual Bonspiel, but it is known as The MCA. The historical
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Tucked in the Back Page
By Ben Tucker tuck@usacurl.org fact is that the Manitoba Curling Association was formed to run this bonspiel. That was 124 years ago. That means that next year will be the 125th MCA Bonspiel. It is a big deal ... slightly bigger than my second year as a columnist. The MCA is the largest ’spiel in the world. For their 100th anniversary, they had an unbelievable 1,280 teams. Every year they host hundreds of teams. It is the largest bonspiel in the world. It is open to everybody ... except women. Like most bonspiels, the MCA gets a wide variety of teams. From the very young to the very old and from the very bad to the very good (including World, Canadian and Manitoban champions), all are welcome from around the world. Now you cannot host this many teams in one curling club, so they use all 18 curling clubs in Winnipeg. That is over 100 sheets of ice. If they get enough entries, they expand to use the rural clubs close to the city. The MCA takes great pride in moving every team from club to club. Every rink is guaranteed a minimum of six games. That means that you will most likely get to see six historical and wonderful and large curling clubs like The Granite and The Fort Rouge. Take a really good Garmin, because there isn’t a straight street in the whole city and they love to hide their curling clubs off the main avenues. Should you get lost, do not worry. It is known as Friendly Manitoba and it lives up to its name. If you need proof, run this test: Bump into a Manitoban like you are playing hockey and checking them into the boards. They will turn around and apologize for being in your way. I mean it. It is true. They are that friendly. A bonspiel this size has many events. The format is actually two bonspiels that you play in at the same time with three events on each
“side.” They fit it all into five or six days, depending on the number of entries. If that is too long for you to be gone and you can’t commit to planning a stay through the Monday finals, don’t sweat it. Lots of teams curl through the Saturday night draws and then bow out of the spiel. An American rink from Hallock, Minn., was once 91 (which is unbelievably good curling) and in the running for lots of trophies when they just wanted to go home. So they did. Very good Bemidji teams have done the same thing. The MCA is filled with wonderful teams of families playing together and teams of old guys who have played in it for decades without missing a year. It is also filled with wonderful teams who can really curl. Manitoba reserves four berths in their provincial championships (which we old guys still call The Tankard) for teams that do well in the MCA. If a great team didn’t win their zone playdowns, they go hard at the MCA for one of those four spots. Don’t worry about accidentally curling great and knocking one of these teams out of the dream. If they are good enough for The Tankard, they will pound an American team. Don’t worry about these serious curlers not being friendly. It’s Manitoba. Being friendly must be in their constitution and laws. To be totally honest, I have never played in the MCA. It happens every January and I was always busy with our own National playdowns. Back in my days, they had an eightgame guarantee, used 10 end games and it took even longer. Their current sixgame guarantee and eightend games are far more civil. The cartilage in my left knee screams in pain when I just think about it, but playing in the MCA remains extremely high on my Bucket List. Even if it’s only filling-in for a game or two, I am going to play the MCA before I die. In my dreams, I’m playing it with my sons or my old competitive team. Ladies, Manitoba also runs the MLCA. It is nowhere near as large and no longer has berths for the Manitoba Ladies Championships, so it is more recreational and social. It also runs every January. For men without a passport, the Last Chance in Hibbing rolls around every April and that is the closest we get to the MCA ... and it’s pretty close. So there you have it. I’m not paid by Manitoba to
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pimp their big ’spiel. I just think that their anniversary next January should be brought to your attention. Around 600 teams and over 100 sheets of ice and in a fun and friendly city ... it sounds like Curlers’ Heaven to me. For the Good of the Game: Playdowns are in full swing as I type this and will be at their peak when you are reading it. I am lucky enough to be watching a lot of them. Take the time to watch some yourself if you can. Playdowns are totally different in the intensity, yet somehow retain the sportsmanship that curling seems to demand from all of us. Whether it’s the gigantic MCA next January or a funspiel this spring, hit the road. You will thank me for continuing to nag you. Then give something important back to our sport ... take some new curlers to
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a spiel. Never pass up a Mixed ’spiel. Mixed curling is fantastically fun. E-mail me if you get a chance. Getting an e-mail from a curling friend always makes my day better, and all curlers are friends of mine. Editor’s note: The Craig Brown rink from Wisconsin captured the MCA Bonspiel to become the first American team since 1953 to win the title. The team of Craig Brown, Kroy Nernberger, Matt Hamilton and Derrick Casper finished 8-0 in the 352-team field.
Tucker is a member of the Grafton Curling Club and makes his living farming in North Dakota. Send questions or comments to Tuck at tuck@usacurl.org. Send complaints to his dictatorial editor (terry.kolesar@usacurl.org).
Top 10 Entries in the Curling Pseudo-Dictionary 10] Flobbergasted: To be overcome with astonishment and surprise by the realization that one or more of the opposition’s FLOBs (“Frustrating Little Outside Biters”) that have been completely ignored throughout the entire end are now about to be counted on the scoreboard. 9] Portability: Possessing the precise delivery skills that will enable one to consistently negotiate the narrow gap between two side-by-side stationary stones. 8] Dangle Raise: An extremely risky promotional shot deliberately set up in hopes of luring the opposition into the error of trying to execute it. 7] Skipidity: The mental state of a player in the house who has acquired an uncanny knack for calling the wrong shot at the wrong time. 6] Draw-ma Queen: A player who overreacts, grandstands, or otherwise attracts undue attention to himself when faced with a relatively routine, high percentage draw shot. 5] Back Endemic: Possessing the obsessive-compulsive characteristics, rude behaviors, or egotistical attitudes that are peculiar to the positions of either skip or vice skip. 4] Gonspieling: A profane exclamation uttered by frustrated family members when describing the current status of a loved one who is out-of-town for the whole weekend due to a curling obligation. 3] Iceholic: The condition of a skip who is hopelessly addicted to employing an excessive amount of ice when setting the target broom. 2] Hoglyin’: The act of accusing opposing players of being “way over the hog line” prior to the release of the stone when, in fact, they are just “very close.” 1] Mixed Troubles: The inevitable marital discord that results when husbands and wives make the critical mistake of attempting to curl together on the same team. – Richard Maskel
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FEBRUARY 2012
USA Curling ... Dare to curl
Clarks repeat as Mixed Doubles champions by Terry Kolesar, Editor
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eattle’s Brady and Cristin Clark defended their title with a 9-6 win at the 2012 USA Curling Mixed Doubles National Championship on Dec. 12 at the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Mass. The Clarks defeated the host club’s team of Jennifer Leichter and her 21-yearold son, Alex Leichter, (Wayland, Mass.) to win their third overall mixed doubles title. They will now represent the U.S. at the 2012 World Mixed Doubles Championship April 23-29 in Erzurum, Turkey. “It feels fantastic anytime you get an opportunity to play in a championship final. We felt really calm and relaxed and confident today, and got off to a good start with the steals,” Brady Clark said after the game. “The whole game felt like it was going according to plan. That was a very good team that we beat.” The Clarks took the first lead of the game with backto-back single steals to go up 2-0. But, the Leichters answered in the third end when Alex Leichter drew through a port to remove the Clark shot rock and lie three. Brady Clark couldn’t convert the double takeout, leaving Jennifer Leichter with a hit for three points and the 3-2 advantage. That
Round robin standings: Pool A: Clark-Clark 6-0 Rossetti-Clark 4-2 Olson-Olson 3-3 Pickle-Fitzgerald 3-3 Calcagno-Meechai 2-4 Nawyn-Nawyn 2-4 S. Vukich-Rimple 1-5 Pool B: Leichter-Leichter 5-1 Stolt-Stolt 5-1 Cornfield-Eng-Dinsel 3-3 Konno-Lundeen 3-3 Buchbinder-Rupp 2-4 Ernst-Westhagen 2-4 Gaines-Quill 1-5 Pool C: Ivy-Rjanikov 5-1 Haase-Fink 4-2 Vassar-Williams 4-2 J. Vukich-Good 4-2 Metcalf-Ellig 3-3 Squires-Cho 1-5 Summer-Mazzotta 0-6
lead would be short-lived and never return to the Leichters as the Clarks dominated the rest of the ends. “It’s always exciting to play in a final. I have so much adrenaline going when you know you’re playing for a chance to go to the worlds,” Brady Clark said. After the Clarks scored three points in the fourth end, they held the Leichters to a hard-earned single in the fifth. With two Clark stones buried around the four-foot and guarded, Jennifer Leichter was able to sneak her final stone of the end through a port into the four-foot for a point. The Clarks had control of
J. Vukich *Haase
Tiebreaker1: 020 103 04 – 10 501 020 10 – 9
Tiebreaker 2: Vassar 040 020 00 – 6 *J. Vukich 201 102 11 – 8 *Stolt J. Vukich
Quarterfinals: 011 022 1x – 7 100 100 0x – 2
Ivy *Rossetti
102 121 xx – 7 010 000 xx – 1
Semifinals, round 1: *Clark 010 110 02 – 5* Stolt 103 001 10 – 6 *2-loss provision *Leichter Ivy
110 105 1x – 9 001 010 0x – 2
Semifinal round 2: *Stolt 001 020 03 – 6 Leichter 130 101 10 – 7 Final: *Leichter 003 010 2x – 6 Clark 110 304 0x – 9 *last stone in first end
the seventh end as the first two stones by the Leichters did not end up as planned. Alex Leichter then tried to freeze to one of the Clark stones in the four-foot but was heavy and it slid to the back of the house. Cristin Clark followed but her rock was a little heavy as well and ended up just behind the tee line to leave room for Jennifer Leichter to draw into the four-foot. Her
Seattle’s Brady and Cristin Clark captured their third U.S. Mixed Doubles title and will represent the U.S. at the 2012 World Mixed Doubles Championship in April in Turkey. Submitted photo
stone, however, ended up wide, which allowed Brady Clark to draw for four points. The Leichters would answer with a deuce in the seventh, but that left the last-rock advantage to the Clarks in the final end and they held on for the win. The Clarks won U.S. mixed doubles titles in 2009, 2011 and now 2012. At the Worlds earlier this spring in St. Paul, Minn.,
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they became the first U.S. team in history to advance to the playoffs, eventually finishing seventh. The couple has also teamed up to win a USA Curling-record eight U.S. mixed national titles. “We would love to medal at worlds,” Cristin Clark said. “We were really close to medaling last time, and we would definitely like to get to the medal round this time.”