The Backline... a newsletter for the members of the Vancouver Curling Club Happy New Year & Welcome to 2007 Welcome to 2007 and it is hard to believe that the first half of the season is complete. It seems like it was a very short while ago that I was still thinking about camping and the possibility of another round of pitch and putt. The VCC is lucky to have a complement of hard working and dedicated staff who ensure visits to the Club are enjoyable. We also have a Membership that takes a great interest in our Leagues and Special Events. Last, but not least, is a very hard-working Board of Directors that meet once a month in a formal way and then multiple times per month in Committees and Task Forces. Without all of these contributions, we would not be functioning at the level we are. There are some people, though, who have told me that we should be able to do more. I agree with that concept and, in response, issue the challenge to everyone that if you want to see the Club improve and have more services, prizes, programs etc, then please step forward and offer to help out. I guarantee you will see the Club differently once you start to volunteer. You will never regret it! In three short years, the City of Vancouver will be preparing to host the world for the 2010 Winter Games. We already know that this event will have a huge impact on the Vancouver Curling Club. The obvious impact will be the Curling Legacy Facility. In addition, our Members will have ample opportunity to be a part of some really large events leading up to the Olympic & Paralympic Games. So you can easily imagine that we will need a lot of help as we transition from the VCC of 2007 to the VCC at the time of the 2010 Winter Games and beyond. Lastly, I would also like to advise you of two important updates. First, the Board of Directors will soon be reviewing nominations for the Male and Female Volunteer of the Year - complete nomination details are on page 2. Second, a new competition is being created to select the teams for the BC Club Challenge - details are on page 6. Sincerely, Ken MacDonald President Also in this issue... Olympians rock VANOC... 2 Volunteer of the Year... 2 From the Iceman... 3 Dear Skippy... 3 Checking in on the Rules... 4 Grey Cup Bonspiel Wrap-up... 5 Upcoming Events... 6 BC Club Challenge... 6 www.vancouvercurlingclub.com
Olympians rock VANOC Sam Corea (guest contributor) As we approach the one-year anniversary of Canada s gold and bronze medals at the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Olympic curlers from North America and Europe were in Greater Vancouver at the end of 2006. In November, the headquarters of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) welcomed curling medallists from two Olympic Games. The men s gold medallists from the Torino 2006 Games (Team Gushue of Canada) were joined by the women s 2006 gold medallists (Team Norberg of Sweden) and bronze medallists (Team Kliebrink of Canada) for a tour VANOC s headquarters. Canadian and World Curling Federation officials were also part of the entourage, including George Karrys (Silver, curling, Nagano 1998). While at Campus 2010, the curlers signed autographs, reviewed the Vancouver 2010 sport and venue plans for curling and shared their experiences with VANOC staff members. The Olympic medallists were in BC for the 2006 Continental Cup of Curling, which was held in Chilliwack from November 23-26, 2006. At the Continental Cup, Team Europe captured their second title with a 229 171 points win over Team North America. The win for Europe evened the series at 2 wins apiece, as they previously captured the cup in 2003 and North America was victorious in 2002 and 2004. Volunteer of the Year Nomination Details If you would like to nominate a Volunteer that is not on the Board of Directors, please send an e-mail to president@vancouvercurlingclub.com. Nominations submitted should please include an explanation of why the nominee is deserving of recognition. Nomination Deadline: Monday, January 22 Last year s winners were: Marshall Wasyliw for his incredible work with the Building Committee, and Val Merritt for her continual support of our education programs. pg. 2
From the Iceman Curlers of all types, whether they are brand new or Brier champions, should be aware of their equipment status. Is your broom in good shape? How does your slider look and are there any scrapes or nicks in the running surface that could hurt the ice surface by leaving scratches? Most importantly, what condition are your grippers in? and is there any sign of rubber wear or tears in the sides that could leave bits of rubber on the ice? If your grippers are worn too much, then you should look to purchase new ones. This purchase will not only help you stand up better on the ice, but they will not leave bits of rubber on the ice surface that could end up under a shot you are trying to make. If your broom is a hair broom, be sure check to see if the hairs are falling out or showing signs that the glue is letting go (i.e., some of the hairs may hang longer than others). This is a tell-tale sign that you have a problem. If it is a synthetic broom, look to see that it Don Swann, Ice Tech is not matted with dirt. A broom that is dragged along the ice surface when you are not sweeping stays wet and can collect dirt particles from the walkways, ice surfaces, carpets in the entrance ways, etc. A synthetic broom head should be cleaned with a hard brush, and they can be washed with warm water and then placed head up to dry before the next game. During a game, take the time to brush off your broom head every now and then over the garbage can to take away any dirt that might be collecting. Don t forget that any dirt found on the ice surface was brought out there by the curlers themselves, either with poorly maintained equipment or by not using the boot boys at the ice entrances. As the iceman, I have cleaned, shaved, pebbled, and nipped the ice before you go out there to curl. So, good curling and be sure to check out your equipment soon. Dear Skippy... Dear Skippy, My lead Ruddy has been whining (as leads do) that he did not get want he wanted for Christmas. As I commute to the club, I do not have extra time for shopping and I have no idea what to buy Rudy to make bring him belated Christmas joy! Where should I go? Seriously Need Team Apparel Dear SNTA, A number of great gift ideas for Rudy can be found at the Vancouver Curling Club Pro Shop. Just drop by the club and speak to the Club manager. The Backline s advice columnist Dear Skippy, Now that you are famous and a big fancy advice columnist you never call anymore. What is the best way to contact you? Skippy s Mom Dear Mom, The best way to reach me is via the VCC newsletter email - newsletter@vancouvercurlingclub.com. I love you, Mom. Your Skipwick pg. 3
Checking in on the Rules Jason Rowland As the first half of the season is in the books, there are a couple of items that I wanted to bring to the attention of our members. The four-rock rule and burned stones are two rules I would like to address and the trouble with the later is that the elite curlers you see on TV violate the regulations all the time. So what is a burned stone? A burned stone is defined as a stone that is touched by any player, personal belongings or player equipment after it is originally released. This also applies to a stone that is released and then re-touched by the delivering player. For any burned rock offense, be sure to let all of the stones come to rest before determing the course of action for any penalty. Most high-level curlers (i.e., those you may watch on TV) actually incorrectly stop the stone once it is burned this is wrong, and against the rule book. Allow all stones to come to rest - even ones that the burned stone puts into action - before going to the next step, which is: Penalty... the non-offending skip (i.e., the skip on the team that did not burn the stone) has one of three options available to them: 1. Allow all of the stones to remain as they are after coming to rest (sometimes a burned stone will actually help you, so you can use it if you want); or 2. 3. Remove the burned stone from play and place all other stones as near as possible to how they were before the shot was taken; or Place all of the stones (including the burned stone) where they would have come to rest if the stone had not been burned. The Four-Rock Rule states you may not remove an opponent s stone in the free guard zone with one of the first 4 rocks of the end. If you do so, then the penalty is... the offending stone is removed from play and the original guard and any affected stone is replaced. Permitted actions: 1. You can remove your own guard from play with no penalty. 2. You can bump your opponent s guard into the house with your first stone and remove it from the house with your second stone. 3. You can move your opponent s stone from its current position as long as it stays in play. 4. You can promote your opponent s stone from the guard zone onto any stone in the house and remove the stone in the house as long as the original guard is not removed from play. I hope this explanation helps you and your team better understand the rules. Have fun in the second half of the season. pg. 4
The Backline January 2007 Wrap-up of the 2006 Grey Cup Bonspiel The Vancouver Curling Club held another successful annual Grey Cup Bonspiel in November 2006. The club hosted 24 teams from the Lower Mainland and Seattle in a fun and competitive weekend of curling. Event champions for the 2006 Spiel were: A Event Team Peachey, B Event Team Findlay, C Event Team Smith, and D Event Team Clark Special thanks to the Club for hosting another successful VCC event, and we hope to see an even larger turn-out next year. Event winners (in clockwise order, from top left): Team Peachey, Team Findlay, Team Smith & Team Clark. The Backline welcomes contributors Do you have creative talents you would like to showcase? The Backline newsletter team is looking for a cartoonist as well as guest contributors to help tell the stories of the club, its members, events and our history. If you are interested, please send us an email at newsletter@vancouvercurlingclub.com. pg. 5
Upcoming Events As we enter 2007, there are many exciting events planned at the club for the new calendar year. Be sure to sign-up early to avoid disappointment as all of the events below are expected to fill to capacity. Date TBD Mid-Season Clinic ($25 fee): 9:00 pm - 4:00 pm Thursday, January 11 League Reps meeting: 7:00 pm Friday, January 26 to Sunday, January 28 Pacific Rim Bonspiel - click here to register Saturday, February 10 Scotch Doubles Bonspiel - click here to register Saturday, February 18 Sandra Schmirler Day (open house): 10 am - 3 pm Thursday, March 8 to Sunday, March 11 Barry Naimark Charity Skins Bonspiel Sunday, April 1 Last day of league curling - 2nd half Monday, April 2 to Wednesday, April 5 Club Championship Thursday, April 26 Volunteers Barbecue League Reps Meeting & Annual General Meeting A New Selection Process for the BC Club Challenge This year there will be a competition to name the VCC Reps to the BC Club Challenge. In the past, we have sent the top men s and women s teams from our Club Championships as representatives to the BC Club Challenge event; however, this year there will be an internal Club competition open to regular teams in the VCC. There are some restrictions that can be found on the CurlBC website so we suggest you talk with your team to see if you are interested in participating. Games will be scheduled in the evenings and weekends throughout the months of February and March. Dates, times and competition format will be determined by the number of teams. Applications are due by Friday, January 26 to president@vancouvercurlingclub.com or in writing to the office, and must include the names of all participating team members & the league name you play in. For more information on any of the events scheduled at the VCC, please contact the Club Manager - Jason Rowland - at 604-872-0122 or manager@vancouvercurlingclub.com. Vancouver Curling Club 4460 Dinmont Ave Vancouver, BC V5Y 2M2 604-874-0122 604-874-2865 (fax) manager@vancouvercurlingclub.com www.vancouvercurlingclub.com