2nd Annual Cape Cod Summerspiel draws international field

Teams from Russia, Scotland, Canada and the USA will be competing in the 2nd Annual Cape Cod Summerspiel July 17-20 in Falmouth, MA.

Russia is sending the team that just missed the podium when they finished 4th at the 2011 Worlds in Prague, though with a different coach, Alexandra Ryzhkova.

Tony Zummack, Great Britain's new Head Coach of Wheelchair Curling with his first competitive team selection, is bringing four of the five Prague silver medalists, Jim Gault replacing Michael McKenzie.

Canada will be represented by Team Lessard,  Quebec provincial champions looking to rebound from a disappointing 2011 Nationals, and by British Columbia's Team Cormack.

USA national coach Steve Brown will be guiding both a new-look Team USA with Patrick McDonald at skip, and a mixed USA/Canada team featuring the return to action of Bob Prenoveau at skip.

Full details of the event, draws and teams can be found HERE.

N. Ontario's Chester Draper wins the Manitoba Marathon

[photo JASON HALSTEAD/Winnipeg Sun]

Chester Draper, who plays 2nd on Wayne Ficek's No. Ontario provincial championship team won the Manitoba men’s full wheelchair marathon with a time of 1:57:26 beating that benchmark 2 hour time that marks a great performance.

Congratulations Chester, who is 71 and lives in Dryden, ON. And no, he didn't use a souped-up power wheelchair.

Video coverage from the 2011 Canadian Nationals in Edmonton

AccessibleMedia were filming at the 2011 Canadian Nationals in Edmonton. Coverage included comments from Cathy Craig, Joe Rea and Bruno Yizek.

"Come and Try" Wheelchair Curling in Melbourne, Australia

Wheelchair users in the vicinity of Melbourne, Australia are invited to a "come and try" session June 27 at 7pm and 8pm and onwards at the Icehouse.

Members of the Southern Cross Rollers, Australia's first wheelchair curling team, are competing at the Australian Championships this September. Read what they have to say about their sport and get more information about the event HERE.

Additions to the events calendar

There have been some additions to the international events calendar page on the wheelchaircurling.com website.

Invitations have been sent out for teams to compete in the Norwegian Open at the Halden Curling Center from October 14-16, 2011. Details can be downloaded from HERE.

Also the 5th Annual Richmond Center for Disability International Spiel will be held November 2-5, 2011 at the Richmond (BC) Curling Club. You can download details HERE.

USA searching for next year's team

USA are searching for the combination of players who will bring them back into contention after a disappointing 2011 World Championship brought to an end a very promising run of competitive results that had suggested medal success was close.

With two members of last year's team already announcing their retirement there was plenty of incentive for aspiring curlers to learn about the sport and perhaps impress Steve Brown, the National Team Coach, during four days of on and off ice instruction this weekend at the Green Bay CC.

Reporter Beth Jones of Fox station WLUK-TV was on hand to speak to some of the participants.