The man behind Armstrong's re-emergence

Gerry Peckham

Canwest's Kent Gilchrist adds a twist to the now familiar story of Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong's return to the ice, suggesting Gerry Peckham, an old teammate and now CCA High Performance Director, will deserve a medal for recruiting Armstrong to the program.

"He may not be on the podium with Armstrong .. but he won't be far away with a block-wide grin pasted on his face. For Peckham, who hooked up with Armstrong to win back-to-back B.C. men's able-bodied titles in 1973 with Jack Tucker skipping and in '74 with Armstrong on the teeline, is as responsible as anyone for getting Armstrong out of his easy chair and into wheelchair curling."

Read the article HERE

When it was announced that Jim would join the training squad, initially as an on-ice consultant, Peckham expressed surprise that any Canadian would object. Two year's later Peckham can indeed take credit for persevering past initial eligibility doubts, and injecting 40+ years of experience at skip, in a sport not yet a decade old.

Team USA's Jimmy Joseph hoping for gold for daughter's birthday

Jimmy Joseph - Team USA 2nd at 2009 Worlds

Jimmy Joseph told the Herkimer Evening Telegram the Paralympic final falls on his daughter’s third birthday. “Hopefully, I’ll be playing for a gold medal to bring her home as a present,” he said.

Read the full profile HERE

Learn to curl in Austin, Texas

Last weekend's Learn to Curl session at the Chapparral Ice Center in Austin, Texas, brought out over 400 people, so the club is holding another session Sunday March 7th at 9.30 am.

“I think there’s potential here just to try a sport that really works for every age group or physical ability,” club member Janet Hunter told The Daily Texan. “We have people curling from age 8 to 80, even wheelchair curling.”

Read more about Austin’s Lone Star Curling Club.

Gary Cormack to talk about his Torino gold medal

Gary Cormack, who played second for Team Canada 2005 - 2008 and won a  gold medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, is giving a talk about his journey to the podium.

The multimedia presentation for the whole family is at the Surrey (BC) Museum on Saturday, March 6 from 1-2 p.m.  Details HERE and HERE

Cormack was drafted into the Chris Daw led team in 2005 when Ontario's Bruce McAninch left the program. In addition to his Paralympic medal, he won a Canadian national title with Team Canada in 2006, and also participated in the 2007 and 2008 World Championships.

He will skip the 2010 BC Hosts team at the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC starting March 15th.

BBC Sport introduces GB's professional wheelchair curlers

The BBC sent a reporter to Stirling to watch Team GB prepare for the Paralympics. As he mentions, curling is the winter Olympic sport that captures the attention of the British public, and after the struggles of the GB Olympic teams, the pressure will be on the McCreadie rink, described as professional wheelchair curlers.

In the video you can see them delivering from in front of the hack as opposed to near the hogline. WCF rules say that the stone at delivery played from between the hack and the top of the rings, must touch the centre line. Stones played between the top of the rings and the hogline can be up to (approx.) 6 inches from centre, the outer edge of the stone within 18 inches of the centre line.

GB's McCreadie "quietly confident of gold"

Jim Sellar, Angie Malone, Michael McCreadie, Aileen Nielsen, Tom Killin
[photo - Martin Shields - Evening Times]

Team Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie told reporters assembled at the team send off celebration at their teams home ice at Braehead: said, “We’re quietly confident of bringing home the gold medals.”

Bob Cowan reports Michael saying: "If we play at our best we will be a real handful for any country in the world .... The GB Paralympic teams work just as hard all year round and prepare for our winter games just as much as the competitors who are presently out in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics.”

You can read the rest of Bob's report HERE.

Also a report from the Paisley Express.

Though the GB team, all Scots, have as much experience and as many medals as any team in the world, for the past two years they've been undertaking what Tom Pendreigh their coach calls a "skill acquisition project." This has included throwing from the top of the rings rather than the near hogline.

Pendreigh expressed surprise when I contacted him last week at the skepticism his project has provoked from those outside his program. He's certain of its advantages and feels his team has overcome "expected and managed" performance dips in the run up to the Paralympics.

GB plays Canada in the first draw, and a good result will give McCreadie, who is still inexperienced at skip, all the confidence he needs to reach the podium.

Wheelchair curling coming to New Brunswick

The Canadian Paraplegic Association of New Brunswick are working with the Fredericton Curling Club to introduce wheelchair curling to the province.

"Several of our clients said, 'What about wheelchair curling?' New Brunswick and P.E.I. are the only provinces in Canada that haven't fielded wheelchair curling teams to the national championships. Our clients were saying it would be nice to formally introduce it in New Brunswick," the CPA's Haley Flaro told The Daily Gleaner.

"When the Fredericton Curling Club moved into the coliseum, we now had a relatively accessible rink. That was an opportunity to try and get something going."

The give-it-a-go day is Saturday February 27 for both wheelchair users who want to try curling, and people interested in making that happen.

Read the article for more information

Team GB putting on a demo Feb 24 at East Kilbride

Team Britain will demonstrate their sport at the East Kilbride Ice Rink, East Kilbride centre, on Wednesday 24 February, 12noon-1.00pm.

CLICK HERE for details

Lessard sees off Victoria CC challenge at Quebec Provincial

Benoit Lessard skipped his Lennoxville CC team to a sweep of the challengers from the Victoria CC in Quebec City. He won the third match of the best of 5 series 11-4, settling down after going behind 4-0 on steals in the first two ends.

The big end was again the downfall for Jean-François Sylvestre, who allowed a steal of 5 in the 4th.

Lessard    0  0  1  5  1  2  2  X  -  11
Sylvestre  3  1  0  0  0  0  0  X  -  4

The Quebec champions round out the ten teams that will contest the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21. It will be their second appearance, after going a very respectable 3-6 in their rookie year.

Team GB enter and win Scottish Championships

Aileen Nielsen, Jim Sellar, Tom Killin, Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone

Team Great Britain, all Scots, were one of ten teams competing in this weekend's Scottish Championship at Aberdeen. They went unbeaten, stealing in the 5th and 6th to take the final 7-2 against Jim Elliot. (thanks Bob Cowan)

Full results are HERE

It was never a possibility that Team Canada would compete in a national championship prior to the Paralympics, though Jim Armstrong, before his latest injury, had told me he was open to competing in his provincial championship had not the Nationals been forced to schedule at the same time as the Paralympics.

Hosts Team Lessard 2-0 in best of 5 Quebec Provincial

Ben Lessard led his Lennoxville CC rink to a 2 game lead in their best of 5 series against Jean-François Sylvestre of the Victoria CC in Quebec City.

The Lennoxville team has only been curling for a couple of seasons, but that experience showed in comfortable 16-4 and 11-2 wins over the rookie visitors.

"The difference for our team was in not giving up big ends," explained assistant coach Dan Janidlo. "The second game was close until we scored 4 in the 7th."

Teams: Lennoxville - Benoit Lessard (skip), Carl Marquis (3rd), Denis Grenier (2nd) and Johanne Daly (lead) with Nicole Huberdeau (5th), coach Alfred Whittier assisted by Dan Janidlo.

Victoria CC - Jean-François Sylvestre (skip), Michel Verreault (3rd), Allan Burridge (2nd), France Sévigny (lead) with Maxime Aubé (5th), and coachesJacques Palasse, Pierre Morneau and Jacques Deschênes.

Championship information can be found HERE

Ottawa's Cameron wins Dominion Ontario Provincial Championship

Bruce Cameron's rink curling out of the RA Curling Club brought Ottawa its first provincial title when he beat three time champion Chris Rees from Toronto 8-3 in the final of the Dominion Ontario Championship.

Cameron lost his third to surgery just before the event but steered his side back from a 3-1 deficit after 2 ends to post four steals in an 8-3 victory.

Cameron  1 0 1 1 1 2 2 X  8

Rees     0 3 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

His win doubles the number of rookies (8 excluding alternates) slated to appear at  the Nationals in Kelowna BC, March 15-21, with the final team, Quebec, to be decided tomorrow.

Full championship details can be found HERE

Quebec holds first Provincial Championship

Wheelchair curling in Quebec began at the Lennoxville CC where Al Whittier, assisted by Daniel Janidlo moulded a group of established athletes accomplished in other disciplines into a team that represented their province for the first time in 2009.

This year a late challenge from Qubec City has meant that there will be a Quebec provincial championship with the winner earning their passage to the 2010 Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.

The best of five matches series is scheduled for this weekend in Lennoxville. Games times are Saturday February 20, 1pm and 4pm, and Sunday 21st at 9am and if necessary noon and 3pm.

Rees crushes Gregory's hopes of repeat Ontario title

3-time Ontario champion Chris Rees (Toronto) booked his place in the final of the 2010 Dominion Ontario Provincials by beating defending champion Ken Gregory (Bradford) 10-1 in the semi-final. Gregory, who had relied on a last end 4 in the morning's last round robin draw to squeak into afternoon play, had no answer for Rees, who took 2 in the first and then stole to 9-0 lead after 5 ends.

The Rees rink, with Carl Bax (3rd) Dal Wrigley (2nd) and Shauna Petrie will hope to revenge an extra end round robin defeat, when they meet Ottawa's Bruce Cameron in Saturday morning's final - 10.30 am at the Collingwood CC.

The semi-final loss will disappoint a team that had travelled to Utica for the US Open (as did Bruce Cameron) to gain competition experience. Frank Cannarella (3rd) will also lose his record of appearing in every national championship, an achievement he shared with 2010 Team BC skip Whitney Warren.

Lines scores can be found HERE

Final end 4 puts Gregory in Ontario semi-final

For most of the game it looked like defending Ontario champion Ken Gregory would become entangled in a three-way tie of 1-3 teams for third place in the Dominion Ontario Provincials at the Collingwood CC this morning.

Down 5-3 after 6, he gave up a steal in 7 but then posted 4 in the final end to give Ottawa's Bruce Cameron his first defeat 7-6. He closed with a 2-2 record, good enough for this afternoon's 2 vs 3 semi-final against Toronto's Chris Rees who beat Richard Fraser 9-4 to finish 3-1.

Cameron (3-1) went straight through to Saturday's final having stolen a 9-8 win over Rees in round robin play.

Final camp and exhibition matches for Team Canada

Team Canada have their final training camp this weekend at the Richmond CC.

Their last tournament game was in December, but they have brought invitees like Alberta's Jack Smart and Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz into camp to play alongside Jackie Roy and Bruno Yizek for practice sessions.  Last weekend they won 2 of 3 three matches against Whitney Warren's Team BC.

This weekend I am told the Richmond CC has arranged games for Friday and Saturday though I do not have details. The team will attend Friday evening's Olympic women's draw.

for those looking for team news I have this from Team Leader Wendy Morgan:

Team Canada is very excited about the upcoming Paralympic Games in our home country!

We do not feel pressure to compete in Canada, we welcome that opportunity as a rare privilege!

'Home field advantage' for us, will be having  family and friends to share this experience with...to celebrate the wins, have comfort after losses and live support in the stands. 

Team Canada has been focused on team building, refining strategies, enhancing communication skills and technical tweaking for the last 2 months.

We have had several practice games at our 2 January camps and our final camp this weekend, in Richmond,  will focus on final details of competition and event readiness.

We recognize the presence of expectations...that is the reality of sport at the highest level. The roster of countries and players competing in 2010 is one of  experience, talent, and this 2010 field is very level.

Team Canada is healthy, anxious to play and most eager to put the Maple Leaf on our backs!

Our primary goal is make the playoff round.  Our focus however is one game at a time.

We look forward to cheering on our Ladies and Men's Olympic teams this week in Vancouver. 

Go Canada Go!

I also had a lengthy and less general conversation with Coach Rea that I will use in a future post.

Newfoundland & Labrador exhibitions at Halifax CC

Newfoundland and Labrador's skip Joanne MacDonald (centre) with 3rd Darlene Jackman watched by Nova Scotia skip Mike Fitzgerald (left) and 3rd Laughie Rutt. The teams played a series of four exhibition games at the Halifax CC last weekend, with the hosts taking 2 of the tight first 3 games before closing easy winners of game 4.

Joanne MacDonald

Mike Fitzgerald
photos by Ian Readey

Ottawa's Cameron through to Dominion Provincial final

Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink rolled to a third victory on Day 2 of the Dominion Ontario Provincials at the Collingwood CC. beating Tpronto's Chris Rees 9-8 on a steal in an extra end. At 3-0 he is assured of a first place finish in the 5 team round robin, and will go straight through to the final.

Bradbury's defending champion Gregory lost to 2008 champion Rees 7-5 in the morning draw but registered his first win in the afternoon, beating Iderton's Claus 11-3. Claus beat Ottawa's Fraser in the other morning game; his team's first ever competitive win.

Cameron plays Gregory in the final round robin draw with Gregory needing a win to assure at least a tie-break. If Rees beats Fraser he'll go into the 2 vs 3 semi-final. If Fraser and Gregory win tomorrow, there will be a three way tie for second. If Cameron and Rees win there's a 3 way tie for third. If Rees and Gregory win they'll face off again in the semi-final.

Tomorrow
Cameron vs Gregory
Rees  vs Fraser

Standings after 4 draws
Cameron  3-0
Rees  2-1
Fraser 1-2
Gregory 1-2
Claus  1-3

Cameron takes early lead at Dominion Ontario Provincials

Bruce Cameron's Ottawa rink won both their games on the opening day of the Dominion Ontario Wheelchair Curling Championships at the Collingwood CC. Cameron, out of the RA Curling Club beat fellow Ottawan Richard Fraser from the North Greenville CC 9-6 in the morning draw despite giving up a steal of 4 in the 3rd. In the afternoon Cameron posted a 14-1 win over Iderton's Lance Claus

Cameron's rink suffered a blow when their third, Doug Morris. underwent a scheduled back surgery yesterday. Jamie Eddy moved from second, replaced by rookie Andre Beaudin, who has been practicing with Team Cameron all season.

Eddy is in his fourth season of curling and the second on Team Cameron. He represented Canada at sledge hockey in the Lillihammer and Nagano Paralympics. He is legally blind and uses binoculars and a CCA approved guide light to assist his accuracy.

Defending champion Ken Gregory lost his opening draw to Fraser 10-9, after going behind by 6 after two ends. Fraser took 2 with hammer in the eighth for the victory.

In the day's other game, Toronto's Chris Rees, the 2008 champion, beat Claus 13-2.

You can find team members and line scores HERE

"it would take a gun to keep me out of the line-up now!" - Armstrong

Want the definitive word on Jim Armstrong's injury status? The message is the same as already described on the blog, but here it is, as requested, from Jim himself.

Hi, Eric:

Thanks for inquiring about my health again.  As we had discussed a few weeks ago, I certainly did aggravate my surgerized left shoulder.  Ironically, I strained it lifting a box, because the shoulder was actually feeling good enough, I actually forgot to be as careful as I should.  I had it medically assessed, and, given the time frame, further surgical repair, even if needed, would be impractical, and would certainly have taken me out of the Paralympics.

Fortunately, our Program now has on staff a tremendous physiotherapist, Paige Larson.  Paige has huge professional experience providing treatment for Team Canada at a number of Olympic and Paralympic Games.  I have been getting treatment regularly, every two or three days, and I am certainly improving week to week.

As you have indicated, I am struggling with everyday mobility, but it is now more of an inconvenience than a threat to my ability to play.  I know it still looks worse than it is, since my neck tends to accommodate for the shoulder tenderness, and I am now dealing with neck stiffness.

The entire team and staff are ready to rock, and it would take a gun to keep me out of the line-up now!

All the best, and keep up the good work, Eric.

When I mentioned Jim's health to national team coach Joe Rae earlier today, he said; "I'll shoot him if I catch him lifting heavy boxes again before the Paralympics."

Had the team prepared for the possibility of Jim's absence? "We have prepared for all eventualities, for the absence of any of our players. And no, I'm not going to say what those plans are."

If I were Joe, neither would I.

Team Gregory looking beyond 2010

Katie Paialunga, who plays second on Ken Gregory's Bradford based Ontario championship team, admits to looking beyond 2010, to the 2011 Nationals where she hopes the winner will be declared Team Canada, breaking the current selection process.

“We’d like to win the provincial this year,” Paialunga trold Dan Plouffe of the Orléans Star. “However, it’s not our overall goal.”

The next goal for the Gregory rink is to win a national title in 2011, which would then lead to an appearance in the world championships. After being passed over in favour of British Columbia-based individuals to represent Canada at the 2010 Paralympics, the long-term goal Paialunga holds is to compete in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

“We’ve got another four years to get working on being the best team,” she added.

Now she just has to help her team past four other competitors in Ontario's Dominion Provincial Championships at Collingwood CC February 17-20.

Top secret biomechanical research aids TC shooting accuracy

Team Canada's wheelchair curlers have been part of a top secret research program out of the University of Alberta that has been analysing and subsequently fine tuning delivery motions using computer analysis of high speed photography.

Phys. Ed. lecturer Pierre Baudin said that the research on wheelchair curling was significant because it had not been explored before.

“Probably the biggest impact we had was on the wheelchair curlers. Nobody had ever done research on wheelchair curlers before and so we were starting from scratch there and a lot of the things they were doing were biomechanically incorrect [...] we changed a number of things for all the curlers.”

Read the article HERE

There's a lot that goes into a successfully thrown stone and certainly a biomechanically efficient delivery is an important element. But so too are being disciplined about where you place the stone, and the chair in relation to the stone, and the broom in relation to the chair and the stone, in addition to being able to regulate the speed of the throw when contact with the stone is measured in fractions of a second.

Working out what motions best accommodate a particular wheelchair users muscle set can help, and if the analysis breeds confidence, so much the better.

Armstrong injury update

Jim Armstrong - 2009 Nationals
photo - Ian Readey

Several people have mentioned to me that from their observation, Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong is carrying the injury to his non-throwing shoulder with obvious discomfort. While there has been no official comment from the team, my understanding is that the injury is uncomfortable, and does affect his mobility, but is not expected to be an issue as far as playing is concerned.

Jim is fortunate in that he can use his legs in addition to or in place of his non-throwing arm, to brace his delivery.

Experienced users of manual wheelchairs know what a strain is placed on shoulders. Throwing rocks from a chair compounds that strain. So it is no great surprise that Jim, with body already worn from decades of sweeping, may be feeling pain, particularly if he felt the need to play catch-up in training after being inactive after last year's shoulder surgery and car accident.

Though Canada would prefer a fully fit Armstrong throwing fourth stones, his major contribution to the team is not the ability to throw takeout weight. Were his injury to worsen, they could easily let him skip from lead. Were that to happen though, would they just move Sonja, Ina and Darryl up the order, or would they bring in Bruno at third and sit Sonja?

And who would skip were Jim not able to play? Canadians, especially the coaches, hope these questions will never need answers, but what would you do?

Canada's only female skip bringing her team to Halifax

Joanne MacDonald will be the only female skip at the 2010 Nationals
photo - Ian Readey

Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial team will play a series of exhibition games at the Halifax CC this weekend, February 13-14, against Team Nova Scotia. Both teams finished at 3-6 at last year's Nationals in Nova Scotia.

Newfoundland and Labrador lost their skip when Chris Daw relocated to Vancouver, so Joanne MacDonald steps up from 3rd and will become the first woman to skip a provincial side.  Darlene Jackman, Lanie Woodfine and Felix Green all return from last year's rookie provincial squad.

Team Nova Scotia have added Debbie Earle to last year's team, and the exhibitions will be their first opportunity to compete as a provincial unit.

Games are at 9am and 1pm on February 13th, and 11am and 3.30pm on the 14th.

Team Canada finalists for True Sport Foundation's Team of the Year

Team Canada 2010
Sonja Gaudet, Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Ina Forrest
Photo - Bob Cowan

Team Canada are one of three finalists for the True Sport Foundation's award of Team of the Year, to be presented at the 37th Canadian Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto.

They are up against the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the national women’s water polo team.

“The annual Canadian Sport Awards is the ideal time to honour our amateur athletes,” said Victor Lachance, executive director of the True Sport Foundation. “It will be a great way to cap off the thrill of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and get revved up for the Paralympic Games.”

Read the press release here.

Meet the new champs, same as the old champs

Alberta skip Jack Smart, beaced by Martin Purvis with lead Bridget Wilson watching
at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was deja vu all over again in Edmonton and Kenora as Jack Smart and Wayne Ficek successfully defended their Provincial titles.

Smart's Calgary rink, with Anne Hibberd and Bridget Wilson maintaining their record of making every Alberta provincial team, beat Edmonton's Cliff Nuspl 11-2, completing a tournament where they averaged 8 point winning margins in their 5 games.

N. Ontario skip Wayne Ficek braced by Chester Draper
 at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was a much tighter affair in Kenora, where local favourite Ficek faced Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque, 7-4 winner over Dawid in Saturday's semi-final. It was a back and forth game with Levesque stealing an early lead but being held to a single with hammer in the 8th, forcing an extra end.

In the extra the play was in the four foot with Ficek second Chester Draper drawing to the top of the 4, and Thunder Bay's Ron Brunelle playing a tap back. Ficek 3rd Mark Wherrett drew to the four foot but Levesque, facing two, put his last rock in the four foot just behind the t-line to sit shot.

Ficek with his last rock drew down to it to win by a measurement. Final score 7-6.

Ficek     0  0  2  0  3  0  1  0  1  -  7

Levesque  1  1  0  1  0  2  0  1  0  -  6 

Alberta and N. Ontario Provincials Day 2

In Edmonton, Jack Smart finished round robin play with a 13-3 defeat of Edmonton's Donaldson in just 6 ends at the Alberta Provincials. Nuspal beat Keith 12-3 in 7 ends setting up an all Calgary (Smart and Keith) and all Edmonton (Donaldson and Nuspl) semi-final.

Both semi-finals ended in early 6th end handshakes, as Smart beat Keith 14-1 and Nuspl beat Donaldson 9-1, setting up a north vs. south final, 12.30pm at the Jasper Place CC.

In Kenora, Wayne Ficek beat Richard Dawid 6-3 to advance to Sunday's N. Ontario provincial final against the winner of the Levesque/Dawid semi-final. Results will be posted HERE.

Alberta and N. Ontario Championships underway

Current champion Wayne Ficek took 6 in the 3rd end of a 9-3 victory playing Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque on home ice in the opening draw of the Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship at the Kenora CC.

Levesque had a chance to get back on track in the evening draw, facing fellow Fort William curler Richard Dawid. Steals in end 3, 4 and 5 saw him cruise to a comfortable 11-2 win.

Results will be posted HERE.

Teams
Wayne Ficek - Skip, Mark Wherrett 3rd, Chester Draper 2nd, Cindy Hoffstrom & Denise Miault - alternate at lead, Tom Wherrett - Coach

Carl Levesque - Skip, Ron Brunelle 3rd, Rick Bell 2nd, Sharon LaFroye - lead, David Kawahara - Coach

Richard Dawid - Skip, Gino Sonego 3rd, Terry Lynch 2nd, Linda Kontunen - lead, Mike Bergquist - Coach


In the Alberta Championship at the Jasper Place CC, Edmonton, defending champion Jack Smart beat  Edmonton's Nuspl 8-3 in the opening draw, and fellow Calgarian Keith was doubled up by Edmonton's Donaldson  7-14.

In Draw 2 it was Smart over Keith 14-2 and Nuspl over Donaldson 8-4.

Teams

Calgary
Jack Smart - Skip, Anne Hibberd 3rd, Martin Purvis 2nd. Bridget Wilson - Lead
Tony Zummack - Coach

Dale Keith - Skip, Bruce Matthews 3rd, Ron Pawlyk 2nd, Wanda Pizzinato - Lead, Curtis Junor - Alternate, Glen Brunelle - Coach
 
Edmonton
Cliff Nuspl - Skip, Warren Fleury 3rd, Mike McMullan 2nd, Shawna Walsh - Lead,
Romeo Johnson - Alternate, David Jerke - Coach
 
Don Donaldson - Skip, Doug MacEachern 3rd, Don Munroe 2nd, Bonna Gerlitz - Lead, Marie Laframboise - Alternate, Wanda Crawford - Coach

Championship weekend for Alberta and N. Ontario

Two teams from Calgary will travel to Edmonton's Jasper Place CC to challenge two Edmonton teams for Alberta's Provincial Championship. Jack Smart's Calgary champions make one forced change. Last year's 5th, Martin Purvis, replaces Bruno Yizek who'll be on Team Canada duty during the Nationals. They'll play with the confidence of knowing that they have represented their province at every national championship, coming within a whisker of gold in 2009.

The second Calgary team has Dale Keith at skip, Bruce Matthews at third, with rookies Ron Pawlyk at second, Wanda Pizzinato at lead and Curtis Junor as the alternate.

This will be Keith's third appearance at the Provincial Championship, his first as Skip. Matthews is also making his third appearance at this event. The team is Coached by Glen Brunelle, Coordinator of the Calgary Wheelchair Curling Association.

The Shoppers Home Healthcare 2010 N. Ontario Championship sees 2009 champion Wayne Ficek fielding an unchanged team, as his Kenora club hosts Thunder Bay rivals Carl Levesque and Richard Dawid from the Fort William CC. These three teams have just returned from the Ontario Parasport Winter Games, where Levesque took silver and Ficek took bronze.

Team USA works with non-profits to boost adaptive curling

Team USA is based at the Utica CC and works closely with SITRIN (Success Through Adaptive Recreation and Sports) which has joined forces with The Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and United Cerebral Palsey to raise funds to enable all their patients curl.

USA Team Leader Marc DePerno, a SITRIN employee, told the Utica Daily News curling has become a competitive sport for some, but it's also a fun and dynamic rehabilitation tool.

"First and foremost," DePerno said, "it's about collaboration -- friendships, getting out and about; adaptive sports provide an avenue for you to improve your quality of life and self esteem, and make friendships. It's a chance to excel in an area of life you didnt realize you could, and when a person comes to try it, they usually get hooked."

Physically, adaptive curling is excellent, too, DePerno said.

"The great thing is, it does not require as much physical mobility as other adaptive sports," DePerno pointed out. "Curling basically opens the door to a whole other area of disabilities."

Read the whole article.

Team USA's McDonald has another chance to represent his country

Californian Patrick McDonald, the only Team USA curler not competing out of the Utica CC, is profiled HERE.

What’s the coolest thing about being a Paralympian?

“I get to represent our country again,” says the patriot, who served as a Cavalry Scout 19 Delta from 1989 to 1992.

Karen Blachford named as 2010 RBC Olympian

Karen Blachford, a member of the original Team Canada and who retired from the national squad after winning a gold medal at the 2006 Torino Paralympics, has been chosen by the Royal Bank of Canada to be a 2010 Olympian.

Their website description of the program: "The RBC Olympians program hires both Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes as community ambassadors who bring Olympic messages of excellence and leadership to Canadian communities.

Athletes are provided with the opportunity to gain valuable skills that will help them prepare for life after sport, while also receiving much-needed funding to help them realize their Olympic and Paralympic dreams."

CLICK HERE for details of her citation.

Whitney Warren skips to BC provincial title

Whitney Warren [photo - Ian Readey]

Prince George's Whitney Warren, one of only two players to have appeared in every National Championship, will this year skip the defending national champions on home ice. His team of Frank LaBounty (3rd), Gerry Austgarden and rookie lead Allison Duddy beat Gary Cormack 7-1 in the final of the three team championship.

Cormack, with Rich Green, Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen blanked the first three ends before taking their single point at the half-time break. Warren scored two in the fifth, stole one in the sixth and made it handshake time with a steal of four in the seventh.

Both teams will compete in Kelowna at the Nationals, March 15-21, with Cormack's team playing as BC Hosts to round out a ten team field.

It is worth noting that both Warren and LaBounty are quads who use power chairs. They have also won gold at the previous three national championships, twice with Jim Armstrong at skip and in 2007 with Darryl Neighbour skipping.

Full provincial championship details HERE

Norway complete sweep in Perth

Norway 3rd Jostein Stordahl

Norway finished the final pre-Paralympic tournament with a six game sweep against major opposition in Perth, Scotland. The beat Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland and two Scots development teams.

The final table is HERE.

Though Norway's new coach Per Christensen has not officially announced his Paralympic team, it appears from Bob Cowan's photos of the event that the team may be the one that competed at the 2009 Worlds.

Cormack advances to final of BC provincial

Rich Green and Gary Cormack

Paralympian gold medalist Gary Cormack's CVCG Avengers, with Rich Green (3rd) Vince Miele and Corrine Jensen advance to the final of the BC Provincials after beating Whitney Warren and Cyril Kinatkin in the three game round robin.

Whitney, with fellow multiple National Champion teammate Frank LaBounty (3rd), Torino gold medalist Gerry Austgarden and rookie Allison Duddy will face Cyril Kinatkin in a semi-final.

The semi-final is at 10am and the final at 2pm Sunday January 31. The losing finalist will become the BC Host Team.

Results can be found here.

Team Canada coach Joe Rea talks to his hometown paper

[photo - John Sims]

Team Canada coach Joe Rea tells Jason Peters of the Prince George Citizen that coaching the national team has fulfilled the dream of wearing a Team Canada jacket that eluded him as a player.


"To have this opportunity to go to a Paralympics in your own country and represent your country is the biggest honour I'll ever have," he said.

Read the interview HERE.

Norway pull ahead of strong Paralympic field

Norway posted two more wins against Paralympic contenders on the second day of competition at Perth, Scotland. The defeated Sweden 6-4 and Gemany 7-6. They also beat Scotland I  6-4 to end the day 5-0, two games ahead of Great Britain (3-0).

Results can be found HERE.

Norway start strong at season's last pre-Paralympic spiel

Norway skip Rune Lorentson
(photo Bob Cowan)

Five national teams and a couple of Scottish development squads are competing at the Dewar's Centre in Perth, playing alongside teams competing for the Scottish Ladies' Championship.

Norway started well, beating Scotland II  9-7 and then Great Britain 6-4. Their coach, Per Christenson, who has yet to officially announce his Paralympic side, had said he didn't want his team to peak too early and Norways performances too date have been patchy. But they have been the side that Canada has found difficult to beat when it mattered.

Great Britain straddled their loss with comfortable wins over Scotland I and Scotland II, with Aileen Neilson reportedly throwing fourth stones.

In other matches, Sweden beat Switzerland 6-3 while Scotland I overcame Scotland II 6-4. Results can be found HERE.

Using the Paralympics to publicise the sport

Team GB third Aileen Neilson gave an extended interview to Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News. She talks about her life before her disability, how she came into wheelchair curling, how she has prepared for Vancouver and her hopes for success.

Scots curlers, who make up the Great Britain team, are generously financed by the government and appear to see publicity as part of their responsibility to the sport. I have recently linked to articles mentioning every member of their team.

Team USA also feature regularly in the press and media, as the USA curling authorities understand that the national team is their best advertisement for increasing participation. Again I have linked to articles on all the team.

Canada has instituted a pre-Paralympics media protocol explicitly discouraging informal press (including me) contact with team members, and insisting that all requests for interviews be cleared with a "media liason officer." Standard procedure. apparently, but just one reason why you'll find so little information about the team on this blog, or read mainstream media stories covering anything other than Jim Armstrong's phoenix-like rise from the ashes of a ruined able-bodied curling career.

Team Canada, also funded by public money, should be doing everything in their power to court publicity, realising that often means not only going out of their way to contact media with stories, but supplying journalists, notoriously lazy, with material.

Instead they issue no press releases, or invitations to watch the team prepare.  They don't train in different locales while inviting local curlers to interact with the team, which would attract local TV.

You can call it necessary focus, and claim that gold in Vancouver wipes away all objections, but making a two year campaign solely about winning a gold medal puts everything in just one basket, and we can only hope it's a sturdy one.

To be successful a sport has to make its audience care about the participants. If all Canadians are asked to care about is a gold medal, then it's a disaster getting anything less. But more, once the competition is over, people will stop caring, and that's no way to nuture a sport and provide for the future.

USA skip featured in "I compete clean" TV anti-doping campaign

Team USA skip Augusto Perez, and his photogenic family, are part of the US Anti-Doping Agency's latest media campaign.

Premier championnat provincial de curling en fauteuil roulant

Curling Québec est fier d’annoncer la tenue de son premier championnat provincial de curling en fauteuil roulant qui sera présenté les 20 et 21 février prochain sur les glaces du club de curling Lennoxville, dans la région de l’Estrie.

Le directeur général de Curling Québec ne cache pas son enthousiasme face à cette annonce : « Nous sommes particulièrement excités d’assister à ce moment historique du curling au Québec. La plupart de nos championnats provinciaux existent depuis plusieurs années, certains datent du début du siècle dernier. Par contre, de vivre la première édition d’un événement qui perdurera dans le temps demeure quelque chose de spécial ».

« L’an dernier, nous avons identifié et envoyé pour la première fois une équipe du Québec au Championnat canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant. Cette année, cette équipe devra remporter le titre québécois pour mériter ce privilège » mentionne M. Berthelot.

Précisons que l’équipe championne représentera le Québec au Championnat canadien de curling en fauteuil roulant qui sera présenté du 16 au 21 mars à Kelowna en C.-B.

La directrice générale de l’Association québécoise de sports en fauteuil roulant (AQSFR), Mme José Malo, applaudit cette initiative : « Le curling est un sport inscrit au Jeux Paralympique d’hiver et gagne a être connu puisqu’il peut être pratiqué par la majorité des personnes en fauteuil roulant. Il a été important pour nous de supporter les clubs qui ont initié cette pratique au Québec. Je tiens aussi à souligner le dynamisme et la grande réceptivité de Curling Québec dans ce mouvement. Grâce à ce travail d’équipe cet événement deviendra une tradition québécoise ».

Pour la première édition, deux équipes s’affronteront dans une série 3 de 5. L’équipe qui a représenté le Québec l’année dernière au championnat canadien et aussi représentante du Club de curling Lennoxville est composée du capitaine Benoit Lessard, Carl Marquis (3e), Denis Grenier (2e), Johanne Daly (1ère) et Nicole Huberdeau (5e). Cette équipe est entraînée par le duo formé d’Alfred Whittier et Dan Janidlo.

Ils seront opposés à l’équipe représentante du Club de curling Victoria (Québec), formée de Jean-François Sylvestre (capitaine), Michel Verreault (3e), Allan Burridge (2e), France Sévigny (1ère) et Maxime Aubé (5e). Leurs entraîneurs sont Jacques Palasse, Pierre Morneau et Jacques Deschênes.

Les parties débuteront le samedi 20 février à 13h. La cérémonie d’ouverture sera présentée à 11h et pour l’occasion, nous procéderons au dévoilement du trophée qui sera présenté à l’équipe championne à la fin de cette compétition.

Rick Mercer curls from a wheelchair

Canadian comedian Rick Mercer filmed a segment on wheelchair curling shown on Canadian TV last year.

For those who missed it, here it is.

No change in WCF attitude to powered wheelchairs

When issues concerning wheelchair curling arise at the World Curling Federation, the executive looks to their vice-President Kate Caithness, for guidance. Wheelchair curling is very much "her baby.'

To see how closely and emotionally involved she is, you have only to read the Autumn 2009 issue of Paralympian Magazine (pdf). Without her, not only would wheelchair curling not be standing on a world stage; it is doubtful that Canadian wheelchair users would be playing at all.

The CCA created a team so that Canada would be represented at the World Championships. Then BC, under Linda Moore, were determined that Ontario wheelchair curlers, who made up the original team, would not go unchallenged so CurlBC spent money to create a team. Eight years later we have eight provinces and nine provincial teams, represented at our own national championships.

So we owe Kate Caithness a debt of gratitude for pushing the sport into existence. Her latest project has been to re-examine eligibility and assessment procedures that may bring even more participation.

Which makes it all the more puzzling why the WCF stands by its recommendation that powered wheelchairs be banned from WCF sponsored competition, including World Championships and the Paralympics.

Below is an extract from my January Wheelchair Watch (Issue 4) column which outlines the issues as I see them.

Though wheelchair curling claims only a small part of the attention of the delegates to the semi-annual World Curling Federation meetings, big issues were at stake at Aberdeen last December. WCF vice-President Kate Caithness presented a paper proposing eligibility changes. She also addressed the present absence of an appeal procedure of an assessor's determination of player eligibility, either for or against.

But the meeting failed to lift the legally dubious ban on power wheelchairs in WCF competition. If evidence existed that power chairs afforded a competitive advantage, or damaged the ice surface, the WCF should (and would) have offered it. Without it the ban appears unwarranted discrimination towards a whole class of otherwise eligible disabled curlers.

Those familiar with issues of discrimination know that one should never underestimate the prevalence of blind prejudice. A senior WCF official that I spoke to directly (not Caithness) suggested that power wheelchair users should just use manual chairs instead - presumably while eating cake.
WCF officials have declined to respond to requests for the rationale behind their support for the ban, beyond saying that a decision will be made at the meeting next April in Cortina.

It may be an uphill battle to persuade delegates to that meeting to go against the recommendation of the WCF executive. Most will be unfamiliar with wheelchair curling and probably will not have given much thought to the notion that people with disabilities so significant they require use of powered wheelchairs, also deserve an opportunity to compete.

But it is an effort very much worth making, and I urge you to seek out and lobby your delegates, and raise the issue with your member associations. This ban can and should be lifted.

January edition of Wheelchair Watch is available in SWEEP d-Mag.

The latest edition of my Wheelchair Watch column is now available in the January edition of SWEEP d-Mag (pages 42-43)

GB's Jim Sellar to retire if successful in Vancouver

(photo - Bob Cowan)

Team Great Britain's Jim Sellar, the likely fifth in Vancouver, told the Bellshill Speaker that he will retire from competitive sports if successful in Vancouver. Sellar (53), who is also a champion bowler, has curled for nine years and has represented Scotland at five World Championships, winning gold in 2004.

Read the article HERE.

Gregory takes gold at Ontario Parasport Winter Games

Ken Gregory's Bradford rink rebounded from a morning final round robin draw defeat by beating Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque in an extra end of the gold medal tie-break game at the Ontario Parasport Winter Games at the Kingston CC.

Gregory went out to an early 5-0 lead with a steal of 4 in the second, but gave back a steal of 3 in the fourth. Levesque took 2 in the eighth to force the extra, but conceded a single to lose 8-7 to the far more experienced Bradford team.

Levesque   0  0  3  1  0  1  0  2  0 - 7
Gregory    1  4  0  0  1  0  1  0  1 - 8

Team Gregory will now be favourites to repeat as Ontario Champions at the Provincials February 17-20 at the Collingwood CC.

Kenora's Ficek proves he still has Gregory's number

Unfazed by Bradford's Ken Gregory's unbeaten record at the Ontario Parasport Winter Games, and by finding his team down 4-0 after 3 ends, Kenora's Wayne Ficek brought his team back with a 3 in seven and a steal in 8 to win 7-5.

With Thunder Bay's Carl Levsque beating Ottawa's Bruce Cameron 7-4, the stage was set for a gold medal tie break between Levesque and Gregory this afternoon.

In sign of maturing sport, 7 of 9 provinces hold playdowns

Nine provinces have agreed to send teams to the Canadian Nationals taking place in Kelowna, BC from March 15-21, the same dates as the Paralympics.

It had been hoped to have 10 provincial teams, but PEI made a late decision to wait another year before competing. BC will supply an additional "host" team to make up the numbers as happened last year in Nova Scotia.

In a very positive sign of the maturing of the competitive side of the sport, seven of the nine have held or will be holding playdowns to choose their representatives. Team Saskatchewan were chosen last December, but Team Sobkowicz in Manitoba and Team Fitzgerald in Nova Scotia have already won their berths.

Team formation in BC has been limited by the three females remaining after Sonja Gaudet and Ina Forrest made Team Canada and three-time gold medalist Jackie Roy, who trained with the national team, chose to stay in Vancouver to support them. Three teams compete for the two slots at the Juan de Fuca Centre, January 29 - 31. Ex-Canada teammates Gary Cormack and Gerry Austgarden will be opponents, though neither will skip. Teams are HERE and draw details HERE.

Alberta are holding a four team round robin with playoffs February 5-7 in Edmonton at the Jasper Curling Club.  Two teams will be from Calgary and two from Edmonton. Calgary's Jack Smart came within an inch of taking the title from BC at the 2009 Championship, but this year will be without Bruno Yizek who'll most likely be bench warming in Vancouver. Anne Hibberd, who was unable to play last year, steps in at 3rd while Martin Purvis continues at 2nd.

Curling in Quebec has been centred on the Lennoxville CC, but they received a late provincial challenge from the Victoria CC in Quebec City. Lennoxville will host a playdown February 20-21. They will hope to have their skip, Ben Lessard back from the serious injuries he sustained in a water-skiing accident last summer. He'll play with Denis Grenier and Carl Marquis. Competition for the two female slots will be decided at a try-out session between Johanne Daly, Johanne Poulin and Nicole Huberdeau.

Kenora hosts Northern Ontario's three team playdown February 5-7, with local Provincial Champion Wayne Ficek hoping to again upset the Fort William CC's Team Levesque and Team Dawid from Thunder Bay.

Ontario have avoided the angst of last year by agreeing not to penalise areas supporting more than one team.This year the OCA agreed to allow participation up to the total team limit allowed regular curlers; so five teams will compete at the Collingwood CC from February 17-20. Bradford's 2009 Provincial Champion Ken Gregory will face Toronto's Chris Rees, Ottawa's Bruce Cameron and Richard Fraser, and Ilderton's Lance Claus, skipping a rookie squad coached by Ernie Comerford, who jump-started wheelchair curling in Alberta.

Chris Daw commenting from the sidelines

The Vancouver Sun's Lyndon Little, in an interview posted on Kelowna.com, talks to ex-Team Canada skip Chris Daw about his new life as manager of the Vancouver CC and his thoughts on Canada's Paralympics prospects.

Little writes that Daw insists the last thing he wants to do is to put any undue pressure on the team wearing the Maple Leaf.

"All I'm saying is that I feel this team has every opportunity to hit the podium," assesses Daw. "Having been there before, my advice is they can do it as long as they keep their energy levels up and that their focus on the process remains level. They can't afford to look at the prize before they have it."

Read the full article HERE.

PEI sponsoring another wheelchair curling clinic

The PEI Curling Association is sponsoring a free demonstration and workshop  at the Crapaud Community Curling Club on Sunday January 31. A similar event was held in December, but the inclement weather kept many people from attending.  It is hoped that representatives from all PEI curling clubs can attend these sessions.

The wheelchair curling demonstration will be held from 10.00am-1.00pm. Those interested in participating should contact Gayle Johnston at 902-368-1071.

“We are delighted to be able to put on this workshop and clinic,” said Gayle Johnston, Technical Coordinator for the PEI Curling Association. “We encourage anybody who uses a wheelchair, to come out and see what it is all about. Curling is the most social of sports, and disability should be no barrier to participating and having fun.”

PEI had hoped to field a provincial team at this year's Nationals, but have decided till 2011.

Final international during Scottish Men's Championships

Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone, Tom Killin, Jim Sellar, Aileen Neilson,

coach Tom Pendreigh
[photo - Bob Cowan]

Bob Cowan reminds me that Great Britain will host the final international spiel before the Paralympics when they share the ice with the Scottish Men's Championships at the Dewar's Centre in Aberdeen.

Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway will compete in the seven team field that includes two teams from the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association's performance pool.

The wheelchair event begins January 29th and you can find the draw HERE.

GB 3rd Aileen Neilson is interviewed in the East Kilbride News HERE.

Team Gregory 4-0 at Ontario Parasport Winter Games

Ken Gregory's Bradford rink is leading the six team field at the Ontario Winter Games. With one draw to play they have a 4-0 record, and having already beaten Carl Levesque's 3-1 Thunder Bay squad, look set to take home gold regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's draw. They play Kenora's Wayne Ficek, and may be looking for some revenge after the 13-0 drubbing the were handed in a tie-break at he 2009 Nationals.

Scores are HERE.

2010 Ontario Parasport Winter Games - Jan 22-24

The Royal Kingston CC is hosting the curling component of the 5 sport 2010 Ontario Paasport Games from January 22-24. Six teams wil be competing: Ficek (Kenora), Levseque and Dawid (Thunder Bay), Rees (Toronto), Gregory (Bradford) and Cameron (Ottawa).

The first draw of the round robin event is 10am Friday Jan. 22 with the final scheduled for 2.30pm Sunday Jan. 24. Tie-breaks will only be held in the event of a tie for gold.

The complete Games schedule can be found HERE. Results wll be posted on the Ontario Curling Association's website.

(The Nordic skiing has been cancelled because of lack of snow.)

Team Fitzgerald win Nova Scotia playdown

Mike Fitzgerald (skip) Laughie Rutt, Trendall Hubley-Bolivar, Debbie Earle
(photo Ian Readey)

Team Fitzgerald beat Team Brown 3-1 in a best of 5 series at the Lakeshore CC today to become Team Nova Scotia.

The series was tied at one overnight, but Fitzgerald stole one for a 5-4 win in an extra end in Draw 3 and, up one without the hammer in the 6th and final end of Draw 4, stole 2  to win 7-4.

Mike Fitzgerald, Laughie Rutt and Trendall Hubley-Bolivar, who all played in the 2009 Nationals, will be joined by rookie Debbie Earle at the Nationals in Kelowna March 15-21.

Four sport Paralympian Tom Killin profiled

Tom Killin, braced by GB Teammate Angie Malone
photo - Bob Cowan

Tom Killin, expected to play second on Team Great Britain in Vancouver, began his Paralympic career at Arnhem in 1980. Now 59, he has competed in four Olympic sports at the games over a 30-year period, including basketball, fencing and table tennis.

"It takes you right round the world, you see some amazing places" Tom told Adam Morris. "I'm away somewhere every month, it's a full-time job now."

Read the complete profile HERE.

Team Great Britain officially announced

Team Great Britain 2010

The Royal Caledonian CC, the governing body of British curling, announced a familiar five names as the official Team Great Britain. Michael McCreadie will skip an all Scot squad that includes two other members of the team that suffered the heartbreak loss to Canada in Turin., Angie Malone and Tom Killin. They are joined by Aileen Neilson who took a leave of absence from her teaching job to train ful-time, and Jim Sellar who has attended four World Championships.

Said Michael McCreadie: "It is an honour for me to Skip the British team at the Paralympics in Vancouver. I make up 20% of the playing Team and there are four others who are truly world class performers. We have worked extremely hard to get back into winning ways, with the results from this year's tour clearly indicating we are on the right track. Preparations have gone really well and we plan in the next nine weeks to hone ourselves into a formidable adversary ready to take on the rest of the world."

Read the official announcement HERE.

Curling is expanding in the San Francisco Bay area

Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that curling is coming to downtown Oakland. The San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club is expanding beyond San Jose and Fremont, with a curling Open House at the Oakland Ice Centre on January 30th.

It being California, the rocks are cooled before use.And with one of the largest populations of young and active physically disabled people living in neighbouring Berkeley, there's lots of candidates for wheelchair curling.

Curling began with mostly Canadians, but now it's mostly locals with plans to get local High Schools involved. Read the whole article HERE.

"Don't hold back," says Team USA skip 'Goose' Perez

Augusto Perez braced by Jimmy Joseph - Feb 2009

Action Online, the magazine of the United Spinal, includes Team USA's Augusto Perez in a group of athletes asked to talk about their outlook on life. As befitting his style of play on the ice, Goose is forthright and positive.

“The first thing is to get over the idea that people look at you because of the chair or any other device. People got better things to do than to worry about how we look, and if they do it is their problem not yours,” Perez says.

Read the rest of his refreshing outlook on life HERE.

Brown and Fitzgerald tied after first day of NS playdown

Mike Fitzgerald (foreground) and Richard Brown

(photo Ian Readey)

Two three man teams are playing a best of five series to decide who claims Debbie Earle and represents Nova Scotia at the Nationals in Kelowna. [see 1/7/2010 post below]. In draw 1 it was Fitzgerald 8-2, with reuslts reversed in the evening as Brown won 7-3. There will be two draws Sunday (17th) and a decider Friday January 22 if necessary.

CLICK HERE for Ian Readey's photos of the day's play.

Team Sobkowicz takes Manitoba playdown

Chris Sobkowicz, Dennis Thiessen, George Horning, Arlene Ursel, Terry Lindell

2010 Manitoba Champions  -  photo  Katrina Thiessen

Chris Sobkowicz will represent Manitoba for the fifth time at the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna, March 15-21,after defeating Richard Dudek in a best of three playdown at the East St. Paul Curling Club. He made one change from the 2009 team, George Horning replacing Michael Alberg. Alberg played for the challengers, with Don Kalinsky and Effie Loubardias. 

Manitoba are an experienced side and will be favoured to improve on the bronze medals they won at the previous two Nationals; especially with with BC losing JIm Armstrong and Alberta losing Brno Yizek  to the Paralympics.

Italy take the 2010 Identa Cup

Andrea Tabanelli, skip of Team Italy
photo - Yadranka

Andrea Tabanelli skipped Team Italy to a 6-0 record to win Germany's 2010 Identa Cup. Italy was one of two Paralympic teams in the seven team field. Jens Jager's Germany finished 4th with a 3-2-1 record.

At the 2009 Worlds Italy lost their opening draw to Germany, but then won four consecutive matches, including a 9-5 defeat of Canada, before fading to a 4-5 record overall.

Click HERE for full line scores and the final table.

Nova Scotia playdown winner gets the girl

Michael Fitzgerald, Laughie Rutt and Debbie Earle
photo Ian Readey

Terry-Cousineuau
photo Ian Readey

Making wheelchair curling a mixed gender sport was, according to WCF VP Kate Caithness, a key selling point in the campaign to join Paralympic Games. Recruiting female curlers, however, has been a struggle in Canada.

Nova Scotia came up with a creative solution by having a two team 3 on 3 playdown with the winner claiming Debbie Earle, the lone female, as their fourth member.

The playdown will be best of five games played January 16 and 17, and 22 if necessary at the Lakeshore CC in Lower Sackville, site of the 2009 Nationals.

Team (Richard) Brown has Terry Cousineuau and Keith Williams and Team (Michael) Fitzgerald has Laughie Rutt and Trendal Hubley-Bolivar.

The Lakeshore CC program has been going a few years now and has an active core of players who participate in regular league play and also the stick curling league. A new group is getting started at the Halifax CC, meeting on Sunday afternoons at 3.30 and supported by the  Canadian Paraplegic Association. For more information contact Darrell Robar. 

Team Saskatchewan selected

 Team Saskatchewan 2010

The five person team that will represent Sakatchewan at the 2010 National Championship in Kelowna next March has been selected. There is one change from the 2009 team, with Terry Hart (not shown) replacing Calvin Bird.

The team: Del Huber (Regina) Gil Dash (Wolseley) Marie Wright (Moose Jaw) Darwin Bender (Regina) and Terry Hart. The team will again be coached by Lorraine Arguin (Moose Jaw) who will be assisted by Bob Capp (Regina).

Official Team Canada profiles online

Did you know that Darryl Neighbour has 13 siblings? Find out more about the Team Canada members on the Canadian Paralympic Comittee's website. I'd post the photos, but they don't actually look that squished in real life.

Jim Armstrong - Darryl Neighbour - Ina Forrest
Sonja Gaudet - Bruno Yizek

JIm Armstrong on Shaw TV

Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong gave an interview to an old friend, Fanny Kiefer of Vancouver's Studio 4 Shaw Cable broadcast. Sitting in a regular studio chair, he talked about his transition to wheelchair curling, how strategy in the wheelchair game is different from regular curling, and stumbled into describing eligibility for wheelchair curling in terms of rules that may come into effect next April.

2010 Identa Cup in Schwenningen, Germany January 8-10

Jens Jäger's Team Hunters, who will represent Germany at the Vancouver Paralympics, are hosting the 2010 Identa Cup in Schwenningen, January 8-10.

Seven teams will compete, including squads from Switzerland, Italy and the Czech Republic. The draw is HERE.

Curl at the Callie

Things may be looking up for wheelchair users in Saskatchewan as I have been contacted twice since Christmas by people involved in promoting the sport.

At the moment activity is centred on the Callie CC in Regina and wheelchair users have ice time on Monday afternoons. Darwin Bender and Del Huber of 2009 Team Saskatchewan, who finished a very creditable 4-5 in their first appearance at the Canadian Nationals in 2009, are part of a wheelchair team that plays in an Open League Wednesday evenings.