Archive for the ‘ Curling Tips ’ Category
Quebec skip Brier Bob prays for coffee
by Kevin Palmer
The Curling News® photos by Anil Mungal – Click on images to increase viewing size
SASKATOON – If you watch a TSN morning game during the Brier, it always appears that the live arena attendance is smaller than for a night draw.
I’ll pass on a little known secret: the attendance is just as big, however, the spectators are all lined up at the concession stands for their wake-up coffee. The hardest part is deciding which line you are actually standing in, since said line reaches around the entire oval of the arena.
As you already know, Thursday morning featured must-win games for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, with hometown Saskatchewan attempting to play spoiler against Manitoba. If you were betting on the underdog, you lost in every single case. The playoff-bound powerhouses – Ontario, Manitoba and, um, er, the Territories – all came through with impressive wins.
And it was a great job by Team Jamie Koe. After a 5-1 start they had dropped three games in a row, and they had also lost control of the hammer by the fourth end of their NB match. A steal of two in five put them in control, but then they surrendered a three in the sixth.
Calmly, Jamie led his squad to a rebound deuce in seven and another steal of two in the eighth frame (after back-to-back raise attempt field goals by Terry Odishaw) on their way to a tiebreaker clinching win.
Separated at birth? Howser (left) and Fowler
Meanwhile, Rob “Doogie Howser” Fowler clinched at least a tiebreaker with his convincing win over Scott Manners. A three-count in the first end gave the Manitobans full control and they never looked to be in much danger.
Rob enjoys his takeouts so much, he often follows them down the ice to the end of the sheet. It hurts my groin to even watch as he slides the length of the ice at nearly the same speed as the stone he just fired. Myself, I prefer more of the Jamie Koe-style of throwing; starting to stand up even before the rock has been released.
The afternoon draw saw Alberta defeat Nova Scotia to set up their battle with Ontario in the evening. Manitoba continued its hot streak and moved Northern Ontario aside 10-4, and secured at least the number three playoff spot. New Brunswick upset B.C. 7-5 and Team Jacobs would then need a disappointed Jim Cotter team to win over J Koe to gain their tiebreak in the evening draw. That outcome was not to be, as The Other Koe swept the day with a convincing 8-3 win over B.C. and a lock on the fourth and final playoff spot – no tiebreakers.
See you real soon, bro!
It marked a historic event; the first time the Territories had made the playoffs since that format began in 1980. It was also a historic event for gamblers, as it marked the first TERR game to go under the 12 ½ point total all week.
The featured TSN night game was the annual Thursday night tilt between Alberta and Ontario. There was more at stake than just first place here: an Alberta loss would push Kevin Koe down to the Page playoff 3 vs 4 game – a rematch with his brother – and a loss for me against Steve Lobel in the annual Brier Bet for our respective provinces. Clearly Glenn Howard knew that Steve needed a victory after a decade of Randy Ferbey and Kevin Martin dominating this wager.
There are 160 stones thrown in a full 10-end curling game, and Koe versus Howard showed how important just a few shots can be. Kevin had a possible chance to score two early, but rolled out by a few inches on a hit attempt, resulted in a blank. A missed draw in the fourthby Koe led to a Howard steal. In the next end, a hit and stick on the blank attempt by Kevin and at the break Howard now had the hammer, tied 1-1.
They swapped deuces. In the ninth end, tied 3-3 without last rock, Koe is attempting to either steal or force Howard to one. Alberta second Carter Rycroft rubs a guard in the attempt to set up the inning, and the end result is a score of three by Howard and the win for Ontario. Steve, your Kaptain Koe T-shirt will arrive next week.
The first round of playoffs are set: ON vs MB in the 1-2 playoff tonight, and Koe vs Koe in the 3-4 on Saturday afternoon…
The Curling News
That's right! Sugarballs!
by Colin Hodgson
RED DEER, Alta – Few people would realize the culinary interest or prowess of such high-performance curlers as John Morris or Mike McEwen. However, conversations can often be heard between myself, Mike and Johnny Mo about our recent culinary excursions in the kitchen.
This fire (don’t say that too loudly around Johnny or he’ll get the hose out) and desire to cook might be able to be explained by the lack of… how should I put this… kitchen “flare” that our significant others seem to not embrace like us foodies. However, this is definitely not a shot at the ladies Jenny Gates (sorry hun) or Dawn Askin (who wears the pants in that relationship with six Hearts appearances and three wins).
So, in the spirit of the STOH playoffs this weekend, Mike McEwen and yours truly decided it would be a great idea to come up with some great recipes to share with you all… at the expense of great skips such as Nova Scotia’s Heather Smith-Dacey, Kerry Galusha of the Territories, Team Canada’s Amber Holland and Alberta skipper Heather Nedohin (Kruger Products/CCA photo at left).
Enjoy your “Holland-Aise” Sauce, Galusha Goulash, Heather “Smith-Date” Squares, and Cinnamon “Sugarballs”!
Date Squares
Heather Smith-Date Squares
Ingredients:
1 -1/2 cups rolled oats • 1- 1/2 cups sifted pastry flour • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1 cup packed brown sugar • 3/4 cup butter • softened 3/4 pound pitted dates, diced • 1 cup water • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine oats, pastry flour, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix in the butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.
Kerry Goulash!
Galusha Goulash
Ingredients:
30mL vegetable oil • 1 large onion, finely chopped • 1/2 tsp powdered sweet paprika • Salt to taste • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds • 3 or 4 black peppercorns • 1 med. carrot, cut into quarters • 1 med. parsnip, cut into quarters • 1 or 2 whole sweet paprika • 1 bay leaf • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
Directions:
Cube the meat and potatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. Stew the onion in vegetable oil over low heat until golden yellow (not brown). Remove the pot from the heat, add the paprika, meat, salt and 1 1/5 liters (1 quart, 3 oz) of water. Add the caraway seeds and peppercorns in a tea ball or small bag (for easy removal before serving). Return to low heat and simmer.
After 30 minutes, add the carrots, garlic, leaf, parsnips and paprika peppers. When the meat is nearly tender (around another 30 minutes), add the potatoes. Serve and enjoy!
Balls!
Nedohin’s Cinnamon Sugarballs
(Not S**tballs – video here)
Ingredients:
1 cup margarine, softened • 2 egg whites • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 2 3/4 cups unbleached flour • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar • 2 tablespoons cinnamon • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, combine margarine, egg whites, and vanilla extract. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients just until moistened. Chill dough until firm. Then, roll into balls the size of walnuts. Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar together. Roll balls into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place balls 2″ apart on unprepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Amber Holland-Aise
Classic Holland-Aise Sauce
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter • 3 egg, yolks • 1 tablespoon water • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • salt • 1 pinch pepper
Directions:
Remove 2 tablespoons (25 mL) of the butter and keep cold in refrigerator. In small saucepan, melt remaining butter; keep warm. In heavy-bottomed saucepan or in stainless steel bowl, whisk egg yolks until thickened and pale. Whisk in water and lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the cold butter. Set saucepan over low heat or place bowl over saucepan of 1 1/2- inches (4 cm) barely simmering water; whisk until bottom of pan can be seen between whisks and wires of whisk become lightly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, immediately whisk in remaining cold butter to stop the cooking of the yolks. By driblets, whisk in enough of the melted butter to thicken to consistency of whipping cream. Increasing amount of butter slightly, whisk in remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper.
The Curling News
Sandra Schmirler Golf Tournament Okanagan and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation donate ,600 towards the purchase of a specialized incubator for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Kelowna General Hospital.
The Sandra Schmirler Golf Tournament Okanagan was held August 19 to 21, 2011. The two-round golf tournament weekend took place at Shadow Ridge Golf Club, in Kelowna, BC.
The event organizing committee from the Kelowna Curling Club teamed up with the Sandra Schmirler Foundation along with presenting sponsor, Canadian Direct Insurance to raise funds for the NICU at Kelowna General Hospital.
“It was a fantastic weekend of golf and everyone had a great time while supporting the Kelowna General Hospital’s NICU,” says Norm Allen, coordinator for the tournament. “We are looking forward to the next tournament in the summer of 2012.”
To find out more about the next tournament and how you can get involved, contact Rick Folk rickfolk@hotmail.com
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
Join us in the chat room at the Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship live from Parksville, BC for the Championship Final. We will be giving live updates and answering your questions about the action on the ice.
Select the current draw below to join in or you can replay the blog from previous draws. (All times Pacific Standard Time)
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
Join us in the chat room at the Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship live from Parksville, BC for the Page Playoff. We will be giving live updates and answering your questions about the action on the ice.
Select the current draw below to join in or you can replay the blog from previous draws. (All times Pacific Standard Time)
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
The 2011-12 Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western takes place Monday, January 23 to Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver, BC. Ten of the best Women’s teams from across British Columbia will compete in the provincial championship to represent British Columbia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alberta from February 18, to 26, 2012.
The Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western is a round-robin event with two draws daily, and will end with a Page Playoff beginning Friday, January 27 with the semi-final and final televised on Shaw. Ten teams from around British Columbia have qualified to earn their berth at the BC Scotties.
Games start Monday, January 23 at 10:30am with round-robin games at 10:30am and 6:30pm from Monday to Thursday. The final round-robin game takes place at 9:30am on Friday. The Page Playoffs begin on Friday, January 27 at 7:00pm if there no tie-breakers or only one tie-breaker necessary. The final is scheduled for 4:30pm on Sunday, January 29.
Competing Teams
- Kelly Scott – Kelowna Curling Club
- Kelley Law – Royal City Curling Club
- Allison MacInnes – Kamloops Curling Club
- Roselyn Craig – Victoria Curling Club
- Kelly Thompson – Richmond Curling Club
- Nicole Backe – Royal City Curling Club
- Jen Rusnell – Prince George Golf & Curling Club
- Marilou Richter – Richmond Curling Club
- Brenda Garvey – Prince George Golf & Curling Club
- Marla Mallett – Royal City Curling Club
Live scoring for the Scotties British Columbia Women’s Curling Championship presented by Best Western is available on Playdowns.com.
Playdowns.com – Curling news and playdown results
View from the media bench
Words and Image by Anil Mungal
RAMA, Ont. – Okay, so I’ve been asked: “What is it like being a photojournalist at the TSN Skins Game?”
Let’s start by answering the question of what a photojournalist does. The primary duty is to take photographs that tell a story. The photos themselves should be clear, concise, truthful images that easily convey a message to the readers. Along with the image, a photojournalist must also write caption information for each image to explain the “who, what, where, when, and why” of the photograph.
On a typical shoot, I usually arrive at the venue an hour before game time and remain until after the game is over. First, I setup my laptop at the media bench which is at one end of the curling sheet. I verify that I have an internet connection and that I can download and edit my photos from my camera. Next, I set up my two cameras and ensure that I can get good exposures based on the lighting for the venue. Here at Casino Rama the lighting is very good – better than most arena venues that I’ve encountered.
For the rest of the event I will spend my time shooting images, downloading them to my laptop, editing, cropping, colour-correcting, captioning and transmitting the images. I will move around the arena to get some different angles, but a lot of the time, I am sitting at ice level on a carpet directly on the curling sheet or on a cold concrete floor… so it can get pretty chilly!
A couple of things to keep in mind in creating good images is to use observation and pre-visualization. Keep a constant lookout to find a good subject with a good background. Have a good understanding of the event and its rules so that you know how the game will flow and what photo opportunities will arise (and when). It also helps to know your subjects so you can be prepared for displays of emotion which help to communicate your story. If you aren’t prepared for a broom smash, you’ll only get a photo of the pieces.
It can be quite exhausting once its over, but there is always that personal quest for a great image that can be the highlight of your portfolio.
As far as blogging goes, well, this is kind of new for me – after all, I’m an image guy, not a word guy. How do you think I’m doing? Rate my blog attempts below by choosing one through five stars!
The Curling News
Team Howard is greeted by the fans at Casino Rama
Words and Image by Anil Mungal
RAMA, Ont. – This evening’s game features a re-match of last year’s Brier final with Team Glenn Howard facing off against Team Jeff Stoughton.
This is Team Stoughton’s first appearance here at Casino Rama, and they are very excited to be here.
Glenn Howard, who lives about 45 minutes away, can perhaps use the local crowd to his advantage.
A full house at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre awaits some more Skins action.
(Click on image to increase viewing size)
The Curling News
Tough night for Glenn Howard
Words by TSN, Image by Anil Mungal
RAMA, Ont. – Reigning world champion Jeff Stoughton swept up another curling victory, as the Winnipeg native pocketed ,800 in prize money and secured his spot in Sunday’s final of the 2012 TSN Curling Skins Game.
Stoughton moves on to the final after defeating Ontario’s Glenn Howard five skins to one in what was a rematch of last year’s Tim Hortons Brier final.
After forcing a carry-over with the hammer in the first end, Stoughton stole the skin in the second end worth ,000 and never looked back.
Howard managed to pick up one skin early in the game, netting ,200 with the hammer in the third end.
Stoughton won the skin in the fourth end with a final stone raise double takeout before going on to win the last three skins of the game, including stealing the skin in the seventh end worth ,000 to secure his decisive victory over the hometown favourite.
Stoughton now faces Alberta’s Kevin Koe in the final tomorrow at 1:00 pm ET.
(Click on image to increase viewing size)
The Curling News
Where should we put it?
Words and Image by Anil Mungal
RAMA, Ont. – The first end comes down to a measure, and a resulting carry-over.
The second end has less rocks in play than the first and looks more like a non-skins curling end. Glenn Howard‘s first shot doesn’t curl as much as he anticipated, leaving him with a tough second shot – and results in a Stoughton steal.
The third end sees Howard with an open draw for two, which he makes to take his first skin.
The fourth end sees the runback king, Jeff Stoughton, make a raise double takeout to take the skin and lead ,300-,200 at the fourth end break.
(Click on image to increase size)
The Curling News
