Canadians go Curlingkanalen

by Teri Lake

OSLO, Norway – Move over Vic, Linda and Ray… Jill and Teri are in the house!

The Curling News columnist-turned-blogger (that’s me) and team have arrived in Oslo, Norway for the Radisson SAS Oslo Cup. We came all the way from Halifax to compete but this morning, skip Jill Mouzar and I got... suckered.

Perhaps it was rookie initiation – we’re Oslo Cup virgins – but we ended up in the commentator’s booth after this morning’s practice (see photo above) to kick off the Curlingkanalen internet coverage of said event. After exchanging looks that resonated a bit of WTF? we jumped into it and, a few coffees later, we couldn’t stop talking.

Alone in the booth, we talked strategy, sweeping and time clocks like old pros (and threw in a few giggles) while France’s Thomas Dufour and Switzerland’s Stefan Heilmann hammered it out. Dufour captured the win (10-4) and we captured the hearts of listeners (well, three of them anyway).

It was quite early in the morning, especially back home in Canada, but we know the camera guy and two techies liked us so much that they’ve asked us back, for as many times as we can swing it. I’m not sure when that will be but, stay tuned. Like the divas we are, we said we’d only come back if provided with telestrating capabilities… or chocolate… we really are easily bought!

I like to stick to the written word in expressing myself but Jill is no stranger to broadcasting. In fact, she’s a pro and I’m simply riding her coat-tails. Jill was a recent competitor in The Score’s Drafted reality show that is looking for Canada’s next sportscaster. You can see Jill, and her boyfriend Paul Brothers, on the website above; check out the Halifax auditions (specifically the 2:15 minute mark of Halifax Auditions Part 2) and follow the show for yourself… this broadcasting power couple kicked serious butt!

We’re on the ice soon against Russia’s Yulia Svetova, with other pool matches upcoming versus Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott, the Czech Republic’s Linda Klimova and Scotland’s Gillian Howard. Follow us!