Sweep to Sochi! Olympic Trials / Sochi Prep / USWCA events / vegas. Wausau's Cal Tillisch earns USCA's top service award, P.

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1 lympic Trials / Sochi Prep / USCA events / vegas fficial publication of the United States Curling Association Established 1945 ausau's Cal Tillisch earns USCA's top service award, P Sweep to Sochi! inter 2013 $ 6.50 Volume 69 Issue 2

2 fficial publication of the United States Curling Association Established 1945 Editor Terry Kolesar, Associate Editor Rick Patzke Emeritus Editor David Garber Design Terry Kolesar United States Curling Association fficers President James Pleasants Vice Presidents Dave Carlson, Sam illiams Treasurer Sean Silver Secretary Gwen Krailo-Lyons Directors Paul Badgero [GLCA, 2015] Kent Beadle [N, 2015] Craig Brown [AAC, 2013] Dave Carlson [I, 2016] aureen Clark [AAC, 2013] Gabrielle Coleman [PAC, 2014] Pete Fenson [AAC, 2013] Dave Flippo [AK, 2014] Dean Gemmell [AAC, 2013] Troy Gorans [N, 2016] Peggy Hatch** [CF, 2014] Cyndee Johnson [N, 2014] Nick Kitinski [PAC, 2015] Jan Legacie [ND, 2014] Rich Lepping [I, 2015] Gwen Krailo-Lyons [GNCC, 2016] Gordon aclean [GLCA, 2016] James Pleasants [A, 2016] Allison Pottinger [AAC, 2013] Leland Rich** [CF, 2015] Sean Silver [IL, 2015] Chris Sjue [ND, 2013] Jennifer Stannard [USCA, 2015] Scott Stevinson [At-Large, 2016] ark Swandby [I, 2014] Ann Swisshelm [AAC, 2013] Beau elling* [CF, 2014] Sam illiams [GNCC, 2014] * Board-elected ** Voice, no vote USA Curling National ffice 5525 Clem s ay, Stevens Point, I ffice: // Fax: info@usacurl.org // National ffice staff Administrative assistant Jenny Biadasz, jenny.biadasz@usacurl.org CHIEF PERATING FFICER Rick Patzke, rick.patzke@usacurl.org CNTRLLER Sandy Robinson, sandy.robinson@usacurl.org Development Associate Christy Hering, christy.hering@usacurl.org DIRECTR F CUNICATINS Terry Kolesar, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org Director of GRTH & DEVELPENT Kim Nawyn, kim.nawyn@usacurl.org EVENT SERVICES ANAGER Dawn Leurquin, dawn.leurquin@usacurl.org Fundraising ANAGER To be named ff-site National staff Director of High Performance Derek Brown, derek.brown@usacurl.org US: // UK: National Coaches Scott Baird, scott.baird@usacurl.org Al Hackner, ahackner@shaw.ca Project 2018 National Coaches John Benton, jbenton1@usacurl.org Phill Drobnick, curlmesabi@hotmail.com National heelchair Coach Steve Brown, steve.brown@usacurl.org National heelchair Assistant Coach Rusty Schieber, rusty.schieber@usacurl.org National heelchair Curling utreach Development Director arc DePerno, marc.deperno@usacurl.org Head Ice Technician Dave Staveteig, 1083david@gmail.com AERICAN CURLING FUNDATIN & USEU The useum is located at the Chicago Curling Club, 555 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL USCA HALL F FAE The United States Curling Association Hall of Fame is located at the national office, 5525 Clem s ay, Stevens Point, I U.s. omen s Curling Association FFICERS PRESIDENT Shelley Dropkin FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Jeannie Borland SECND VICE PRESIDENT Donna Pearson SECRETARY Elaine Ritchie TREASURER ary Glowacki USCA LIAISN Jennifer Stannard communications Nancy ilhelm PRTINS Nancy Seitz Next editorial deadline: Feb. 21 Please send all correspondence for submission to Editor, U.S. Curling News, 5525 Clem s ay, Stevens Point, I or via to terry.kolesar@ usacurl.org. The United States Curling News (ISSN ; USPS ) is published quarterly by the United States Curling Association, 5525 Clem s ay, Stevens Point, I Subscription price for non-usca members: $24.95 per year (North America), $34.95 per year (overseas), payable in US currency. Single copy price: $6.50. Advertising rates on request. Established Periodicals postage paid at Stevens Point, is., and additional offices. Postmaster sends address changes to U.S. Curling News, 5525 Clem s ay, Stevens Point, I Download the Curling News app for iphone, ipad, Android, and Kindle Fire HD.

3 Contents Departments // High Performance 05 // growth & development // Club News 09 // championships 14-17, 24 // college curling 15 // Championship calendar 15, 17 // uswca news // bonspiel calendar 21, 23, 25 // rocket exhaust 23 // Certifications 25 // comics 25 // Bonspiel results columns // Tales from Sheet Nine 04 // reports from the warm room 06 // training tips from jon 08 // tucked in the back page lympic Trials Results USA CURLING SPNSRS 09 Hall of Fame 16 ALoha! Curling! n the cover: Team Brown celebrates winning the lympic Team Trials Photo by ichael Burns Jr.

4 Inside USA Curling // Tales from Sheet Nine Curling truly an enjoyable family sport By David Garber, Emeritus Editor, I recently wrote a couple of pages about the history of the Stevens Point Curling Club for a little booklet the club is preparing. Doing so brought back lots of memories, of course. I ve been a member for more than 50 years. y first sight of curling was in ur club s founder had created an outdoor sheet on a tennis court in a park a block or two from my house. As a little boy, roaming around the neighborhood, I wondered what the strange circles were and why the city sand box (used to store sand for sanding street corners back then) had funny rocks with handles inside. I certainly didn t realize how involved my life would eventually become with curling. By 1959, a core of curlers co-signed a bank loan and a two-sheet club was erected for $20,000, with a technical plan also used by the Green Bay, Tri-City and Lakeshore clubs (the latter is now defunct). ur compressor was bought used, and is still in use today, more than 50 years later. The ice shed was built with long, low doors on each side for the purpose of letting in cold air at night. Quaint! Needless to say, those doors were sealed up within a few years. y dad was a charter member and my mom soon joined up, too. I was taught to curl at about age 12, my brother soon after. Ten years later we had a great family moment, winning our intraclub 'spiel. Speaking of families, during that era, my dad, brother and I had great fun (with a fourth guy whom we made an honorary family member) in a very friendly rivalry with the late Sam Taylor and his three sons at the aupaca and Point men s 'spiels. The family connection was key to my continued curling, coming back to it after being in the military and during later travels. From what I can tell, family activity may be the strongest reason for the continued good health of curling and curling clubs. ver time, I ve met curling families from many clubs, some whose traditions go back sev- rder your lympic curling pin today! eral generations. It s hard to put a finger on exactly what is the appeal of family curling, except that it is a wholesome, fun and healthy pastime, while still challenging and competitive, easily shared by all ages. Simple, but the formula works. Curling as a kid enhances education. For example, it amazed me how much smarter my dad got, as a skip and as a man, between my age 12 and 22. Before 12, one s dad is perfect, of course. But then flaws creep into the old man s character and judgment as a kid reaches puberty, only to gradually disappear in the next 10 years. y dad and I curled quite a bit together, and I realize that curling enhanced my educational process. Kudos to the trainers and coaches who help kids curl and develop their skills so they can enjoy the game. And kudos to parents who encourage their children to join them on the ice. n By Christy Hering, Development Associate, christy.hering@usacurl.org Congratulations to Kirsten Collins, winner of the 2014 lympic inter Games pin design contest! The design was inspired by the magnolia blooms from the Glade of Friendship, found in Sochi s Riviera Park. The friendship flower design represents the spirit of curling found in good sportsmanship, kindly feeling, and honorable conduct, that our athletes bring to the game, and ties strongly to lympism as defined by its core values of excellence, respect, and friendship. Thank you to everyone who participated in our design contest. To help celebrate the countdown of less than 100 days until the opening ceremony of the 2014 lympic inter Games, we have reduced the price of our limited edition USA Curling commemorative pin. Get yours today for just $15 (plus shipping)! To order a pin, visit the USA Curling website at or call the national office at n 4 )) usacurl.org

5 Editor s note: The following information was circulated in the U.S. curling community in the spring of 2013, but is being reprinted here by request with the 2014 National Championships on the near horizon. By Derek Brown, Director of High Performance The U.S. Curling Association (USCA) High Performance Program staff is charged with developing and implementing a program to achieve the organization s mission of attaining long-term international competitive success. orld championship performance leads to lympic qualification, which is the most important thing for the USCA in terms of fulfilling its two-fold and complementary mission: to grow the sport and to win medals. ithout lympic qualification, the USCA will be severely hampered in trying to fulfill its mission. Performance in the men s, women s and junior world championships and orld University Games is also a key measurement used by the U.S. lympic Committee when assessing the value of its significant annual investment in the USCA s high performance program. Therefore, the USCA must send and support the best teams possible to these world championships, especially as the rest of the world s competitors place everincreasing importance on international success. As in past years, USA Curling is using to distribute its packet of information for filing membership rosters and submitting dues for These notices are being sent to any club and region presidents, treasurers, and membership roster coordinators for whom we have addresses. The rosters and dues materials also will be available on our website at Included in this packet is information about our prize drawing for clubs that submit dues and rosters in advance of the deadline this year (by Jan. 15). Additional entries for this drawing will be awarded to those who complete our annual diversity survey by the same deadline. As we strive to find ways to foster better communication with our 16,000-plus members, addresses are becoming increasingly im- orld performance relates directly to both high performance and grass roots development, and is of paramount importance. After consistent success in the early days of men s world championship curling, USA s results in men s and women s world championship and lympic Games have not kept pace with the competition: ne men s world championship medal (bronze) in the past 20 years. The last men s world championship gold medal was 36 years ago. ne women s world championship gold and three silvers in the past 20 years. ne lympic medal (bronze) for men and women in the past four lympics. The barometer of success is no surprise: The Canadian men and women have each medaled 17 out of the past 20 years at worlds. The decision to change the qualification system for Team USA from 2014 onward has not been taken lightly and a number of athletes, coaches and USCA Board members have been involved in this decision-making process. This type of system has been used in other countries and is aimed at getting all USA teams out competing regularly both in the U.S. and internationally. ith more teams competing regularly, the USCA expects to see an organic growth and improvement of U.S. teams on the rder of High Performance New format on how to qualify USA s world championship teams portant. e use members addresses for forwarding important announcements; promoting member benefits such as instructor, ice technician, and officiating courses; and distributing Stone Soup and the digital editions of our Curling News. Please encourage your members to provide their addresses to us this season. ne way for members to keep their contact information current is by establishing a username and password through the USA Curling member database. By updating your personal information on a regular basis, you will help to ensure timely receipt of the Curling News and other important announcements from the USA Curling office. e want to personally connect with every USA Curling member, and this helps us to effectively do that. For step-by-step instructions on how to establish login access to erit (), and in turn Team USA regularly competing for medals at world championships and lympic Games. oving to a points system allows the USCA to achieve the following strategic goals set by the Board of Directors: Pursuit of sustained competitive excellence Two-track system (HP Program and self-formed teams) pen to all (Ted Stevens Act, athlete s right to compete ) USA s world championship representatives will be decided on the ice The decision to change the selection process for USA s worlds teams has been made by the High Performance staff and the High Performance Advisory Group, with the unanimous endorsement of the USCA Executive Committee that HP staff have the authority to make these decisions. ne key directive of the USCA Executive Committee is also included in the process: The national championships will remain a significant component of the world team qualification process. To view the USA world championships team qualification process for 2014, visit the High Performance section of the USA Curling website at as well as the digital edition of this publication, which more than 11,000 readers receive electronically. n Dues and rosters deadline is Jan. 31 your membership account, please christy. hering@usacurl.org. nce again, we are asking all clubs to update their rosters using USA Curling s online membership database, If you would like to update your roster via bulk upload, this must be completed by the USA Curling office. Uploads can be sent to Christy Hering. If you have any questions about, or need assistance with any part of the filing process, please contact Christy Hering at the address listed above, or by calling , Ext The USCA embership Database has been designed and built with the assistance of USA Curling sponsor AtomAmpd, and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our organization and members. Your suggestions for improvements to the database are welcome. n usa Curling (( 5

6 Growth & Development // Reports from the arm Room Your club s direct link to lympic coverage By Kim Nawyn, Director of Growth & Development Television coverage of curling during recent lympic inter Games has boosted visibility of the sport in the United States, resulting in increased membership for many clubs around the country. An exciting component of the efforts of the United States Curling Association (USCA) to raise awareness about the sport during the 2014 broadcast is our participation in the NBC Gold ap program. NBC will direct viewers interested in trying the sport to the USA Curling website and, in turn, we will direct viewers to visit our member clubs! An online form is now available for clubs to provide USA Curling with information about recruiting events during and/or following the Games. All member clubs interested in participating must provide information through use of this form, which can be found on our website ( org/clubs/memberprograms/goldmap). Details about club events (e.g., open houses, learn-to-curl classes) must be submitted by Jan. 25. It is important to give as many details as possible, including dates, times, cost (if applicable), and the best method for contacting your club with questions. The USCA wants to make sure that anyone who wishes to try curling in your area can connect with your club! hile the Gold ap program will likely be a key way in which the public finds opportunities to try curling during the 2014 lympic inter Games, it will not be the only way. The USCA Growth & Development Survey (2012) shows that clubs responding to the questionnaire already advertise in diverse ways (See Table 1: ethods Used to Reach ut to Future Curlers). Clubs most commonly use websites, word of mouth and social networks such as Facebook. The Fall 2013 online issue of the Curling News addressed Table 1: ethods Used to Reach ut to Future Curlers ethod Percent of clubs Club website 90.5% ord of mouth 79.8% Social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) 56% Flyers posted in community (e.g., stores, 51.2% restaurants, libraries) Booths or tables (e.g., fairs, malls or sporting 35.7% events) Newspaper ads 35.7% Adult continuing education classes 23.8% Radio 23.8% Presentations to community groups 19% ember Get-A-ember Campaign 15.5% Television 13.1% School presentations 9.5% Group discount/coupon websites (e.g., Groupon, 2.4% LivingSocial) optimizing use of online efforts in an article by Lon Peper titled, Is Your Club Technologically Ready for the lympic Bump? A link to this article can also be found in this edition s online version. The second most commonly used form of advertising, word of mouth, is being reinterpreted by some of our member clubs. As an example, the ount ashington Valley Curling Club (VCC), an arena club in New Hampshire that was established in 2011, will be trying a unique approach. ne of the club s founders stumbled upon this idea while having dinner with his wife during the 2010 broadcast. He made a comment about a game when passing through the bar area where customers were watching a match and spent the next 40 minutes explaining the game to a willing audience. The club is now making arrangements with owners of local sports bars to talk about the game and answer questions during the broadcast. Business cards detailing opportunities for anyone interested in trying the sport will be distributed. The sports bar owners we talked to think it s a great idea. It will keep people in the bar watching curling longer, which in turn will help them sell more beer, said Peter Ellis, VCC Training and Education chairman. Hopefully, it will also result in more members for this growing arena club. Quite a few clubs use television, radio, and/or newspapers to get the word out. any clubs will benefit from stories produced by reporters seeking out local groups involved in winter lympic sports. In addition, some clubs take advantage of reduced price or no cost listings some of these organizations offer to nonprofits. ther businesses offering discounts to nonprofit groups include many outdoor (billboard) advertising companies. hile specific locations for signs or billboards cannot always be guaranteed to groups paying reduced rates, reduced pricing makes this a viable alternative for some curling clubs. Regardless of the method for getting the word out about club recruitment events, it is important to make sure details, including a contact or phone number, are easy to find. It is recommended that a club member be available to respond to inquiries or phone messages on a daily basis during the peak lympic period to ensure those interested in trying the sport promptly receive a response. ember benefits update ore than 1,600 stones and counting: ver the past seven years, more than 1,600 new and high-quality refurbished stones (that s more than 100 sheets!) have been delivered to curling clubs in the United States as part of the orld Curling Federation's deferred payment stone program, facilitated by the USCA. This program offers all member clubs the opportunity to purchase stones at-cost (no interest for on-time payments) over a five-year period. The multi-year payment schedule is designed to help new clubs get off the ground as well as to help existing clubs upgrade their stones. Continued on next page * 6 )) usacurl.org

7 Growth & Development Grant to help enhance public awareness of sport By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor, USA Curling has been awarded a grant from The Chicago Community Trust in support of the growth of the sport in the United States. Through use of these funds, the organization plans to enhance public awareness of the sport through various outreach efforts that build upon the momentum of the 2014 lympic inter Games. USA Curling will also continue to focus on growth efforts at the club level including improving training programs and creating resources for emerging clubs. Funds awarded by The Chicago Community Trust also make the Darwin Curtis Fund Grant Program possible. The program, which is administrated by USA Curling on behalf of The Chicago Community Trust, awarded a total of $20,000 in matching funds through a competitive application process to organizations actively working to increase participation in the sport of curling. e are extremely excited about the programs the Darwin Curtis funds will help sponsor this year, said Kim Nawyn, USA Curling s Director of Growth and Development. Each of the grant awards will contribute to the growth of the sport in curling clubs around the country. Nine organizations were awarded funds through the competitive application process. Successful applicants include: Centerville Curling Club (dehumidification system); Denver Curling Club (recruitment initiatives for new dedicated curling facility); Kalamazoo Curling Club (youth curling outreach program); Lansing Curling Club (recruitment events for emerging arena club); adison Curling Club (automatic door openers to enhance accessibility for wheelchair curlers); idland Curling Club (league for special needs curlers); range County Curling Club (freezer for cooling stones); Pittsburgh Curling Club (detailed engineering drawing for new curling facility); and the Schenectady Curling Club (recruitment efforts focused on women and children). Club Insurance Program: USA Curling s club insurance program provides access to general liability insurance and medical accident coverage tailored to the needs of curling clubs. Details on the program were distributed to clubs in early November. hile renewal forms are due on Dec. 1, clubs not currently in the program can join any time of the year. Discount programs: NE program! Staples Advantage, the businessto-business division of Staples, Inc., offers a customized approach to purchasing for businesses of all sizes. Clubs and member curlers can save money when ordering office products, facility solutions, print services, furniture, and promotional products by becoming a member of the USA Curling network. To sign up or for more information, please contact Jeanne eyers (Staples Advantage Rep for the USCA) at (920) or jeanne. weyers@staples.com. n-demand embership aterials Service: Brochures, club posters, directories, and in-ice logos are all available to member clubs for FREE at the click of a button. Club presidents or their designees can request these items as needed anytime of the year by accessing the USCA embership aterials Request Form. Coming soon: a new club poster featuring Team USA! For questions on these or other member benefits, please feel free to contact me at kim.nawyn@usacurl.org or (715) , Ext. 203, for more details. n Funds for The Chicago Community Trust grant originate from the Darwin Curtis Fund. Curtis was a prominent Chicago-area curler in the mid- 20 th century. The proceeds from his bequest must be used for projects intended to increase public participation in curling in the United States. The Trust has awarded grants to the association every year since USA Curling currently boasts 165 member clubs in 42 states. USA Curling s membership continues to grow. Since 2001, the association s membership has grown 48 percent and currently has approximately 16,500 members across the United States. About The Trust: For 98 years, The Chicago Community Trust, our region s community foundation, has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. In 2010 the Trust made over $100 million in grants. From strengthening community schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust works to enhance our region. Learn more at n adison Curling Club Seeking Head Ice Technician The ideal candidate holds a Level 3 Ice Technician certification or equivalent knowledge, a minimum of five years experience in curling ice installation and maintenance or a combination of applicable education and experience. Interested individuals should submit their cover letter and resume by: January 6, 2014 Please resume documents to: Jobs@madisoncurlingclub.com or send to: adison Curling Club, 4802 arsh Rd, cfarland, I Attention: Kathy Pielage. adisoncurlingclub.com usa Curling (( 7

8 // Training Tips from Jon Got a weight problem? Find ways to determine the best weight for takeouts By Jon ielke, USCA Level III instructor & Level III coach As is the case in life for many people, a lot of curlers have trouble with their weight. But, for curlers, it is a lack of weight instead of having too much. Throwing enough weight for takeouts has become less of a problem as most curling ice has gotten keener over the years. But the no back swing delivery has also taken away a major weight generator the back swing. So, what can today s club curlers do to generate more weight? Here are several things to try: Eliminate sources of drag First of all, look for things that might be dragging you down. Do you have an old, worn slider? New sliders are considerably faster than older ones, especially if you are using a loaner slider that is provided by the club. Get a new, full slider that you can call your own or, better yet, consider investing in curling shoes if you don t already have a pair. Shoes will undoubtedly improve your balance and assist in your ability to throw more weight. If you can, borrow a pair of shoes and try them out before you settle on a pair. Consider a pair with a thick, Teflon slider it will be fast and durable. New and intermediate curlers should not go for something like stainless steel definitely expensive and probably way too fast for most curlers. Also, look for body parts that are in contact with the ice knees, mittens, etc. ork on your balance and get them off the ice. And don t forget your broom is the pad or even a wooden head in contact with the ice? Also take a look at your trailing foot. If the shoe is showing wear from dragging on the ice, cover those areas with duct tape and eliminate related drag. Get rid of those friction points and your momentum out of the hack will increase. Increase leg drive The primary source of momentum for you and the stone is leg drive. Pushing harder out of the hack will increase weight. However, many players are reluctant to push harder because they are unsure of their balance. The only way to gain confidence in your balance is practice, practice, practice. Try pushing harder, but be sure to watch the timing of your slider foot and make sure that it moves forward and under the chest before you really apply the gas to your leg drive. Regardless of what you try to increase your weight, you have to maintain a balanced delivery. Take hips farther back Think of a curler s hips like a spring the further they get pulled back behind the hack, the more energy they have when released. A quick observation of most curlers from beside the hack shows that their hips get elevated and taken back to a position directly above the hack. That may work on keen ice and especially for draws, but it may not be sufficient when shots require more weight. In those situations, try taking your hips back to a position that is several inches behind the hack. Doing so will give your hack leg the opportunity to generate more power as you drive out of the hack. But, as is the case with increased leg drive, you will have to work on timing and balance to make sure that your slider foot gets properly positioned directly behind the stone and under your chest. If your slider foot is running behind everything else, the tendency is to move it quickly to catch up, and then it overshoots the optimal position under the chest and keeps moving sideways. The result is a drift with the sidewaysmoving slider leg pulling the rest of the body and the stone along with it. Start the forward movement of the slider foot early enough so it does not have to play catch-up. Place hack foot higher in hack any curlers position their hack foot with the ball of the foot near the bottom of the sloped part of the hack and with their toes on the bottom, flat part of the hack. ost hacks have a vertical and a horizontal line that intersect half way up on the sloped part of the hack. Try positioning your foot so the ball is on the intersection of these two lines and most, or all, of your foot is on the slope of the hack, with none of your foot on the flat, front section of the hack. Since the last part of your foot to leave the hack is the toe, and it is hard to generate momentum when pushing off the flat part of the hack, moving the entire foot higher in the hack should help you generate more weight. Release the stone sooner any curlers release draw shots just a few feet short of the hog line. They may also release takeouts at about the same location. If throwing enough weight on takeouts is a problem, try releasing the stone sooner. nce you are out of the hack and hopefully on line, apply the turn and let the stone go. Hanging on longer will only reduce the stone s velocity. Curlers also have to be careful, however, not to release the stone as if it is a hot potato. Get out into a full, relaxed sliding position with the rock out in front of you and then apply the turn and release. You may want to try releasing earlier, but don t rush. ther less desirable weight generators There are other things that some curlers do to generate more weight on takeouts things like a slight shoulder drop just prior to the point of release or even a little arm extension. These generators should be a last resort because they often cause more problems than they cure. They make it impossible for sweepers to interval time stones accurately and they tend to result in a push that causes the stone to be off-line. Remember, a million-dollar slide and a two-cent release will produce a two-cent shot. If you watch national or world championships or the lympics on TV or the Internet, you may even see some players generate weight via a step-over delivery (the slider foot starts out behind the hack and the shooter steps over the hack and almost jumps into the slide position to generate more momentum) or even with an old-school back swing. These weight generators are fun to watch, but they are definitely not something that new or intermediate curlers should try to generate more takeout weight. If you or a teammate are having trouble generating enough weight on takeouts, hopefully this laundry list of things to try will help. Keep in mind that balance and release are important, no matter what you try, plus it is ideal for everyone on a team to throw the same takeout weight. Similar takeout weights make life way easier for a skip and will contribute to more made shots and more games won. Until next time Good Curling! (Jon ielke is a Level III instructor and a Level III coach. He is a member of Bismarck s Capital Curling Club and a 2012 inductee into the United States Curling Hall of Fame.) 8 )) usacurl.org

9 Club News California's Jerome Larson inducted into Hall of Fame By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor, Jerome Larson, 73, Rio Vista, Calif., is the 41st individual to be inducted into the United States Curling Association (USCA) Hall of Fame. Larson was inducted as a builder of the sport during the 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling in Fargo, N.D., earlier this month. Nominees can be nominated in three key areas: builder, curler and curler/builder. The USCA Hall of Fame defines a builder of the sport as an individual who has made a major contribution toward the promotion, development and advancement of curling in the United States. Larson s nomination was put forth to the USCA for consideration by the ountain Pacific Curling Association (opac). His induction in the builder category was approved by the USCA Board of Directors at the recent fall board meeting in inneapolis, inn. I m blown away by the honor and the thing that is going to be really fun for me is that I m going to have my family around me, Larson said about the induction ceremony. I m proud of what I ve done, and I hope that I m not prideful, but the fact that I was involved in getting arena curling to be a respectful way of curling I like to think that I was a leader in that. Larson stated that he feels pride in seeing many of his dreams for growth of the sport fulfilled and cherishes the innumerable curling friendships and experiences that the sport has allowed for him to be a part of. A native of Fargo, Larson began curling while at Fargo Central High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University in Fargo and his juris doctorate from the University of North Dakota School of Law. He worked as a law clerk for the North Dakota Supreme Court and practiced law in inneapolis for two years before moving to California. Larson then worked for about 17 years in California, primarily as counsel for a title insurance company. He eventually left the practice of law and became a licensed commercial real estate appraiser and is now enjoying his retirement years. Known by many as the Johnny Appleseed of curling for all of the clubs he has helped become established, Larson notes that seeing the sport grow has been his most important contribution. He has been a member of four curling clubs Fargo-oorhead (N.D.), St. Paul (inn.), San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.), and ine Country (Calif.). Larson said being directly involved with the growth of curling, seeing the emergence of arena curling as a viable curling alternative, and culminating in being the first USCA vice president arising out of the arena curling segment of U.S. curling are among his most fulfilling curling accomplishments. ther highlights include seeing the development of the first Arena National Championships, first Club National Championships, and college curling becoming a USCA-sanctioned national championship. Larson was instrumental in the founding of the California regon Curling Association in 1978, which eventually grew to be the ountain Pacific Curling Association, which he also co-founded. Larson was one of the driving forces to bringing arena curling to the forefront of curling growth in the United States. hen curling emerged as a TV sensation during the 2002 lympic inter Games, Larson, along with counterparts in the opac region, traveled with curling stones to areas asking to be introduced to the sport. The growth was so large that the opac region formed and Larson became the region s first representative to the USCA s Board of Directors. He has served on local, regional and national curling boards in a variety of roles for more than 35 years, including two terms on the USCA Board, which concluded with Larson serving as a vice president. In addition to countless curling lessons as a Level II curling instructor and his leadership roles on various boards, Larson served as a statistician at two lympic Games (2002, 2006) and several world and European championships. ore recently, he has volunteered his photography talents to USA Curling at many national championship events. He also was instrumental in the creation of the USCA s Volunteer of the Year Program. And Larson isn t finished yet. He said he still has many more curling dreams to fulfill. Jerome Larson (above) became the 41st individual to be inducted into the USCA Hall Fame. The first inductee into the USCA Hall of Fame was named in Larson is the 41st individual (two teams also have been inducted) and first from California. To see the complete list of HF members, go to org. Nominations for the USCA Hall of Fame are accepted annually, with June 1 marking the next deadline for submissions. n broomstacking headquarters! Proud SPonSor.THERA.C find us in oregon, idaho, ashington, illinois & indiana.cbptts.c find us in colorado Family wned & perated usa Curling (( 9

10 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials Fugit lab il el eatur asperu mque aut aspel ipiet. by Article Author lympic bound Erika Brown, Debbie ccormick, Jessica Schultz, and Ann Swisshelm become first athletes nominated to Team USA for 2014 lympic inter Games Story by Terry L. Kolesar, Editor, Photos by ichael Burns Jr. (FARG, N.D.) Erika Brown, Debbie ccormick, Jessica Schultz, and Ann Swisshelm are writing another chapter in their curling careers after winning the right to represent the United States at the 2014 lympic inter Games. The Brown rink defeated Allison Pottinger s team, 8-7, on Nov. 16 to sweep the women s playoffs at the 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling at Scheels Arena. e all wanted to get back there [lympics] that s for sure. Everyone played so great all week, but the last three games we really played the best we could when we needed to. e played a great team and we just came through it, said Brown, a seven-time U.S. national champion. Brown (akville, ntario/adison, is.) clinched the win for her team with a draw into the four-foot with the final stone of the game. This will be the second lympic Games appearance for Brown, who was vice skip on Team USA in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. She also was on the team in 1988 at age 15 when curling was a demonstration sport in Calgary. 10 )) usacurl.org

11 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials Shuster rink clinches men's title, heads to Germany to earn U.S. its lympic berth Team USA for Sochi includes (l-r) Erika Brown, Debbie ccormick, Jessica Schultz, and Ann Swisshelm. The team has added Allison Pottinger as alternate for the lympic inter Games. This will be the fourth lympic Games for ccormick (Rio, is.), who was skip for Team USA in Vancouver most recently. Last lympics obviously did not go well for me and there were times when I wanted to quit this game, quite honestly, ccormick said. I was so frustrated and sad and all the terrible emotions that go through it. I m proud of myself for taking a year break and playing with Erika s team as alternate. I think that really helped me realize how much I still love this sport. I felt like I could still contribute to a team and wanted to be a part of a team and just kind of wanted to face my demons and just keep going for it. This is the second trip to the lympics for Schultz (inneapolis, inn.), who was on the 2006 team; and also the second appearance for Swisshelm (Chicago), 45, who was with ccormick in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are coached by Bill Todhunter, who won bronze at the 2007 world men s championship. I think we re all just very excited and shocked, said Schultz, 28. ith all the hard work, everything s been coming together and this is what we ve been waiting for. Pottinger (Eden Prairie, inn.) and teammates Nicole Joraanstad (Verona, is.), Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, inn.), and Tabitha Peterson (Eagan, inn.) played a close match throughout against Team Brown, with the sides tied four times. e left one point on the board, that draw that went a little bit deep. But, they had the hammer in the first end and they had the hammer in the last. I think if we d had the hammer in the last it would be a different story and we d be here tomorrow. Both teams played really well, said Pottinger, who along with ccormick, Joraanstad and Nicholson, represented the U.S. at the 2010 lympic Games. In the first end, Brown came up short of the rings trying to draw around a center guard and gave up the single steal. In the second end, Brown s team benefitted when Pottinger rolled out with her final rock, setting up Team Brown for the deuce. After making a double takeout to work toward a blank end in the third, Pottinger had an open takeout but ended up taking the single point when it was a nose hit. In the fourth end, Pottinger missed a takeout on a stone in the back of the house, allowing Brown to draw in a second stone. Pottinger jammed on a double takeout attempt, giving Brown an open hit for two points and a 4-2 lead. A nice double takeout by Joraanstad set Team Pottinger up for a deuce in the fifth end. Pottinger had a chance for three but she missed her final shot and had to settle for two. The teams both struggled a little bit in the sixth end with rock place- Continued on next page * Team USA (above, l-r) for the lympic Qualification Event in December to earn the U.S. berth for the 2014 lympic inter Games in Sochi, includes John Shuster, Jeff Isaacson, Jared Zezel, and John Landsteiner. By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor (FARG, N.D.) As quickly as the game began, it was over and Team Shuster is on their way to try to earn the United States its berth for the upcoming lympic inter Games after defeating Pete Fenson, 11-1, in four ends in the final game of the 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling on Nov. 17. It was like a funeral in here. Believe me, I d much rather win that way than an extra end, Shuster said about the stunned silence when Fenson s team conceded the match after four ends. It was pretty sweet. It hasn t sunk in yet, but we have more work ahead of us. Shuster (Duluth, inn.) and teammates Jeff Isaacson (Gilbert, inn.), Jared Zezel (Duluth, inn.), and John Landsteiner (Duluth, inn.) will now represent the U.S. at the lympic Qualification Event Dec in Fuessen, Germany, where they ll compete with seven other countries for the final two berths for the 2014 lympic inter Games in Sochi, Russia, in February. e won in Denver four years ago and to have the opportunity to play in the Trials final once is incredible and to win it is even better, said Isaacson, 30, who works as a science teacher. To come back, there are so many teams Continued on Page 13 * usa Curling (( 11

12 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials Brown, Shuster rinks win 2014 lympic Trials Continued from Page 11 ment and Brown was eventually forced to accept a single. Pottinger then had to stare down four Team Brown stones in the house when she drew with the hammer in the seventh end for a single point. Team Brown got set up for a deuce in the eighth end with the skip clinching it with a draw into the four-foot. In the ninth end, Joraanstad played a hitand-roll and tucked her stone behind the corner guard. Brown played the runback to try to remove the guard and the stone in the house, but ended up replacing the guard with her own stone. Pottinger then drew into the top eight foot to split the rings with stones. Brown removed one but didn t get enough of a roll to hide it, giving Pottinger an open takeout for two to tie the game. In the final end, Pottinger used her final stone to freeze to the Brown rock in the back eight-foot, forcing Brown to draw into the fourfoot for the win. I thought it was pretty good, but they weren t sweeping it very hard so I was not celebrating it until it came to a complete stop, Brown said about the final stone for the win. I ve thought about it a million times. I was sure hoping that I d get to feel the real thing. That in-turn draw I was waiting for it, and pretty thrilled that was my shot. That s what I wanted to throw to win, and I m glad I did. inning teams from the 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling will be nominated to the U.S. lympic Team pending approval by the United States lympic Committee. I m really excited to get back and hopefully win a medal. That s what we re going for, said ccormick, 39. n Erika Brown (above) celebrates winning the women's berth for the upcoming lympic Games with a last-rock win over Allison Pottinger's team. Pottinger (bottom, left) was added to the team as alternate for the lympic Games. Pete Fenson (opposite page, bottom) and his teammates forced a pivotal game three but it only went four ends as Shuster (opposite page, top) and his teammates had a better feel for the ice in a lopsided 11-1 victory to win the lympic Team Trials at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., on Nov. 17. Photos by ichael Burns Jr. 12 )) usacurl.org

13 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials omen's Results Double round robin standings: Erika Brown 4-2 Allison Pottinger 4-2 Cassie Potter 2-4 Courtney George 2-4 en's Results Double round robin standings: John Shuster 6-2 Pete Fenson 5-3 Heath ccormick 4-4 Tyler George 4-4 Brady Clark 1-7 Continued from Page 11 that want this so bad and we made it to the finals again. To win is just incredible. I don t know how else you can say it. I m very honored to have the chance to play and certainly with this team the guys have worked so hard. It s an incredible experience and I m very happy. Fenson and teammates Shawn Rojeski (Chisholm, inn.), Joe Polo (Duluth, inn.), and Ryan Brunt (Portage, is.) struggled to read the ice and quickly fell into a hole that kept sinking deeper. First off, we weren t real sharp in the beginning of the game, said Fenson, who skipped Team USA in 2006 to its only lympic medal in curling. e got caught by a change in the third end out on the wing and we just missed too many draws over there. They got a couple of rocks in good spots toward the end of the end and we really didn t have anywhere to go. e got caught and mine sailed a little bit on the last one [fourth end]. That s pretty much the game. In the first end, Fenson missed a runback in an effort to remove the Shuster stone in the top of the four-foot. Shuster answered with a takeout to put two stones in scoring position. Fenson converted the runback on his second attempt but couldn t remove both and Shuster was left with a takeout for two to get things started offensively. ith the last rock advantage in the second end, Fenson was forced to hit for one. A couple of half shots in the third end left Shuster sitting with three rocks in scoring position when Rojeski threw his second stone. Rojeski, however, was heavy with his draw and Shuster swept it out the back of the house. Fenson s team struggled to read the ice properly throughout the third end as they worked with a track of ice on the far side of the sheet. Shuster was able to find the right weight with his first stone and drew in a fourth rock. Fenson was heavy again with his second stone and Shuster made a takeout for five points. The fourth end didn t shape up any better for Team Fenson as Shuster made a takeout and had four stones in the house compared to zero for the Bemidji skip. Even worse, the path to the four-foot was well blocked. Fenson tried to draw through a port into the four-foot but the rock was heavy and Shuster stole four points. Team Fenson offered the handshakes to end the match. That s curling and that happens, Shuster said about the scoreboard. hen you get behind in curling or start pressing it a little bit, that is something that can absolutely happen, Shuster said about the lopsided final score. "It s unfortunate for those guys and for TV that today was one of those but that seriously is the sport. The lympic Qualifier gets underway Dec. 10 at the BLZ Arena in Fuessen, Germany. Team USA will compete against the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand for the final two berths to the 2014 lympic inter Games. The teams will compete in a single round robin with the top three teams moving on to the playoffs. The top two teams will meet in the first playoff game with the winner qualifying for Sochi. The losing side will play the third seeded playoff team with the winner advancing to the lympic Games. Curling was first a medal sport at the lympic inter Games in 1924 but was not again until The U.S. has won just one medal in curling at the lympic Games bronze in If the team qualifies for Sochi, it will be the third lympic experience for Shuster (2010, 2006), second for Isaacson, who was on the 2010 team; and first appearance for both Zezel and Landsteiner. The team is coached by Tim uller (Hibbing, inn.) and Craig Brown (adison, is.) has been added as the team's alternate. n Playoffs, best of three format: omen's Playoff Game #1: *Brown Pottinger omen's Playoff Game #2: *Brown Pottinger en's Playoff Game #1: *Shuster Fenson en's Playoff Game #2: Shuster *Fenson en's Playoff Game #3: *Shuster 205 4xx xxx x 11 Fenson 010 0xx xxx x 1 *last rock in first end usa Curling (( 13

14 Championships Seattle set to host 2014 Junior Nationals By Lori arkham, Chairperson, 2014 Junior Nationals Committee Curling has long been a revered winter sport and is believed to be one of the world s oldest team sports. It is a game of strategy, tactics, and skill. It has evolved into a popular modern sport and the lympic inter Games have raised awareness of curling as a fun and competitive game. hile the main objective of the game is to score points, curling demands good sportsmanship, kindly feelings and honorable conduct. This spirit influences both the interpretation and application of the rules of the game and also the conduct of all participants on and off the ice. Curling is a sport that encourages youth on a positive path, giving them a place to find wholesome fun, cultivate respect, enjoy exercise, and experience opportunities for their future. Its popularity is growing rapidly and will once again be on the world stage at the 2014 lympic inter Games in Sochi, Russia. The Granite Curling Club of Seattle is proud and delighted to host the upcoming culminating competition for junior curling in the United States, the 2014 Junior National Championships. This exciting event will be held from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2. Twenty teams of young men and women ages 21 and under will travel to the Granite Curling Club seeking a chance to represent the U.S. at the orld Junior Championships in Flims, Switzerland, a mere 20 days later. e are looking forward to hosting these talented young competitors, coaches, USA Curling personnel, and families and friends of curling. It will be an exciting week as the Granite Curling Club will have a full house of junior curlers from several states in the USA. e are thrilled to host an event that promotes passion for our sport in youth. Your support of our national event will encourage and bring well-deserved attention to these lympic hopefuls. Join us as we celebrate our national juniors. n Competing in playdowns? Read these updates first By Dawn Leurquin, Event Services anager, dawn.leurquin@usacurl.org Attention curlers! Are you planning to compete in the upcoming playdowns to advance to one of USA Curling's championships. Below are some important updates: ixed National Championship updates Regional spot allocation: During the fall Board of Directors meeting, the Championships Committee voted to have the ixed National Championship regional spot allocations come into alignment with the way the Club National regional spots to the national championships are determined. If only one team has registered in any of the 10 regions, that team will advance to the national event. Previously, if only one team in a region signed up by the registration deadline to compete in the ixed Nationals, they had a choice to make: either withdraw from the competition or play in a proximate region. The change came about after the traveling team won the hosting region s spot at the Nationals during two past seasons. Rather than allow this unfortunate circumstance to negatively affect an event that is a hearty mix of camaraderie and serious curling business, the change supports harmony among our nation s regions and clubs. The possibility exists that there may still be open spots to the Nationals if no teams sign up to compete from any particular region(s). Should that happen, the fill policy will kick in, and open spots will go to the region(s) that registered the most teams. Fill policy details are inside the rules book; see Page 24 of the USCA Rules of Curling & Competition, located on the USA Curling website at opac ixed playdown Nov. 30 early deadline Because the ountain Pacific (opac) region currently sports only one dedicated ice facility as they continue to fortify the region, finding host sites for regional playdowns can be especially trying. Having to hold an event in an arena means that a block of time must be reserved, including time to prep the ice for a different sport than that which may usually occur there or play on less than adequate ice, and often at a hefty cost. To avoid that cost, they must work with the single facility's event schedule and try to fit in the playdowns as best they can. Adding lympic open house events to an already tight schedule at the newly built Evergreen Curling Club has caused a bit of a pinch for the ountain Pacific region s mixed playdown. By request, a one-time internal deadline of Nov. 30 for the region has been agreed upon. This change occurred after publication of the rules book that would have allowed for a broader scope for notification. ini rules book offer A couple of years ago USA Curling began creating mini rules books for officials who found the 8-1/2 x 11 inch size to be cumbersome to carry while working an event. Coaches and staff members favor this style of rules book as well. hile the larger version s PDF file is free and located on the USA Curling website ( anyone interested in purchasing a pocket-sized copy of the rules can now do so for $5 each, including shipping. This is a print-on-demand publication, meaning orders that arrive Continued on Page 24 * 14 )) usacurl.org

15 // Championships USA Curling College Championship adds new features By Gordon aclean, College Curling National Championship embers of the United States Curling Association (USCA) College Curling Committee have been working hard to add new features to the 2014 USA Curling College Championship. The top 16 college curling schools in the United States, based on their play during the curling season, will receive invitations to compete in the 2014 USA Curling College Championship, which will be held at the Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, inn., arch This year there will be a formal opening ceremony, complete with all participants being piped onto the ice. Curling has its origins from medieval Scotland, commencing in the early 1500s. any contemporary curling events feature a ceremonial performance by Scottish bagpipers, as a way of honoring curling athletes said Nancy yers, USCA College Curling Committee member, who arranged the piping. Since most college students are new to the sport, having a bagpiper play at the USA Curling College Championship is a way to introduce college curlers to another curling tradition that they may not have experienced before. All invitees to the USA Curling College Championship will have the option to participate in a weekend-long skills clinic. The championship event will use only four of the six sheets available at the Four Seasons Curling Club so the remaining two sheets will be used for the clinic. The clinic will be available at no charge to participants and will run in shifts during a school s non-playing draws throughout Saturday and concluding Sunday morning. There is an obvious disparity in college curling when it comes to the quality of ice and the quality of instruction from campus to campus, said Joe urphy, USCA College Curling Committee member in charge of the clinic. The goal of the skills clinic is to provide all athletes the opportunity to be part of the best curling experience possible, to continue to develop curling skills to a higher level, and to become active leaders in their campus clubs by building upon the experiences gained at the Nationals. Topics to be covered include the physical and mental aspects of curling; sweeping techniques; weight control; strategy; shot selection; interval timing; communication; and more. Participating schools will receive up to five arm patches with the championship logo at no charge. The patches can be placed on their on-ice clothing. A limited number of additional patches will be available for $10 per patch. Game-time clocks will appear at the championships for the first time this year. Timing will be available as an option for any game during the weekend. Both skips must agree to play under the clock for this to happen. The timing rules will be the same as for other championship events except that each team will receive 59 minutes for eight ends instead of the usual 73 minutes for 10 ends. n // Championship Calendar Junior Playdowns: Alaska Junior Playdowns, Anchorage, Alaska, Dec Illinois Junior Playdowns, Exmoor CC, Highland Park, Ill., Dec Great Lakes Junior Playdowns, ayfield CC, South Euclid, hio, Dec innesota Junior Playdowns, Duluth, inn., Dec North Dakota Junior Playdowns, illiston Basin CC, illiston, N.D., Dec ashington Junior Playodwns, Granite CC, Seattle, ash., Dec At-Lg/C/NE/PAC Junior Playdowns, Evergreen CC, Beaverton, re., Dec GNCC Junior Playdowns, TCC, Brookline, ass., Dec isconsin Junior Playdowns, Portage, is., Dec ixed National Playdowns: PAC ixed Playdown, Evergreen CC, Beaverton, re., Jan At-Large/C/NE ixed Playdown, Chicago Curling Club, Chicago, Ill., Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Illinois ixed Playdown, Chicago Curling Club, Chicago, Ill., Jan. 30-Feb. 2 GNCC ixed Playdown, Chesapeake CC, Easton, d., Feb. 6-9 North Dakota ixed Playdown, Lake Region CC, Devils Lake, N.D., Feb. 7-9 Alaska ixed Playdown, Fairbanks, Alaska, Feb. 7-9 Great Lakes ixed Playdown, ayfield CC, South Euclid, hio, Feb. 7-9 ashington ixed Playdown, Granite CC, Seattle, ash., Feb innesota ixed Playdown, Brainerd, inn., Feb isconsin ixed Playdown, Green Bay, is., Feb Club Nationals Playdowns: PAC en's Club Playdown, Evergreen CC, Beaverton, re., Dec. 4-8 isconsin State Club Playdowns, Rice Lake, is., Dec GNCC Club Playdowns, Potomac CC, Laurel, d., Dec PAC omen's Club Playdown, Evergreen CC, Beaverton, re, Dec ashington Club Playdowns, Granite Curling Club, Seattle, ash., Dec GLCA Club Playdowns, Detroit, I, Jan North Dakota Club Playdowns, inot, N.D., Jan At-Large/C/NE Club Playdowns, Exmoor Curling Club, Highland Park, Ill., Jan Illinois Club Playdowns, Exmoor Curling Club, Highland Park, Ill., Jan Alaska Club Playdowns, Anchorage, Alaska, Jan innesota Club Playdowns, Curl esabi, Eveleth, inn., Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Dec U.S. ixed Doubles National Championship, edford, is. Dec lympic Qualification Event, Fussen, Germany Dec inter orld University Games, Trentino, Italy Jan omen's Nationals Challenge Round, Grafton, N.D en's Nationals Challenge Round, Blaine, inn. Jan Continental Cup of Curling, Las Vegas, Nev Jan U.S. Senior en's National Championship, Portage, is U.S. Senior omen's National Championship, Eau Claire, is. Jan. 25-Feb U.S. Junior National Championships, Granite CC, Seattle usa Curling (( 15

16 Championships isconsin Rapids to host 2014 ixed Championship isconsin Rapids, is., has been selected to host the 2014 USA Curling ixed National Championship arch The Tri-City Curling Club will host the 10 teams for the competition, which will take place at the South ood County Recreational Center (SCRC). The South ood County Recreation Center is thrilled to contribute to the enthusiasm and tradition that the Tri-City Curling Club shares for the sport of curling, said Jim Arnold, rink manager for the South ood County Recreation Center. ur staff is looking forward to joining forces to host the 2014 USA ixed National Curling Championship here in isconsin Rapids. e hope all the participants and families look forward to visiting us in Central isconsin. This is the first time isconsin Rapids will host a national championship for USA Curling. hen plans for building the SCRC were made, a goal in the mind at least one of its promoters, and one shared by a few members of the Tri-City Curling Club, was to host a national curling championship at the arena sometime in the future, said ike Swanson, event chairman and member of the Tri-City Curling Club. hile curling has been around the isconsin Rapids area since 1958, it is still a hidden treasure. The opportunity to introduce our sport to the community through the USA Curling ixed National Championship was too great to pass up. ixed curling competitions feature teams of two men and two women. At the moment, this event is a national championship that does not lead to a world championship. Regional competitions will take place this winter to determine the 10 teams that qualify to the national event in isconsin. The USA Curling ixed National Championship is the perfect event to bring to isconsin Rapids, with the combination of high level competition and enough time off the ice to really get to know the players, said Rick Patzke, chief operating officer for USA Curling. It is also very satisfying to see the partnership developed between the Tri-City Curling Club and South ood County Recreation Center to host this championship. ith the strong and proud history of curling in the Tri-City area, we anticipate that the 2014 hosts will raise the bar even higher for future host sites. Last year s event took place in illmar, inn., with Connecticut s Derek Surka rink defeating isconsin s Sean urray team, 10-4, for the title. Hosting a national championship is a major challenge and we have had tremendous cooperation and support from our partnering organizations, Visit isconsin Rapids, formerly the Visitors and Convention Bureau, the South ood County Recreation Center and the isconsin Rapids Area Sports Commission, Swanson said. e look forward to working with area, regional and national sponsors to present a unique sports experience for the residents of Central isconsin and a high quality, memorable competition for the qualifying teams. n Let the USCA help with your holiday shopping! // ALoha! Hawaii welcomes curling USA Curling partnered with American Savings Bank in ctober to bring curling to Honolulu. The event netted a $25,000 donation from the bank to USA Curling lympians John Benton and Tracy Sachtjen (above) instructed more than 150 Hawaiian kids during the day and teams of adults in the evening. See more images from the event in our digital edition. Curling Snowman Just $14! Start making your wish list now at 16 )) usacurl.org

17 Lansing set to host 2014 Arena Nationals By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor, Lansing, ich., has been selected to host the 2014 USA Curling Arena National Championships next summer. After a successful inaugural event in July in Fort ayne, Ind., the Summit Sports and Ice Complex in Lansing will host USA Curling s newest event, which supports athletes utilizing arena curling facilities for league play. The Summit Sports and Ice Complex is pleased to team up with the Lansing Curling Club to host the Curling Arena Nationals. e look forward to welcoming competitors to the Lansing area, said Paige Sauer, general manger for Summit Sports and Ice Complex. The event will take place June in partnership with the Lansing Curling Club and Greater Lansing Sports Authority. The Greater Lansing region is anxious to showcase our passion for on-ice events and extend hospitality to the hundreds of curlers who will visit our region for the USA Curling Arena Championships. e are excited to work with the Summit Ice and Sports Complex and the Lansing Curling Club to grow the sport of Curling, while showcasing all Greater Lansing has to offer, said ike Price of the Greater Lansing Sports Authority. Arena-based clubs now account for about 44 percent of USA Curling s total membership in comparison to those sites that are curling-only facilities. The Lansing Curling Club is excited to host the 2014 Arena National Championships. e hope to build on the success of last year s inaugural event in Fort ayne, and are looking to enhance the championship experience for both athletes and fans alike, said ark celwee, event chairman and president of the Lansing Curling Club. e are looking forward to welcoming curlers to the Great Lakes region, seeing old friends, and making new ones. This would not be possible without our fantastic partners the Summit Ice and Sports Complex, the Greater Lansing Sports Authority, and of course USA Curling. Thirty-two teams participated in the 2013 Arena National Championships with teams from the Dakota (inn.) and Kalamazoo (ich.) curling clubs taking home the women s and men s titles, respectively. There were a lot of terrific bids for the 2014 Arena Nationals. The Lansing Curling Club members excitement about hosting and plan to use the event to help develop curling in their area were the deciding factors for us. Their host ice rink is also very committed and helped the club submit a very competitive bid, said Gabrielle Coleman, member of the Arena Nationals Selection Committee. n Championship Calendar Feb lympic inter Games, Sochi, Russia Feb U.S. Senior en's Curling Association National Bonspiel, ausau, is. USCA National Bonspiel, Broomstones, ayland, ass. Feb U.S. Club National Championships, Two Harbors, inn. Feb. 26-arch orld Junior Championships, Flims, Switzerland arch U.S. National Championships, Aston, Pa. arch Paralympic inter Games, Sochi, Russia arch College National Championship, Blaine, inn. arch U.S. ixed National Championship, isconsin Rapids, is. arch Ford orld omen's Championship, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada arch 29-April orld en's Championship, Beijing, China April orld Senior Championships, Dumfries, Scotland 2014 orld ixed Doubles Championship, Dumfries, Scotland June Arena National Championships, Lansing, ich. Future events: 2015 Junior National Championships, Devils Lake, N.D en's Nationals Challenge Round, Seattle 2015 National Championships, Kalamazoo, ich Club National Championships, Fargo, N.D ixed Doubles Championship, Eau Claire, is Senior en's Championship, Eveleth, inn orld omen's Championship, Sapporo, Japan 2015 orld en's Championship, Site in Canada TBA 2015 inter orld University Games, Grenada, Spain 2016 Junior Nationals, illmar, inn lympic & Paralympic inter Games, Pyeonchang, South Korea usa Curling (( 17

18 USCA News USCA's roots are deep in opportunities By Shelley Dropkin, USCA President ith a new curling season underway and the U.S. lympic Trials recently completed, the quadrennial lympic exposure will imminently provide another opportunity to give a tremendous boost to curling. The sport of curling in the United States has been facing the challenge of how to sustain female membership, both in their retention and development. ne of the ways in which the United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) seeks to address this need is by providing a number of annual bonspiels and events throughout our clubs, regions and across the country for women and youth. This article will describe them in greater detail and include: National omen s Bonspiel a 32-team national event rotated through each region; Senior omen s Bonspiel a national senior bonspiel rotated through each region; 5 Year and Under regional competitions for women curlers with less than 5 years of curling experience; All-American - intra-club events for USCA members; Junior bonspiels sponsorship of regional bonspiels with funded awards; and, omen s Circuit regional tour with cumulative monetary awards supporting competitive development. The National Bonspiel was the original national event which brought the founding of the USCA into fruition. It was rs. Bernie Roth s idea to have a venue that would bring together women from across the country. She became the organization s first president. The first USCA National Bonspiel was held in auwatosa, is., on Feb , Five founding clubs, Appleton, Exmoor, Indian Hill, Skokie, and auwatosa, donated the trophies, which have been played for annually ever since. The first winning team was from innipeg, anitoba, skipped by Doris Fraser, with teammates rs. E.F. Erest, rs. A.J. civer and rs. E. Shannon. This very popular national bonspiel is held in rotating fashion across the regions of the country. It will be held in 2014 at Broomstones Curling Club in ayland, ass., on Feb The Senior omen s Bonspiel began at the Fall 1981 USCA meeting in oburn, ass., when President rs. Renee Spencer brought forward the notion of providing women 55 years and over with the opportunity to continue competing, enjoy a national venue and play against women of similar age and ability. After being reviewed and enthusiastically approved by member clubs across the country, in January 1983, the first USCA Senior omen s Bonspiel was held at the Chicago Curling Club. The winners of the bonspiel were from the Virginia omen s Curling Club skipped by Carmella Luccarelli, with teammates Bertha Hart, arcella Tammenen and Helen Boles. The Senior National Bonspiel also is held in rotating fashion in regions across the country and is being held this year at Itasca Curling Club in Grand Rapids, inn., on Nov The Five and Under Bonspiel was first started in the East Region/GNCC. It was borne out of an idea which Peggy Rotton, a USCA past president, had several years ago. Rotton strongly believed that women needed to have their own 5 and Under venue and have the opportunity to learn with other women of similar curling experience. As the GNCC omen s chairperson at the time, one of my responsibilities was to help Rotton s idea be- come a reality; and, the first omen s 5 and Under, called the omen s Challenge, was held at the Norfolk Curling Club in Norfolk, Conn., in ith the support of Gwen Krailo, Lorraine ood and Rotton, pins for the event were designed and funded for years to come. The first winners were from eston II skipped by ichelle Carens, with teammates Pam Bass, Cindy Lower, Amelia stroff. ith the recent passing of Elizabeth Childs, the event has since been renamed in the Dropkin GNCC as the Elizabeth Childs Challenge. In 1993, the US- CA adopted the concept for a omen s Five-and-Under to be held in each of the regions across the country. This season, the Five-and-Under bonspiels are located in: Kettle oraine Curling Club, Hartland, is., Nov. 20-Dec. 2 Itasca Curling Club, Grand Rapids, inn., Dec. 6-7 ilwaukee Curling Club, Cedarburg, is., Feb. 7-9 altham Curling Club, Triumph, Ill., arch 8-9 Utica Curling Club, Utica, N.Y., arch Columbus Curling Club, Columbus, hio, April Granite Curling Club, Seattle, opac 5 and Under, April The All American was established as an intra-club event to be held annually at the local member club level. It was conceived of by arion Bruett of the auwatosa Curling Club and Ruth Bridges of The Curling Club (TCC); and, the design of its pin was created by Shirley Elwell, past president from ilwaukee Curling Club. This event was founded for the purpose of providing individual members with a local USCA connection and experience. The first All American was held at clubs across the country during the curling season with 48 clubs participating and 1,808 total competing curlers. This bonspiel today serves to bring local female members together for connection, camaraderie and participation among their club s fellow women's curlers. The USCA provides pins to the winning team. Serving youth has been another key area of focus for the USCA, having started and been the original host organization of the Junior Ladies National Championship in hen this responsibility was assumed by the USCA, an ad hoc committee led by Past President Rosemary Barton reviewed how best to continue to support junior curlers. Eventually, in 2000, the first USCA-sponsored Junior Bonspiel was held at Kettle oraine Curling Club in Kettle oraine, is. The first winning team was skipped by Charlie achan of auwatosa Curling Club, with teammates Brian Kebekus, Chris Lynch and Tim achan. The purpose of these bonspiels is to promote interclub play, while also developing skills and friendships for juniors at both a competitive and developmental level. The USCA provides trophies, pins and banners to the host clubs, as well as travel reimbursement for participants to help defray 18 )) usacurl.org

19 USCA News Buy a gift, support women's curling By Nancy Seitz, USCA Promotions Chairwoman The mission of the United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) is to develop, nurture and promote the sport of curling among today s women and all youth. Sounds like a good, simple plan, don t you think? But, have you ever noticed that good plans are rarely that simple to execute? So, how is it that the women of this all-volunteer organization manage to deliver on that charge in today s world? USCA consists, first and foremost, of member curling clubs across the U.S. and the individual curlers who then have the opportunity to participate in a broad range of curling events like the omen s Circuit, regional five-and-under bonspiels, All-American intra-club competition, junior bonspiels, and omen s Nationals. The trick to making these and many other services happen lies in our organization. ember representatives from each club form the basis of our board of directors, which meets twice a year to make plans, finalize arrangements, and identify new opportunities for our members. For every event, we have a working committee of volunteers from each region. e also have a marketing committee to get the word out about USCA; they handle all media from Facebook and our website to posters for club bulletin boards and articles for the Curling News. hen it comes to money matters, we have committees for budget and financial oversight. oney matters. Just when we get really enthusiastic about what we need to serve the mission, that subject always seems to come up. ur dues are low and we fight to keep them that way. ur events are planned to be revenue neutral and that works for now. But we need a money tree to fund special projects like new equipment to clubs for junior programs, seed money for a new event, or printing a special banner or brochure to bring the USCA to more curlers. There are always more things we want to do! About 10 years ago, when ideas were flowing but money was tight, some of our members had a great idea and a new committee was formed Promotions. Just like it says, the mission of this committee was conceived to create curling-themed products, present them for sale to curlers through our system of club representatives, and use the proceeds to pay for extra benefits for curling. e started with one custom jewelry pin featuring three curling stones, designed by USCA member and past president Bridget atzke. Today that pin, in pewter, silver and gold, continues to be our signature piece, but has been joined by a wide range of other custom clothing and gifts that appeal to curlers. Recently, there is a new dimension to our promotion of curling. In searching out new products, we have begun to reach out to creative curlers across the country to feature their products through the USCA. That s one more layer of supporting curlers! ur new snow curler is featured in this issue, but you can find lots more gift ideas on our website at or you Find the USCA curling snowman (above) for just $14 and many other holiday gift ideas at can speak to any USCA representative of our member clubs. Please check us out and support our promotions products so we can continue supporting grass roots curling! n the cost of travel. These bonspiels are now held regionally across the U.S. and this season are being held in the following locations: East Region: Nutmeg Curling Club, Bridgeport, Conn., Feb Central: Centerville Curling Club, Centerville, is., Dec. 6-9 est: Evergreen Curling Club, Portland, re., Feb. 28-arch 2 And finally, the omen s Circuit is a national and regional tour which was developed by Jennifer Stannard while she was serving as USCA President. It began during the curling season. The purpose of the tour is to support competitive aspiration and team development among women curlers. Another benefit of the tour is to provide exposure and interest in women s events held at USCA-member clubs. Prize money in circuit events is awarded based on cumulative performance. ver the past three years, more than $20,000 has been distributed in cash and prizes from our generous sponsors! Regional winners and a national winner are determined each season based on points. The event has seen continued growth in participants each year. Shelly Pilon, Exmoor Curling Club, was the national champion for 2011; Jennifer Stannard, Nutmeg Curling Club claimed the national title in 2012; and Tracy Lawless, Exmoor Curling Club, is the reigning national champion. How do USCA-sponsored bonspiels and events help promote the retention and development of women and youth curlers? ur nurturing programs and venue provide a unique forum for camaraderie, connection, relationship building and learning. hether you come to curling having been an athlete in high school or not at all, curling brings an incredible blend of education, community, friendship and opportunity for achievement found in few other sports. ith the spirit of curling s inherent expectation of winning and losing with grace, our environments are truly ideal for creating life-long curlers. As the oldest national curling organization in the U.S., which started from a small group of women curlers who met in ilwaukee in January 1945 and conceived of the idea of an organization for female curlers, a tremendous amount has been achieved since those humble beginnings. ith special thanks to the founding clubs of Appleton, Exmoor, Indian Hill, Skokie, and auwatosa, we pay tribute to the creative ideas of so many women over the past 66 years who have helped the USCA become the valuable and supportive organization it is today. n usa Curling (( 19

20 USCA News Come to New England for a 'Rockin Revolution' By Dawn Gutro, nsite Chair, 2014 USCA National Bonspiel The 66th USCA National Bonspiel is being held at Broomstones Curling Club in ayland, ass., Feb Thirty-two women s teams from all over the country will participate in this national event. All games will be 10 ends, and all female USCA members who have reached their 21 st birthday before Jan. 1, 2014, are invited to enter. Teams will attend the kit party and opening ceremony at Broomstones Curling Club on the evening of Feb. 12. Curling games will be played both at Broomstones Curling Club and at The Country Club, Chestnuthill, ass., on Feb Broomstones Curling Club will host the games on Feb. 15 and the semifinals and final on Feb. 16. Thursday through Saturday, Broomstones Curling Club will have a continental breakfast available (free to participants and for a nominal charge for others) and a Dutch-treat lunch. Thursday evening will feature a banquet to be held at the host hotel, The Hampton Inn in Natick, ass. Friday night dinner will be served at house parties and Saturday teams will be on their own to explore numerous local restaurants for dinner. n Sunday, Broomstones Curling Club will host a brunch (free to participants and for a nominal charge for others), the closing ceremony and the awards presentation. The Hampton Inn, 319 Speen St., Natick, A 01760, will be the headquarters for the bonspiel. Rooms have been reserved at a rate of $113 + tax per night for double occupancy, which includes breakfast. Reservations may be made via our website, using code "CUR" or by phoning the hotel at and identifying yourself with U.S. omen s Curling Association using code "U.S. omen s Curling." Contact your club s USCA Representative to enter a team. All club reps must submit an application with ranked teams and individual entries from their club. These applications are due to the National Bonspiel Procedure Committee's area coordinators by Dec. 16 with the entry fee of $320 per team. There is no entry fee required for a single entry. The fee is refundable only to those teams not drawn when their area is over-allocated. n Junior events planned for the season By Leslie Armstrong, USCA Junior Bonspiel Chairwoman The United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) is happy to announce the locations of this season s regional junior bonspiels. The bonspiels provide a wonderful opportunity for interclub play among competitive and developmental junior curlers. Here is a look at a few of the planned events: est Region: Feb. 28-arch 2 Evergreen Curling Club, Portland, re. Contact president@evergreencurling.org Central Region: Dec. 6-9, Centerville Curling Club, Centerville, is. Contact lroessler@uwlax.edu East Region: Feb , Nutmeg Curling Club, Bridgeport, Conn. Go to www. nutmegneon.com for information The USCA junior bonspiels are open to teams of juniors from the United States and Canada. Teams are open format. Participants do not have to belong to USCA member clubs. Teams can enter from any region and play in more than one region in a single season. Travel assistance is available for those teams who travel more than 150 miles by car or more than 300 miles by bus, rail, or air. Additional information regarding travel reimbursement is available on the omen s Curling Development Fund page at or get a copy of the travel reimbursement form on the Junior Bonspiel page. e are seeking host clubs for upcoming seasons. If you are interested in hosting a 'spiel, contact Leslie Armstrong at flingtime@comcast.net. n Join the USCA today and reap the benefits By Twila Yednock, USCA embership Chairwoman The embership Committee of the United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) is reaching out to all clubs who are not currently enjoying the benefits of membership. e realize there are many new clubs, and a great many are at arenas. It s possible that curlers who were inspired by seeing the lympics on television have never been to a standard curling club, and may know little about the traditions of curling, or operations of stand-alone clubs. Let us help you! ur membership dues are minimal, and the rewards are great. Have you been to a bonspiel? Playing in a bonspiel is one of the most interesting and fun things a new curler can do... and the USCA sponsors women s bonspiels for both women of all ages, and for seniors, as well as the Five and Under, a special treat for curlers who have been curling less than five years in a club. e sponsor junior tournaments as well. In addition, the USCA provides jewelry. The organization sponsors the All-American Event for clubs with 20 members or more, and provides a beautiful set of pins for the winning team to take home and wear with pride. It s easy to find out how to become a member, and easy to learn the many )) 20 usacurl.org

21 // USCA News Fourth year means big growth for USCA Circuit By Tracy Lawless and Elizabeth Demers, USCA Circuit Committee members This year we have a record-breaking number of participants for the United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) Circuit with just over 65 women. This is up from last year s 50 participants. Don t be left behind, get your registration form sent in! The form can be found on the USCA ebsite at Now in its fourth year, the USCA Circuit is off to a great start with 15 participating bonspiels. There is still time to enroll your women s bonspiel in the Circuit by visiting the club participation page on the US- CA website, Circuit Bonspiels/Start Dates Remaining Spiels East: Nutmeg s Crystal Snowflake, Bridgetport, Conn., Dec. 6 Utica s Empire State, Utica, N.Y., Jan. 16 Belfast s Pinetree, Belfast, aine, Jan. 17 Albany s Dutch Shoe, Abany, N.Y., Feb. 20 Central: Chicago s Gloamin Gael, Chicago, Jan. 4 Chicago Heathers Amazing Race, Chicago, Jan. 28 Detroit s Ladies International, Detroit, Feb. 1 isconsin: adison s Schmecken Spiel, adison, is., Nov. 15 ilwaukee s Tis the Season, ilwaukee, is., Dec. 6 Centerville s Sippy Spiel, Centerville, is., Jan. 31 est St. Paul s Cold Cash, St. Paul, inn., Jan. 3 n benefits of membership. ur USCA website is full of information about the organization. Contact us for a membership information kit for your club, with a colorful brochure, and all the information you need to sign up. Although we are a women s organization, we welcome men who wish to support the organization by being members, and many of the newer male curlers like to play in the Five and Under Bonspiels, held regionally in a different location each season. e are available to answer questions, too, and only a phone call away. Check out the website, and call or us for answers. e want you to be members of this progressive organization. For more information on becoming a member of the USCA, visit the "Contact Us" section at n // Bonspiel Calendar ost events below are listed Friday through Sunday but some may begin earlier. Check the club s website or the registration form for more information. Key: =pen; =en s; =omen s; St=Stick; D=ixed Doubles c=heelchair; J=Junior; Col=College; =ixed; C=Cashspiel; Y=Youth Nov. 29-Dec. 1 Duluth, N Fairbanks, AK Granite, A Dec. 6-8 Anchorage, AK Appleton, I Belfast, E Brainerd, N Centerville, I Chicago, IL Columbus, H Curl esabi, N Detroit, I Fargo-oorhead, ND Granite, A Itasca, N adison, I ilwaukee, I Nashua, NH Norfolk, CT Nutmeg, CT Philadelphia, PA Rice Lake, I Rochester, NY Schenectady, NY St. Paul, N Utica, NY Dec Albany, NY Curl esabi, N Exmoor, IL Lake Region, ND adison, I Poynette, I Schenectady, NY aupaca, I Dec. 21 Curl esabi, N Dec Ardsley, NY Fairbanks, AK Heather, N (apleton) Jan. 3-5 Appleton, I Broomstones, A Chicago, IL Detroit, I Eau Claire, I C C S J S S C J Col Col c C J S Lodi, I Philadelphia, PA Rochester, NY Jan Appleton, I Broomstones, A Chicago, IL Clintonville, I Copper Country, I Curl esabi, N Duluth, N Fairbanks, AK Granite, A Hibbing, N Itasca, N Kettle oraine, I arshfield, I edford, I ilwaukee, I Rice Lake, I Utica, NY ausau, I illiston, ND Jan Belfast, E Blackhawk, I Broomstones, A Centerville, I Copper Country, I Fargo-oorhead, ND Four Seasons, N adison, I arshfield, I ayfield, H Portage, I Rice Lake, I Superior, I Two Harbors, N Utica, NY ausau, I Jan. 20 ilwaukee, I ISCA Jan Itasca, N Jan Albany, NY Arlington, I Belfast, E Boise, ID Col J St J S J J S S Col usa Curling (( 21

22 USCA News Five-and-under events benefit new curlers By illie Buege, USCA 5 & Under Chair inners of the USCA isconsin Five-and-Under Bonspiel were (l-r) Todd Stuntebeck, Phil Christman, Andy ertin, and Todd Bernhardt of the adison Curling Club. inners of the USCA Central Region's Five-and-Under Bonspiel were (l-r) Angela Fox, Ashley Lowry, Karissa Piper, amd Allie Botros of the ayfield Curling Club. inners of the USCA Central Region's Five-and-Under Bonspiel at the Detroit Curling Club were (l-r) Eric Johnson, ike Pintar, Scott Connover, and Andy Hartsig of the Columbus Curling Club. Five Year & Under bonspiels have become so popular that the United States omen s Curling Association (USCA) sponsors an pen Five-and-Under Challenge as well as the traditional omen s Five-and-Under Challenge. Curling clubs across the country have recognized the importance of this event. The five-and-under provides new curlers with the opportunity to experience competition in other clubs against curlers with the same skill. hat an excellent way to promote curling. In isconsin last season, the Kettle oraine Curling Club (KCC) was the first to host the USCA sponsored Five-and-Under pen Challenge on Nov. 20-Dec. 2. This three-day bonspiel started the holiday season with a warm welcome from KCC members. It was a great way for newer curlers to play positions they normally don t play and to meet teams from other isconsin clubs. Teams in the finals of the four events were piped out on the ice on Sunday which was a first for many of them. The results were as follows: First-event winners were Todd Stuntebeck, Phil Christman, Andy ertin, and Todd Bernhardt from the adison Curling Club. Runners-up were Neil Feil, Randi Feil, Dave Kawecki, and Linda Kawecki. Pins for the winners and runners-up for the four events were provided by the USCA. They also provided a traveling plaque that was awarded to the winning adison team. This season the recently completed ilwaukee Curling Club will host the Five-and-Under pen Challenge on Feb Look for their flyer and entry form on the USCA website under the link for bonspiels. In the Central Region, the Chicago Curling Club hosted the Five-and- Under omen s Challenge on arch Although they only had six teams participate, with the theme Chicago Rocks, the women there rocked" all weekend. Everyone had such a great time that the Chicago Curling Club is eager to host this event again in the future. Because of the number of teams, there were only three events. Successfully defending their title, winners of the first event were Allie Botros, Karissa Piper, Ashley Lowry, and Angela Fox from the ayfield Curling Club. Runners-up were Denise Erzmus, arta Conlon, Kristen Higashikawa, and Jessica Thomson from the Chicago Curling Club. This season the Five-and-Under omen s Challenge will be held at the altham Curling Club on arch 8-9. Look for the flyer and entry form on the USCA website under the link for bonspiels. The Central Region also hosted a Five-and-Under pen Challenge at the Detroit Curling Club on arch 2-3. Their bonspiel was a huge success and filled with 24 teams. Thanks to the efforts of the members of the Detroit Curling Club, especially the Rockettes (the DCC omen s Club), this bonspiel got raving reviews from its participants. The A Event champions were Eric Johnson, ike Pintar, Scott Connover, and Andy Hartsig from the Columbus Curling Club. Runners-up were Ashley Lowry, Tim Carcione, Christine Carcione, and ary Dacar from the ayfield Curling Club. This season the Five-and-Under pen Challenge will be hosted by the Columbus Curling Club on April The flyer and entry form should be on the USCA website a few months before the event. In the East Region, the Utica Curling Club in Utica, N.Y., will host the Five-and-Under on arch In the est I Region, the Itasca Curling Club in innesota will be host- Continued on next page * 22 )) usacurl.org

23 // Bonspiel Calendar rocket exhaust Top 10 Narrative Storylines on the Hit New HB Series Game of Thrones By Richard askel 10] The sudden demise of venerated skip Robert Baratheon, who is killed by a wild boar while out throwing practice stones, sparks The ar of the Five Curling Clubs. 9] Bran Stark is tossed out of a derelict tower window by Ser Jaime Lannister after the youngster accidentally discovers The Kingslayer and his twin sister Cersei engaged in an illicit mixed doubles relationship. 8] As an honored guest of the nomadic warlord Khal Drogo, exiled ruler Viserys Targaryen spectates at a royal curling tournament and is duly advised that a Dothraki bonspiel without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair. 7] After being named Hand of the Skip, Ned Stark blows a routine sweep call and is promptly beheaded by the sociopathic teenage King Joffrey Baratheon. 6] Given the overwhelming success of the Red edding, Lord alder Frey is completely mystified as to why no one seems willing to come to the Twins and participate in his newly inaugurated Red Bonspiel. 5] Ruthless Lord Tywin Lannister decrees that his despised dwarf son Tyrion will only be allowed to compete in the Casterly Rockspiel under the condition that his play be restricted to The Short Game. 4] Daenerys Targaryen draws the button to secure a crucial win and becomes forever after known as Daenerys Stormborn, Queen of the Andals and the First en, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, other of Dragons, and wner of Four Foots. 3] n the run from the Lannisters, Ned Stark s tomboy daughter Arya escapes from the King s Landing Club and hides out by disguising herself as a front end player on a junior men s team. 2] In a shocking turn of events, illegitimate Stark son Jon Snow deserts his Night s atch playdown teammates and joins up with the arch-rival ildling curlers north of the all. 1] Absolutely everyone in the Seven Kingdoms of esteros keeps obsessing about the fact that the inter Curling Season is coming and it s four years long! ing the Five-and-Under omen s Challenge on Dec Look for the flyer and entry form on the USCA website under bonspiels. Next season, the 5 & Under omen s Challenge will be hosted by Arden Hills, also in innesota. The date is yet to be determined. There have been no confirmations from the est II Region. Look for postings from them in the near future on the USCA website under the- Five-and-Under bonspiel link. Curlers who have five years or less experience are eligible to participate in a five-and-under open or women s bonspiel. The Five-and-Under omen s Challenge is made up of women s teams. But, the new Five-and-Under pen Challenge features teams composed of males and females. Composite teams are acceptable. embership in the USCA is not necessary, but to host the event, the club must be a member. For more information, please check the USCA website under bonspiels. n Cambridge, N Cleveland, H Clintonville, I Curl esabi, N (Eveleth) Fargo-oorhead, ND Hibbing, N Kettle oraine, I ilwaukee, I St. Paul, N Two Harbors, N aupaca, I ausau, I Jan Chicago, IL Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Brainerd, N Centerville, I Delta Rocks, I Detroit, I ilwaukee, I Norfolk, CT Rice Lake, I Schenectady, NY aupaca, I Feb. 7-9 Anchorage, AK Broomstones, A Centerville, I Detroit, I adison, I ilwaukee, I inot, ND Pardeeville, I Racine, I Stevens Point, I ausau, I Feb Col J Col Y/J Belfast, E Broomstones, A Cambridge, N Copper Country, I Col Detroit, I Duluth, N Grand Forks, ND Green Bay, I Heather, N (apleton) Itasca, N adison, I edford, I S Plainfield, NJ J Poynette, I Rochester, NY Schenectady, NY J Utica, NY Col altham, IL aupaca, I High School ausau, I S auwatosa, I Feb Albany, NY Anchorage, AK Ardsley, NY Centerville, I Cook County, N Heather, N (apleton) Kettle oraine, I ayfield, H Nutmeg, CT J St. Paul, N Utica, NY Feb. 28-arch 2 Albany, NY Curl esabi, N Evergreen, R J Fargo-oorhead, ND Grand Forks, ND J Granite, A Lake Region, ND S adison, I arshfield, I edford, I Schenectady, NY Superior, I C Tri-City, I Two Harbors, N Vikingland, N altham, IL arch 7-9 Bemidji, N Centerville, I Columbus, H Cook County, N Curl esabi, N Grafton, ND Green Bay, I ilwaukee, I Nashua, NH Heather, N (apleton) Schenectady, NY Stevens Point, I auwatosa, I illiston, ND arch Belfast, E Broomstones, A YJ Cambridge, N Centerville, I S Curl esabi, N Duluth, N Grafton, ND Grand Forks, ND Granite, A (Seattle) J Green Bay, I J Lodi, I usa Curling (( 23

24 Championships Curling took over Fremont Street in Las Vegas in ctober to promote the 2014 orld Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling Jan To get your tickets, go to and click on the Cup logo. Some iconic Vegas figures showed up to help, including Showgirls (left) and Elvis (right). Continued from Page 14: Championships before Dec. 10 will go to press, be printed and shipped out as quickly as possible, probably within a one-week timeframe. The second and final deadline for ordering copies will be Dec. 31. rders will be shipped via the United States Postal Service. Expedited shipping requests or orders outside of the continental United States will incur additional postage cost. Have you signed up to take an officiating course? You may want to inquire before ordering to see if a mini rules book will be provided as part of your course materials. Rules books will be provided to course registrants, if available. Inquiries about officiating course materials should be sent to christy.hering@usacurl. org. ini rules book orders, including the number of books desired and shipping address, can be sent to info@usacurl.org or called in to CURLERS ( ) prior to the Dec. 10 and Dec. 31 publication deadlines. Payment arrangements must be made prior to shipping. Should this service turn out to be something members prefer, it very well could be offered again for future seasons. SportsSignup welcome page information Upon visiting the USA Curling website ( you ll see a large red square on the home page that says Register for Playdowns. Click there and you re redirected to the USA Curling Sports Signup (SSU) website. ithin the welcome page information, you will find several championships-related documents. The proof of citizenship list link is located near the center of the page. The proof list is usually updated on Fridays if there has been newly submitted documentation to be uploaded. The list will be updated more frequently as championship deadlines approach. If you are a competitive curler who has registered for an event and you don t see a team member s name on your team s roster, it may mean that a registration requirement hasn t been fulfilled, or that the manual recheck for the information and subsequent roster addition hasn t yet been completed. You can reference the latest proof list for your teammates name to see if this could be the reason why he or she isn t showing up on the team roster. The Championships Schedule that was posted last season, showing the various regional and national event dates, fees, host sites, playdown chairpersons and officials all in one document is also posted on the SSU welcome page. Look near the bottom of the page where the word events links you to the Championships Schedule to see the event information. Team rosters for the various events will show up on the SSU welcome page as they become available. Incomplete teams will not be posted. Sign-up-and-go event rosters are typically updated on Fridays, but more frequent uploads will be done as time permits and as deadline dates approach. Site selection The USCA host sites for championship events are booked out through the season. If your club is interested in hosting a future event, please reference the new USCA Championships Host Site Guide in the events section of the USA Curling website. This is a great place to start if you re looking for more information on hosting. A link to the bid form is included within the guide and can also be found separately on the website. Sites that have already been voted upon and selected by the championships committee receive a copy of the manual along with their host site contract. As we continue to gather information from host sites, updated information will go into the manual, allowing event hosting to be a more organized, profitable and fun experience for organizers. Bid submissions will be discussed by the championships committee during time slots specifically set aside for this purpose. Items discussed include stone condition, ice conditions, the general atmosphere of the club, proximity to larger airports, and other such details. The USCA encourages you to bid if you have interest and at least a four-sheet facility. Some clubs that do not have four sheets, but still want to host an event, have gone to their local ice arena and worked with them to get at least the minimum four sheets needed to host a national championship. A very good example of this is the 2014 ixed National Championship being hosted by Tri-City Curling Club, a two-sheet dedicated facility. The ood County Recreational Center in isconsin Rapids, is., is partnering with the curling club to host the event. The mixed is a friendly club event and a great championship event for clubs to host if they ve never hosted before, said Paul Badgero, USCA director from the Great Lakes region and an apprentice Level III official. The competition during the mixed championship is still intense but the atmosphere of the event is one that truly entails the spirit of curling. Background checks for coaches Coaches, be sure to have your Coaches Association registration complete, your background checks up to date, and your SafeSport training completed before you coach at any USCA-sanctioned events. This requirement came into play as of Jan. 1. Coaches with incomplete requirements are not included on participant reports or allowed on USA Curling championship competition ice. If your National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) background check is within 90 days of expiration, the site will allow you to update it. Get a jump on the season and take care of this as soon as you can. Thanks for your cooperation, for volunteering to help professionalize our sport, and for helping us prevent misconduct in the sport of curling. n 24 )) usacurl.org

25 // Comics // Bonspiel Calendar Nutmeg, CT (Bridgeport) Plainfield, NJ Utica, NY arch Arlington, I Blackhawk, I (Janesville) Curl esabi, N (Eveleth) Evergreen, R (Beaverton) Granite, A (Seattle) Heather, N (apleton) Itasca, N (Grand Rapids) issoula, T Superior, I arch Four Seasons, N (Blaine) Grafton, ND inot, ND Pardeeville, I Potomac, D (Laurel) Rochester, NY Stevens Point, I Two Harbors, N S J J arch 31-April 1 Hibbing, N S // Certifications // Upcoming Courses April 4-6 Broomstones, A (ayland) Fairbanks, AK Granite, A (Seattle) Green Bay, I Hibbing, N Lake Region, ND (Devils Lake) April Anchorage, AK Coyotes, AZ (Scottsdale) Plainfield, NJ April Broadmoor, C (onument) Level I Instructor James Arndt, Nutmeg Curling Club Ralph Brendler, Chicago Curling Club Jonathan Chamberlain, adison Curling Club Penny Clark, adison Curling Club arta Conlon, Chicago Curling Club Adam Derringer, adison Curling Club ill Hsiung, Chicago Curling Club Craig Lee, adison Curling Club Steven akeson, adison Curling Club ax Stevens, Granite Curling Club att ahl, Duluth Curling Club Kim apola, St. Paul Curling Club Level I fficial Bob oulton, Green Bay Curling Club fficiating: Dec. 7-8, Eau Claire, is. Dec , isconsin Rapids, is. Jan , Two Harbors, inn. Jan , Philadelphia, Pa. Instructor: Dec. 21, ausau, is. Jan. 4, Seattle Jan. 18, Norfolk, Conn. April 12, Seattle April 26-ay 4 Caribbean Sea (cruise) ay 2-4 Dallas-Fort orth, T ay San Francisco, CA June Granite, A (Seattle) July 4-6 Hollywood, CA (Panorama City) Pittsburgh, PA usa Curling (( 25

26 Bonspiels 2013 Golden Gate Bonspiel ay 24-26, 2013 // Fremont, Calif. Grits 'n Granite II Bonspiel Aug. 9-11, 2013 // Charlotte, N.C. place 1E San Francisco 1ERU San Francisco 2E Hollywood 2ERU Hollywood 3E San Francisco 3ERU San Francisco 4E San Francisco 4ERU Curl San Diego team Barry Ivy, Brian Zaitz, Elliott ansell, Scott Shaw ichael Lively, Jordan Kimbel, Dustin Clark, David Sciacero arissa essier, Casey Fox, Chris lander, Dwight kahara Paul endoza, Ryan Berdan, att Gamboa, Tim endoza es Seeger, ike Greenberg, Kim Chapin, Brian Patrick David iesen, Adam Kapp, Alex Baxter, Nick Ryan Stephen arschall, Richard Lazarowich, Ryan interbourne, Adriana Camarena Adam Endicott, Liza Beres, arychello Brown, Brian alsh place 1E Coastal Carolina 1ERU Coyotes 2E Cleveland 2ERU Circle City 3E Toronto High Park 3ERU Triangle 4E Palmetto 4ERU Charlotte Centre team Brad Forrest, Tyler Forrest, Brandi liver, Kristy Forrest Darryl Horsman, Carroll Huntress, ayne Fleming, Jeff Baird Neal Simpson, Rebecca Storey, Ed Arose, Jessie Arose Jen Hinderer, Dan Hinderer, Kenny Towne, Ernie Forney Brian Smith, Virginia ugford, Sean Chaprina, Sue Smith urray Jackson, Kathy Jackson, Chris Jaun, Andrew Foulger Daniel Fort, Sherri dlevak, att Jones, Lisa Cobb Sylvia Jennings, Pat ckee, Kristen Conrad, John Froeb inners of the 2013 Golden Gate Bonspiel were (l-r) Scott Shaw, Barry Ivy, Brian Zaitz, and Elliott ansell. inners of the Grits 'n Granite II Bonspiel in Charlotte were (l-r) Brandi liver, Tyler Forrest, Brad Forrest, and Kristy Forrest. inners of the Four Seasons Early Cashspiel were (l-r) Cory Christensen, Becca Funk, Anna Bauman, and Sonja Bauman. inners of the Four Seasons Early Cashspiel were (l-r) Craig Brown, Kroy Nernberger, att Hamilton, and Derek Casper. 26 )) usacurl.org

27 Bonspiels idland pen Bonspiel ct , 2013 // idland, ich. id-atlantic omen's Bonspiel ct. 3-6, 2013 // Philadelphia, Pa. place 1E Racine 1ERU idland 2E idland 2ERU ayfield 3E idland team Chris Anderson, Jim ataczynski, Scott Schatzley, Stephen Baylon ichelle DeBuck, Jackie Pesch, Suzette Loeffler, eaghan Blake John Zimmerman, Kurt lson, Paul Swanson, Nathan lson Chris Goldsmith, Paul Buzzard, Kent Young, Andrew Riehl Ken Burdett, Charles Vendley, Dave Hinson, Dave Devore place 1E Nutmeg 2E Potomac 3E Philadelphia 4E Philadelphia team Naida Leslie, Jayne Beattie, Pam Smith, Sabrina Keillor Dawn Findlay, Susan Armiger, Nicole Freedman, Cathy Ritter Deanne Rudd, Nancy Gerritsen van der Hoop, Tracy Tomlinson, Theresa Seiverd Tracy Shickel, Cindy Bush, Jane Stayer, Gina iller 3ERU St. Paul ike Vosberg, Sean Loughran, John Paul, Amanda Vosberg 4E idland Scott Strouse, att haley, Scott King, Steve King 4ERU Burlington (Canada) Hugh ccarrel, Joan ccarrel, ayne cintyre, Judy cintyre 5E idland Al ilson, Rick Lombardi, Clay Davis, Paul Davis 5ERU idland ike Graves, Andrew cdonald, Sam Strouse, Kaely Harmer inners of the id-atlantic omen's Bonspiel were (l-r) Naida Leslie, Jayne Beattie, Pam Smith, and Sabrina Keillor. Silver Dollar Nov , 2013 // edford, is. inners of the idland pen Bonspiel were (l-r) Scott Schatzley, Jim ataczynski, Chris Anderson, and Stephen Baylon. inners of the edford Silver Dollar were (l-r) Cal Tillisch, Tim Solin, Pete estberg, and Geoff Goodland. place 1E Eau Claire 1ERU Appleton 2E ankato 2ERU arshfield 3E edford 3ERU Centerville 4E ankato 4ERU edford team Geoff Goodland, Pete estberg, Tim Solin, Cal Tillisch Dennis Kroner, Jim 'Neill, att Stiltjes, Ken Ziske Tyler Runing, Jesse Jaeger, Josh oore, Eric Jaeger David Bjarnason, Dean arkwardt, Jim Sherburne, Kellen Kangas Ash Nelson, Elyse Sorenson, Jenna Nelson, Loren Devine Bob Hanson, Bob Hammond, Bob Harris, Doc Sacia elissa Runing, Katelyn Furst, Caiti Flannery, Aly Deegan Beaner Lemke, Nick Lemke, Connie Bergman, Lizzy Lemke usa Curling (( 27

28 Bonspiels High Altitude Bonspiel April 26-28, 2013 // Broadmoor CC, Colorado Springs, Colo. Fall Fling ct , 2013 // Kettle oraine CC, Hartland, is. place 1E Denver 1ERU Broadmoor team att Culbertson, David Suhr, Spencer Culbertson, Amilia Knight Jerry VanBrunt, Jim Hideman, Brett Gleeson, Lauren VanBrunt inners of the High Altitude Bonspiel were (l-r) David Suhr, Amilia Knight, Spencer Culbertson, and att Culbertson. place 1E ilwaukee 1ERU Exmoor 2E adison 2ERU auwatosa 3E ilwaukee 3ERU adison 4E Blackhawk 4ERU altham 5E auwatosa 5ERU ilwaukee team Barb Hamm, Linda Goetsch, Sara Packard, ary Beth Goelzer Tracy Lawless, Leslie Armstrong, Elizabeth Demers, Deb oulton Kathy Vinge, Terri Gleason, Beth Lepping, Linda Fonger Amy Armbaecher, Stacy uller, Joann atthews, Karen Haagensen Roanne Barnes, Joanne oll, Susan Ryan, Julie Stuhlmacher arnee Hafeman, Carla Lynch, Judi Page, Beth Hilt Kim Rudkin, Pauline Krutilla, Stacy Baden, Nancy Zolidis, egan Veldkamp Twila Yednock, Diane Kelly, Kathy Hyslop, Carol Stevenson Roylee Pflughoeft, artha Pflughoeft, Jill Gaetner, Jane Plowman Deb Inman, Susan Hopkins-Heatwole, Ruth Alt, Kathy Geracie, Arline Hughes inners of the auwatosa Stick 'Spiel were (l-r) Barney Lohan and Bill Lohan. auwatosa Stick 'Spiel Nov. 8-10, 2013 // auwatosa, is. place 1E Poynette 1ERU auwatosa 2E auwatosa 2ERU auwatosa 3E adison 3ERU auwatosa 4E Bowling Green 4ERU auwatosa team Bill Lohan, Barney Lohan Jackie Hipke, Vic Hybinette Roylee Pflughoeft, Rob Haagensen Jean Henning, Dan atthews Patrick cdonald, Penny Greely Jim Kaczmarek, Peter Gentles Keith Fisher, Steve Schnoll ike illeman, Sue illeman inners of the Kettle oraine Fall Fling were (above, sitting, l-r) Barb Hamm, Linda Goetsch, Sara Packard, and ary Beth Goelzer. Runners-up were (back, l-r) Tracy Lawless, Leslie Armstrong, Deb oulton, and Elizabeth Demers. inners of the 2013 Broomstones ixed Doubles Bonspiel were Steve Gebauer (left) and Joyance eechai. 28 )) usacurl.org

29 Bonspiels Sin Sity Spiel ct , 2013 // Las Vegas, Nev. aine-iac Bonspiel Nov. 8-10, 2013 // Belfast, aine place team place team 1E Canmore (Canada) Scott oncur, Janelle Schmidt, Trevor Nichols, Becky iebe 1E Broomstones Rich Collier, Dan Naylor, Don ade, Todd Hebert 2E carthur Island (Canada) Kevin Ihlen, Chris Beatty, Paul Bregoliss, Terry ore 1ERU Capital inter ike Steeves, Helen acdonald, George itchell, Eleanor urray 3E Charlotte Carol ckee, Lara claren, Steve ckee, Doug claren 2E Potomac elvin Shaw, Courtney Shaw, Jeremy Vandenhouten, Kaitie Kovach 2ERU Nutmeg Kent Suslavich, ill Pryor, Ethan Kennedy, Ben Nikitas 3E Sutton Steve cpherson, Sarah Langlois, Vinny Lengacher, Jessica Prior 3ERU Lennoxville Andrew Hatch, Lorraine Cournoyer, arty Rourke, Brian Brgant 4E Belfast Bart Read, Terry Fancy, Abbie Read, Donna Fancy 4ERU Plainfield Sarah cculloh, Linda Carubia, Linda Pesci, aryann Vermeulen inners of the Sin Sity Spiel were (l-r) Janelle Schmidt, Scott oncur, Trevor Nichols, and Becky iebe. Exmoor ixed Invitational Nov. 8-10, 2013 // Exmoor CC, Highland Park, Ill. place 1E Chicago 1ERU Exmoor 2E Kettle oraine 2ERU Chicago 3E idland 3ERU Exmoor 4E Exmoor 4ERU ilwaukee team Greg ilson, Pam ilson, Terry Nicola, Cheryl Dudeck EJ Stern, Debbie Lange, Paul Lange, Carol Falasz Ken Van Till, Pat Van Till, John Geason, Stella Geason Colin Rittgers, ichelle Rittgers, Christopher Neseman, arta Conlon Steve Dicken, Diane Dicken, Bob eikle, Barb eikle Ken Brown, Amy Brown, Joe Kovach, Peggy Kovach Larry Brown, Ann Brown, Bob Kohn, Peggy Griem Steve Sedgwick, Alice Sedgwick, Steve Inman, Debbie Inman inners of the Belfast aine-iac were (l-r) Rich Collier, Dan Naylor, Don ade, and Todd Hebert. inners of the Exmoor ixed Invitational were (at right, l-r) Greg ilson, Pam ilson, Terry Nicola, and Cheryl Dudeck. usa Curling (( 29

30 Bonspiels 33rd Achilles Invitational Nov , 2013 // Schenectady, N.Y. place 1E Schenectady 1ERU Ardsley/ Plainfield 2E Glenmore 2ERU Utica 3E St. Lambert 3ERU Schenectady 4E Schenectady 4ERU Schenectady/ Denver 5E Utica 5ERU Schenectady 6E Albany 6ERU Brockville team Dan achold, Jack Stopera, Dave Hooper, Scott Brennan Gert essing, Dennis ellerup, Bill Nickle, Dannie Steski Larry South, Keith Denver, Rick Akerly, Jack Fitzgerald Bob Caine, Pat Costello, Kip agner, Jerry Stevens Paul Fantie, att Greene, Rick unro, Kevin helan ike Stefanik, Brian Damon, Dion arr, Charlie Brown Pat Fitzgerald, Art erkley, Jeff ayott, Jeff Howles arty Zavadil, Tom Vickerson, Steve ood, Jason Sethi Brian oore, Dan Stuhlman, Neal Burns, Tim Conboy Vic Temple, ike Call, John Ioia, Dave Spengler Greg Foster, Brian Stewart, Geoff Van Epps, John Chomycz Bob Chick, Dave Fink, Jon Penny, Doug Beauchamp inners of Schenectady's Carosella Bonspiel were (l-r) ary Colacchio, Cathy ffinger, Linda Pistilli, and Carol Arakelian. Carosella Bonspiel Nov. 8-10, 2013 // Schenectady, N.Y. place 1E Cape Cod 1ERU Schenectady 2E Green ountain 2ERU Albany/Boston 3E Nutmeg 3ERU Nutmeg 4E Niagara/ Philadelphia 4ERU Schenectady team ary Colacchio, Cathy ffinger, Linda Pistilli, Carol Arakelian aureen Fodera, Andrea arr, Alice Rubin, Patty Piscitelli Tish rr, eg Donnell, Liz Alton, Jessica Lawrence Flo Springstead, Jennifer Tschumskow, Roberta Crain, Kelly Lischynsky Jennifer Stannard, Leslie Reiter, Sabrina Keillor, Jane urray Diane uldowney, aura Cockey, Karen Luckey, Kathleen allace Sandra Brown, Brenda Grimo, Jo Hess, aggie cahon Dorothy Szymaszek, Kathy Brown, Laura Dolins, ary Sue Reed inners of the 33rd Achilles Invitational Bonspiel were (l-r) Dan achold, Jack Stopera, Dave Hooper, and Scott Brennan. Cystic Fibrosis Bonspiel Nov , 2013 // Superior, is. place 1E Hibbing 2E St. Paul 3E Superior team Paul Pustovar, Brian Simonson, John Kokotovich, Don ohawk Chuck cahon, Scott Belvitch, Loren Holmstrom, Al Sunnarborg Irvin ossberger Jr., ichael Brien, Brian Bergquist, Chris Bode inners of Superior's Cystic Fibrosis Bonspiel were (l-r) Don ohawk, John Kokotovich, Brian Simonson, and Paul Pustovar. 30 )) usacurl.org

31 // Tucked in the Back Page I think I love this game By Ben Tucker, tuck@usacurl.org Love is a tricky word. It has proven to be impossible to define. Philosophers have tried to define love and have failed. Poets have tried and, in large part, also failed. So leave the deep thinkers and poetic wordsmiths behind. Instead, read the rambling thoughts of a dirt farmer who used to be a pretty good (but never great) curler. I think I love this game of curling. Love? ell, it is certainly never far from my mind. I think about it all the time. I ll think about it sometimes in the summer and daily in the winter. I think about the ice and the rocks and the strategies and the clubs and the playdowns and the governance and the international scene and the lympics. I also think about the fun bonspiels and the people and the memories and the stories. Curling, like my wife and children, is never far from my mind. Curling is also what I like to talk about most of the time. I also like to talk about my wife and kids to anybody that will listen. e tend to talk most about that which we love most. There is, however, a definite distinction a line, if you will... between an obsession and love. I know the difference, for I have learned it the hard way. As they say, You don t know what you had until you ve lost it. I began to find my definition of love when my best friend died. I was around 40 years old and he was about 50 when he paid the ultimate price for too long ignoring the early signs of prostate cancer. As the years have slipped past me, I still think of him often. He was a rabid fan of the evil Green Bay Packers. Should the Vikings beat the Packers and I am close to his grave, I ll stop by and tell him all about it. Alas, that doesn t happen often these days because the Vikings seem to be in a small 40-year slump. I never go to the cemetery after a Packers win. His ghostly laughter would be unnerving. Losing Brad has left a hole in my life that I have never really been able to fill. That was the genesis of my thoughts on love. If losing someone or something will leave a small hole in your life that you will never really be able to fill, then that is love. Your children and parents certainly fit into this category. Hopefully, you have a spouse as wonderful as mine that would fit into the definition. Even a really good pet that you remember fondly decades later was loved by you according to how I define love. I never told my best friend that I loved him. Guys don t do that. Guys are stupid. I was stupid. hen my knee became too sore to be a good curler (you really need to throw practice rocks to be a good curler and I haven t been able to do that for some time now), I backed away from the game. I tried for a while to fill the hole with poker. I went from one weekend playing for pennies with Bill orehouse and Tyler George (they killed me) to reading up on the game, playing a lot and becoming sorta/kinda good. Poker was a bit of an obsession for a while, but I never really loved it. Then I tried to fill up my life more by learning about airplanes and considering flight school. I did a lot of research, but never fell in love with the idea. So, I have come back to curling. I shoot the occasional practice rock and a game if the knee will allow it. I postpone the doctors giving me an artificial knee just in case I can play a few more games. I write this column for a dictatorial editor because she is, in truth, extremely nice and she asked if I would try it for a year. I pay attention to curling news, issues and results as best I can. I call some games for the TESN.us guys and then accept positive feedback for work that was 99 percent theirs. Anything and everything just to stay close to this game because I think I love this game. It all depends on how you define love. For The Good f The Game: Nov. 16 was a truly great day for curling. Not only did NBC Sports Network have excellent coverage of two great games, there was also a reception for the two Builders going into the Hall of Fame. International medals help, but the key to the future lies with our builders and, to a certain extent, the key to international medals also lies with our builders. n a day like that Saturday, it was impossible to think of our future as anything but bright. Passions will continue to rise over any decisions made about our game, but those passions can remain under control because I doubt that we can screw this up even if we try unless we are lazy a little work is all that remains between us and continued growth. ne of those builders was my fellow columnist, Jon ielke. Jon is famous for sucking up to our sadistic editor. He will even go to the unimaginable extreme of turning in his column on time [Editor's note: Not just on time, but often early]. Such pandering has made him The Favorite of our whip-cracking boss. Jon, however, made a fatal mistake during his acceptance speech when he gently teased She ho ust Not Be Teased. YES! Now I am back to being The Favorite! If you ever get a chance to meet our dictatorial editor, you should take the time to get to know her. She is truly wonderful and works very hard for all of us. (Don t even think about it, Garber ielke ain t the only North Dakota boy that knows how to pander.) Drop me a note if you get a chance. Feel free to call me Tuck. ost curlers do. n usa Curling (( 31

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33 Bonus online-only coverage // An open letter to U.S. curling fans Dear United States curling fans, As a Canadian curling fan, I m sheltered. I sometimes take the game for granted. hen I feel the need to curl, all I have to do is visit one of several curling clubs in my city, throw on my shoes, stretch and have at it. It wasn t until last week, when I was at the U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling, I realized how big a difference there is in the game between Canada and the United States. I live in innipeg, anitoba, and have been lucky enough to cover some world curling championships in my young career as a journalist. I figured it only made sense to try and get involved with working the U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling because they were just a mere three and a half hour drive away in Fargo, N.D. It s an exciting time to be a curling fan in the United States. The sport has seen steady growth over the past few years with a noticeable spike in interest every four years because of the inter lympics. So far this year, three games have already been nationally broadcasted on NBC Sports Network and that number will rise when the 2014 lympics rolls around. The more I travel to these events, the more I m fascinated with the culture of the game and how it differs in every country. I did not expect to come down to Fargo and see the kind of fan support that we will get in innipeg for the Roar of the Rings (our version of the lympic trials). But what I witnessed was just as special. Curling is very much a grassroots game in the United States. It reminded me of watching curling at the junior level in my home province of anitoba. The game is very family oriented. I talked to parents of curlers who took time off work and travelled from as far as Alaska so they could watch their loved ones compete and chase their lympic dreams. It reminds me of the time commitment my parents, and many other parents who have kids curling in competitive juniors, make in order to watch their loved ones succeed at the sport. That s passion. I met curlers from Alaska, the idwest, New York, ashington, Hollywood and more while I was at the Trials. Every conversation I had with these curlers made me realize how much you love the game and how hard you are working at growing the sport. In Canada, a young curler can grow up with the dream of becoming a household name across the country. But in the United States that is not the case right now. You curl because you love the game. Because you want to grow the sport. Because there is nothing else you would rather do. I love that. I met amazing people this week, and learned you will do anything you can to help promote and play the game. In Hollywood, and many other places across the United States, players spend hours prepping hockey arena ice and taking it all down afterwards just so they can play the game. any of the teams have to practice as individuals because they don t live close enough to practice together. I won t forget my time in Fargo, N.D., and I hope you won t forget it either. The state of the sport is at a tipping point and I can t wait to watch it peak. y experience at the U.S. lympic Trials for Curling has offered me an opportunity that I might never get again. Let me explain: In Canada the sport has already peaked. hen we gather together for our Trials event the arena will be mostly full, the people will cheer and we will undoubtedly have a rockin good time. But, the U.S. lympic Team Trials for Curling brought a new kind of USA Curling s Journalist Trainee Program, funded in part by the orld Curling Federation s Development Assistance Program, brought innipeg s Kyle Jahns (above, left) to Fargo to join the media and webstream operations for the lympic Team Trials. excitement and interest in the game that I had never experienced. A curling broom was sitting on the media bench and a local resident came up to me and started asking questions about the broom. hy do some brooms have hair and others have cloth? Is it more beneficial to have a handle that will bend or one that is solid? Questions like these bring a huge smile to my face and we generally don t see much of that in Canada anymore. As amazing as it is to watch a runback double in Canada and hear the roar of the crowd, I am just as taken aback when the same shot is made in the United States and you hear the person sitting next to you mutter ow underneath their breath. They had never seen anything like that before, and very well might have just fallen in love with the sport for life. Don t get me wrong, I ll still cheer on my Canadians when it comes to curling. But as I told two of my new friends this week, I won t be too upset whenever the United States ends up on the winning side against Canada on the scoreboard. Best of luck to Team Erika Brown at the 2014 inter lympics in Sochi, Russia. And I ll be watching closely as your men s team in John Shuster works at securing a spot at the lympics this year. Thank you for taking me in and giving me a brand new appreciation for the sport. Sincerely, Kyle Jahns Do you need to update your mailing address for the Curling News or your address so you receive the digital edition and other announcements from USA Curling? Reach out to our newest staff member, Jenny Biadasz, with updates at jenny.biadasz@usacurl.org. usa Curling (( 33

34 // Bonus online-only coverage USA s Brown named captain for Continental Cup By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org Two of the most familiar faces in Canadian and United States curling will be at the helm of Team North America for the 2014 orld Financial Group Continental Cup, it was announced today. The Ryder Cup-style curling competition, a joint collaboration of the Canadian Curling Association, USA Curling and the orld Curling Federation, is being staged outside of Canada for the first time, running Jan at the rleans Arena in Las Vegas. Three-time Brier and two-time orld champion Rick Lang of Thunder Bay, nt., will serve as the North American coach for the fourth straight year; he also will be Canada s national men s coach at the 2014 lympic inter Games in Sochi, Russia. Lang will be joined by USA Curling Hall of Fame member Steve Brown of adison, is., as the captain. Brown is a three-time U.S. national champion and a two-time world championship bronze-medalist. He will be the coach of the U.S. wheelchair curling team at the 2014 inter Paralympics, also in Sochi, Russia. Team North America will be looking to defend the title it won in the 2013 renewal of the Continental Cup in Penticton, B.C., and become the first side to repeat as champion this unique event that pits six North American teams (four from Canada, two from the U.S.) against a six-team orld lineup in a variety of curling competitions. It will be the 10th renewal of the event. I m thrilled to get another chance to participate in one of curling s best events, said Lang. I m also excited to get a chance to work with Steve. e saw a lot of each other on the circuit over the years, and I have a lot of respect for him as a competitor and as a coach. I think we ll work extremely well together. Lang and Brown still don t have a complete lineup of teams to choose between as the North American players from Canada won t be confirmed until following the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, Dec. 1-8, in innipeg. USA s entrants will be the winners of the lympic Team Trials the Erika Brown and John Shuster rinks. They ll be pitted against a Team orld side helmed by Captain David Hay of Scotland and Coach Peja Lindholm of Sweden. Team orld s lineup features reigning men s and women s champions Niklas Edin of Sweden and Eve uirhead of Scotland, along with David urdoch of Scotland, Thomas Ulsrud of Norway, argaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden and Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan. I couldn t possibly be more thrilled and honored to be selected as captain for Team North America at the upcoming Continental Cup in Las Vegas, said Brown. This will be one of the greatest showcases in history for our fabulous sport as it continues to grow across the world and in the United States. To have the opportunity to work with the reigning superstars of North America against the best of the rest of the world is literally a dream come true. I will do everything in my power to make this event a ringing success in every fashion possible. For event details, as well as information on accommodation and tickets, go to: n Team USA will be sporting fashionable new rims (above) for the 2014 Paralympic inter Games in Sochi as the national wheelchair team received a donation of five sets of rims from Precision Billet Co., an Arizona company. Get Swept Away Your U.S. Curling News membership allows you to download the app to read the magazine on your tablet or smart phone device. Available now on iphone, ipad, Android, and Kindle HD 34 )) usacurl.org

35 Bonus online-only coverage // Hawaiian Ice Aloha! USA Curling and American Savings Bank brought curling to the Ice Palace in Honolulu in ctober for a charity event that also included an opportunity for area school kids to learn to curl from 2010 lympians John Benton and Tracy Sachtjen. Thanks to Dave Staveteig and Kevin adsen for putting in the ice. The event helped raise funds for a local children s hospital and USA Curling. Photos courtesy of American Savings Bank usa Curling (( 35

36 // Bonus online-only coverage 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials Photos by Rich Harmer for USA Curling 36 )) usacurl.org

37 Bonus online-only coverage // usa Curling (( 37

38 Bonus online-only coverage // USA world championships team qualification process 2014 By Derek Brown, Director of High Performance Around 70 athletes took part in the athlete survey on some of the key areas of the new world team selection process. The High Performance Advisory Group has taken those results into consideration and has agreed on the following details of the new USA en s and omen s orld Championships Team Qualification Process beginning with 2014: Teams can count their 5 best rder of erit () results going into Nationals. There is no requirement to include an international event. There is no requirement to include a U.S. event. All U.S. teams will start the season at zero points. All U.S. teams will be required to register their team with the orld Curling Tour to be eligible to score points toward USA orlds Team Qualification. Teams must have a minimum of 3 eligible, registered players on the ice for all games at any event to earn points towards USA orlds Team Qualification. Teams can only use U.S. Nationals eligible players of the same gender as a substitute to earn points toward USA orlds Team Qualification. The U.S. National Championships shall award teams double the value with a minimum 100% points value; i.e., first place will be worth a minimum of 45 points (see appendix 1). The 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials teams will be awarded points at a maximum of 12.5 for first place, i.e. 25% of the lympic Trials value of 50 points for first place (see appendix 2). USA s orld Championship teams will be the men s and women s teams with the highest points total at the conclusion of the 2014 USA Curling en s and omen s Nationals who have placed in the top 3 in their respective National Championship. If there is a tie in points, the team placing highest among the top 3 at the Nationals will qualify as USA s orld Championship team. Appendix 1 rder of erit Points to be awarded at U.S. Nationals will be a minimum of 100% value. If the U.S. Nationals meet all 3 criteria below, then the points will be doubled, i.e. 90 points for first and so on. en s/omen s Tier 2 Playdowns: (CAN/USA = Nationals, ASIA/EURPE = Pacifics/Europeans) For the event to award maximum points, they must meet all three conditions below: 1. ust have 10 or more teams. 2. ust have 2 teams in the Top 10, R 3 teams in the Top 25, R 5 teams in the Top 50 on the rder of erit at the beginning of the event competition. 3. IF both 1 and 2 are met, this condition is considered met, otherwise a team from the orld region in question must have finished in the top half of the field at the previous year s orld Championships. Events meeting 2 of 3 conditions receive 50% of point values, while events meeting 1 or fewer conditions will receive 25% of point values. 1st points 2nd points 3rd points 4th** points Games during the round robin are worth points per win for teams not making the Page Playoffs **if 8 or more teams in event AND team is a playoff qualifier Appendix 2 The table below depicts standard rder of erit lympic National Qualifying Trials points calculations. The 2014 U.S. lympic Team Trials rder of erit points will be capped at a maximum of 25% of full value, i.e. a maximum of 12.5 points for first place and so on. As no third place team will be determined at the Trials, the first place finisher will receive 12.5 points, second place finisher will receive 8.75 points, and all other teams will receive 1 point for each round robin win. lympic National Qualifying Trials: For the event to award maximum points, they must meet all conditions below: 1. To receive maximum points, events must have 8 or more teams. 2. To receive maximum points, events must have 2 teams in the Top 10, R 3 teams in the Top 25, R 5 teams in the Top 50 on the rder of erit at the beginning of the event competition. Events meeting 1 of 2 conditions receive 50% of point values, while events meeting none of the conditions will receive 25% of point values. * Qualifying Events leading to National lympic Trials will be awarded points based on Strength of Field ultiplier and Base Values, with no minimum number of teams limit. 1st points 2nd points 3rd points Games during the round robin are worth points per win for teams not making the playoffs. n