The Eye Opener - Day 1

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OLD WORLD CHAMPS GATHER FOR MONCTON OPENING Otto Danieli, Wes, Sam and Arnold Richardson, Eigil Ramsfjell, Ron Northcott, David Smith, Peja Lindholm, Ernie Richardson, Randy Ferbey, Russ Howard

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Saturday, April 4 2009 2

OUR PICKS Playoff bound . . .

1. CANADA KEVIN MARTIN Saville Sports Centre (Edmonton) Third: John Morris Skip: Kevin Martin Lead: Ben Hebert Second: Marc Kennedy The skinny: On paper, this should be a cakewalk, based on Martin’s recent exploits at the Brier and Canada Cup. But the Worlds presents a different kind of pressure, and Martin knows all about that, too. Still, in the end, this team should prevail because of the shotmaking powerhouse it is . . . albeit without an undefeated record.

2. SCOTLAND DAVID MURDOCH Lockerbie Curling Club (Lockerbie) Third: Ewan MacDonald Skip: David Murdoch Lead: Euan Byers Second: Peter Smith The skinny: UK Sports has installed Murdoch and Byers as professional curlers. As such, they provide the bookends for a well-honed lineup that won the Euros the last two years running and was last year’s Worlds finalist at Grand Forks. Based on those results, nothing much seems to have changed in the global order of things.

3. NORWAY THOMAS ULSRUD Snaroen Curling Club (Oslo) Third: Torger Nergard Skip: Thomas Ulsrud Second: Christoffer Svae Lead: Havard Vad Petersson The skinny: Ulsrud has improved, slowly but steadily, since taking over the Norwegian champion’s mantle from veteran Pal Trulsen. But there remains an element of hot-and-cold with this unit. It can be red-hot one game, mediocre the next. And it has yet to consistently put it all together in any international competition that leads to a gold medal.

4. SWITZERLAND RALPH STOECKLI Basel-Regio Curling Club (Basel) Third: Jan Hauser Skip: Ralph Stoeckli Lead: Simon Strubin Second: Markus Eggler The skinny: Great things have been predicted for Stoeckli since his world junior days but he’s been close only once at the men’s level, in 2003 at Winnipeg. Now, with a new semi-experienced lineup, national funding and the coaching assistance of the seemingly indefatiguable Russ Howard, this could be Stoeckli’s year to shine. But he’ll need a quick start out of the gate.

Don’t overlook . . . upset Canada CHINA — Fengchun Wang nal momentum could last year and their natio the ladder toward carry the Harbin boys up the luxury of the the top. But they haven’t women’s team. experience afforded the three years away.

They still may be two or dy Kapp has finGERMANY — Veteran An No. 2 to No. 10 and ished everywhere from rlds. The tipoff on is playing in his 12th Wo evident early on. how he’ll finish should be t on a roll and His Bavarians need to ge European foes. intimidate some of their r made a commitFRANCE — Thomas Dufou adily improve his ment at mid-decade to ste a sometimes specFrench side. He can be other times, the tacular shotmaker but, at ry group. Once director of a fairly ordina required and again, a steaming roll is s team is up to it. there’s some doubt if thi

Spoilers at best . . .

ik Schmidt and DENMARK — Veteran Ulr Frederiksen have younger shooter Johnny edohin in hopes of a combined a la Ferbey-N at qualifying for the breakthrough and a shot mid-pack finish Vancouver Olympics. A credible. here, though, would be of Markku FINLAND— The remains h may suffer without Uusipaavalniemi’s bunc m, in fact, should M15 at the helm. This tea ut the heavy continue to struggle witho ir leader, one of the artillery provided by the who can match few guys on the planet ight.

Kevin Martin for big we iled in Yankland U.S.A. — Youth has preva uster stepping up with former lead John Sh a gang of raw rookto the teehead to guide n Range country. ies from Minnesota’s Iro rse that will need a This, definitely, is one ho level. But, also defrace or two at the world e for at least an initely, it will spoil the rac opponent or two.

Enjoy the visit ly the second world CZECH REPUBLIC — On hs, but they proved appearance for the Czec in their debut year. a surprise with two wins e and a certain JAPAN — Rookies galor -headlights honcandidate for deer-in-the tion is, who will ours in this crowd. Ques they beat?

Saturday, April 4, 2009 3

Canada’s Kevin Martin has his sights set on another world curling title.

Runaway train rolls into town Martin will be hard to stop at Worlds

By LARRY WOOD Eye Opener Editor

K

evin Martin? Undefeated through two Briers? The favourite at this Ford Worlds which start today at the Coliseum?

Like, no kidding Kornelius!

With apologies to the remainder of this world men’s championship field, the Martin juggernaut from Edmonton has just too much going for it to be rated anywhere but front-of-the-pack.

What’s that? You want specifics?

This fearsome combination stretched its Brier winning streak to a record and unheard-of 26 games last month. The team’s superiority bordered on the incredible.

Operating under a new pre-game buttondraw system of deciding the possession of hammer in the first end, Martin won it in all of his 13 games, outdrawing every opponent. Yet he required the hammer at the finish to win only three of the 13. With his fourth Brier title, Martin moved into elite company that includes Ernie, Arnold and Garnet Richardson of Regina and Edmonton rivals Dave Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque.

The team became the sixth in Brier history to win back-to-back, but the first-ever to win back-to-back with undefeated records.

In addition, the 42-year-old Martin became the 10th skip to repeat as Brier champion.

PLEASE SEE WORLDS P5

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Like, wow?

How was that for an opening act?

Rarely if ever has a Ford World Curling Championship been afforded a kickoff like the one Monctonians presented Friday night at the Coliseum.

A rousing extravaganza. In front of close to 6,000 souls.

By comparison, the opening ceremonies at last month’s World women’s championship at Gangneung, Korea, was a mere 10-minute production.

But this one had everything. Well, almost everything. Former champions, stretching all the way back to the very start of the event — Regina’s Richardsons,

Worlds From Page 3 The last team to win back-to-back world men’s titles was that of Martin’s chief provincial adversary Randy Ferbey in 2002 and 2003.

The Ferbey double was the first since Don Duguid of Winnipeg won back-to-back in 1970 and 1971, back when the championship curling game was 12 ends in duration.

Ron Northcott of Calgary won two in a row the previous two years. And the Regina Richardson posted a double-double — 1959-1960 and 1962-1963.

Something else never before achieved at which the Martin crew will take dead aim.

No team ever has gone undefeated through both the Brier and Worlds in the same winter. “Things like undefeated records and stuff are nice after the fact,� says vice-skip John Morris. “But we don’t think that way going in.�

Adds Martin: “We don’t worry about others teams at all.

We totally worry about our own mechanics.

One game at a time. And there seems to be lots of movement in the ice here so that’s good. There’s always a worry if it’s straight ice. And this is not. So all we worry about now is releasing it clean and throwing high numbers. “You know that’s what I think about all the time. It’s all about the numbers. We throw the nineties we’ll have a chance.�

Martin has been a numbers guy for eons. “Numbers have been the whole thing for me since 1990, 91,� he admits. “I read the business pages, it’s all about numbers.

Numbers are what the whole world revolves around. It’s just the way I think. But if you’ve looked at the stats for a million years on the Briers I’ll bet you’ve seldom seen a

circa 1959-60, 1962-63. Yep, all four of them — Ernie, Arnie, Sam and Wes. There was Randy Ferbey, Peja Lindholm, Ron Northcott, Russ Howard, Eigil Ramsfjell, Otto Danieli, to name the principals.

There was all manner of musical presentations— men’s, women’s, youth and children’s choral and orchestral, individual performance, dancing, fiddling, pipes and drums, you name it.

The show went off without a hitch. The speeches were short. The historical references pointed and concise.

All in all, an effort worthy of applause Lots of it.

Well done, Moncton.

team at 89 in seventh place. You don’t at the Canada Cup, the Grand Slams, anywhere you play. If you’re at 89-90-91, you’ll be doing fine.�

Martin’s Team Canada, which also includes second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert, kicks off defence of its planetary title tonight (7:30) against the rookie Japanese skipped by Yusuke Morozumi of Karuizawa.

A much younger Martin finished second to Scotland's David Smith in 1991 at Winnipeg and wound up fourth at Berne, Switzerland in 1997. Last year at Grand Forks, N.D., this current batting order ran up a 10-1 round-robin record, losing only to China’s Fenchung Wang (6-5). Canada then lost the Page One-Two playoff game 7-6 to Scotland’s David Murdoch before defeating Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud 5-4 in the semifinal, and doubling Murdoch 6-3 in the final.

The team took five days off following a gruelling 21-games-in-16 days schedule that included a Canada Cup win in Yorkton immediately following the Brier. “I was more than a little mentally tired mentally at Yorkton . . . and not just at the end of it,� Martin admitted. “That was a tough grind, particularly for me. “I took five days off after that. I didn’t throw a rock. I didn’t go to the gym. I only went to work for a couple hours a day. “We all took a little time off, and then starting last Saturday morning, we all got back at it with Jules (coach Owchar). “We worked on straight mechanics for four days. All slide mechanics, release mechanics, and tons of sweeping. It was just a matter of maintaining our level. “We’ll need that because the Worlds is getting tougher every year. More and more countries look good. It used to be, you never heard of any of these teams. Now they’re come over to Canada and playing all the time and getting better all the time.�

An indication of just how much better will be on display over the next nine days on the Coliseum ice lanes.

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3 Team

Czech Rep. CC Brno Brno

Teams listed skip to lead (in brackets age and previous World appearances)

Skip — Jiri Snitil (34-2) 3rd — Martin Snitil (30-2)

Alt — Milos Hoferka (25-1) Coach — Sune Frederiksen (age 25).

Last year’s record: Jiri Snitil, Prague, 2-9, finished 12th.

Japan Karuizawa CC Karuizawa Skip — Yusuke Morozumi (24-1) 3rd — Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi (24-1) 2nd— Tetsuro Shimizu (21-1) Ld — Kosuke Morozumi (20-1) Alt — Keita Satoh (20-0) Coach — Hatomi Nagaokia (age 56) In his latest incarnation, Moncton’s Russ Howard (above) is coaching skip Ralph Stoeckli’s Swiss entry in the Ford World men’s curling championship at the Coliseum.

Last year’s record: Did not qualify.

Canada

Denmark

3rd — John Morris (30-2) 2nd— Marc Kennedy (27-2) Ld — Ben Hebert (26-2)

Team number indicates combined years of experience at previous World championships.

0 Team

Team

Skip — Kevin Martin (42-4)

2nd— Jindrich Kitzberger (27-2) Ld — Karel Uher (25-1)

Team

Saville Sports Centre Edmonton

Alt — Terry Meek (46-0) Coach — Jules Owchar (age 64).

Last year’s record: Kevin Martin, Edmonton, 12-2, finished first.

13 Team

Swiss Basel-Regio CC Basel Skip — Ralph Stoeckli (32-4) 3rd — Jan Hauser (24-2) 2nd— Markus Eggler (40-7) Ld — Simon Strubin (30-4) Alt — Toni Muller (24-0).

Coach — Russ Howard (age 53) Last year’s record: Claudio Pescia, St. Gallen, 3-8, finished 11th.

3 Team

U.S.A. Duluth CC Duluth, Minn.

23 Scotland Skip — David Murdoch (30-4)

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Team

Team

China

Norway

Hvidovre CC Hvidovre (Copenhagen)

Harbin CC Harbin

Snaroen CC Oslo

Skip — Ulrik Schmidt (third rocks) (46-8)

Skip — Fengchun Wang 27-2)

Skip — Thomas Ulsrud (37-6)

3rd — Rui Liu (27-2)

3rd — Torger Nergard (34-6)

3rd — Johnny Frederiksen (fourth rocks) (33-6)

2nd— Xiaoming Xu (24-2)

2nd— Christoffer Svae (27-2)

Ld — Jialiang Zang (21-2)

Ld — Havard Vad Petersson (25-2)

2nd— Bo Jensen (33-7) Ld — Lars Vilandt (34-6)

Alt — Lu’an Chen (21-0)

Alt — Mikkel Poulsen (24-1)

Coach — Daniel Rafael (age 47)

Coach — James Dryburgh (age 33)

Last year’s record: Fengchun Wang.7-6, finished fourth

Last year’s record: Johnny Frederiksen, Copehagen, 47, finished ninth.

Team

Lockerbie CC Lockerbie

4

23

Team

14

Finland

Alt — Thomas Lovold (27-0) Coach — Ole Ingvaldsen (age 60) Last year’s record: Thomas Ulsrud, Oslo, 9-5, finished third

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13 Team

France

Hyvinkaa CC Hyvinkaa

Chamonix CC Chamonix

Team

Germany Fussen CC Fussen

Skip — John Shuster (27-4)

3rd — Ewan MacDonald (33-8)

Skip — Kalle Kiiskinen (33-6)

Skip — Thomas Dufour (36-5)

Skip — Andy Kapp (41-12)

3rd — Jason Smith (25-1)

3rd — Jani Sullanmaa (27-3)

3rd — Tony Angiboust (25-4)

3rd — Andreas Lang (29-4)

2nd— Peter Smith (44-11)

2nd— Jeff Isaacson (25-1)

2nd — Teemu Salo (35-6)

2nd — Richard Ducroz (25-3)

2nd— Holger Hohne (38-9)

Ld — Euan Byers (34-4)

Ld — John Benton (39-1)

Ld — Jari Rouvinen (27-3)

Ld — Jan Ducroz (37-5)

Ld — Andreas Kempf (41-5)

Alt — Graeme Connal (39-4).

Alt — Chris Plys (21-0)

Alt — Juha Pekaristo (29-0)

Alt — Raphael Mathieu (25-2)

Alt — Daniel Herberg (35-3)

Coach — David Hay (age 47)

Coach — Paavo Kuosmanen (age 33)

Coach — Andre Ferland (age 65)

Coach — Oliver Axnick (age 38)

Last year’s record: Did not qualify.

Last year’s record: Thomas Dufour, Chamonix, 6-5, finished fifth

Last year’s record: Andy Kapp, Fussen, 5-6, finished eighth.

Coach — Brian Simonson (age 56) Last year’s record: Craig Brown, Madison, Wis., 5-6, finished seventh.

Last year’s record: David Murdoch, Lockerbie, 9-4, finished second.

Saturday, April 4, 2009 8

Saturday, April 4, 2009 9

Grand Transoceanic Match – Proudly sponsored

by Delta Beausejour Hotel Tuesday, April 7th Come join us Tuesday at the Beaver Curling Club for a morning of fun curling and a chance to meet other curlers from around the world at the Grand Transoceanic Match. There will be lots of Fun, Food and Entertainment. Further information and registration at the Keith’s Patch. Participation by pre-registration only, which closes Sunday evening, April 5.

Draw to the Button Competition Participating curling clubs in the Maritimes have held competitions to determine their representative at the “Draw to the Button Competition. Qualifying round to take place Friday, April 10th at 1:00 pm at Curling Beausejour Inc. The finalists will compete during the fifth end break at Friday night’s 7:30 playoff game.

Autograph Session – Proudly sponsored by Hansen Signs Former world champions and the 12 participating teams will be available for autographs in The Patch each day from Saturday, April 4 to Thursday, April 9.

On Saturday, April 11th, 10 of the 12 teams will be on hand. Bring your cameras for a lasting memento.

Schedule: Saturday April 4, 6–7 p.m. — 50th anniversary celebration of 10 former world champions

Sunday, April 5 — 4–5 p.m. DEN/NOR Up Close and Personal – Proudly sponsored by InColor, Aliant and Coca-Cola Come and meet teams, media and international personalities in the relaxed setting of the Keith’s Patch. Participate in live, informative interview with former world champions, Team Canada, TSN media and other special guests. Asking questions of these guests involves audience participation, so join us for what promises to be an informative and fun event.

Sunday, April 5 — 4:15– 5:15 p.m.

Up Close and Personal Otto Danieli, Switzerland • 1975 World Champion Eigil Ramsfjell, Norway • 1979, 84, 88 World Champion Monday, April 6 — 6–7 pm Up Close and Personal Ernie Richardson, Canada • 1959, 60, 62, 63 World Champion Arnold Richardson, Canada • 1959, 60, 62, 63 World Champion Sam Richardson, Canada • 1959, 60, 62, 63 World Champion Wes Richardson, Canada • 1959, 60, 62 World Champion Ron Northcott, Canada • 1966, 68, 69 World Champion

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La chorale des Jeunes chanteurs d’Acadie lors des cÊrÊmonies d’ouverture.

Info-curl quotidien

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Les cÊlÊbrations du 50e passent à l’histoire Par NORMAND LÉGER Correspondant Info-curl

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e coup d’envoie a ÊtÊ donnÊ hier soir et les meilleurs joueurs de curling au monde se mettent au travail sÊrieux devant les yeux du monde cet après-matin alors que dÊbute la 50e Êdition du Championnat mondial de curling Ford, au ColisÊe de Moncton.

C’est devant une foule sympathique et ÊmerveillÊe que le banquet et les cÊrÊmonies marquant l’ouverture officielle du championnat se sont dÊroulÊs lors d’un tattoo mondial haut en couleur et riche en histoire avec des centaines de bÊnÊvoles, des musiciens de toute sorte, danseurs, athlètes et artistes divers qui ont fait vivre des moments de toutes les couleurs aux plus de 6 000 spectateurs chanceux d’avoir un billet. Les dignitaires prÊsents ont pu apprÊcier l'immensitÊ de cet ÊvÊnement et son importance sur la scène momdiale.

Le prÊsident du comitÊ organisateur, James Lockyer, et les membres du comitÊ peuvent être fiers de leur travail des deux dernières annÊes qui a aboutit à cette soirÊe mÊmorable et digne de ce 50e anniversaire.

Les joueurs d'à travers le monde ont eu la chance de vivre un moment de la culture française/acadienne et anglophone tout en Êtant tÊmoins d'un moment historique incroyable. Les grands du curling mondial,

ceux ayant remportÊs plusieurs titres au cours des 50 dernières annÊes, Êtaient prÊsents pour cÊlÊbrer cet anniversaire si prÊcieux dans le monde du curling, une cÊlÊbration de l'excellence dans un sport populaire dans la rÊgion.

Le clou de la soirĂŠe a ĂŠtĂŠ la prĂŠsentation des 12 ĂŠquipes participantes, chacune recevant une ovation monstre et le Canada ĂŠtant la plus chaleureusement accueillie.

Des membres de l'orchestre des jeunes du Nouveau-Brunswick aux joueurs de violon d'Ivon Hicks aux chorales et danseurs, tous ont bien reflĂŠtĂŠ la richesse et la vitalitĂŠ de Moncton et du NouveauBrunswick.

Les compÊtitions dÊbutent cet après-midi avec la première ronde à 15 h et la deuxième à 19 h 30 en soirÊe. Il y en aura trois dimanche.

En bref‌ Le Canada a remportÊ 31 titres mondiaux, le plus grand nombre de championnats depuis 1959‌ Ernie Richardson, du Canada, prÊsent à ce tournoi, a quatre titre à son actif entre 1959 et 1963‌ Eigil Ramsfjell de la Norvège s’est rendu au championnat à 15 reprises‌ Le Canada avec Kevin Martin a remportÊ le titre l’an dernier‌ Moncton avait organisÊ le championnat mondial en 1980 avec le Balai d’argent Air Canada‌ L’entraÎneur de l’Êquipe de la Chine est un jeune originaire de MontLaurier, QuÊbec, Daniel Rafael.

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