Curling in the Twin Cities (click here to view entire post on author's website)

In the 4th episode of her exclusive Behind the Hack series, Cheryl Bernard interviews Kevin Koe in a rare in-depth interview with the two-time world and three-time Brier champion. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

WHEELCHAIR CURLERS GET FIRST COMPETITION OF SEASON UNDERWAYScotland;'s wheelchair curlers will start their Paralympic season at the Danish International hosted at Taarnby Curling Club this weekend. The Paralympic curling squad have prepared for their season debut in Denmark with a series of friendly matches against Russia at the new National Curling Academy (NCA) to get them back into competition mode. Sochi Paralympic bronze medallist Aileen Neilson said ahead of the tournament: ;'Team Scotland are looking forward to our first competition of the year in Denmark. With a strong field of ten nations it will be a great opportunity to out all our hard work over the summer into practice. ;'We have been really fortunate over the last few weeks to be using the excellent facilities at the... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

It seems like every season in a four-year Olympic cycle has its own identity. The first year after the Olympic Games, teams tend to shuffle, adding or subtracting members, and trying to find a line-up that will commit to the long-term goal of representing Canada four years later. The second year is all about gathering ... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

#TwineTime breaks down the recent World Curling Federation announcements & previews this weekend's action (click here to view entire post on author's website)

In this bonus episode, the girls have Gerry Guerts, president of Curlingzone, return to discuss all the recent approved changes by the World Curling Federation.  We highlight the extra team at the Worlds and the new playoff format, a new World Series of Curling and the 5 rock rule and strategies to deal with it.  We discuss where all these changes leave Tier 2 players and will Canada ever hand pick their Olympic representatives.  Finally we turn to some early observations of this season and whether a slow start will impact the confidence of the trials teams. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

By Rebecca Connop Price Children aged 9 to 12 are being invited to try curling in a fun and relaxed session. An Optimist ‘I Rock the House' Curling Camp is being hosted by the Victoria Curling Club from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 30. Children will learn from experienced junior curlers and [...] (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Children aged 9 to 12 are being invited to try curling in a fun and relaxed session. An Optimist ‘I Rock the House' Curling Camp is being hosted by the Victoria Curling Club from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 30. Children will learn from experienced junior curlers and certified curling coaches the basics of this sport on ice. Paul Dixon, Victoria Curling Club manager, said: "This is a great opportunity for families to get out and active after school starts up again. We know the kids will really enjoy learning to curl and meeting other kids in the area." The cost is $20 and includes lunch. To register your kids, please visit www.curlbc.ca/i-rock-the-house or call 604-333-3620. After the session, your child can learn more about regular curling opportunities in... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

So – I find myself on a long late night flight home from Vancouver, so why not write a blog. Forgive me if this blog sounds a bit incoherent, I am writing while watching the Baywatch remake on Air Canada’s crappy in-flight entertainment system. This may well be the worst movie ever made. Not even the slow-mo bikini shots can save this movie. But the forced confinement of a long flight has given me a burst of creative energy. Not sure if it’s the thin, recycled cabin air or the wafting smell of farts from some unknown culprit sitting around me, but I am feeling especially creative. Here in no particular order, are some thoughts on the upcoming season and curling in general; The big event this year will be the Olympic Trials. Honestly, I think the Trials finals are more... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

The Scottish Ice Rink at Crossmyloof, Glasgow, opened for business on Tuesday, October 1, 1907. This image, from the Royal Caledonian Curling Club Annual for 1907-08, is the only photo of the outside of the rink that I know of. I think we are looking at the rink from the south west.The rink was the result of the efforts of a small group of Glasgow businessmen, with George Hamilton as the company's chairman, and John Jackson, the secretary. The report in the Annual says, "They had waited for fifteen years on the Royal Club doing something to provide Scotland with an artificial rink, and they also waited upon Edinburgh, which had suggested doing something five years ago in this direction. However, about a dozen business men in Glasgow meanwhile laid their heads and their purses together,... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Eve Muirhead did a good job of flipping the script at the HDF Insurance Shoot-out. One year after losing the final following a stunning comeback by Lethbridge's Casey Scheidegger, the Scottish skip was the one pulling off the epic comeback. Down 5-2 in the last end against Sweden's Anna Hasselborg, Muirhead scored the improbable three points and then stole two more in the extra end to come away with a 7-5 victory to capture the Shoot-out Sunday at the Saville Community Sports Centre. “Last year was a bit of a lesson for us. We made a few too many mistakes when we were in control of the game and it really cost us. You're always learning, and this year, we flipped it around and to get this tour win is exciting,” said Muirhead. “We made it real tough on ourselves giving up a... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

First off you have Gerry Guerts, the wizard of Curling Zone, to blame for this edition of the blog. It was, after all, his idea. A few weeks back Gerry was on Facebook trumpeting the fifth anniversary of the Slams being saved from oblivion by Sportsnet. Who stepped in and bought them after financial miss-management and ineptitude almost ended them for good. (remember how all of sudden it was revealed that a certain TV network wasn't getting paid and was about to pull its coverage? We never did find out what happened to the money, did we?) (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Author's note: This blog is the first in a series discussing how USA Curling qualifies athletes for major events and suggesting changes for the qualification processes to increase participation and heighten the level of competitiveness of American curlers.- - -On August 17, 2017, USA Curling announced that the organization was "relaxing" the World Team Qualification Process for the 2017-2018 season. The stated changes to the World Qualification Process are twofold in that now:·;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp; Any eligible team within the Top 75 in the WCT Order of Merit (OOM, two-year period) on Jan. 31, 2018, can qualify to represent the USA at the 2018 Men's/Women's World Championships by winning the 2018 U.S. Men's/Women's National Championships.·;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;;nbsp;... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Episode 2 of the Extra Extra End Podcast interviews Jamie Sinclair, Vicky Persinger, Rich Ruohonen along with a roundtable discussion on Olympic Trials selections along with discussion on Team Birr's push to be included. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

There will be a play-in game to decide the 16th team at the men's and women's national curling championships next season. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Hello again.;nbsp; Trust you had a math free summer.;nbsp; Plenty coming up this curling season, including another edition of Canada's Olympic Trials.;nbsp; I will be there the whole week and can only hope that;nbsp; CCA Curling Canada has lost the licensing rights to Katy Perry's "Roar".;nbsp; (If you've been to one of these events you might still have nightmares as they play it constantly between draws).Curling Legends Podcast is back with weekly episodes starting around the end of October.;nbsp; I was hoping to finish an update to my e-book "End Game" ahead of the Olympics, including a print version, but that may have to wait another 4 years.;nbsp;;nbsp;I am hoping to increase the output of CWM analysis for this Olympic year, starting with the first Grand... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

CurlManitoba U15 Camp CurlManitoba is hosting an Under 15 Curling Camp at the Granite Curling Club September 16th from 10-4pm. This camp is in preparation for the Manitoba Games hosted this season March 4-11th in Thompson, Manitoba. CurlManitoba instructors will teach campers the following Delivery Fundamentals and Analysis Sweeping Fundamentals U15 Curling Camp is $75 Register for this course (click here to view entire post on author's website)

ast weekend’s Everest Curling Challenge in Fredericton, New Brunswick saw an experiment with adding 2 points for covering the pin. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

They beamed as;nbsp;they came down the escalator at Ottawa International Airport. Emma Miskew and Lisa Weagle said they hadn't expected the large crowd that greeted them at the airport Monday evening after helping Rachel Homan's team win a;nbsp;world women's curling championship in Beijing. “It's hard to describe the feeling,” said Weagle, the team's lead. “We knew a few people were going to be here and see our families, but we had no idea that the reception was going to be quite as big as it is, so we are really thrilled to see so many people.”;nbsp; Miskew agreed.;nbsp; “It's very moving,” the team's third;nbsp;said. “I know we had support from far away even though we were on the complete other side of the world, so we were in a little bit of a bubble... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

The Ontario Curling Council board and staff welcome Perry Marshall as our new Education Manager – South.;nbsp; “We are excited to have Perry Marshall join the OCC team, I know he'll be as impactful for the OCC as he has been with so many other clubs and aspects of the game,” Jennifer Ferris, Manager – Programs and Operations. Perry will be coordinating all things “Education” for the OCA district including Coach Training, Ice Technician Training, Professional Development.;nbsp; As well, Perry will take the lead role on an exciting new project – “Ontario Kids Curl” – a joint project with Curling Canada through an Ontario Sport Communities Recreation Fund Grant. Perry can be reached at perry@ontcurl.com. Perry Marshall ;nbsp; The Ontario... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Vince of the You Almost Had It Podcast stepped out onto the ice to try everyone's favorite Winter Olympic sport. At a "Learn to Curl" event hosted by the Charleston Curling Club, Vince soaked in the rules, history, and lingo of this great sport. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Format changes coming (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Jill Officer details her trip to the Arctic Curling Cup, eight arctic nation women’s teams playing in Dudinka, Russia for a total prize purse of US $100,000! (click here to view entire post on author's website)

(click here to view entire post on author's website)

Reid Carruthers is a Canadian curler. He skips his own team based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Carruthers has won the 2016 Canada Cup of Curling, 2017 WFG Continental Cup of Curling as part of Team North America, and the 2017 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. He is currently representing Canada at the 2017 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Lethbridge, Alberta with Joanne Courtney. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Adapting to changes in the sport of curling will reduce the threat that is posited by doomsayers. Curling has emerged as both a sport and a recreation, but it is the recreation side that attracts 95% of your market. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

In Part 2 of my conversation with Paul Savage, we'll cover the 1987 Olympic Curling Trials and the controversy surrounding the qualification process.   We talk about the early days of the Skins format, the Battle of the Sexes and Paul's experience as fifth man with the Mike Harris Rink during their run to a Silver Medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.  There are a few extras after our talk as well.  Paul shares stories from the Kurl for Kids Celebrity Bonspiel, Men With Brooms, the World Lefthanders Curling Championship and explains how to perform the plate dance.  At the very end is an excerpt from Episode 8 where Warren Hansen discusses his version of the 1987 Trials, which I reference with Paul at the beginning of the show. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Included: That time Rachel Homan beat him in a FG kicking contest... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Swiss Mixed Doubles champions Martin Rios and Jenny Perret under fire after video shows possible cheating in important round-robin game. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Yes, I know, it's been more than awhile since I've put fingers to keyboard on my blog site. Thank you to the many who have sent emails and made telephone calls to inquire if I was, well, OK! I doubt I've never been fully OK, but thanks, I'm fine!;nbsp;So what's the reason for the no blogs for several months? I made a deal with myself that I wouldn't write just for the sake of writing. If there wasn't something to say, I wasn't going to say it! But now there is and it's time to reach into the electronic mailbag to answer an email sent from someone for whom I have great respect. His name is John Newhook from one of my favourite cities in Canada, Halifax. I had the joy of spending an afternoon with John at the iconic Mayflower CC as he walked me through... (click here to view entire post on author's website)

In case you have missed what is going on, Twitter has predicted the outcome of the February 12 Mens and Womens Round Robin games two days early in our completely scientific NerdCurl US Curling Twitter National Championships. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

Team North America's lead heading into this final day seems insurmountable but don't tell that to the mostly European Team World supporters. They remember the "Meltdown at Medina" and are hoping for the curling equivalent upset. Fortunately for the North American's there isn't really a disastrous alliterative term I can think of that works with Vegas. However, much to the liking of TSN and the Orleans ticket gate there is still plenty to play for. Pride is always good, especially with so many fans still cheering (sans Packer fans). But more importantly each game and end has some cash money tied to it which could seem pretty useful if you curl for a living and spending your last night in Vegas. (click here to view entire post on author's website)

The back half of the 2016-2017 curling season kicks off this week with the Meridian Canadian Open on the World Curling Tour and the USA Nationals Challenge Rounds taking place closer to home. A preview of the challenge rounds, highlights from an interview with Thomas Howell (lead for the top-ranked Heath McCormick rink) as their team embarks on its first Grand Slam of Curling event, and the updated rankings are on-tap in this week’s edition. (click here to view entire post on author's website)