Curling Camps: the HOT SHOTS

Our second posting in a series on summer curling camps focusses on the original “Fantasy” camp which has since dropped the moniker: the HOT SHOTS.

Now in it’s 15th year, the HOT SHOTS Curling Camp was the first camp to pioneer the “fantasy” concept of pairing high-performance elite competitors with the participants, who of course range anwhere from brand-new rookie to pretty accomplished competitive player (and all points in between).

The subtle name change has, in the words of veteran camp director David Gravelle, come about because “you the curlers, have demanded more from us. And, we’ve delivered.

“We’ve moved away from the celebrity participation to bring you more intense curriculum with highly qualified instructors and some of the top national and international coaches.

“This transformation has been a natural and gradual evolution of our sport with increased participation in the game but the lack of qualified instruction to keep our new curlers progressing on the path to increased enjoyment of this great game.”

There are three HOT SHOTS Curling Camps running this summer-slash-fall, and there are limited spaces available at all three.

First up is the traditional home of the HOT SHOTS, the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario (one half-hour west of Toronto) on August 28-20. The second camp is on Ottawa, Ontario at the RA Centre on October 2-4, and the final camp is in the United States for the second consecutive year. The Utica Curling Club in Utica, New York is one of the oldest curling clubs in the USA and it hosts the HOT SHOTS from October 16-18.

Click here for the camp website and here for the registration page.

Anything else going on? But... of course...


• Those crazy Kiwis are working to launch another season of outdoor curling at Naseby, following a $200,000 rink upgrade ...

• Here’s a report on the recent Rocky Top Bonspiel held in Knoxville, Tenessee ...

• Joel Retournaz – that Italian Olympic hero from three-plus years ago – is back with a new youthful team, ie. an “ambitious project: ...

• PEI’s world junior runner-up Brett Gallant has picked up two local awards ...

• CTV News says the Banff curling rink is being torn down and a new facility is scheduled to open in late 2010 ...

• Can you guess the name of the influential curling coach who dropped this zinger on us recently...?

“I must talk far too much. Dean Gemmel put my interview into two parts.”

It’s Quebec’s Dan Rafael, of course, who is the head coach of the Chinese national curling team program. Indeed, he has a two-part show posted to The Curling Show and the occasionally blunt Canadian is always a good interview. You can listen to part one here, and we can direct you to part two here.

Rafael, by the way, has been in China for a couple of weeks already, as this is officially the start of the 2010 competitive season (say what?). Fresh from Beijing and then Harbin, Rafael is now in Qinhuangdao and will train with the teams until the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games in August. After that, Teams China head to Canada for September, October and part of November until the Pacific Curing Championships in Karuizawa, Japan ...

• And finally, there is movement within the foundations of the World Curling Players’ Association. At last.

Nominations for new board positions have closed and several new board members have been acclaimed. Now representing women on the WCPA are Calgary’s Heather Rankin and Ontario’s Sherry Middaugh, while Europe’s single position has gone to Switzerland’s Simon Struebin, who throws lead pucks for front-running Olympic hopeful Ralph Stoeckli.

Voting will decide the men’s reps. Vying for a seat at the table are the following:

• Quebec’s Pierre Charette (currently Interim President)
• Vancouver’s Brent Pierce (a former WCPA regional rep)
• Scott Pfeifer, second man for Team Randy Ferbey
• Craig Savill, the Team Glenn Howard lead
• Garth Smith, who is Kerry Burtnyk’s opening rocker
• Nolan Thiessen, yet another leadman who plays for Kevin Koe.

The United States’ position features a pair of nominees, with John Benton taking on Bill Todhunter.

The new WCPA Board will consist of eight elected members, with a minimum five positions reserved for Canadian representatives. The group of five Canadian representatives will feature three male and two female members.

Read all about the nominees, their positions and the URL to go to to vote at this link ...

Brier: Picking to Win

by Dalene Heck

CALGARY – Get yer Brier picks here! We got Scotty Pfiefer! We got Cheryl Bernard!

We got Grandma!

There are two kinds of picks in the sport of curling. One occurs on the ice and causes mayhem and anger. The other takes places in the days before a big event – like the Tim Hortons Brier – and it involves picking the winners. As in winners of games, champions of the entire event, et cetera.

Lots of “picks” have been made in the media in recent days. Many features have tried to analyze the two major combatants while others allow the players themselves – like Russ Howard – to articulate their own chances at success.

Othrer features seem to diminish Kevin Martin’s chances of repeating, just because the repeat doesn’t happen very often.

Of course, The Curling News features a repeat victory from 51 years ago in our latest issue... have you seen it yet? Anyone know if “Tay” Turnbull has seen it yet?

Research is also a key. Look at the cool Brier features at the National Post “Posted Sports” webpages... with team breakdowns here and this very cool Roadmap Through The 2009 Brier. This kind of stuff can be helpful.

Then, of course, there are media predictions themselves. And here are some from Winnipeg (here and here)... and from Toronto (see the sidebar alongside the main story)... and, of course, from Calgary.

But now... without further hesitation... what do the pros think?

Looking to make a little money on the games this week and need some help with your picks? Well, look no further! We’ve assembled a panel of local experts to assess the field and give their predictions as to who will walk away with a checkmark in the win column for each game. Check back every morning for each day’s picks!

Our esteemed experts are:

Cheryl Bernard – Cheryl has 4 Scotties hearts to her credit, and was Alberta’s representative at the Scotties held in Victoria just last week. Cheryl’s team has also been a dominant force on the Asham World Curling Tour, having placed sixth or higher in each of the last three years.

Dean Joanisse – A former Canadian Junior Champion, Dean has also made two Brier appearances, representing British Columbia in both 2001 and 2007. On Thursday night he managed to squeeze into that ancient World Juniors sweater – that’s right, sweater! – for the ceremonial first rock at the World Juniors now underway in Vancouver, his hometown.

Kevin Koe – Kevin is arguably one of the best Canadian curlers that has never competed in a Brier. Instead, he’ll have to settle for the $150,000-plus that his team has won on the Tour in only the last two years.

Scott Pfiefer – Five-time Brier champion, four-time World Champion, a couple of Canadian Junior titles, a few hundred thousand dollars won with Team Ferbey… need I say more?

My Grandma – That’s right folks. I can’t think of any other person in the world who has watched more curling then my Grandma, and boy, does she have an opinion! I’m throwing my support behind her picks, and if she happens to win me some money this week, then I might finally forgive her for the time she bet against me in junior provincials.

Brothers, boyfriends and hometown favourites aside… here are who our panel of experts are picking to win today’s games (see above, click to enlarge)!