Curling in June

Meet Bruce Folkard, folks.

He's from Guelph, Ontario. He's a lot of fun. And he recently won the 2006 World Rotary Curling Championships in Scotland. He and his Oshawa teammates have been carting the Silver Bell trophy (photo) along to their Rotary meetings back in Canada. Why? A silver bell is rung at these meetings, and this here trophy actually has a working bell. So there you go.

By the way, Team Folkard won the final with a victory over Scotland's Matt Murdoch, the father of David Murdoch, who of course won the 2006 men's worlds in Lowell, Massachusetts. So there you go, again.

There's lots going on as this off-season churns its way into June. Don't believe us? Read on.

• First it was a ton of free beers – guesstimated to continue through life everlasting – and then it was a highway and a few city streets named after them. Now, the Gushues have been bestowed honourary university degrees. Meanwhile, back-enders Brad Gushue and Mark Nichols have been hired to visit five Newfoundland and Labrador communities this month...

• Want to compete in Canada’s next Olympic Trials for 2010? Er... want to try, anyway? You need to register your team with the governing poobahs by July 1, so get cracking!

• The timing might be odd – there hasn’t been ice for over a month now – but here’s a first-person newbie story out of Vancouver...

• Speaking of no ice...? You’re not going to let us get away with that, are you? Of course you know about summer bonspiels, which are everywhere, including one coming up in Toronto this weekend? And there’s no way you’ve forgotten that the Australasian continent is in the middle of their winter – hence, their curling season – as we speak?

And speaking of: it sounds like Bendigo, AUS will get two new curling sheets, and they're already hosting the Aussie Nationals July 22-23... meanwhile, next door in New Zealand, curling interest is booming in Aukland...

• Believe it or not, there is still curling going on the U.S. – we kid you not. The most enthusiastic club in America, the SoCal, is at it again, with an announcement of a summer league and yet another June open house... and so are those nutbars in Arizona, who will also host some August workshops...

• Speaking of America, marathon man Gordy Savela (remember him?) not only made it halfway, he then finished his 13-day, 300-mile fundraising run across Minnesota... all the while clutching a curling brush.

"Because of having to use Vaseline (for chafing), and also because of sweat, I simply could not hold onto the broom," Savela said. He eventually solved the problem by wrapping a bandana around the broom handle for a better grip. "After two days I was totally oblivious to the thing."

Savela, a member of the Itasca Curling Club, began his quest on the North Dakota border May 19 at the Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club in Fargo, Minn. He originally planned on running 340 miles, but changed his route to 300 miles after dealing with knee and hip problems and several days of hot and stormy weather. He finished his run at the steps of the Duluth Curling Club, surrounded by junior curlers.

"I'm really excited about doing this again next year," said Savela. "The sky's the limit. I'd like to involve other states, too. Next year I think we could multiply the money raised (over US $3,000) five or six times."

• Back to Lowell, site of the successful 2006 world men’s. Did you know the area recently got the heck kicked out of it by Mother Nature? Turns out an anonymous “World Curling Federation member” stepped up and donated US $10,000 to flood victims. It then turned out to be none other than legendary curling supporter – and honourary event chair – Kay Sugahara of New York City...

• Did you know: that a curling term – bonspiel – tripped up one of the competitors at the world’s biggest spelling bee?

• Did you know (pt. II): that freestyle motocross rider Cary Hart, also an MTV star, thinks Supercross would get better Olympic TV ratings than curling?

• Back in Canada, two notes out of Manitoba: the curling association had some new announcements, both in the media and on their website (click on the month of May); and Portage will host this fall’s MCT Championship...

• In Ontario, the minor-league Hamilton Bulldogs hockey club isn’t happy about being locked out of their arena, thanks to Disney and, of course, the Tim Hortons Brier...

• Finally, veteran TV Olympic guy Brian Williams is leaving the CBC – after 30 years! – to jump to CTV, the network best known for spending all its money on U.S. content. CTV and a consortium of others outbid CBC for two upcoming Olympic Games, the critical Vancouver 2010 and also London (Ingerlund) 2012, and now the guy who threw to Don and Don – and later Don and Mike and Joan – at the Olympic curling venue is headed out the door.

Here's two takes, both from the Glob & Flail, with Bill Houston and Al Maki, who warns of impending disaster at the Mother Corp...