Curling team sponsors rock

The Continental Cup is back. For three years, starting in 2011.

And while that is a great story, we like one of the underlying themes even better. Read on.

Turns out the rumours of the Cup demise were premature. The Canadian Curling Association and World Curling Federation have agreed on the relaunch after this year’s hiatus – there is no Cup event held during Olympic seasons – and their decision was no doubt made easier with the news that World Financial Group will be the title sponsor.

“We are most happy to welcome World Financial Group into our partnership with the CCA, allowing us to continue the Continental Cup in a stronger financial position, thanks to their support,” said Les Harrison, WCF President. “This competition has been an important showcase of the world's most talented curlers in a very unique format, which has enabled us to develop and promote our sport through a variety of disciplines.”

Indeed, the Ryder Cup-esque feel of the event, which features Team World versus Team North America in a variety of curling disciplines, has led to the creation of the World Mixed Doubles format, which may become an Olympic discipline in time for Sochi 2014.

But our favourite line in the CCA news release is this one, from World Financial Group of Canada president Rick Williams.

“Our commitment to sponsor the Continental Cup is an example of our commitment to supporting curling in Canada, which began four years ago with our sponsorship of the Randy Ferbey team,” said Williams.

“The participation of curling teams from across the globe parallels our reach as a global financial distributor - to help individuals and families become financially independent. We look forward to working with the Canadian Curling Association and the World Curling Federation to make this a very successful event.”

What’s our point? Simply that curling team sponsors can grow from “smaller” industry contributors into larger national partners; from issuing grassroots, slap-on-the-back support to cutting some very big cheques. And this new reality is something that curling sales experts used to scoff at.

They’d best not be scoffin any more. World Financial Group now joins The Dominion and M&M Meat Shops as major players in the CCA Season of Champions stable, and all three started the same way... as lowly curling team sponsors.

The revolution continues.

Continental Curling: Team World Wins

CAMROSE – Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud lost the final skins matchup to Kevin Martin 40-15 but all he had to do was win two skins to clinch the sixth Continental Cup for Team World.

And he did just that in the fourth end on his last stone, a somewhat gentle double-raise takeout for two and the championship skin. The whooping set off a chain reaction and the Norwegians ran to their player’s bench, where they were mobbed by their teammates.

This S&L Photography pic by Sean Mascaluk (above) captured Ulsrud with his game face on.

Much will be written about this event – possibly the last ever held – which was alternately dullish, thrilling and controversial, too. This is a good place to start, but we’ll point to more in the days to come.

But that’s for later. To the championship reception we go! (Ssh, we’re crashing...)

Explosive Curling

CAMROSE – The Edgeworth Centre blew its roof off this morning.

As The Fed explains, bystanders like Kevin Martin were positively giddy.

“Sport doesn’t get any better than that,” Martin raved.

“I don’t care what sport you’re talking about. That was great shooting. It’s amazing shit.”

The photo above was taken by Sean Mascaluk, of S&L Photography right here in Camrose. Sean captured John Morris seconds after he became the fifth curler out of eight to nail the pinhole in a wild all-team sudden-death shootout series.

Following singles play this afternoon, the World now leads North America 119 to 81, and here comes skins curling: men’s, women’s and mixed again tonight, and the big enchilada finale tomorrow.

Con Cup Curling Dude in Camrose

CAMROSE – It’s almost 30 below outside, and we’re staying here inside, thank-you-very-much.

The Continental Cup’s “four days of mayhem” are now into Day Two, and the whole thing is as controversial as ever.

And this guy thinks he’s funny.

Meanwhile, North America’s Ben Hebert, above (CCA photo by Michael Burns) thinks he’s cool. We might ask his teammates if he is, in fact, cool. And we might even report back to you on what they said!

Maybe we’ll ask Johnny Mo. He is definitely cool. And bad-ass.

We happen to think Heebz is cool. He wrote an opinion piece for us last year, and we liked it. So did many of you.

He also threw a brush into the stands – unintentionally – at a Slam last season. That was cool. Whoopsie-cool.

Benny also took Al Cameron’s digicam into the Brier locker room last spring. That one could’ve been better... we think he should do that again.

Speaking of Cameron, what’s up with the blog, man? Football is long over. Let’s get rolling here. We can’t remain the most emphatically awesome curling blog without a fight... can we?

Remember our original Curling Dude? He’s still high up there in dudeism.

Anyway, you can read some good reports on the Continental Cup at the Fed website. That’s the World Curling Federation, but “The Fed” sounds cool. You can also read more stuff, and check live scoring, over here.

All for now. More later.